Songwriter Showcase
Songwriter Showcase
Songwriter Showcase
The Submission window for the 2024 Songwriter Showcase is now closed.
The Songwriter Showcase is our nationally-recognized, singer/songwriter competition open to anyone who writes and performs original music, and who is not currently signed to a major recording or publishing deal.
Contestants are judged on the quality of the song’s composition (50%), vocal delivery (25%), and the overall performance (25%).
Ten (10) finalists will be selected to receive a 3-day pass to the 2023 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival in Lyons, Colorado to compete in a live performance contest for cash and prizes.
2024 Songwriter Showcase Finalists
Top 10 Finalists
We’d like to congratulate and invite the following top 10 finalists to compete in Songwriter Showcase Contest Finals at the 2024 Folks Festival (August 9th-11th, 2024).
- Karyn Ann (Milwaukie, OR) - “Who You Were”
- Katie Boeck (Nashville, TN) - “Three Things She Saved From the Fire”
- Anna Cutler (Boulder, CO) - “Temporary Fall”
- Chance Emerson (Providence, RI / Hong Kong ) - “House We Share”
- Daphne Gale (New York City, NY) - “Getting Left”
- Martin Gilmore (Englewood, CO) - “I’ve Been Riding Fences”
- Mike Lamitola (Erie, CO) - “The River”
- Gabrielle Louise (Paonia, CO) - “The Whole Apple”
- Racyne Parker (Westminster, CO) - “Myself Again”
- Cat Terrones (San Pedro, CA) - “Before the Spark”
In the event that any of the top 10 finalists are unable to attend the final competition the top 2 alternates will be invited to join in the listed order.
- Alternate #1 -Joel Van Horne (Denver, CO) - “Nothing Left to Be”
- Alternate #2 - Andy Sydow (Nashville, TN) - “My Last Game”
2024 Honorable Mentions
- Joel Ansett (Denver, CO) - “It Takes a Long Time to Wait”
- Louis Apollon (Brooklyn, NY) - “Papa Loves You”
- Ingrid Avison (Nederland, CO) - “American Dynasty”
- Ollella (Seattle, WA) - “Lava”
- Chris DuPont (Ypsilanti, MI) - “Retrieve”
- Luke Hawley (Sioux Center, IA) - “My Father’s Favorite Hymn”
- Jeri Katherine Howell (Frankfort, KY) - “Healers & Drinkers”
- Pamela Machala (Lafayette, CO) - “Me and Marie”
- Charlotte Morris (Nashville, TN) - “Wild Child”
- Halley Neal (Boston, MA) - “Emily”
- Jeff Przech (Unionville, CT) - “Helena”
- Stephanie Sammons (Dallas, TX) - “Billboard Sign”
2024 Songwriter Showcase Finals - Lyons, CO
The top (10) songwriters will be selected to attend the Songwriters Showcase Finals held live in Lyons, CO during the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival (August 9th -11th 2024)
- Top (10) Finalists will receive the following:
- 3-day pass (w/camping) to 2024 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival
- Performance slot in the Wildflower Pavilion during the festival in addition to contest performances on the Mainstage
- Contest Format
- Friday August 9th, 2024 - Mainstage - Each contestant to perform (2) Original Songs, winner selected
- Rules for Live Performances
- No backup musicians allowed. This is a solo competition.
- Recommended time limit: 5 minutes per song. Points will be deducted for significantly exceeding this limit.
- Acoustic instruments with pickups are permitted as well as EQ devices but no effects.
- Instruments allowed are those that can be carried out to the mics with the performer. A keyboard will be provided if necessary.
2024 Prizes
Top (10) Finalists will compete on the Mainstage at the 2024 Folks Festival and will receive the following:
- 3-day pass (w/camping) to 2024 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival
- Performance slot in the Wildflower Pavilion during the festival in addition to contest performances on the Mainstage
1st Place Prize
514ce Taylor Guitar + $400 + 2025 Performance
Taylor has a long history of introducing compelling new tonewood flavors to the world, and we’re as excited as we’ve ever been to debut a stunning new entry — red ironbark — as the new featured tonewood of our reimagined 500 Series. (Sourced in Southern California through our urban wood initiative, we’re calling the wood Urban Ironbark.) After exploring and falling in love with its acoustic properties, master builder Andy Powers has paired ironbark back and sides with a torrefied spruce top and deployed a new voicing recipe — shaped by our V-Class bracing — to bring another uniquely enticing tone profile to the Taylor line.
The Tone: Imagine the sonic depth and richness of Indian rosewood pushed to another level. Red Ironbark’s hardness and density are comparable to ebony, and together with a roasted spruce top, produce a sound that’s loud, muscular and sweet, with piano-like fidelity, complexity and depth across the entire frequency spectrum.
Notes jump out of the guitar, producing a natural amplifying effect that will fill a room with sound. Any player who appreciates the sonic virtues and versatility of our flagship rosewood/spruce 814ce will love the Grand Auditorium 514ce, while the other new 500 Series entry, the Grand Concert 512ce, also produces remarkable volume and dynamic range, blending the responsiveness of a smaller body with bold projection that also makes it an inspiring strummer.
More about Urban Trees for guitars can be found here.
514ce Taylor Guitar, $400, and 2025 Mainstage Folks Fest Performance
$500
$400
$300
$250
$150
IMPORTANT DATES
♫ February 8th, 2024 to May 19th, 2024 - Online Song Submission Window
♫ June 10th, 2024 *- Top 10 finalists (and alternates) announced to compete in the Showcase Finals during the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival
♫ August 9th-11th, 2024 - Showcase Contest Finals (Live Performances) - Lyons, CO.
♫ August 9th - Mainstage Showcase Contest Finals - All (10) Finalists - Lyons Colorado
♫ August 10th & 11th - Wildflower Pavilion- Showcase Finalists In-The-Round: We’ll be featuring the Showcase finalists in three different in-the-round sessions on Saturday and Sunday in the Wildflower Pavilion
*Date Subject to Change
2023 Songwriter Showcase Winner & Finalists
Congratulations to our 2023 Songwriter Showcase winner Cindy Kalmenson (Ojai, CA)!
Cindy received a stunning Taylor 517e Acoustic Guitar, $400, and a Main Stage performance spot on our 2024 Folks Festival lineup.
With nearly 400 song entries, we are also proud to announce the runner-up contestants:
2nd Place: Katie Boeck (Nashville, TN)
3rd Place: Jackson Emmer (Carbondale, CO)
4th Place: Mike Stocksdale (Culver City, CA)
5th Place: Joel Van Horne (Denver, CO)
Other top 10 finalist competing in the live performance competition (in no particular order)
- Anna Cutler (Boulder, CO)
- Sophia Rankin (Tucson, AZ)
- Marisa Deering (Mission Viejo, CA)
- Cole Scheifele (Boulder, CO)
- Lewis Turner (Fort Collins, CO)
HOW TO ENTER - SONG SUBMISSION
The online submission window is closed for 2024. Submissions will open for 2025 in early February.
Once the submission window opens, complete the following steps.
Step 1:
- Purchase your contest entry submission under Folks Fest (Tickets & Camping) HERE
- $20 per song (2 song limit)
Step 2:
- Submit Songs digitally HERE via our online form
- Songs must be uploaded as .mp3 files
Rules and Guidelines:
- Contestants may submit up to (2) original songs.
- Songs may have backing musicians, however if selected as one of the top (10) finalist for live contest, the songs must be performed solo.
- No co-writes. Songwriting entries must be entirely written by the entering songwriter.
- We encourage songwriters to submit new / different songs for the Telluride Troubadour and Folks Songwriting Showcase contests.
- Contestants cannot be signed to a third-party record label or publishing deal. This competition is meant for emerging and independent performing songwriters.