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Thursday, October 5th Join WERU and the Maine Songwriters Association for an amazing night of music from four incredible Maine-based songwriters: Mehuman, Tom Peabody, Andre Lascoutx and Conner Garvey at Barncastle Inn and Restaurant in Blue Hill!   Doors open at 6:00pm to access the bar and seating, and the show begins at 7:00pm.   Details/Tickets  ...

We're very excited to be continuing our series at Blue in Portland in April. The show will feature Jud Caswell, Carole Wise, Bob McKillop, and Andrea Cole swapping songs and probably some stories as well in this songwriters round. Tickets are not required but a donation of $20 (or more) is suggested. All proceeds go to the performers. Meet the performers: Bob McKillop loves songwriters and songwriting. He wrote his first song at the tender age of five years, and has been writing folk, country, and Americana songs since his teens. His songwriting shifted into high gear in 2003, when he moved to Portland began to perform at open mics and small gigs around Southern Maine. Bob admires the work of songwriters like Roger Miller, Cindy Walker, Carole King, Mark Erelli, Tony Lane, Shane McAnally, Guy Clark, Jason Eady, and Sam Outlaw. Lori McKenna is his songwriting hero. Andrea Goldman Cole is a Maine singer and songwriter whose music has been performed by groups throughout New England. Reflecting on themes of nature, love, and family, Andrea aims to write melodic tunes with heartfelt lyrics and rich harmonies. She was the 2nd place winner in the MSA 2021 Songwriting Contest. Carole Wise is a singer/songwriter from Brunswick Maine. Her music is sweet and soulful, drawing on a lifelong passion for education, the beauty of the natural world, and the adventures of finding truth through life's challenges. Her music is also organic - grown and nurtured from the seed of a feeling or a visual. "I do not chase a song," Carole says. Nature is where her spirit thrives and meditative walks are often the source of the seeds - as in the hawk she watched soaring above - that was the seed from New Frontier. Once planted in her mind and heart, Carole gifts it the time to grow. Carole's most recent release "Long Way Home" charted as No. 18 on Folk Radio in November 2021. Maine singer/songwriter Jud Caswell has got a keen eye for detail, a head full of far-away, and a heart full of home. In 2006 he burst on the national scene, winning the legendary Kerrville New Folk competition. His songs have been taught at Berklee, recorded by Judy Collins, and named “#4 Song of the Decade” by New York’s WFUV. Jud left the road to raise a family where his own roots go deep. He draws inspiration from the land like Mary Oliver, pushing gently into the specific until it unfolds into the universal. He paints his landscapes like Wyeth, with a reverence for humble beauty. And with a voice fresh as water over granite and soft as a pine needle bed, he wields his instruments with the matter-of fact deftness of an old woodsman with an axe....

We're happy to be working with Meetinghouse Arts in Freeport, to present Songwriters on Stage. The evening was curated by Yarmouth singer-songwriter, Tim Winchester. Tim will be joined by Karen McDine, Ben Wood, and Laurie Jones. Meetinghouse Arts is in the acoustically-stunning church space at 40 Main Street in Freeport. The show starts at 7:00pm. Tickets are $20 (10% discount for full paying members). Purchase in advance here or at the door. About the artists: Laurie Jones is an American Singer/songwriter that has been dubbed “the missing link between Dusty Springfield and Tom Petty. She has been referred to as “Chrissie Hynde with a folk guitar” and compared to Lucinda Williams and Sheryl Crow for her Americana and Folk-Rock influences. These comparisons she happily and humbly accepts. Influenced by a multitude of styles, Jones combines the craft of songwriting with her own unique sounds that ranges from Rock to Gospel. Whether playing her songs acoustic solo, or backed by her rock solid band, Jones delivers the lyrical sass and musical punch she has built her reputation on. Laurie Jones' latest release, Dark Horse, is available wherever you prefer to stream music and/or CDs. Karen McDine is a unique singer/songwriter from Brunswick, ME with a voice that's been described as "Honey over vinegar", Newport News, Norfolk ,VA. After attending a few years of college at MECA, in Portland, ME, Karen began teaching herself how to play the guitar and moved to Virginia Beach, VA. in '97 to pursue a career in music. Her debut album, Fallen Angel was recorded in Virginia Beach 2002, and shortly after its release, she opened up for the legendary local pop band, The States, at the historic NORVA in downtown Norfolk, VA. Karen has since released a pop/rock single, Light Tomorrow with Today, in August 2022. Her newest single, Shadows - a song she wrote for her birth mother whom she has never met, was just released in February of 2023 on Bandcamp. Karen is currently recording her second record of 11 songs, tentatively titled, Wildflower at Owl Cave Audio in Bath, ME. Musically the record reflects Karen's roots while embracing experimentation and other sonic possibilities. At the heart of Wildflower, there is a strong love for family and tradition. Maine-based songwriter and rising contemporary folk artist, Tim Winchester was first introduced to the guitar at a young age by his father, a self-taught finger-style guitarist and avid music lover. In 2016, after more than a decade of not picking up the guitar, a couple of friends convinced Tim to play a few original songs at a local open-mic night which would spark a renewed interest in performing and a deeper curiosity into songwriting and storytelling. Shortly thereafter, he timorously took his music from the living room to listening rooms and has curated a growing collection of heart-stirring songs ever since. An auditory palette of soothing and sorrowful colors, Tim's music has been described as "atmospheric" and "an ethereal...

MSA and Blue present an MSA Member Songwriter Showcase featuring award-winning songwriters and nationally-recognized touring artists Emilia Dahlin and Jenny Van West, as well as the first-place winners of our 2021 and 2022 songwriter contests, Karen Gray and Oliver Rhodes. ...

We had a sold out show on Thursday for the finals of our 12th Annual MSA Songwriting Contest! Congratulations to all of our finalists and particularly our three winners: 1st Place Karen Gray - song “These are the Dreams” 2nd Place John Schindler -song “Indian Hill” 3rd Place Ronnie Mocciola – song “Hazel” ...

MSA had a field of 34 entries for this year's event. Three judges – blinded to contestant names - ranked each song for lyrics, melody, originality, song structure, and overall impact. The rankings were combined to choose six finalists. The top ten songs were extremely close in scoring and combined ranking, a testament to the high-quality of song writing from MSA members. All of the songs were worthy contenders. The six finalists who will compete live for the top three prizes are: Karen Gray Ronnie Mocciola Adam Fromm John Schindler Phillip Redo Stan Keach. Song Contest Finals will return as a full live event this year, Thursday, November 10th, from 7-9 PM, at Nomad (the former Frontier) located in Fort Andross, 14 Maine Street, Brunswick, Maine. ALL TICKETS HAVE BEEN SOLD...

You may have missed it but you can still witness the whole show!  Yes, we successfully held our annual songwriting contest online!  Back when Gov Mills closed most if not all live music venues due to the threat of Covid-19, the MSA board met and discussed possible alternatives to our usual LIVE event.  We decided to carry on as usual and trust that the technology to hold an online event was viable.  And it was!   We sent out the notice announcing the contest, collected the entries, judged the songs and made our selection… just as we have always done.  Unfortunately we were not able to have a contest at the Frontier as we have donein the past.  But we did have a live event...

It was standing room only for the 2019 MSA Song Contest Finals on November 1st as the six finalists performed onstage at Frontier. Each song was ranked for lyrics, melody, originality, song structure, and overall impact, making it a very challenging task for our three judges. So challenging, in fact, that we ended up with an unprecedented tie score for not only first, but second place as well. Congratulations to our two first-place winners: Jenny Lou Drew's "Mending Fences" and Tom Mitchell's "Song for a Stone". Sharing second place: Emilia Dahlin's "The Wee Hours", and Olivia Rose's "The Bee and the Rose". From left to right: Emilia Dahlin, Tom Mitchell, Olivia Frances, Jenny Lou Drew, Ed Buckley, and Rob Ellis It was great to see a full-house of supporting listeners for our biggest event of the year. Thanks again to all of you who entered the song contest and shared your best songs with us, we are so grateful for your participation! Congratulations to Emilia Dahlin, Tom Mitchell, Olivia Frances, Jenny Lou Drew, Ed Buckley, and Rob Ellis! View the finalist's videos on our YouTube Maine Songwriters Association Channel in our 2019 Song Contest playlist....

It’s 8:05pm on Friday, November 2nd, and the lights dim in the Frontier event room – a converted mill space with wood posts and 15-foot windows. The audience of over one hundred supporters take their seats and quiet their conversations.  The 8th Annual MSA Song Contest Finals is underway. Six songwriters have made it to this point in the contest. They’ve drawn lots to set the performance order. The conversations in the green room are light and easy, masking the stomach knots and damp palms.  It’s show time, and each performer is anxious to share the song that has brought them here. Jason Roman is first to take the stage with “Lisdoonvarna”, a melodic journey through a distant land. Sara Trunzo is up next to sing her haunting look at life in rural Maine, “Food and Medicine”. With her tribute to her 95 year old father, Karen Gray tenderly shares “My Father’s Daughter”. The audience warmly greets each artist as they come to the stage. They cheer and roar with their approval for each song as the last notes linger in the electric air of the room. Doug Kolmar shares his introspective “Change”, taking quiet care of each phrase. With the heartbreak of love lost, Ray Calabro takes the audience on the metaphorical bus ride of “It’s Over”.  Closing out the show, Olivia Frances charms the audience with her high-spirited, pop ukulele song “It Just Takes One”. The judges, Gary Lawless, Michele Arcand, and Stan Keach, have a monumentally difficult task. The songs are all well-crafted, all deserving. They check their scoring sheets and hand them over to be tabulated.  While the crowd nervously await the results, Michele Arcand shares a hard-edged poem of loss, accompanied by Jason Roman’s guitar.  Stan Keach takes the stage to share “On Boot Hill”, his winning song for the 2017 MSA song contest. At last, the results are in and the crowd falls silent.  Ray Calabro takes second runner-up with “It’s Over”. In second place is Jason Roman’s “Lisdoonvarna”. As the audience mentally drum-rolls in anticipation, Sara Trunzo’s “Food and Medicine” is announced as the winning song. All six songwriters come to the stage to the adoring applause of the audience. They have given the crowd an evening of wonderful music that will be remembered well by all who came to listen. The Maine Songwriters Association community is alive and well with exceptional talent. Congratulations to Sara Trunzo, Jason Roman, Ray Calabro, Karen Gray, Doug Kolmar, and Olivia Frances!...

October 28, 2017 On a beautiful October evening in Brunswick, Maine, six finalists in the Maine Songwriters Association 7th Annual Songwriting Contest took to the stage at Frontier to entertain a packed house with their stories and their songs to see which song would be selected as this year’s winning entry.  The six had been selected from a field of 33 entries from Maine’s best song writers, and they were here to perform their songs live in front of an enthusiastic full house and three judges. The show started off with Jeff Trippe and The Oak Tree’s Song, Sara Trunzo and her song Wishbone, and Tom McKeon performing Raise a Glass. Then Giff Jamison sang Gracie, we heard Happiness to Burn from Jenny Van West, and On Boot Hill performed by Stan Keach.  Each of the song writers performed an opening number to get warmed up, and then presented their contest entry song.  The crowd and the judges loved what they heard. When the judges scores were tallied, we had our winning entries.  Taking 3rd place was The Oak Tree’s Song by Jeff Trippe.  The runner-up award went to Sara Trunzo and Wishbone.  And the winning entry for the 2017 MSA Songwriting Contest was Stan Keach with On Boot Hill. Thanks to all the contestants who submitted songs this year and insured the 7th annual was a great showcase of the craft of homegrown songwriting . Although there can only be one winner, the community feel among the artists was the larger success. Thanks to the judges, who had perhaps the most difficult job of all, and once again to the outstanding, kind, and supportive staff at the Frontier. Watch performances from the evening on the Maine Songwriters Association YouTube channel, and visit www.mainesongwriters.org to learn more and join the association....