Grand Prize Winners:
1st Prize – Jordan Renzi, “A Bird That I Knew”
2nd Prize – Kevin Hale, “Are There Hillbilly Bands in Heaven”
3rd Prize – Digney Fignus, “What Kind Of Fool”
Judge’s Choice Winner (Jon Evans) – Siren Mayhew, “Mars”
Judge’s Choice Winner (Sarah Swain) – Caroline Brennan, “Kind of Man”
Judge’s Choice Winner (Barbara Dacey) – Nate D’Angelo, “Sore Loser”
Director’s Choice Winner (Monica Rizzio) – Emily Celia, “Snowflake”
Thank you to everyone who made this year such an amazing success!
Submissions for Eventide’s New England Songwriting Competition have closed!
Thank you! We have over 200 new songs for our judges to start judging!!
Finalists will be notified by 8:00pm March 31, 2017.
*Winners will be notified and awarded their prize at the Showcase Contest.
All Finalists are invited and encouraged to perform at the 2017 Songfest Showcase Concert to be held April 8, 2017 at the Cape Cod Community Media Center in Dennisport, MA. (please make sure you can attend before entering the contest) Sound will be provided, and nationally known bassist Jon Evans (jonevansmusic.com) and Sarah Swain (sarahswainmusic.com) will be our judges with Monica Rizzio hosting!
*You must be present to perform at the award’s ceremony to be eligible for prize money.
*Exceptions may be made on an individual basis by competition Directors
The songwriting entries are reviewed and judged by the songwriting merits alone. Production quality is not taken into consideration. We are looking for great songwriters, not great producers. A simple home or live recording of a song has the same chance of winning the songwriting contest as a professional recording has of winning. Many of the past winners have placed with simple vocal/guitar or vocal/piano recordings. Vocal ability is ‘not’ taken into consideration. Only the “songwriting” elements of the songs are considered when determining the winners.
Once all of the material is judged, there will be one winning song representing each of the categories. During the second round of judging, those top songs then compete against each other to determine the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and director’s choice place winners. It will be these winners who will be awarded the cash and prizes.
WMVY Choice (Barbara Dacey) – opportunity to interview with Alison Hammond on mvyradio “Local MusiCafe” and the opportunity to play on “The Hot Seat” (go to WMVY studio and record an hour long program, with music of your choosing, to air on a Monday night at 9pm.)
Judge’s Choice (Sarah Swain) – opportunity to perform at Cape Cod Women’s Music Festival on Sunday, May 13, 2017 (*female songwriters only)
Director’s Choice (Monica Rizzio) – opportunity to perform at Vinegrass Music Festival in October, 2017.
Eventide Arts is a 501(c)3 independent organization that presents plays, concerts, lectures, and mixed media events to promote the understanding of social diversity, music, dance, and the art of playwriting and songwriting.
Meet our Director and Judges!
MONICA RIZZIO (Director) Every now and again you can pick up on the East Texas drawl in Monica Rizzio’s voice. Most people assume that she was raised in New England based on the melodic arrangements and harmonies she has produced as the former Tripping Lily front woman. She has left behind the acoustic, condenser mic style and has brought her East Texas roots up North for her debut album, fittingly named, “Washashore Cowgirl”. After leaving the band in 2013, she purchased a 1956 Martin O-18, named it Bo, and plugged in. Much of the album is like a stiff cocktail, deeply auto-biographical and mixed with a hint of fiction.
Monica has become one of the most reliable supporting acts as well, having shared the stage with Chris Botti, Boz Scaggs, Diana Krall, Joan Osborne, and Slaid Cleaves this past year. She has played the Main Stage at Strawberry Park Bluegrass festival the past two years and is a frequent collaborator with the Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra. In December of 2014, she performed as part of Tom Rush’s band at his annual show at Symphony Hall in Boston. She played fiddle, guitar, ukulele and sang backups as well as performing her originals “Luckier Than You” & “Willie Nelson” with Red Molly backing her up.
Rizzio is a founder and co-owner of the roots-based music school, West Bend Music, providing all-ages private instruction. In 2014 she founded and launched Vinegrass, a non-profit music production company, that raises money for scholarships, instruments, and grants through concerts and an annual roots-music festival. www.monicarizzio.com
JON EVANS (Judge) has been part of the bay area music scene since graduating from Berklee College of Music in 1991. Just coming off the Sarah McLachalan -Shine On Tour 2014, he has also recorded and toured with such notable performers as Tori Amos, Cher, Linda Perry, Third Eye Blind, Elton John, Vanessa Carleton, Paula Cole, and Alex Digrassi, he has established himself as a flexible and accomplished engineer/producer/arranger.
In winter 2000, Jon decided to build what is now San Pablo Recorders. From the ground up, it is an intimate space designed to make artist, local and national, feel focused. In 2012 he relocated his studio to Orleans, MA and continues to make records for a wide range of artists as well as compose music for national commercials, major video games and NPR. www.jonevansmusic.com
SARAH SWAIN (Judge) More than a singer/songwriter, Sarah sets herself apart by leaving in the rough edges – discovering country and roots music without throwing away her Replacements albums.
Sarah quit playing the flute in the marching band and picked up a guitar at the age of 15 and started writing music almost immediately. Over the past 15 years she has traveled all over the US and UK playing her original music. Sarah has been a member of Boston area bands The Sallies, Professor Gascan, Vein and The Spike Emerson Society. She was also in a band in LA that she will never admit to. Ever. www.sarahswainmusic.com
BARBARA DACEY (Judge) Barbara began her radio career in 1985 when she started working as a part-time disc jockey at WMVY on Martha’s Vineyard. She became Music Director in 1988, was Program Director from 1993 until 2005 and is currently Director of Worldwide Programming and mid-day air talent at the station.
Many musicians including Carly Simon, Lou Reed, David Gray, Billy Joel, Judy Collins, T-Bone Burnett, John Mayer, and Lucinda Williams have sat across from Barbara for an interview. She was the recipient of the 1999 Gavin Triple A award for Program Director/Operations Manager.
Before her start in radio, Barbara lived in Harvard Square and worked as a singer-songwriter. In addition to recording and playing in clubs and coffeehouses, she wrote and performed music for top Boston choreographers including Dawn Kramer, Beth Soll, Martha Armstrong-Gray and Ruth Birnberg.
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VINEGRASS ORGANIZATION (vinegrass.org) is a non-profit music company, that produces concerts, camps, and workshops, in order to raise money for our charitable mission. The mission is to provide scholarships to students pursuing Roots & Rhythm instruments in an accredited 4year music program. In addition to the scholarships, we will subsidize camps and instruments to younger students in need, and give an annual grant to an artist or band in the Rhythm & Roots genre.
Founded by Monica Rizzio (Frontwoman for the band Tripping Lily and Old Kings Highway) and her husband Pete Fasano in August of 2013, Vinegrass is a lifelong dream for Monica to give back to those who have helped her become a professional musician. Based on the shores of Cape Cod, Vinegrass is inviting the Roots & Rhythm world into our little mecca, full of artists, musicians, and fisherman.
CAPE COD WOMENS MUSIC FESTIVAL (capecodwomensmusicfestival.com) Proceeds from the Cape Cod Women’s Music Festival benefit the Cape Wellness Collaborative: A non-profit that connects people facing cancer with integrative therapies such as massage, nutritional counseling, reiki and energy work, acupuncture, yoga and chiropractic.
These therapies have been shown to go a long way in helping to reduce anxiety, provide comfort and improve the quality of life for those undergoing cancer treatment. The goal of the Collaborative is to make these services – and the wellness practitioners who provide them – more accessible to cancer patients in the local community.
WMVY RADIO (www.mvyradio.com) The mvyradio mission is to present new and well loved music in a distinctive sound, inspired by a love for Martha’s Vineyard and a worldwide community of uncommon enthusiasm for music artistry, intelligence, and independence. Drawn from rock, alternative, singer/songwriter, blues, and roots – their music is connected by substance and quality, accessibility and craftsmanship.
2017 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Eventide Theatre Company wishes to thank the following:
Terry Duenas and all of the staff and volunteers at Cape Cod Media Center. Massachusetts Cultural Council, South Shore Playhouse, Sally Stratman for her donation of wine. Harvest Gallery & Wine Bar, Scargo Cafe, Chapins, Charlie’s Music, Jack’s Drum Shop, Main Street Muzic, Encore, The Red Nun, Buckie’s Biscotti, Etzy’s Wine Bar, Sunbird, and Gerardi’s for their donations of gift certificates.
All our Supporters whose dollars continue to support our efforts significantly…
Click here for more photos from the 2016 Competition
This program is supported in part by a grant from the Brewster, Dennis & Sandwich Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
