Protest Song Writing Contest

Submission Deadline: Midnight, June 21st

Live Performance & Final Contest: 6-8 p.m., July 12th at Heartwood Soundstage's Listening Room

From Mavis Staples and Woody Guthrie to Jesse Welles and Childish Gambino, songwriters have used their talents to help us make sense of difficult times, to find resilience, to speak out for truth and justice, and to support each other through hardship. Songwriters, you are invited to carry on this tradition by raising YOUR voice and submitting an original protest song to the Heartwood Soundstage Protest Song Writing Contest!

77 songwriters sumbitted to this contest. Of those, submissions we've invited 20 songwriters to come perform and participate in the contest. These performances will be reviewed by a panel of judges comprised of local songwriters, poets, and community organizers. Judges will score songs with a rubric that awards points for creativity, lyricism, musicality, and originality.

The following songwriters will perform their songs live in the Bob McPeek Listening Room at Heartwood Soundstage on Sunday, July 12th from 6-8 p.m. to a live audience. After the performances, the judges will select one final winner to receive a prize basket of gifts including a bar tab and tickets to Heartwood Soundstage.

Jared Hart (Bohemian Sunshine)

freddy

Mick Marino

Michael Omeara

Rick Ryan

Penny Van Meir

Caitlyn Vinci

Mike Llenera

Dan Kahn

John Gray Shermyen (Confession Kids)

Margie Z

Josh Lederman

YASS

Dan Stepp

Hoyt Walston

Jake Crown

Jon Gaunt

Mariee Sioux

Wis Benoit

Brian Johnson (Whiskey & Co.)

The judging panel includes:
Joe Courter - Writer, Gainesville Iguana

Terri Bailey - Writer, Community Organizer, Bailey Learning & Arts Collective

Veronica Robleto - Community Organizer, Rural Women's Health Project

Jimmy Fishhawk - Poet, Community Organizer

Ricky Kendall - Songwriter, UF Arts in Medicine Artist in Residence

Chelsea Carnes - Songwriter, Heartwood Soundstage

Everyone is invited to attend the live contest on July 12th, tickets are sliding scale/pay what you can. Proceeds will support Heartwood Soundstage and Community Spring. Community Spring is a local nonprofit that is working to advance economic justice by disrupting the cycle of poverty and mass incarceration. Learn more at https://www.csgnv.org/.

Poster art by Jason Rockhill