PA Heritage Songwriting Contest

songsmith · Post by **songsmith** » Monday Apr 11, 2011

Not sure exactly where to put this, admins please move as necessary:

Smoked Country Jam, a very cool bluegrass festival my band plays, is sponsoring the Pennsylvania Heritage Songwriting Contest. Send them an acoustic song (doesn't need to be traditional bluegrass, but it helps if you can hear the lyrics) and $15 and you can win admission to the entire festival, plus $50-$100. You also get to perform on the main stage at one of the top festivals in the state, to a very nice-sized crowd who WANT to hear your song. The song has to be about PA, and you can send up to 2 entries.
Now here's the inside skinny, based on my experience: Not very many people enter this contest, so your odds of at least getting free passes are very good, and you might even get some cash (and stage time in front of a few hundred appreciative fans). I also know they REALLY like songs about local history, and songs about interesting local characters. Many of you probably have already written songs about local happenings and family stories. That's what they want.
Is it worth it? Ordinarily, I'm not one to believe in contests, they're often bogus as far as what you actually get, but I know these folks really well, and I know the gig is very cool, and I know they don't advertise it widely. Even if you don't get the hundred bucks, the tickets alone are $65 and WELL worth that.
Incidentally, I'm not entering. I help put on songwriting and harmonica workshops every year there, and I take myself out, because I already have tickets. I think there are lots of great songs out there about local stuff, and truthfully, I've only written one local-history song ever.

Here's a link a Youtube PSA that explains alot:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xSNJeVEdOM

and here's a link to the Smoked Country Jam Website:
http://www.smokedcountryjam.com/index.html

Post by **Jim Price** » Thursday Apr 14, 2011

It looks like a new location for Smoked Country Jam this year. Hopefully not quite as muddy as the previous one...

songsmith · Post by **songsmith** » Friday Apr 15, 2011

I've been checking their site, it looks pretty good. It's an actual campground, instead of a family farm, so all the drainage issues were taken care of years ago. They have showers and electricity, too, which is always a plus. I'm really looking forward to the fest, if not the drive up. My old Toyota RV isn't known for it's mountain-climbing abilities.
Do you want to go, Jim? I'll see if I can get you a press-pass.