Category Archives: – Contests

B.W.Stevenson Singer/Songwriting Competition sign-ups

The BW Stevenson Memorial Singer/Songwriter Competition will be resumed this year (2021), now that Poor David’s Pub can have a “semblance of a live audience” again, announced PDP’s David Card.

Named after the late B.W. Stephenson, who played often at Poor David’s Pub in the years before his untimely 1988 death. He was 39 at the time. His biggest hits were “My Maria,” later covered by Brooks & Dunn, and Three Dog Night’s “Shambala.” David Card first held the songwriter/singer competition in 1989 in his friend’s honor.

Deadline is April 14 for submissions. Entry fee is $25.

Rules:

Solos only. Playing one instrument, with the exception that contestant could also play a harmonica.”The goal here is to even the playing field,” Card said.

Submit two original songs, via CD, MP3, or Thumb Drive. If one collaborated on any part of the song, that constitutes originality.

Ways to submit your entries and $25 payment:

  • By disc to Poor David’s Pub, 1313 S. Lamar., Dallas, TX 75215
  • By mp3 or thumb drive  to david@poordavidspub.com
  • By Venmo to david-card-12
  • By Paypal to david@poordavidspub.com
  • By Check with entry to Poor David’s Pub, 1313 S. Lamar, Dallas, TX 75215

Judging:

Card will select the top 12 from those submissions, and those 12 will advance to the semi-finals, which will be held on April 12. There, three judges will select six finalists to play on April 24. At that final round, the top six will play the two submitted songs, plus a third one, in front of three different judges.

The winner will be announced that night.

Prizes

  • 1st Place— $1,000
  • 2nd Place — $200
  • 3rd Place — $100

Card said that if “There is no clear-cut winner between first and second places, those two will declared a tie and split the dough.” Card will make that final decision, if it is necessary.

Some past winners who may be familiar to music lovers in the Metro area include Zane Williams, Scott Sean White, Owen Temple, Mark Wayne Glasmire, and there’s so many others since the competition’s 1989 beginning. The complete list is Online at PoorDavidsPub.com, as is the venue’s phone number, (214) 565-1295.

WoodyFest again sponsoring songwriter’s contest

Leave a reply

Story and photos by Mary Jane Farmer, SceneInTown.com

The upcoming Woody Guthrie Festival, affectionately called WoodyFest, will run from July 10-14 this year in Okemah, Okla., which was Guthrie’s birthplace. One of the highlights every year is the songwriting contest, which draws songwriters from across the United States and beyond.

The good news is, there is plenty of time for songwriters to get their music submitted and heard by music professionals. The deadline is April 30. And, well, there is no bad news.

The Oklahoma Songwriters & Composers Association partners with The Woody Guthrie Coalition to sponsor this international, folk-oriented songwriting contest. Coalition Board Member Thomas Marshall coordinates the contest each year. Marshall said there are three prizes awarded with 1st place taking home $500 and will play a 20-minute set on the Pastures of Plenty (main) stage. Second place pays $200 plus a short set; and the 3rd place winner receives $100 prize and also will play a short set on the main stage. All three are given artist passes, which gives them free access to all venues hosting WoodyFest stages. There are also several Honorable Mention awards also given.

WoodyFest’s Pastures of Plenty crowd.

There is a fee of $20 for the first song submitted and $10 for each additional song. The 2018 contest winner, Claudia Gibson of Wimberley, Texas, said she only entered one song, “Dreamers,” and it was a song she wrote just for WoodyFest and the contest. Marshall said that entering multiple songs gives the songwriter multiple chances to win as each song is judged individually.

Songs should be submitted in MP3 format, or with a direct link to the songwriter’s Website where the song(s) is downloaded, as long as the judges can get there to hear them, Marshall said.

Gibson said about just having won, “It felt pretty surreal. I had sent out my entry a few months earlier and sort of forgot about it. I had been at Kerrville Folk Festival for three days camping, and had just arrived back home. I opened my email, and found out I won. I remember just pointing at it, trying to show my husband, so excited that I couldn’t really talk.” Gibson said she was primarily an unknown songwriter before winning.

Claudia Gibson

“WGSC has definitely been a nice honor to add to my resume, as it’s a respected national contest. It’s something I’m proud to put on my website and in my musical bio,” Gibson continued, saying it has opened many doors for her. “Since receiving that award, I was chosen for a prestigious songwriting festival in Texas (Dripping Springs Songwriters Festival), played at some nice private showcases at Folk Alliance International in Montreal, and am starting to get some better quality gigs at listening rooms, colleges and small theaters.”

Marshall said that the judges involved vary from year to year, and they choose from all the entries to determine finalists, who are then reheard. “It’s random, and depends on who is available (to listen to the songs.)”

The entry form is on the Webite WoodyFest.com. Marshall said to submit an MP3 of the song(s) submitted, or “they can link to a site where their song is recorded, as long as we can get to them from the portal on the Website.” Payment is to be made through PayPal at https://goo.gl/kWJSnC

And that deadline? It must all be in by April 30.

Another advantage, Gibson added, is experiencing the others also involved. “I met some wonderful musicians during my set at WoodyFest, and they were all so kind. Folksinger Ellis Paul, for

Ellis Paul, of whom Claudia Gibson spoke, at the 2018 WoodyFest.

example, came out from backstage and watched my set, and had nice things to say to me after I played. I ran into him recently at Folk Alliance International in Montreal, and thanked him for that kindness.” Gibson’s winning song is on her Website, ClaudiaGibson.com.

WoodyFest features six daytime venues/stages, and then moves farther out to the Pastures of Plenty stage on the road named for Okemah native and musician John Fullbright. The line-up will be available when it is complete, and much more information, on the festival’s Website, WoodyFest.com.

 

Trey Rose Values His Time On The Voice

Leave a reply

The Voice, Trey Rose (Photo by: Chris Haston/NBC)

First printed in The Paris News, 3.27.19, Story by Mary Jane Farmer, SceneInTown.com, Photo courtesy NBC

Trey Rose, the professional name that Hugo native Jack Rosenthal III uses, watched his own blind audition segment on The Voice Monday night, at the same time that fans from all over Texas and Oklahoma were as well, and, though he wasn’t selected to move on, said he is not at all unhappy with the entire experience. In fact, he said Tuesday morning, he’s ecstatic about all he’s learned from it, the people he’s met and worked with, and the way that television sponsor network NBC treats all the contestants on the show. “I can’t stress enough — it was literally one of the best experiences of my life,” Rose said.

Rose isn’t able to apply again for The Voice or any other televised contest of that ilk for one year, by contract that he and all contestants signed with NBC. “People have been asking me all morning, ‘Are you going back next year?’ But, partly because of The Voice, “We have had so many great things pop up, and by 2020 I won’t be needing anything like The Voice anymore.”

A Maroon 5 fan since he was a child, Rose chose Adam Levine as his coach during the Blind Auditions. He also received considerable and daily help from the contracted coaches The Voice provides. “As far as coaches go, I am really happy with all of them,” he said.

Rose was paired in the Battle Round with Domenic Haynes of Florida. They were assigned to perform “I Need A Dollar,” a song by Aloe Blacc. Rose said that many of the contestants groaned when they learned of their assigned songs. “I knew that song really well. I heard it a lot when I was at the plant (former work place). It wasn’t a very big hit, more of a B-side song. I was really happy with the song selection.

Trey Rose playing in Hugo, by Mary Jane Farmer

“Domenic is one of those guys I definitely noticed when we were there for the blind auditions. He’s got one of those big personalities, and then we were on the same team (Team Adam). When we were paired, we already knew who each other was. We practiced the song together, we both had a very much ‘I’m here to work’ mind-set. The Voice provides the best vocal coaches ever, and a couple of times I had Adam’s input. After the long day practicing with the coaches, we’d go back to the hotel and worked our behinds off. The hotel had practice rooms we could book for one-hour sessions, and we used those.

“Domenic is such a great human being. I’m so glad I was paired with him. We are friends. And we talked together all night last night (after the show aired.)”

Rose even talked Tuesday morning about that little two-step jig he did — accidentally — during the Battle Round. Even with all the practice and advice from coaches, he said he didn’t know if he’d hit the falsetto note in the song. “Adam said, ‘You’re scared, you are backing off from the mic for that.’ So, that was another thing I’d been working on. Also, it was the first time I’d been on a stage without a guitar, and I was really nervous about that. I was supposed to stay in Dom’s face when he sang. But when I hit it (the note), I was so excited and spun around, then I got caught up in my own foot.” But, watching and re-watching the YouTube.com video of that Battle Round segment shows that dimpled smile never left Trey’s face.

Rose said he lost sleep about that for weeks. “I played it up so much in my head,” he said. Then, after he, too, watched the show on NBC and saw that portion, “I was super relieved when I saw that it was way worse in my head. It wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be.”

Rose also said that he’s taking everything he learned during the time spent at The Voice to heart and some of it “wasn’t anything I haven’t heard before. But to hear it from someone like Adam (Levine), it’s different than maybe hearing someone in a bar saying the same thing.”

And when asked how much it cost him to participate in this adventure, Rose explained, “NBC takes care of everything. You get paid per diem and weekly stipend, and NBC paid to fly my family out to the blind, and they put up my kids, my mom, and my girlfriend at the hotel.” His parents and grandparents, he said, did have to pay their own airfare.

Hugo fans surround Trey after his gig in his hometown. Photo by Mary Jane Farmer

“There were people there who had been on (another televised contest), and were really surprised and pleased with how much better The Voice treats everyone,” he said.

Rose is now planning to go into the studio and begin recording music, something he had to hold off on accomplishing during the time he active with The Voice. “I’m going to release a single to start with, maybe followed up with two or three more, before completing a full record,” he said. And touring a lot more. Rose lives now in the Houston area, but tours Texas and much of southern Oklahoma. Since his televised time on The Voice, he said more offers have been coming in. His manager, Chris Gunn, handles all his booking and promotion.

Saturday night, Rose will be playing at Bubba’s Brewhouse in Durant, double-billed with Copper Chief, a Texas band who appeared on Real Country Music recently. “I’m really excited to be playing Bubba’s,” he said. “It’s a real deal live music venue where people go to listen to music.”

About touring and maybe touring with Haynes, he said, “I’d be happy hitting the road with most of the other 47 contestants.”

To keep up with Trey Rose’s schedule, to Online to TreyRoseMusic.com

 

 

Rusty Wier contest finale

Leave a reply

Reid Perry

Story and photos by Mary Jane Farmer. Click on the link here to see all photos, and feel free to download any of them. No charge. Just enjoy.

Flickr.com/photos/102233188@N08/albums/72157690569982813

The Rusty Wier singer/songwriter contest is now a memory, an echo of all the new and more familiar songs that multitude of songwriters brought to the Love & War in Texas stage. And yes, even the Rusty Wier songs that each performer had to cover in the final two rounds. Such a good way to keep Rusty’s dynamic and touching music alive and especially in newcomers.

This year’s winner is Reid Perry, and his prizes include an opening spot at an upcoming Shiner Sunday, a 3-song EP recorded at  WarRoom Studios in Princeton, and a feature in an upcoming issue of Buddy Magazine.

The finalists alongside Perry were Zach Pohl, Stacey Shope, Larry Martin, James Lann, Jared Mitchell, Harley Dale Brown, Dave Thomas, Byron Dowd. Very tough decision for judges Brett Dillon (who also coordinates the contest), Ginger Ekstein, John Ekstein, Aubrey Lynn Hendricks, Dustin Hendrix, and Mary Jane Farmer. All of these know and appreciate the honor of having been chosen for this task, and the responsibilities involved.

And while the judges were out, musician Mark David Manders played, as did a Love & War in Texas waiter( whose name I didn’t get, but did get back in time to snap a photo of him), and maybe some others, but this judge/person/fan/writer was not present to see who else.

Music fan Kelly McFadin had a special cake made for this occasion, featuring a photo of Rusty and the names of all nine finalists. Reid’s first ‘official’ act as this year’s winner was to cut the cake. And it was amazing to watch all eight other musicians as they congratulated Reid Perry, by shaking hands, patting back, hugging, and doing the guy-thing shoulder bump.

Rusty Wier, just to recap a short bit of his music and life (though probably in that category of ‘nice but not necessary’) was a songwriter who helped catapult Texas music to national infamy in its ‘progressive country’ or ‘redneck rock’ stage in the 1970s. Rusty’s most well-known song, most likely is “Don’t It Make You Wanna Dance,” and that title is burned, artistically, into a wooden banner displayed above the L&W stage. Rusty never just sang his songs, he lived them on stage, with his enthusiasm, sparkle, and either had or created a connection with absolutely everyone in his audience.

Rusty passed away in November 2007, and the Rusty Wier singer/songwriter contest kicked off four years later and begins in November each year.

Dillon announced from the stage, when he revealed the winner’s name, that the decision was tough, there were so many good songs performed, and the winner earned top spot based on his own Rusty Wier-similar energy and animation.

This was the 9th year of this prestigious contest. Previous winners were, in order, 2011 Michael Prysock, 2012 Guthrie Kennard, 2013 Mark Shelton, 2014 Scott Sean White, 2015 Mick Tinsley, 2016 Wesley Joe Malone, 2017 Michael O’Neal, and 2018 Justin Pickard.

Love & War in Texas is making sure that Rusty Wier and his music live on in people’s hearts while enhancing today’s musicians careers.

Texoma’s own featured on national TV Monday night

Leave a reply

Austin Robinson

Trey Rose

Story and photos by Mary Jane Farmer

Two of Texoma’s musicians are vying to keep moving on in their respective national, televised and career-enhancing contests. Both shows are being televised Monday night, on different networks.

Trey Rose, from Hugo, Oklahoma, is moving into the Battle Rounds on NBC’s ‘The Voice,’ And, from Van Alstyne, Austin Robinson will appear from Hollywood on ‘American Idol,’ shown on the CBS network.

There is a Facebook group called (click here) “Watching the Voice” which is kind of like an in-house watch group, and anyone want to join in can go ahead and ask to join now, so they’ll be ready for the Monday night show.

Rose, who grew up in Hugo, returned there Friday evening and performed atop a flatbed trailer at FirstBank, in front of a crowd of friends, family, and fans of all ages, including the pre-toddler with his mom who turned often to look up at the stage, where it appeared by the expressions on his face, he is indeed a future Trey Rose fan.

Trey now lives in the Houston area, but has returned several times since he was selected to move on into ‘The Voice’ and said during his Friday evening show that “Hugo will always be my home.” The single father of two supports his family through his music and is both a singer and a songwriter. 

On ‘The Voice,’ Trey chose Adam Levine as his mentor/coach, and one could hear the added strength and inflections in his voice since he’s been on this road. He was strong before, and has worked diligently to obtain every bit of information and advice he can from the ‘The Voice’ experience. It shows.

For more Trey Rose photos, click here:

One can follow Trey’s live music schedule here on SceneInTown’s Official Texas Music Calendar, or on his Website, TreyRoseMusic.com

Austin Robinson was 15 when he tried out for ‘American Idol’ and has turned 16 since then. One of a baker’s half-dozen kids in the Robinson family, Austin got into the ‘American Idol’ after one of his sisters sent in a home video, his mom, Summer said. 

Saturday, Austin played a two-hour session combined with a Meet n Greet at Tener’s Western Wear in Sherman. The completely acoustic set featured many classic country songs by those Austin admires more, including several by George Strait and Cody Johnson. He will appear on the North Texas ABC affiliate, KTen TV, Monday during its noon hour, and is also scheduled to be a guest speaker at a couple of Van Alstyne Middle School writing classes Monday as well.

At least three of his siblings joined him at the store, and had their own kind of fun with roping the stationary cow mannequin, trying on hats and boots with a hopeful look aimed at their parents, Summer and Sheldon.

Austin said he won his guitar at a raffle several years before and picked it up to learn it, then put it down for a while. But, the bug had hit, and now he’s a talented guitar picker. Not a songwriter, yet, he said, but that’s in the future.

For more Austin Robinson photos, click here:

Both of these televised national contests air at 7 p.m.

Austin will be playing at El Patio Escondido from 6:30-8:30 pm, on Monday, April 8.

And just a note from this writer — It’s so much better watching these shows when one knows someone on either or both of them, and know or learn so much more about them. It’s a testament to their tenacity, their courage, and their endurance. This reporter has such respect for both of these talented musicians!