Thursday, February 16. (Asheville, NC) – LEAF Community Arts (LEAF) and NewSong Music today announce the launch of the 4th Annual NewSong Presents: LEAF Singer-Songwriter Competition. With a mission to identify and celebrate exceptional performers and songwriters from across North America, the competition aims to bring some of the continent’s most accomplished emerging artists to showcase and compete at the 44th LEAF Festival, which takes place May 11-14, 2017, and the chance to advance to perform at the legendary Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City.
“LEAF is thrilled to once again partner with NewSong Music for the 4th annual singer songwriter competition… Providing artists from throughout the globe with the unique opportunity to share their music, artistry, and spirit at the 44th LEAF Festival this Spring. Through creating a platform and pathway for artists to emerge through their craft, this program has become an invaluable stepping stone toward launching a thriving career. In addition to performing in front of hundreds of LEAFers and a host of world-class music industry judges, the winner receives an the opportunity to perform at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts for the international NewSong Finals, as well as two sets at the 45th LEAF Festival next Fall! We can’t wait to experience the incredible talent this competition will reveal…” ~ Ehren Cruz, LEAF Performing Arts Director
The contest begins accepting online song submissions today (February 16), and the final deadline to enter is Sunday, April 2. Judges will select eight finalists from advance online submissions, who will then perform in the live showcase and competition finals at the Spring LEAF Festival on Saturday, May 13, 2017. A panel of music industry judges will select the overall winner of the competition.
The GRAND PRIZE winner will be awarded a paid, featured performance (including lodging & accommodations) at the Fall 2017 LEAF Festival, held October 19-22 in Black Mountain, NC. The overall LEAF winner will also advance to perform and compete at New York City’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts later this year in the live performance finals of the 16th annual, international NewSong Music competition.
All eight finalists will each receive a complimentary LEAF Festival performer pass for Saturday, May 13 to perform in the live finals.
“NewSong Music is delighted to be partnering once again with our hometown friends at LEAF to produce the fourth annual singer-songwriter showcase and competition at this spring’s LEAF Festival. The program has increasingly attracted outstanding emerging talent from across North America and beyond, whom we’ve been honored to invite to showcase and compete at one of the country’s best music and arts festivals … all right here in our own backyard!”
~ Gar Ragland, NewSong Director & Co-Founder
COST TO ENTER:
‘Early Bird’ (before March 8)
$20 – 1 SONG ENTRY
$35 – 2 SONG ENTRY
$45 – 3 SONG ENTRY
Regular Pricing
$25 – 1 SONG ENTRY
$45 – 2 SONG ENTRY
$55 – 3 SONG ENTRY
Submit your songs safely and securely online at www.newsong-music.com/LEAF. A portion of the contest proceeds will support LEAF Schools & Streets’ local cultural arts education programming.
IMPORTANT NEWSONG PRESENTS: LEAF SINGER-SONGWRITER COMPETITION DATES
Thursday, February 16
– Online mp3 submission platform opens for entries
Tuesday, March 7
– ‘Early Bird’ Discounted Entry Deadline
Sunday, April 2
– Final deadline to enter
Thursday, April 13
– Finalists Announced
Saturday, May 13
– LIVE PERFORMANCE FINALS at the Spring LEAF Festival (May 11-14); Black Mountain, NC (near Asheville)
About LEAF Community Arts
LEAF Community Arts (lovingly called LEAF) is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization with a mission to connect cultures and create community through music and arts. LEAF is comprised of two key cultural arts education programs – LEAF Schools & Streets and LEAF International as well as two signature events – LEAF Festival (the event that started it all) and LEAF Downtown. Attendance at LEAF Festival provides a family-friendly weekend experience infused with music and arts while supporting the long-term vision of the organization. Since 1995, LEAF has served over 200,000+ youth with programs in over 15 community locations and in 10 countries worldwide. Learn more at www.theLEAF.org.
About NewSong Music
NewSong Music is an independent artist development company headquartered in Asheville, NC.
NewSong’s mission is to build and support a community of performers and songwriters across all genres and levels of skill, and to identify the truly exceptional artists to introduce their music to a broader, international audience. Its programs include a boutique record label (NewSong Recordings), artist management services, concert production and the annual, international NewSong performance and songwriting competition.
Its presenting partners include Arts Brookfield and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York, the ASCAP Music Café at the Sundance Film Festival.
Rachael Kilgour is a Minnesota-based songwriter and performing artist whose sincere, lyric-driven work has been called both brave and humane. The 2015 grand prize winner of the international NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition, Kilgour has been featured at NYC’s Lincoln Center and by the Sundance ASCAP Music Café at the Sundance Film Festival. She was also a finalist in the 2015 Telluride Troubadour Contest. A versatile performer, Kilgour has shared stages with the likes of indie artists Haley Bonar & Jeremy Messersmith as well as folk legends Greg Brown, Cheryl Wheeler & Catie Curtis.
