2015 NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition grand prize winner Rachael Kilgour returned to Lincoln Center on September 8th along with 2015 finalist Blair Bodine. Photo credit: Darial Sneed
Rachael Kilgour | David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center | Photo: Darial Sneed
Lincoln Center’s Jordana Phokompe | David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center | Photo: Darial Sneed
NewSong Music Director Gar Ragland introducing the artists| David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center | Photo: Darial Sneed
Rachael Kilgour | David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center | Photo: Darial Sneed
Rachael Kilgour | David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center | Photo: Darial Sneed
Rachael Kilgour | David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center | Photo: Darial Sneed
Rachael Kilgour | David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center | Photo: Darial Sneed
Rachael Kilgour | David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center | Photo: Darial Sneed
Rachael Kilgour | David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center | Photo: Darial Sneed
Rachael Kilgour | David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center | Photo: Darial Sneed
Rachael Kilgour | David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center | Photo: Darial Sneed
Rachael Kilgour | David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center | Photo: Darial Sneed
Rachael Kilgour | David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center | Photo: Darial Sneed
Rachael Kilgour | David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center | Photo: Darial Sneed
Rachael Kilgour | David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center | Photo: Darial Sneed
Rachael Kilgour | David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center | Photo: Darial Sneed
Blair Bodine | David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center | Photo: Darial Sneed
Blair Bodine | David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center | Photo: Darial Sneed
Blair Bodine | David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center | Photo: Darial Sneed
Blair Bodine | David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center | Photo: Darial Sneed
Blair Bodine | David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center | Photo: Darial Sneed
Blair Bodine | David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center | Photo: Darial Sneed
Blair Bodine | David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center | Photo: Darial Sneed
Blair Bodine | David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center | Photo: Darial Sneed
Blair, Gar & Rachael in the green room | David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center | Photo: Meera Dugal
DISCOUNTED ‘EARLY BIRD’ PRICING ENDS ON MONDAY, AUGUST 15
You have until this Monday night at midnight (EDT) to submit your music during the discounted ‘Early Bird’ stage of the 15th Annual NewSong Music Competition. Enter this weekend – before submission prices increase – for your chance to showcase and compete at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City this December!
Recent NewSong Music alums Rachael Kilgour and Blair Bodine to perform co-bill at New York’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
With vulnerability, wit, and passion, Minnesota-based singer-songwriter Rachael Kilgour (pictured) effortlessly merges the personal and political. The 2015 NewSong Music grand prize winner releases her third full-length album, Rabbit in the Road, on September 30 on NewSong Recordings. The collection takes a vulnerable and intimate look at divorce, and the complexities of grief, resiliency, and transformation.
“Kilgour is the real deal—a modern troubadour confronting raw truths with a powerful voice and passionate, socially conscious songs that will move anyone who still believes that music can—and should—change the world.” —ASCAP Playback
To celebrate the release, Kilgour will be returning to Lincoln Center to perform on Thursday, September 8. Opening the performance is Blair Bodine, a Philadelphia native who has been racking up recent accolades for her lyrical mastery and soul-stirring melodies. Along with Kilgour, she was a finalist in 2015 NewSong Music Competition Finals.
Congratulations to Hartwell, GA’s Ethan Crump, the winner of this spring’s third annual NewSong Presents: LEAF Singer-Songwriter Competition. As the LEAF winner, Ethan will advance to join us at Lincoln Center in New York City on Saturday, December 10 to showcase and compete in this year’s international NewSong Music finals there.
Ahead of the NewSong Music Showcase & Competition Finals, we wanted to introduce the judges of this year’s event. We are honored to have Erik Philbrook (ASCAP), Michael Selverne, Jordana Phokompe (Lincoln Center), and Gar Ragland (NewSong Music) as the judges of this year’s event. Learn more about each judge below:
ERIK PHILBROOK, ASCAP
Erik Philbrook serves as ASCAP’s AVP of Marketing and Communications and Editor in Chief of its Playback magazine. In addition to writing editorial, producing video and managing content for ASCAP’s various media channels, he has interviewed and written about many of today’s leading songwriters and composers from across the musical spectrum, from legendary icons to today’s emerging artists. He has helped lead ASCAP’s advocacy efforts in protecting songwriter rights in the digital age. And he has played an essential role in the success of high-profile ASCAP events such as the Sundance ASCAP Music Café and the ASCAP “I Create Music” EXPO, where he has interviewed on stage many top music creators, including Tom Petty, John Mayer, Bon Jovi, ELO’s Jeff Lynne, Ingrid Michaelson, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Steve Lillywhite and many others. In addition, Philbrook is a songwriter and musician himself, having recorded three acclaimed albums with his band The Brilliant Mistakes.
MICHAEL SELVERNE
Michael Selverne is a 35 year veteran of the music business. A trained musician, Mr. Selverne has a diverse career as a musician, producer, publisher, manager, attorney and executive. Currently, Mr. Selverne is producing a record for the Asheville NC Symphony Orchestra featuring artists such as the Steep Canyon Rangers and Rising Appalachia. Among the many gold and platinum artists with whom Mr. Selverne has worked are: Motley Crue, India.Arie, Hootie and the Blowfish, Guns and Roses, Live, the Wu-Tang Clan, the Fugees, Wyclef Jean, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, La Toya Jackson, Donald Fagen/Steely Dan, Hanson.
JORDANA PHOKOMPE, LINCOLN CENTER
Jordana Phokompe is the Director of the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center and is responsible for programing its free weekly performance series. Since joining Lincoln Center in 2009, Jordana has developed new programs for the Atrium including Poet-Linc, LCDJ, and AtriumFlix. Previously, she was a consultant for artists and festivals in the U.S., Europe, and Africa and served as the Associate Producer for MAPP International Productions from 2001-2008. During her tenure at MAPP she co-created the Africa Contemporary Arts Consortium. Jordana received her BA from the New School for Social Research and her MFA from Brooklyn College.
GAR RAGLAND, NEWSONG MUSIC
Gar Ragland is a music producer, composer, manager and the president and co-founder of NewSong Music. A native North Carolinian (Winston-Salem), Gar began his music career while an undergraduate student at the University of Virginia, sharing bills with acts that include the Dave Matthews Band, Gov’t Mule and the Aquarium Rescue Unit. After working several years in Washington, DC as an environmental economist for the policy think tank Resources for the Future, Ragland relocated to Boston to study composition and improvisation at the New England Conservatory with MacArthur ‘Genius’ Award winning pianist, composer and educator Ran Blake. He then moved to New York City to open NewSong’s Brooklyn studio and office, and eight years later moved to Asheville, NC with his family in 2012 to set up shop at Echo Mountain Recording Studios. He is a voting member of the Recording Academy (Grammys), and is the current board chair of the Asheville Area Arts Council.
Sarah Kervin has taken over the @newsongmusic Instagram account for the next 48 hours. She is going to give all of you a BTS peek into the NewSong Music Showcase & Competition Finals, meeting the other finalists, and hanging around her Brooklyn music scene. Follow along here and make sure your follow her Instagram at @skervinofficial!
This series of features highlights the 2015 NewSong Music finalists. Each artist is invited to Lincoln Center on January 7th for the opportunity to win the #NSM Grand Prize. We sat down with each finalist to learn more about their music and background. Hope you enjoy! #wheregreatartistsarediscovered #newsongmusic
BIO Jaime Garamella has been accused of “combining the quirky song craft of Elvis Costello and Ben Folds with the stylistic vigor of Ryan Adams or Fountains Of Wayne“, and it’s said he “resembles The Spin Doctors, but keeps things fresh with a unique sound and a clear knack for writing lyrics and hooks that are far from boilerplate.” The NYC-based songwriter has a Jekyll-and-Hyde approach — on one hand, writing timeless acoustic tunes steeped in American soul, country, folk, and blues; on the other, jumping off the top of the Marshall stack with his alt-rock band, The Spanish Channel, who have drawn comparisons to Foo Fighters, Maroon 5, and Stone Temple Pilots.
A Regional Finalist in the 2014 NewSong/Mountain Stage Contest, Jaime has recorded two albums and several EPs of his songs. He has also written music for other artists, indie films, documentaries, TV commercials, radio jingles, and even the theme song for a pro hockey team. As a singer, he has appeared at Madison Square Garden and Carnegie Hall as well as in TV commercials, radio jingles, and even a PBS Kids album. He’s played guitar with bluesman Roy Roberts and rapper Big Daddy Kane. He’s toured nationally both solo and with his band, The Spanish Channel, supporting national acts including Tim Reynolds (of Dave Matthews Band) & TR3 and Alex Skolnick of Testament. It’s live shows where Jaime’s high energy, charisma, and ability to connect with an audience really bring the music to life.
Raised in Connecticut, Jaime has lived in North Carolina, Tokyo, and Boston, and now calls New York City home. When he’s not performing, he teaches voice, guitar, and bass and runs the Vocal program at NYC Guitar School.
This series of features highlights the 2015 NewSong Music finalists. Each artist is invited to Lincoln Center on January 7th for the opportunity to win the #NSM Grand Prize. We sat down with each finalist to learn more about their music and background. Hope you enjoy! #wheregreatartistsarediscovered #newsongmusic
BIO Recently named the Grand Prize Lyric Winner for American Songwriter Magazine, Blair Bodine brings a compelling mix of lyrical mastery and soul-stirring melodies to her music. Accompanied by rich acoustic guitar, Blair’s songs uplift and unravel with themes of love, loss, and spirituality. Blair’s debut album was produced by four-time Grammy award-winner Glenn Barrett at Morningstar Studios in Ambler, PA, the town where she was born and raised. After a guitar-slinging stint in Nashville, Tennessee, Blair moved back to the Northeast in 2014 and now calls New York City home.
In addition to writing and touring, Blair is committed to music education. “I was very fortunate when I was younger. My Mom gave me a guitar for my 13th birthday and nurtured my love of music. She herself is a beautiful songwriter and knew what a positive impact that guitar would have on my life. These days, schools are cutting their music programs at an alarming rate. We need to make sure that we don’t lose the next generation of songwriters.” Committed to fostering a love of music, Blair currently works for Steven Van Zandt’s Rock and Roll Forever Foundation, where she writes curriculum for middle and high school teachers about the history of American popular music.
Since her album release in 2009, Blair has received multiple awards that recognize both her songwriting and performing abilities. She is thrilled to be named a finalist for the 2015 NewSong contest.
Q: What is your songwriting process? A: For me, the process of songwriting is best described as, “Building the plane as you fly it.” I love stepping into a song and not being quite sure of where you will land when the process is through. When you begin a song, anything’s game: from the rhythm, to the chords, to the song structure; it’s a total puzzle. I try not to get too locked into my first idea and to always be open to change. The most important part of the process, for me, is showing up. So I guess songwriting is a lot like life that way!
Q:What does it mean to you to be selected as a NewSong finalist, and what do you hope to get out of the experience? A: Total shock. I was really surprised and honored simultaneously. Is there a word for that? Suponored.
I am really excited to meet the other finalists later this week! And, of course, having the opportunity to perform at Lincoln Center is incredible. Even though I am a relatively new New Yorker, the importance of Lincoln Center as a cultural institution stands out to me. I can’t wait to be there.
Q: How did you hear about New Song Music? A: I think I first applied back in 2010, inspired by the artists I admire who have won this contest in the past. In 2011, I was fortunate to be selected as a regional semifinalist in the Southeast. I had a really wonderful experience connecting with a few of the semifinalists based in Nashville at that time. We spontaneously decided to get together and perform a concert in-the-round. That pretty much defines the NewSong Contest for me. A positive and collaborative contest where the true prize is connecting with other artists.
Q: What is currently happening with your music? A: I’m hoping to release an album of new material in 2016. The more I say it, the more it becomes true. So yes. A new album in 2016 is definitely, probably, totally, maybe happening. It will be an album of tracks I wrote and recorded in Nashville over the years, along with a handful of songs that I’ve written since I’ve moved back to the Northeast.
This series of features highlights the 2015 NewSong Music finalists. Each artist is invited to Lincoln Center on January 7th for the opportunity to win the #NSM Grand Prize. We sat down with each finalist to learn more about their music and background. Hope you enjoy! #wheregreatartistsarediscovered #newsongmusic
BIO I am a Japanese Gypsy Rockstar!
My songwriting reflects my life as an immigrant with some musical influences from different cultures which I have absorbed while living in cosmopolitan cities like London and New York City…
Q: What is your songwriting process? A: It’s about trying to give a shape to something that doesn’t have a shape. And there is always a gap between that indescribable something and what you created. The smaller the gap is the better you feel. I’m a 99% melody guy. I’m come up with melodies first then lyrics. So often, I go “does this need lyrics?”. So I’m open to write in any languages as long as I pick the right sound for the melody. But the most exciting part of songwriting is when you first grab it out of nowhere, then you put it down on a piece of paper or on tape. That moment, nothing else really matters…
Q:What does it mean to you to be selected as a NewSong finalist, and what do you hope to get out of the experience? A: What? Really? Wow!
It means a lot that one of my latest songs made it into the top 10 after many years of songwriting. That means my songwriting is still improving and contemporary and I’m happy to be able to contribute something to this celebration of new American music, from which I hope I will get even more inspirations.
Q: How did you hear about New Song Music? A: I entered the contest back in 2008 and I’ve known it ever since.
Q: What is currently happening with your music? A: Playing at Lincoln Center is the biggest news from me for the coming new year so far.
This series of features highlights the 2015 NewSong Music finalists. Each artist is invited to Lincoln Center on January 7th for the opportunity to win the #NSM Grand Prize. We sat down with each finalist to learn more about their music and background. Hope you enjoy!
BIO Adam Bonomo is the lead vocalist and composer for the group BONOMO.
Adam Bonomo’s background as a performing artist includes working extensively as a pianist, organist and vocalist.
He has traveled throughout the U.S along the east coast, and in Europe. The group is now performing at a host of NY venues regularly.
https://soundcloud.com/adam-bonomo/show-her-love
Q: What is your songwriting process? A: My writing process is very sporadic. My music usually comes to me as fluently as my emotions. Sometimes I catch them, sometimes I can’t quite hold on to it. As a working pianist/organist, I am constantly discovering and learning new music. My major influences come from Classical, Gospel, and Jazz music. Through in depth study and practice of these styles of music, I’ve worked to ingrain them in my playing so that when I have an emotion or a thought I can express musically how I’m feeling emotionally or physically. As for my muses, LIFE is my muse. I try to see and understand as much of it as I can.
Q:What does it mean to you to be selected as a NewSong finalist, and what do you hope to get out of the experience? A: It was a great surprise! It always feels good when the work that you pour your being into gets validated.
It’s a great honor to have my work selected. Beyond meeting and sharing with other artists of my craft, I would hope to gain the support and platform needed to fully realize this music and bring it to the world.
Q: How did you hear about New Song Music? A: I was searching online for outlets to show my music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5TGRPX4M2c
Q: What is currently happening with your music? A: Last November we recorded four songs at “Strange Weather” In Brooklyn that we will release individually starting in 2016. We also have a date with the San Francisco Orchestra, “One Found Sound” that will be announced sometime in August, we will have my music arranged and perform a live recorded concert featuring both groups. We also have a show coming up on January 24 at “Bowery Arts+Sciences”
This series of features highlights the 2015 NewSong Music finalists. Each artist is invited to Lincoln Center on January 7th for the opportunity to win the #NSM Grand Prize. We sat down with each finalist to learn more about their music and background. Hope you enjoy!
BIO Within month’s of the release of her soulful fiery debut, ‘Wildfire’ – Megan Wilde was chosen as winner of an LA Music Critic Award, a string of international songwriting contests, a few coveted Tv/Film Music Licensing Deals, a National college radio promotion deal, and she’s received glowing national and international press for her bold, sultry, and heartfelt singing. With a scorching voice that knows no boundaries, a fiery on stage presence, and a robust and bodacious soul for crafting music – Megan Wilde’s music has been compared to the likes of Aretha Franklin, The Black Keys, Beyonce, Adele and The White Stripes. While Seattle Music Insider has declared Megan Wilde a “soul powerhouse” and the Examiner exclaimed, ‘”Wilde could very well become a musical force with which to be reckoned” – Who is the woman behind the music?
Megan B. Wilde was a school yard nickname given to her for her talent for climbing trees, getting in fights with boys, and running around covered in dirt with wild untamed lioness hair. You could say she’s always been a bit rough around the edges. Growing up in a small town outside of Chicago never suited her style, and at 15 she found her ticket out. She was accepted into one of the world’s finest performing arts schools – Interlochen Academy of The Fine Arts. Day in and day out she studied music and art from the masters. Her teachers quickly learned that while she was talented – ball gowns, opera, and being neat as a button was not her thang. Once you’ve been seduced by the brash, rusty, soulful voices – there is no turning back.
Look out for Megans debut EP release -Wildfire- on May 19th, 2015. When recording Wildfire at one of Seattle’s top studios, London Bridge, the artist brought in mastering wizard – Howie Wineberg. Howie is a 4 time Grammy nominee with an estimated quarter of a billion records sold. Producing, composing and arranging the material on the record (with the exception of “Spoonful”), Wilde also takes the helm on Wurlitzer, piano, and of course, the powerhouse vocals. Wildfire combines elements of indie-rock, blues, soul and R & B. Her debut album has been showered with early praise from critics around the nation and is just a ‘spoonful’ of things to come.
Q: What is your songwriting process? A: When I get that first spark, I stop everything I’m doing and ride the wave of inspiration. Sometimes it’s like lightening when it strikes – rare and intense. I’ve had song’s come to me when in my dreams, and I’ve had songs come to me when I’m wasted at the bar with my girls. My newest song is a new process in that it’s coming to me in pieces month’s apart. I store everything on my phone, and looking back through my recordings I realized the last 3 month’s inspirations have been in the same key. It’s like it’s slowly releasing itself to me.
Q:What does it mean to you to be selected as a NewSong finalist, and what do you hope to get out of the experience? A: It means I can be proud of the work that I created from the bottom of my soul.
Q: How did you hear about New Song Music? A: The Internet. I also know The Banner days from Seattle, they were finalists last year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btkt6zAcP7U
Q: What is currently happening with your music? A: I just released my EP ‘Wildfire’ and have signed some licensing deals with TV/Film. I also won a college radio campaign for spring.
This series of features highlights the 2015 NewSong Music finalists. Each artist is invited to Lincoln Center on January 7th for the opportunity to win the #NSM Grand Prize. We sat down with each finalist to learn more about their music and background. Hope you enjoy!
BIO Singer-songwriter Sarah Morris has a way of captivating her audiences with songs about the highs and lows of love. With a voice both cozy and commanding, Sarah allows us to feel every note. Her lyrics resonate with a combination of unflinching honesty and tenderness: portraits of love, loss, gratitude and regret.
Morris’ love for music grew from her parents record collection, with David Bowie, The Beatles, and Frank Sinatra songs helping to shape her musical DNA. She laid the groundwork for her career at the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music, followed by a post-graduation move to Nashville, TN. Now firmly planted in the Twin Cities music scene, Morris has been building a solid reputation with authentic songwriting and powerful performances. In recent years, Morris has settled into life as a wife and mother, both of which give a unique voice to her craft.
In September of 2015, Sarah released her 3rd album, “Ordinary Things” – a collection of songs that looks at little things that surround all of us; the daily ups and downs, love and loss, joy and anger, the desire for more, and the beauty that can be found in the smallest moments. Recorded at RiverRock Studios in Minneapolis with her band, “Ordinary Things” has received critical acclaim, with Chris Riemenschneider of the Star Tribune saying, ““Rootsy singer Sarah Morris offers a Norah Jones-like approach to Americana/alt-country, smoothing over its rough edges with a butter-velvety voice and an intimate songwriting style.”.
Q:What does it mean to you to be selected as a NewSong finalist, and what do you hope to get out of the experience? A: I was thrilled – I AM thrilled! I love that NewSong aims to create a community of performing songwriters. It is such an honor to be included among such talented artists!
Well, one of my primary goals for 2016 is to get my music ‘out there’ more – as in, physically get myself out of my home state and play for new people, and meet new artists to collaborate with. So being selected as a NewSong finalist allows me to start my new year off in the best way – by keeping my promise to myself! Also, it means so much to me to know that someone listened to my songs and was moved by them in some way. I can’t wait to meet the other finalists, and see their performances. I am ready to be inspired!
Q: How did you hear about New Song Music? A: I’ve been lucky enough to share two shows with Rachael Kilgour in the last year – in following her social media I saw her mentions of the LEAF Festival, and it brought me to the NewSong Music website.
Q: What is currently happening with your music? A: I released my new album, “Ordinary Things”, in September 2015. I am sending it out to the Americana Music Association reporting stations in late January, and will be releasing a music video for my song, “Sway Me”. Goals for 2016 include two small tours, participating in 2 online weekly songwriting challenges, continuing my local performances, and working towards my next album (always!).
Q: What is your songwriting process? A: I am a stay at home mother of two little ones. It’s taken me a while to figure out how to get the writing done while all-day parenting…because my kids are absolutely NOT interested in playing by themselves while I sit down with my guitar and a blank notebook 😉 I do most of my writing while on walks with the kids and my dog – I’ll get an idea, usually lyrics and melody together, and I just work through it on the walk. As soon as I get home I record anything I like on my phone. I begin every day by writing ‘morning pages’ (3 pages of free-form journaling before anyone else is up and sharing their thoughts with me!), and I process through my song ideas there. I usually don’t sit down with my guitar until the song is just about completed. Then, as soon as I have a completed song, I record a video of me performing the song in it’s super-raw state and I share it on facebook. I started this routine as part of an online weekly songwriting challenge, where we receive a writing prompt and have a week to compose a song around that prompt, and I’ve kept it up on my own – after I’ve lived with a song for a while it’s always fun to go back and see how it started out.
