Bethesda Songwriting Contest Finalists Announced

From Bethesda Arts and Entertainment District: The third annual Bernard/Ebb Songwriting Awards, produced by the Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District, will feature a live concert performed by the competition’s finalists on Friday, March 3 at 7:30pm at Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club, 7719 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda. Tickets will be $10 and $15 and available at www.bethesda.org.

Five songwriters have been chosen as finalists and one will win the $10,000 Grand Prize.

• Luke Brindley (Folk/Acoustic), Reston, VA
• Ruut DeMeo (Adult Contemporary), Phoenix, MD
• Peter Garza with Band Of Us (Rock/Alternative), Silver Spring, MD
• Lea Morris (Folk/Acoustic, Soul), Alexandria, VA
• Be Steadwell (Pop), Washington, D.C.

Three songwriters from the Young Songwriter category (applicants who are under 18 years of age) will also perform live and compete for $2,500.

• Calista Garcia (Pop), Alexandria, VA
• Matthew Hemmer (Pop/Electric), Bethesda, MD
• Eli Pafumi (Folk/Acoustic), Sterling, VA

The winners will be announced at the close of the show.

Bethesda resident Cathy Bernard founded the competition in 2015. The Award is named in honor of her uncle, Fred Ebb, a renowned American songwriter and creator of Broadway hits such as Cabaret and Chicago and iconic songs including New York, New York.

“I am very pleased to have the Bernard/Ebb Songwriting Awards return for a third year and to continue to support the musical endeavors of aspiring songwriters in the Greater Washington, D.C. area,” said Cathy Bernard. “There is a great depth of musical talent in this region and I am honored to have the opportunity to host an event in Bethesda that celebrates the arts and cultural programming in the community, while also giving a platform to musicians to share their craft.”

The 2017 Grand Prize Jurors who will provide feedback to the songwriters during the concert are:

• Steve Bogard, Nashville-based songwriter and former Nashville Songwriter’s Association International Board President received two Grammy nominations for Best Country Song with Dierks Bentley. He also wrote nine number one country songs and hits for artists including George Strait, Rascal Flatts, Reba, Patty Loveless, Etta James and others.
• Scarlet Keys, songwriter and professor in Berklee College of Music’s Songwriting Department who has collaborated with artists including Chris Stapleton, Charlie Puth, Melissa Ferrick and Gretchen Wilson. She has had songs featured in movies and television as well as recordings by award-winning artists spanning genres from jazz, country, Americana, folk and pop.
• Stacey Luftig, musical theater lyricist and winner of the 2015 Fred Ebb Award for excellence in musical theater songwriting and the 2016 Kleban Prize for most promising theater lyricist of musicals. Her lyrics are featured in My Heart Is the Drum, The Tooth Fairy Versus El Ratón Pérez, Understood Betsy and That's Life.

Remaining tickets will be sold at the door. Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club will feature a dinner menu. Audience members can arrive beginning at 5:30pm to enjoy dinner and drinks at the theater before the 7:30pm concert. Food and drink is not included in the ticket price.

The finalists were selected from a competitive pool of nearly 200 entries from songwriters across Maryland, D.C. and Virginia. The Grand Prize Jury will attend the concert on Friday, March 3 to select the award winners.

Please visit www.bethesda.org or call 301/215-6660 for more information.

From award-winning theatre to independent films, downtown Bethesda’s Arts & Entertainment District is filled with inspiring artists and art venues. The Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District is managed by the Bethesda Urban Partnership, Inc., and is the producer of The Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards, Bethesda Painting Awards, Bethesda Fine Arts Festival, Play In A Day and Bethesda Film Fest.

Photos courtesy of Bethesda Arts and Entertainment District, Image via Pixabay