Deadline nears for songwriting contest

The July 31 deadline is at hand for the Sisters Folk Festival annual songwriting contest. The Sisters Folk Festival is set for September 6-8.

The contest is a showcase for outstanding but under-recognized performing songwriters. Past contest winners such as Darryl Purpose, Bob Hillman, Chuck McCabe have gone on to marked success in the folk music scene.

Dave Carter, who died suddenly on Friday, July 19, was the winner of the first Sisters Folk Festival songwriting contest in 1995 and the festival plans a special tribute to Carter this fall.

This year, five finalists will vie for a $500 cash prize as the winner of the Sisters Folk Festival Songwriting Contest. Entries will be accepted through July 31 (August 4 is the cut-off date for entries mailed by the deadline).

This is a "performing songwriter's" contest, not a "song" contest, according to organizers. Entrants selected as finalists will be expected to perform their songs on stage.

Entrants must submit at least two but not more than three songs. Songs will be judged on overall consistency of quality, on originality and uniqueness, on song structure, on prosody (fit of words and music), and on memorability.

Five finalists will be selected from the entries. The finalists will perform the songs they entered in the contest at the Festival on Saturday, September 7.

The winner will perform a short set to open the Festival's Saturday night show which will be headlined by Slaid Cleaves and The Nashville Bluegrass Band.

The entry fee is $20 per entrant (NOT "per song"). The fee must accompany the entry, in the form of a check or money order payable to the Sisters Folk Festival.

Mail entries to: Sisters Folk Festival Songwriting Contest 2002 P.O. Box 3500, PMB 304 Sisters, OR 97759.

For details visit www.sistersfolkfestival.com.