Utah songwriter takes contest honors

The 2011 Dave Carter Memorial Songwriting Contest was won by a bashful songstress from Salt Lake City, Utah, Alicia McGovern.

Her pure and honest melodies, marked with a vulnerable edge, won over the judging panel against a talented group of finalists. McGovern's songs are infused with a palpable realism and recounted personal journeys, reflections of Appalachian hills and the remembrance of broken dreams.

"The songs that are meaningful to me are the ones that are the most personal," she said. "It's been a real gift for me to be able to connect with people like that because I used to be so shy. It's a blessing to share intimate things and have other people relate to those situations through my music. It is something that's brought me a lot of joy."

Originally from New York, McGovern's family moved to Florida when she was five. After a vagabond childhood and a few years doing seasonal jobs in national parks, she ended up in Alaska, where she met her husband in 2003. With best friends in Utah, they eventually settled in Salt Lake City, with its vibrant arts culture and ample outdoor recreation options.

"I was always into music. All the women in my family are singers, and I grew up singing harmonies with my twin sister, Patricia," said McGovern. "I started songwriting early and was for a long time really shy about playing in front of people. I'd sing for a regular group of good friends that urged me to look for a local studio to record. So I made my first CD three years ago, without ever having booked a gig."

The budding artist got involved with the local folk music community in Utah, and everyone proved very supportive.

"The more I played the songs on the first record, it drew me toward learning more about the craft of songwriting, to take classes and workshops with people I admired. My first class was with Darrell Scott in Wyoming. Since then I've taken a lot of different seminars, learning both artistic structure and melody, and I became more and more impassioned by it. I'm always looking for new outlets to express myself and say new things. What appealed to me in the singer/songwriter genre is the ability to express emotions and feelings I might have been intimidated to tell someone."

She cites contemporary pop folk singer Dar Williams as one of her greatest inspirations, along with the revered songwriting of Paul Simon.

"I love it here in Sisters. It's beautiful and people are so friendly and welcomed me to the family," she said. "Winning the songwriting contest has been so amazing, All the contestants played together at Slick's (Que Co.) and that was cool to get to know the other finalists and hear all the different styles. I can feel the audience connecting with me and everyone has shown me a lot of love."

Back home, McGovern plans to keep the momentum and work on some new songs before performing at this year's Moab Folk Festival in November.

"It's in my home state, and southern Utah is such a special spot for me, a very spiritual and amazing place. I'm also going to be doing my first tour over in The Netherlands in January. My new record, "Words Through The Seasons," charted at number two on the Euro-American charts and they've been so inviting and encouraging. This is an exciting time, and I feel so grateful."

For more info visit http://www.aliciamcgovernmusic.com.