Bristol, Tenn.-Va. (Feb. 6, 2023) – Four talented songwriters from Saturday’s Tennessee’s Songwriters Week qualifying round at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum are one step closer to possibly landing a dream gig at Nashville’s famed Bluebird Cafe.
Adam Bolt, Abingdon, Va.; Melissa Johner, Marion, Va.; Katie Powderly, Frederick, Md.; and Ron Short, Duffield, Va., will move forward to the next phase of the competition – a Showcase event at The Down Home in Johnson City, Tenn. during Tennessee Songwriters Week. The Showcase will be held at 7:30 p.m. ET, Feb. 22. Once there, they will compete against other qualifiers from venues across the region. Only one songwriter will advance from The Down Home to Nashville and perform with other finalists from across the state.
A total of 61 songwriters entered videos in the Bristol qualifying round, some from as far away as Colorado and Maine. An independent panel narrowed the entries down to 20, but only four could be chosen to advance to the Showcase round.
“The level of artistry from each of the songwriters who performed on Saturday was exceptional,” said Charlene Baker, Communications Manager for the Birthplace of Country Music (BCM). “Our judges had a difficult time narrowing the field down to just four songwriters. It was a great day of music and a tradition I now look forward to every year.”
The remaining list of songwriters who performed in the Bristol qualifying round are as follows:
Blane Sage | Atkins, Va.
Carrie Brockwell | Chesterfield, Va.
Claire Childress | Big Stone Gap, Va.
Cory Michael Harris | Whitesburg, Ky.
Ella Patrick | Bristol, Va.
Isaac Drummond | Wytheville, Va.
Jamie Collins | Hillsville, Va.
Jonathan Short | Wise, Va.
K. T. Vandyke | Bristol, Va.
Landon Camper | Bristol, Tenn.
Lauren Frihauf | Byers, Colo.
Madison Denhardt | Big Stone Gap, Va.
Noah Spencer | Pounding Mill, Va.
Roger Ramsey | Mountain City, Tenn.
Sam Tayloe | Charlotte, N.C.
Sara Trunzo | Belfast, Maine
The public is invited to attend the Showcase event at The Down Home during Tennessee Songwriters Week to cheer on all the artists that competed in qualifying round venues across our region. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased through the venue’s website at DownHome.com.
Tennessee Songwriters Week supports music venues, songwriters with live performances in all genres of music, drives visitation and inspires travelers to experience the state’s music stories, history, attractions and venues.
The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development partners with The Bluebird Cafe, Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), Taylor Guitars, and music venues and local convention and visitors’ bureaus, chambers of commerce and partners across the state, all committed to make sure songwriters can share their original work onstage with other writers.
Follow along with Tennessee Songwriters Week by following @tnvacation and #madeinTN, #NowPlayingTN
For a full list of Tennessee Songwriters Week Showcase events across the state, visit TNVacation.com/songwriters-week.
For more information about the Birthplace of Country Music, visit BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org.