DBT #373 Great River Folk Fest 2025 Songwriter Contest + Recap

 

The Great River Folk Festival has a tradition since 2009 of offering a Songwriter’s contest.

Here is the first song from each of this year’s contestants and you can decide who you would have won; though in fairness you are missing their second song too.

I was glad that I wasn’t a judge because I was friends with 4 of the 5.  Here is each’s Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/wearyramblers

https://www.facebook.com/doyleturnermusic

https://www.facebook.com/karynannsoul

https://www.facebook.com/pat.wiley.1447

https://www.facebook.com/psychosongmike

You can revisit and hear past winners here:

https://greatriverfolkfestival.bandcamp.com/album/great-river-folk-fest-songwriters

And here is the page for the contest:

https://www.greatriverfolkfest.org/songwritercontest

Note some the songs were trimmed slightly to fit the 3 minute limit of a short/reel.  YES vote with a like to each song or performer you liked.  Here's the order that was randomly picked EARLY Sunday morning.

First up The Weary Ramblers

Next Doyle Turner

Next Karyn Ann

Next Pat Wiley

And last up, Mike Ward : Psychosongs

Now, I do have a video from the winner opening for Claudia Schmidt 

and will be uploading it next week; and will include it here also.

 I hope you all like and follow all five artists.

___________________________________________________________

And the winner is... wait, first your votes.

Based on our activity, Pat Wiley would have been the winner in both views and likes.  Of course likes is the most important, because views is sometimes tainted by YouTubes algorithm's.  Either way congrats Pat, because you didn't win the grand poo pa prize, Karyn Ann did and here she is opening for Claudia Schmidt later in the day.

Now Karyn is no stranger to contests.  She had become my friend from a previous GRFF contest and we had a chance to meet her at the Rocky Mountain Folks Fest, because she was a finalist in their songwriter contest.

Now I may or may not find time to post a full recap to the fest, but let me tell you... in the 45 of 49 fests that I've seen; this one is truly a top ten.  I'm looking forward to the 50th; heck maybe I'll even get on a committee to help.  Loved how Doug orchestrated such a fine group of youngsters on the committee.  The future is bright for 50 and beyond.  Here's a link to all the memory videos I took from the weekend.

Next steps:

- Stop over to the Review page to my other most spinned and loved albums.

- Browse the rest of the blogs by stopping at this "Theme Page."

- Enjoy Tune Tuesday which brings you one song from a past blog post.

- See what other post have been most popular recently with our Stats Page.

- Find out who in the world thinks he has the authority to write this blog in the About.

- Let me answer why you won't find the playlists on Spotify here.

- Finally, the Mission page explains why there is no advertising cluttering the page.

If you use Facebook, we have a page "Like" us there and it will help you remember to read the next post

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