Songwriting Contest
Watersheds link people. Our watershed links four states and hundreds of cities, towns and villages. We drink the same water. We swim, fish, and paddle waterways that constitute our shared jewels. A common history and culture also enriches our lives. And we share art. In 1836, Thomas Cole’s Connecticut River painting The Oxbow helped tie people to the shared bounties of our landscape in a new and unique way.
Linking river communities through music
We don’t have landscape artists here at CRWC, but we have Pat LaMountain—long-time singer and songwriter, who is also our Finance Director. In the winter of 2008 Pat thought we might use art to strengthen ties to our shared environmental wealth. She had an idea: a Living Along the River Songwriting Contest. Publicised throughout our region, it caught on like wildfire by late spring. Entries had to be original songs about our river, and artists had to be available to perform them at a fall “finals concert” where prizes would be awarded and the public would attend.
It all came together on a fabulous September 2008 evening after the 50 entering artists and their 65 songs were boiled down to a dozen finalists waiting to perform at the Great Falls Discovery Center in Montague, MA. Two hundred fifty people from communities near and far attended the concert, hearing music composed in every corner of our region. Ultimately, John Currie’s ballad The River took first prize. But everyone left that night as winners—the musicians, the enchanted audience, and the communities they returned to.
Songwriting Contest 2009
Living along the River was so successful that a new contest for 2009 is already in the works. At this time the event dates are tentative, so check back here soon for confirmed dates of finals and semi-finals.
2009 Prizes (coming soon)
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This project is supported in part by grants from the following local agencies: the Bernardston Arts Council; the Blandford Arts Council; the Cummington Arts Council; the Gill Arts Council; the Goshen Arts Council; the Greenfield Arts Council; the Hadley Arts Council; the Huntington Arts Council; the Montague Arts Council; the Northfield Arts Council; the Orange Arts Council; the Petersham Arts Council; the Warwick Arts Council; the Washington Arts Council; the Wendell Arts Council; the Westhampton Arts Council; the Whately Arts Council; the Wilbraham Arts Council & the Williamsburg Arts Council. These local agencies are supported by the Massachusetts Arts Council, a state agency.____________
Photo credits (above): "The Oxbow" by Thomas Cole 1836; "River Music" by Tom Dudley, Greenfield Recorder 2008
Image Credits at Right - Illustrations: Bill Singleton; Photos: Elisabeth Cianciola, David Deen, ©Chris Hardie, ©Al Braden www.albradenphoto.com, River Music drawn by Tom Dudley - Greenfield Recorder, CRWC Staff.
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