Six finalists have been selected in the Make Music Alabama songwriting competition and will perform at LOCAL, a free community music and family-friendly event, presented by the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center.
The ASC set out to search for original songs about living in Alabama for the competition, and 45 songs were submitted to the ASC’s Make Music Alabama YouTube page. The finalists were chosen by the ASC’s panel of judges, Erix Essix, Scott Register, Daniel Beard, Carla Jean Whitley and Jeffery Cain, who were selected based on their impressive credentials and their ability to contribute to fostering musicians and artists in Alabama.
The finalists are:
- Clinton Babers II, “Alabama”
- Gary Glover, “Alabama Bound”
- Adam Hood, “Somewhere In Alabama”
- Corey Nolen Music, “Mend the Heart of Dixieland”
- Michaela Parker, “Heart of Dixie”
- The Wildwood Ruminators, “Alabama”
Each of the six finalists will perform a brief set on stage at LOCAL. The judges will determine the top finalist, who will receive $1,000. The second-place finalist will receive $500, and the other finalists will get $250 each. Also, the finalist judged as giving the “Best Live Performance” will receive an additional $500.
Produced and presented by the ASC, LOCAL will celebrate everything Alabama. A crowd of more than 1,000 people attended the inaugural LOCAL festival in 2014 and enjoyed Alabama craft breweries, eclectic merchants, and goods and edibles from vendors, farmers and food trucks.
This year, LOCAL will be even bigger with more local vendors and flair. Vendors will include Hot Damn Jelly Co., Magic City Woodworks, Seeds Coffee Co., CahaBones, Emily’s Heirloom Pound Cakes, Tre’ Lilli, Continental Bakery and Chez Lulu, Eastaboga Bee Co., Tea Town Alabama, Ashley McCullars Art, Ivory LeShore’s Gourmet Bread Pudding & Cheesecakes, After Midnight Salsa Co., ArtPlay, Baking Bandits, Kennedy Farm, OLI.O, Sprout & Pour, Dayspring Dairy, Earthstone Soap Co., and Painted Shovel. Food trucks will include NOLA Ice, Steel City Pops, Old Town Pizza, Big Spoon Creamery and ChuckTruk Texas BBQ.
VIP passes to the festival include drinks and food from Yellow Bicycle Catering Co. VIP tickets are $35; $45 on the day of the festival. Call 205-975-2787 or visit the ASC online at www.AlysStephens.org.
Make Music Alabama is presented by the ASC Junior Patrons and is made possible bythe support of the Alabama State Council on the Arts and BBVA Compass.