Cheryl Prashker

Congratulations to our Round four winners! Their songs will be shared with radio stations as part of an annual CD compilation, and they will also receive a $100 gift card to Elderly Instruments. Thank you to our judges, Catie Curtis and Sarah Craig, who thoughtfully listened to over 100 submissions to find these remarkable songs.  Mirror – Mt. Juliet Mirror is a powerfully evocative song, beautifully written. The song builds craftily but naturally to an emotional crescendo at the end which deepens the meaning of the lyric. Mt. Juliet has delivered a gorgeous and important song! CATIE CURTIS American Singer Songwriter This indie pop song looks at that moment when we’re suddenly confronting the memory of hopes we once held, realizing how far we’ve strayed from the path we started out on. While it’s presented as personal, it also feels like it could be a song for a nation. I like the balance of straightforward storytelling and mystery. SARAH CRAIG Executive Director Caffe Lena https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOdE_vaII3c Goodnight America – Kemp Harris Kemp Harris has written a tender love song to a country flailing in the dark, with faith that it will emerge into the light again. He strikes a balance between the current reality and hope for the future, with a beautiful melody to rest on. Goodnight America is a truth-telling song that doesn’t give in to despair. CATIE CURTIS American Singer Songwriter This elegiac song is a tearjerker but it’s not a heartbreaker. The bittersweet, heart-healing message is that America is lost in the darkness of a storm in the night, but we will certainly wake one day to a new morning. Kemp’s reassuring words and the simple kindness of his melody deliver a song of truth, love and endurance. SARAH CRAIG Executive Director Caffe Lena They Say – Eli Lev It would be hard to listen to this song with tapping your foot and nodding along from start to finish. The lyrics take the listener through universal truths, playfully avoiding cliche. My heart is happier hearing this vigorous endorsement for what’s good! CATIE CURTIS American Singer Songwriter This is an anthem for anyone who broke the mold and forged their own path in life. In a song that everyone will want to sing along with, Eli celebrates independence and fulfillment in the face of those exhortations we’ve all heard to get rich, get famous, and even to get real. This is a song of appreciation for the trailblazers–and Eli makes us believe that could be any of us. SARAH CRAIG Executive Director Caffe Lena Thank you to Elderly instruments for sponsoring this year’s Songwriting Competition!