Cheryl Prashker

4th Quarter Songwriting Competition Winners Announced!

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!

4th Quarter Songwriting Competition Winners Announced! Read More »

Masterclass: Embodying Songs & Empowering Community with Moira Smiley

Moira Smiley’s four-hour masterclass will not only prepare us for NERFA’s community/group sing(s), but also offer fresh, embodied tools for creating and sharing music. These tools come from Moira’s work with wildly diverse artists like Tune-Yards, Solas, the Lomax & Folklife Projects, a lifelong study of traditional folksongs, countless university residencies, and choral music commissions. Her original songwriting and arranging are informed by percussive movement, expansive vocal techniques, and balancing personal, solo creation with communal, improvisation, embodied creation with others. This Wednesday (November 20th from 2:00PM to 6:00PM) class is an opportunity to deepen your musical expression, embody your stories, and build confidence to take on leadership with authenticity. Using traditional forms while fostering new, musical discoveries, you will learn new techniques that will open your mind and voice to a vast array of expressions. Moira’s endless curiosity and grounded energy has led her to be described as a “musician’s musician.” Beloved and wildly talented, this masterclass offers a rare opportunity to spend time with a singular artist who will help broaden your technique through a transformative and joy-filled, musical experience.  Register Now

Masterclass: Embodying Songs & Empowering Community with Moira Smiley Read More »

Melissa Ferrick to Keynote Friday Night at NERFA

Get ready, because Melissa Ferrick is coming to NERFA! Known for being one of the most prolific, generous, and hardworking artists in the business, Ferrick  is nothing short of legendary. After opening for Morrissey in both the U.S. and UK, Ferrick landed a deal with Atlantic Records at just 21 years old, dropping her debut and sophomore albums under their banner. From 1996 to 1999, she cranked out three more albums with the indie label W.A.R. Records. Then, in 2000, Ferrick launched her own independent label, Right On Records, taking the reins of her musical destiny. Fast forward to the 2010s,  when she published two more critically acclaimed records with NY-based MPress Records. Over the past twenty-five years, she’s unleashed a whopping seventeen albums, earning a ton of awards for her songwriting, production, and electrifying performances. She’s shared the stage with legends like Morrissey, Joan Armatrading, Weezer, Tegan and Sara, Bob Dylan, Ani DiFranco, k.d. lang, and many more. But Melissa’s talents don’t stop there. As a Professor of the Practice at Northeastern University, she teaches the next generation of music business pros about everything from songwriting and demo production to the psychology of creativity. Before that, she spent six years shaping minds at Berklee College of Music. Oh, and did we mention she’s got an Ed.M from Harvard? Yeah, she’s that impressive. Melissa also runs the Drive Music Agency (DMA), a booking agency and consulting company that’s all about empowering indie artists. DMA helps musicians with everything from publishing and royalties to touring and creative development, connecting like-minded creators with industry experts. NERFA is beyond excited to have Melissa Ferrick sharing her wealth of knowledge and passion. Her keynote address promises to be nothing short of inspiring. Don’t miss out on hearing from one of contemporary music’s most influential figures! Register Now

Melissa Ferrick to Keynote Friday Night at NERFA Read More »