Southport Magazine

Still Seeking Sponsorship
Call for sponsorship and community support to keep this festival open and free to the public!

Call for Community Sponsorships and Volunteers:

3 rd Annual Southport Songwriter Festival benefit songwriting for kids, songwriters, and promote Southport Arts and Business
S2F returns June 14-18, 2017, featuring over 50 regional and national songwriters, with afternoon and evening events plus a full lineup on Father’s Day. The festival benefits
ScreenDoor year long programs using songwriting to aid veterans and high needs children. A change this year is that S2F events are open to the public with no admission, so the event and year-round function depend entirely on community sponsorships and donations, (tax deductible).
With the slogan “Building Community One Song at a Time,” S2F, guided by founder and Southport resident Louisa Branscomb, has brought a unique vision to our community: that of uniting people across individual differences through music, while also creating opportunities for a “front porch” style of bringing songwriters and listeners together in intimate settings surrounded by Southport’s unique commerce and its natural beauty.
To date, the festival has presented some 200 songwriters in over 11 events in Southport, involved over 150 volunteers and countless Southport venues and businesses. Through festival proceeds and grants, Executive Director Branscomb, who is an internationally known songwriter with multiple Grammies and chart hits, combines her lifelong passion for songwriting with her expertise in trauma, families and communities via the 501 c-3 ScreenDoor Songwriter Alliance.
In addition to the community productions with S2F, she has formed and directed several programs with foster children and school children using songwriting to express their stories, then in turn share these in performances that benefit and inspire others. Notably, S2F favorites, the Howard Boys are inspiring groups throughout NC with songs created with Branscomb. Branscomb is also working to create various alliances to help veterans in NC.
A stellar initial festival lineup of national and local acts and a variety of musical styles includes Dark Water Rising, Jeanette and Johnny Williams, Sol-R Fusion, Chuck Larson, LaNelle Davis, Tommy Edwards, Brooksie Wells, Laura McLean, Karen Newsum, Jeremy Truett, James Archer, and Daniel Geutschow. The festival will be hosted by Louisa Branscomb and Friends of Distinction, featuring 16 year old ScreenDoor Songwriter Scholarship winner Micahlan Boney.
Festival Coordinator Jayne Howard and the team of core volunteers are actively seeking your help. “Bringing in the kind of talent and numbers of artists we have enjoyed in the past will depend on community support, since the event is free to the community. We depend on the festival for year long programs that help communities through our programs with children.”
You can help by making a donation (through our website or call us and we will come to you), hosting a band, providing housing for a visiting artist, or being an event sponsor. We also need event coordinators, photographers, and general volunteers.” S2F walks the talk of “building community, one song at a time. It is the first event of its kind in the country, and welcomes all who’d like to “help make the music play.” To get the full feel of the festival, watch the video produced by Southport’s Chris Webster on You Tube (google Southport Songwriter Festival on You Tube).
The full day main event on Father’s Day will honor fathers via your $100 donation to ScreenDoor Songwriter Alliance. For questions or donations, Jayne can be contacted at:
southportsongwriterfestival@gmail.com / 910-442- 8252. For more information, or to play at the festival if you are a songwriter, hit “like” on ScreenDoor Songwriter Alliance on FB or request to be in the group Southport Songwriter Festival Think Tank.