19th Annual NJ Folk Festival Singer-Songwriter Showcase

The New Jersey Folk Festival, the oldest continuously held folk festival in New Jersey, will host its 19th annual Singer-Songwriter Showcase during the 40th annual event on Saturday April 26, 2014 on the Woodlawn on the Douglass campus of Rutgers, the State University, in New Brunswick, NJ.

While the primary focus of the festival is indigenous folk forms passed down via family, home, and community traditions, they like to recognize regional folk artists in an effort to foster and encourage these "new" folk singer-songwriters in their contemporary society. Should you be selected, you will be afforded the opportunity to present your original material to a large, diversified audience of more than 16,000 attendees.

This day-long FREE, not-for-profit event features four stages of music, dance, workshops, crafts, children's activities and food. Judging will be done by an impartial panel and will be based on originality of lyrics and melody, as well as vocal quality.

At least six winners will be selected to perform 20 minute sets each on the festival's Shore Stage, will receive a $50 honorarium, and will be included in the festival program.

They are particularly interested in songs about the State of New Jersey. Though New Jersey has a diverse musical culture and history, it does not have a state song. In fact, it is the only state that does not have a state song. They want to encourage singer/songwriters to develop material about New Jersey. Coming up with a song about New Jersey is not easy. New Jersey is immensely diverse, but it is difficult to come up with a unifying theme, with something that typifies it. New Jersey Folk Festival hopes you welcome the challenge.

Artists will also be allowed to sell CDs and distribute information at the festival's Folk Marketplace, with the artist retaining 100% of the profits from sales. Genres accepted include all traditional folk and traditional Americana.