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Singer-songwriter Sadie McClendon plays a song in 2018 at Morgan City Municipal Auditorium during Songs on the Bayou Extravaganza as part of Road to 3rd Street Songs On The Bayou Songwriters Festival. At right is singer-songwriter Jordan Rainer. This year’s Bayou Music City Summit and Road to 3rd Street Songs On The Bayou Songwriters Festival will be March 25-31 in the Morgan City area. (The Daily Review/Zachary Fitzgerald)

Songwriters fest expands with Bayou Music City Summit

The third annual songwriters festival in the Morgan City area will once again feature lots of songwriters in different genres performing their songs. The event will also showcase an expanded conference on music business and therapy.

Bayou Music City Summit and Road to 3rd Street Songs On The Bayou Songwriters Festival will be March 25-31 at multiple venues in the area.

The summit features a conference with musicians, music industry personnel and participating companies who will be on hand to perform and answer questions. The conference will cover topics from mechanical to business logistics to the latest in resources for every level of the musician’s need in the evolving music business, a news release said.

Festival Director Brigitte London and Scott Green, owner of D.a.T. SaUcE , started the festival in 2017 with the goal of building a music business community in the Tri-City area. They originally named the festival after 3rd Street Songwriters Festival in Baton Rouge.

Organizers added the music conference last year, but they have greatly expanded the conference for this year’s event, London said. A three-day pass to the conference March 27-29 at Morgan City Municipal Auditorium is $35 and also gets attendees into all ticketed events at the festival for no additional charge. The conference hours will be 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. March 27-28 and 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 29.

One part of the conference is focused on building new music business infrastructure, including industry information for artists. The other segment is titled “Light Up the World with Music,” where organizers discuss how music can be used in healing for Alzheimer’s patients, veterans and people with autism, London said.

Over 100 songwriters are scheduled to perform at multiple venues in the area during the festival. The summit and festival are presented by Last Honky Tonk Music Series, D.a.T. SaUcE and Green Community Foundation.

London runs the Last Honky Tonk Music Series, which takes place throughout the country. Green founded Green Community Foundation, a nonprofit organization with a primary purpose of helping to heal, empower and educate youth, senior citizens and veterans using music, outdoor resources and community ambassadors, the organization’s website says. All proceeds from the festival will be donated to the foundation.

A songwriters festival differs from typical music festivals that have one or two music stages and instead showcases two to three songwriters per 45-minute round at multiple locations throughout the area, London said.

D.a.T. SaUcE is also hosting its second annual National Songwriters Competition, which is open to all genres. Winners receive cash prizes and the opportunity to appear onstage during the festival. The contest entry deadline is March 1. Entries are free and should be submitted in an mp3 form along with a lyric sheet PDF with the songwriter’s name, address and phone number to datsaucela@gmail.com.

The festival begins March 25-26 with a Bayou Songwriters Retreat that brings songwriters to places on Green Community Foundation property and allows them to spend time writing. Four veterans and four children from the Morgan City Youth Center will tell their stories to songwriters who craft songs from those stories. Additionally, organizers are implementing the Songs of Our Life program where songwriters meet with senior citizens to tell their life stories.

A Fais Do Do/ Swampin’ Kick Off Party will start at 5 p.m. March 27 at Lake End Park. Cliff Hillebran and his band will perform at 8 p.m. Admission is free. Organizers will also sell food and drinks.

A Veterans Night performance will be held March 28 at NicoBella . Admission is a $10 donation.

Songs On The Bayou Extravaganza is March 29, and Songs On The Bayou Finale is March 30. Both start at 7:30 p.m. at the Morgan City Municipal Auditorium, and admission is $10 each.

Numerous venues in the area will host free songwriters shows from 4:30-6:30 p.m. March 28-29 and noon-6 p.m. March 30. Participating are AJ’s 2nd Street Pub, Anchor Lounge, Atchafalaya Cafe, Bay City Bistro, Bayou Lagniappe, Bourbon’s, Daiquiris & Company, East Gate BBQ, El Toro Mexican Grill, Holiday Inn Express, The Galley, Tampico’s Mexican Restaurant & Cantina, Mama G’s, Pool Do’s Sports Bar and Legend’s Lounge.

An After All Star Jam will conclude the songwriters festival at noon March 31 at Gros Marina in Stephensville. The jam is free to attend.

The songwriters festival and Cypress Sawmill Festival at Kemper Williams Park near Patterson are partnering on their music lineups. Some of the Last Honky Tonk Music Series artists will also perform at the sawmill festival April 5-7. Songs on the Bayou Songwriters Festival will have a featured stage for other festivals in Louisiana, Texas, Alabama and Florida.

To learn more or how to volunteer or sponsor the event, visit Songs On The Bayou - Road To 3rd St. Songwriters Festival on Facebook or email onthebayouproductions@gmail.com.

ST. MARY NOW

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