Pennsylvania Heritage Songwriters and Smoked Country Jam Bluegrass announce CMHS Award funding and other changes for 2024.
The Pennsylvania Heritage Songwriting Contest (PHSC) was founded in 2008, in part, to memorialize Craig “Bubba” Bowman, a popular area musician who lost his life in a January 2006 car crash. Beginning with the Central Mountain High School (CMHS) Class of 2024, The Craig “Bubba” Bowman Memorial Award will be given to a graduating senior demonstrating promise in songwriting, folk, or related roots related musical genres. CMHS staff will select the recipient for the $500.00 annual award which will be presented at the Senior Awards Ceremony on May 29th. The recipient will be invited to attend the Smoked Country Jam Bluegrass Festival and will be recognized during the Saturday PHSC performances.
Bubba Bowman was a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and songwriter who played with several bands dating back to about 1979, including Bull Run Rebellion and The Last Complete Show. Bubba was a dedicated fan of the late John Prine and performed many of his songs. Dale Haines, a former bandmate and longtime friend, put it this way “…the only thing bigger than the man was his love for his fellow pilgrims. He most often showed his love sharing his eclectic music taste with all those who had the great fortune to share time with him”.
In other PHSC news, both the prize money and the entry fee have increased beginning in 2024. First Place is now $300.00, Second Place $200.00, and Third Place $100.00. The entry fee is now $25.00 per song with a limit of two song entries per year. All songs must have a Pennsylvania theme or reference and the entry deadline remains May 15th of each year.
Pennsylvania Heritage Songwriters Volume 1, a 15 track CD was produced in 2023. Volume 1 is a compilation of the winning entries from the first five years of the contest, and it is available at the Smoked Country Jam Bluegrass Festival or by contacting PHSC through the SCJ website. Volumes 2 and 3 are forthcoming.
Future PHSC plans include regional performances by winners of the contest in schools and other public venues and creation of a dedicated website to act as a publicly accessible song archive and enable song entry uploading. To achieve these and other goals, the event welcomes sponsorship from individuals, civic organizations, and Pennsylvania Heritage branded businesses and corporations. Donations can be made at any time through PayPal to: music@ecosa.net.
The Smoked Country Jam Bluegrass Festival takes place in June at the Quiet Oaks Campground on a picturesque mountain top near Cross Fork, PA (just inside the Clinton County line).
For more information, Contest Rules, and Entry form visit:
The Smoked Country Jam Website: https://smokedcountryjam.com/
Previous year’s winning songs can be heard on Facebook: Search PA Heritage Songwriters.
More about Pennsylvania Heritage Songwriters and PHSC, Celebrating 16 years:
The Pennsylvania Heritage Songwriting Contest (PHSC) was launched in 2008 to celebrate the State of Pennsylvania, its people, its places, and its history in song. It is a non-profit event intended to provide a venue for amateur songwriters to display their talent and artistry while fostering appreciation for, and study of Pennsylvania’s Heritage.
The contest welcomes amateur songwriters of any genre to submit songs having a PA theme or reference. The top three finalists are invited to perform their entry on the Main Stage at the Smoked Country Jam Bluegrass Festival and are awarded cash prizes and full festival passes. A three-judge panel comprised of accomplished Pennsylvania songwriters selects the finalists through a double-blind process.
