Indy Folk Series is happy to announce:
Eagle Creek Folk Festival Songwriter Challenge 2020
in partnership with the
Central Indiana Folk Music & Mountain Dulcimer Society

The Eagle Creek Folk Festival (ECFF), sponsored by the not-for-profit Central Indiana Folk Music & Mountain Dulcimer Society, is an annual free music festival held at Eagle Creek Marina in Indianapolis, Indiana.  Normally it is held on the second weekend of June, and  2020 would mark the 46th year. Sadly however, the festival had to be cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic.

In 2018, the ECFF began sponsoring a songwriting challenge.  This year, the Indy Folk Series will be managing the event online.  The challenge is open to members of the Central Indiana Folk Music & Mountain Dulcimer Society, as well as any songwriter with a legitimate connection to Indiana.

Contestants are asked to submit one original song written by the performer and based on the writing prompt “If not now, when?” Our selected judges will review each song based upon the use of the prompt and the strength of the songwriting. The top five entries will receive $100.00 apiece. There is no entry fee.

Please review these rules & information carefully!

• The writing prompt is “If not now, when?” and should appear in the song.
• Contestants are asked to submit one original song that is written and performed by the contestant entering the competition.
• Songs may be submitted by any songwriter with a legitimate connection to Indiana.
• Song to be submitted under the name of solo or duo songwriter, no band names.
• Do not submit any lead sheets, lyrics, bios, or pictures.
• The first 50 submissions, based upon received date, will be considered.
• The song must be less than five minutes in length.
• At least one acoustic instrument must be included in any song.  Electric and electronic instruments – including loops are allowed, but the acoustic instrument must be clearly heard.
• Songs will be reviewed by a panel of judges selected by the Indy Folk Series sponsors.  Songs will be ranked by each judge, based upon the following criteria: Originality with use of prompt, Engaging Lyrics, Creative Use of Language, Effective and Memorable Melody, and Overall Songwriting Technique. This is primarily a songwriting competition, so although performance is important, it’s not necessarily the most important factor in judging.
• Songs will be accepted for review until June 14th, 2020.  After that, the competition will be closed to further submissions.  
• Contestants will be notified by email by July 4th, 2020, if their song was ranked in the top five,

How to enter:

• Contact IndyFolkSeries@gmail.com to request an entry form. or CLICK.HERE to download the entry form
• Submit as an MP3 to IndyFolkSeries@gmail.com, along with the registration form OR
• Mail a CD to Indiana Folk Music Society, PO Box 1503, Indianapolis, IN 46206, along with the the registration form.
• There is no fee to submit an entry.
• The deadline for submittal is June 14, 2020. 

• Support a virtual concert.  Many artists are live streaming concerts on YouTube, Facebook, Stage It, and various other online platforms.   You can attend a virtual concert, and support them via PayPal, or in some cases buy an online “ticket.”  We’ll share information about a few of those concerts on our Facebook page.
• Become a Patron of the Arts!  Many performers offer their fans a way to support them directly with monthly contribution, in any amount you chose, as part of their Patreon program.
• Buy CDs or other merchandise directly from the performer’s website: direct is always best!
• Contribute to an artist relief fund, such as the Arts Council of Indianapolis emergency relief fund:  www.indykeepscreating.org.
• And anything else you can think of!