Anyone who likes to sit around with a guitar in their lap and a pen in their hand in the Golden Triangle will have an opportunity this month to showcase their work in front of an audience, and take a shot at walking home with a cash prize and a coveted gig onstage during this year’s Cotton District Arts Festival.

Applications are open online for both aspiring and established musicians to send examples of their original works for the 2016 Singer Songwriter competition. 

Andrew Rendon, who heads the subcommittee of the Starkville Area Arts Council  and is in charge of putting on the competition, said on March 31 Dave’s Darkhorse Tavern will host the competition’s Showcase, where accepted applicants will show up and perform a few of their songs before a crowd and judges. 

Rendon said there will be time that night for around 10-13 people to perform three songs depending on the number of contestants. The first songwriter will take the stage at 7 p.m., and after every contestant has performed, local band (The peddlers) will play until 10 p.m.  while the judges decide the top three places.

Those top three songwriters will not only be awarded a cash prize, but will also  earn 15 minute slots on one of the stages during the Cotton District Arts Festival on April 16. 

“This competition allows the artists the opportunity to showcase their talent in a large venue,” Rendon said. 

Rendon said applications for the 2016 Singer Songwriter competition are online, and an  applicant must submit a sample of their music along with song lyrics. The online application can be found at www.cdafestival.com/songwriters-competition.html.

Keazti Gunnmoney, a performer himself and Starkville’s primary music mule, co-chairs the committee with Rendon and said he is  excited about this year’s competition. While the competition has been going on for several years, last year was the first year Gunnmoney was involved and also the first year the showcase was introduced to the competition.

“I loved the showcase,” Gunnmoney said. “I really pushed for a showcase because I’m of the opinion we have a lot of great performers in the area in addition to good writers. It adds a different element to the competition.”

Rendon said  the same about the showcase, stating the element of showmanship added to the competition enhances the whole contest.

“It adds another component to this competition,” Rendon said. “Now, we aren’t just looking for writers, but for people with demonstrated passion behind their art. It provides us the opportunity to assess the artists more intensely.”

Currently, the competition has around nine applicants so far, Rendon said, and they are hoping for more. Rendon said a few of the names are fairly well known and established artists, but by no means should even a fledgling songwriter be discouraged from participating. Rendon said Bob Dylan, often lauded as one of the best American songwriters, said in interviews some of his best work was written at the start of his career.

“The nature of songwriting is sometimes hard to define,” Rendon said. “We’re hoping  to see that whole range of talent.”

Rendon said the plan is to have four judges, three of which will be knowledgeable musicians and writers themselves, while the intention is for the fourth to simply be a ‘consumer,’ an untrained ear who can speak for the everyman and listen to the song itself and not be caught up in picking apart technical aspects of the songs. 

While the count is up to nine applicants, Rendon said they are still looking and hoping for more and there is plenty of time as the event is about a month off. 

Dave’s Darkhorse Tavern, Starkville Physical Therapy, and the Starkville Area Arts Council are all supporting this competition. Rendon said they chose Dave’s as the location because of the venue’s (and the owner, David Hood’s) longstanding commitment and support to local musicians. 

“It’s a fantastic event that enables our talented local musicians to showcase their skills,” Hood said.