National Singer Songwriter Finalists
Singer Songwriter Competition 10 am -12 pm
Over 70 singer-songwriters applied for this competition. The preliminary judges listened to all of the artists and chose their top 12. They will perform from 10-12 in a random order on Saturday, Jan. 31. Michael Stock, Bob Lind, and Susan Moss will be our final judges for this event. The 3 “top winners” will be announced at 5:15 pm. They will play in a round on Sunday, Feb. 1st.
Congratulations to the 2025 3 winners: Rebecca Berlin, Janet Buehler, and Arielle Silver. They will be returning to the 2026 Festival as featured performers!
London Baleigh
London Baileigh (lead singer) is a singer/ songwriter with a Country-Americana sound & an upbeat blues-rock influence, W.C Clark was quoted saying she has a “soulful country sound”.
Though born in Bellingham, Washington; London Baileigh grew up a Texan from her earliest days — and her music reflects that spirit. She began performing at just fifteen, from coffee shops to Austin’s 6th Street, and has since shared the stage with Texas legends like W.C. Clark, Pauline Reese & more. With a style described as “soulful country” — a blend of Americana, country, and blues-rock — London brings both grit and heart to every performance.
Her latest single, “Gotta Be Tough,”continues to showcase her powerful songwriting. Word is, she’s gearing up to release more new music soon in 2026.
Meghan Cary
Meghan Cary didn’t mean to be a musician. But when her fiancé unexpectedly died, she picked up his guitar, figured out how to play it, and wrote her debut record, earning her Billboard Magazine’s esteemed Critic’s Choice Award. “I wrote my grief into music and sang my way out of the abyss.I keep making music to help others connect with their own stories and find their joy.”
Her album, SING LOUDER, debuted in the top 10 on the US/International Folk DJ Chart, and John Platt of WFUV extols, “These times require songs of compassion and commitment. Meghan has several which inspire us to reach our higher selves, and she sings them with such infectious joy you can’t resist joining in.”
With masterful storytelling and award-winning songs, Cary creates a live music experience that is healing, inspiring, and outrageously joyful. Her message of unity and the power of raising our voices together infuses every show, and her song, “Sing Louder”, has become an anthem for the music-loving community.
Heidi Huelskoetter
Heidi Huelskoetter is a seasoned singer-songwriter with deep roots in the Nashville music scene. As a former signed artist and writer at PolyGram Publishing and Radney Foster, Heidi spent six years honing her craft among some of the industry’s finest. Heidi’s music blends Americana, and Country storytelling, creating songs that are melodically moving and lyrically deeply personal.
In addition to her songwriting career, Heidi has dedicated 30 years as a Master Vocal Coach at Jan Smith Studios in Atlanta, GA, mentoring vocalists and songwriters across all genres. This dual role as both artist and mentor reflects her unwavering commitment to the transformative power of music.
Heidi is gearing up to release a long awaited EP in 2025, produced by Grammy Winning Producer, Don McCollister.
Sue Horowitz
With a voice as warm as honey whiskey, and a vibe as confident as a tree with deep roots, Sue Horowitz writes songs about everyday struggles and joys and makes them meaningful and resonant. Her stories in song are poignant, heart-felt, hilarious, rousing, timely and timeless. In addition to her solo career, Sue has joined forces with the rising Ithaca-based band Autumn Sun.
With one foot planted firmly in the spiritual Jewish music world, and the other in the singer-songwriter world, Sue has 15 years of national touring experience, from large festivals to congregations to intimate house concerts. This Ithaca, NY and York Beach, ME artist has 5 albums of original music, and her latest album, “Strings, Wings and Curious Things”, topped the Folk Radio Charts. Sue‘s sound is a blend of Americana and Folk, while also drawing influences from blues and classic rock, making each song unique.
Joseph Leavell
Kathleen Mahoney
Dick Mears (March to August)
March to August are acoustic storytellers crafting songs that offer meaning, spark thought and invite you to listen a little closer.
Their sound draws comparisons to acclaimed duos like Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Watchhouse, and Shovels & Rope—artists known for compelling songwriting, rich vocal harmonies, and stripped-down acoustic instrumentation. Blending Folk, Americana, and Bluegrass with an intimate, roots-driven style, their music features thought-provoking, heartfelt lyrics, intricate guitar and banjo work, and a rhythmic foundation powered by bass and stomp box—creating a sound that’s both timeless and deeply personal.
Their latest record, Songs Inspired by Witness, received strong reviews and debuted as one of the top 50 albums on the Alternative Country and Folk charts. They tour extensively across the US, bringing their signature storytelling and sound to audiences far and wide.
George Mann
A former union organizer and activist based in Ithaca, New York, George Mann sings songs from the last century of the labor and social justice movements, and his own songs are powerful and funny takes on the state of the nation. His concerts are part sing-along, part history lesson, and he can make you shout for joy, send chills down your spine or bring tears to your eyes in the same set. He also specializes in historical and educational workshops/theme concerts and presentations on folk music, labor and social history, and some of our most beloved folksingers.
George created and produced the “Hail to the Thief!” anti-Bush CD series of protest songs, featuring such folk legends as Tom Paxton, Utah Phillips, and Billy Bragg, and his work with veterans, unions and anti-war groups has kept him on the front lines for more than 25 years. He recorded and toured for ten years with Julius Margolin, who was 93 when he died in 2009, and in 2008 George directed and produced “A Union Man: The Life and Work of Julius Margolin,” a documentary film about Julius, a lifelong New Yorker, union member, and anti-war activist and singer.
He has a keen interest in labor and social history, and in 2013, George produced “The Almanac Trail” with Rik Palieri; the CD celebrates the music of The Almanac Singers and featured Pete Seeger narrating. He toured Australia, California and the Northwest twice in 2015, produced 31 concerts on the Joe Hill 100 Roadshow tours, and released “For the Road and The Sky” in October 2016.
While maintaining a touring and performance schedule of more than 200 gigs each year, including dozens of nursing and veterans’ homes, George has recently turned his eyes toward the nation’s veterans and the effects of two long wars on soldiers and their families. In 2016, he produced “Until You Come Home: Songs to Heal the Wounds of War,” a CD focusing on post-traumatic stress disorder and the human cost of war. It features songs by such artists as Utah Phillips and Ani DiFranco, Magpie, Roy Zimmerman, Joe Crookston, Joe Jencks, and John Gorka. “The Coronavirus Sessions” was released in October 2020 and one year later, George released “A World Like This,” both albums featuring a wonderful band of Ithaca-based musicians. Plans for 2025 include a new album George is producing, tours of the west coast in April and the UK and Ireland in July, and Australia in October/November!
Liz Reed
is a Connecticut singer/songwriter from the Hartford area. She performs solo with acoustic guitar at local breweries, wineries, coffehouses and festivals. Liz writes whimsical and soulful songs that explore modern life, social justice and the human condition. She also performs pop songs from the last five or six decades.
Doug Spears
With sand in his blood and orange blossom honey in his soul, Doug Spears is the finest blend of storyteller, songwriter and musician. A fifth generation Florida native, Doug’s stories and songs have been welcomed in listening rooms, house concerts and at festival and concert venues across the country for more than 30 years. His Americana / Folk sound draws comparisons to Gordon Lightfoot, John Denver, James Taylor and others in that acoustic style and Doug’s music has been heard worldwide on independent radio across the US, Canada, Australia and Europe.
Sarah Trunzo
SARA TRUNZO is an independant singer-songwriter, community organizer (co-founder of Veggies For All and Waldo County Bounty), and creator and host of “Country & Northeastern” on WERU Community Radio. Lonesome Highway said her last record, Cabin Fever Dream, was “loaded with truly touching lyrics and provide[s] a glimpse of an unquestionably talented artist.” Trunzo has collaborated with Darrell Scott and Mary Gauthier, shared stages with the likes of Suzy Bogguss and Carlene Carter, played venues such as The Bluebird, Rockwood Music Hall, and Club Passim. She has been a Joseph A. Fiore fellow, a Music to Life juried artist, and has received honors from Maine Songwriters Association, International Acoustic Music Awards, New England Songwriting Competition, and Tennessee Songwriters Week Competition.
Jacqueline Velazquez
Brett Vaughn
