I love showing off my music pals, and I’ve also tried to continually support other artists. Just one reason why I’m super grateful I’ve had vehicles like my old podcast that ran for 10+ years, along with newer platforms like my sometimes-more-than-part-time gig on KPIG radio and a music column in the Santa Cruz Sentinel.

Sometimes, though, you enter song contests, which always have this weird competitive edge to them. Art shouldn’t be like that, I suppose. But then every once in awhile you somehow place – or even win – and it’s honestly not a terribly bad feeling. 😉

I came across the Great American Song Contest a few years ago, and in the years since, I’ve won one year with my deep-in-the-heart-of-Covid tune “See You On the Other Side,” and had my nostalgia piece “Cheapskate Hill” stamped with Outstanding Achievement. Important note: Both of those songs were cowritten with my pal, the late and amazing John Cirillo.

And all told, I’ve had seven songs place as finalists in addition to those two nods of “hey, that wasn’t bad.”

This year, two more tunes placed as finalists. “No More Tequila,” a sketchy Christmas tune (also a Cirillo cowrite) slotted in the Special Category. And yet another nostalgia piece, “Mix Tape,” placed as a finalist in the Folk/Americana category. Both are on the newest record, “Welcome Back: A Collection.”

So just a bridesmaid this year, but there were a LOT of bridesmaids in the mix. Many  amazing songs by lots of amazing writers. As always, I take none of it for granted, and nice to be able to hang with the cool kids!