Original songs inspired by the river accepted now through Jan. 31 for Songs of the Susquehanna: Vol. 3

The Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association is accepting new submissions for consideration on its Songs of the Susquehanna: Volume 3 album now through Jan. 31, 2023.

Songs of the Susquehanna was started as a new way to engage new people about the river and the issues it faces by showcasing the talent of musicians throughout the watershed as they write and produce songs that highlight the river’s history, ecology and important therapeutic and recreational impacts. 

“It was developed out of a need to engage people about the river while navigating uncertainty around the COVID pandemic at the time,” said Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper John Zaktansky. “Even as we move past the pandemic, this project continues to greatly benefit our work while celebrating a talented and diverse collection of musicians across the watershed.”

Songs must be original and about the Susquehanna River, its tributaries and/or the creatures that depend on it. Both songs with lyrics and instrumentals are welcome, but each song should be no longer than five minutes in length. Songs with lyrics must be suitable for all ages and no more than two songs are permitted per musician.

“This songwriting event is the perfect motivation to breathe life into your songwriting ideas that may be sitting on the shelf, waiting for the right moment to shine,” said Johanna Kodlick, whose song “Return to Blue” is featured on Songs of the Susquehanna: Volume 1. 

“The sense of community surrounding this project is warm and embracing, so it is a safe place to allow your talents to unfold. You never know what residual benefits you may experience by just taking the leap.”

Submissions can be emailed as an .mp3 or .wav attachment to midsusriver@gmail.com. If the song has lyrics, they should be included in the email. 

“We encourage musicians of all ages to get involved. We had a 13-year-old last year submit a song that blew everyone away and can be found on our Volume 2 album,” said Zaktansky. “We’d love more students to get involved and even for school music classes to work on submissions. The more people representing different backgrounds and ages that get involved in this, the bigger the audience who will learn more about our river and its resources.”

Songs that meet submission requirements will be posted on the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper website (MiddleSusquehannaRiverkeeper.org) for public listening and feedback through the month of February 2023. Final decisions on which songs make the final Volume 3 album will be announced in early March.

Donations are also being accepted specifically for this project to cover costs and hopefully have enough left over afterward to divvy up among musicians who make the final album.

To make an online donation, to check out some sample songs from previous albums, to purchase your own copy of our previous albums or for more information about submitting the song or the initiative overall, visit www.MiddleSusquehannaRiverkeeper.com/songs-2023.html

Questions can be sent directly to Riverkeeper John Zaktansky at midsusriver@gmail.com