Riverkeeper reflections |
 The 2025 Songs of the Susquehanna two-disc Greatest Hits album is finally ready for purchase, just in time for the holidays and packed with 30 original songs inspired by our river, its tributaries and the creatures that depend on it all. The album comes in a hard plastic case with two CDs packed each with 15 songs representing a wide variety of different musicians, genres and themes. Some songs have been out for a while, a few are from musicians who have since passed away, others are from current veterans in the region's music industry and there are songs from teenagers and other first-time musicians.  "This project is a great melting pot of ideas and sounds. Everyone experiences the Susquehanna River through their own lens, and you get that with this collection," said Riverkeeper John Zaktansky. "There are upbeat, fun songs that get in your head and make you smile, there are more somber, therapeutic pieces that walk you through how the river has played an important role for people struggling with a variety of things. This collection is a celebration of all aspects of the river and we are excited that people can check it out and encourage everyone to support the musicians behind the songs as well as the ones that make it sound good ... especially Kimbo Reichley, who has helped professionally master each of our album projects." The project began as a response to COVID, as an opportunity to continue talking about the river when live events were not possible. It gave musicians a creative outlet during those times, as well. Each year, the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association collects original song submissions inspired by the river and lets people check them out, give feedback and then chooses the final songs from that feedback for that year's album. Check out the sounds of this album by listening to the most recent episode of the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Podcast: "We have five years of doing this now with hundreds of songs and it has been incredible. Getting a new submission is one of the favorite parts of my job. I'll usually stop what I am doing and take a few minutes to listen to what was sent immediately .... it is a nice way to reconnect with the river and see it from a different vantage point," said Zaktansky. "This coming year, we are doubling-down on encouraging younger musicians to get involved because their voice matters, too. While we have received a number of great student-based songs, we'd love to see that involvement skyrocket this year."
New submissions should be no longer than five minutes in length and must be appropriate for all ages to listen to (no explicit lyrics). Instrumentals are welcome as well. Maximum of two songs per musician. This year, an additional song may be submitted if it includes student (up through 12th grade) involvement in vocals, songwriting and/or instrumentals. Any student involvement should be indicated in the entry email. Any song can be emailed directly (in either .mp3 or .wav format) to [email protected]. If the song has lyrics, make sure they are included in the body of the email or in an additional attachment. All submissions need to be turned in by Jan. 31, 2026. Songs that are submitted will be available to listen to on the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association website during the full month of February 2026 with the final Volume 6 album announcement in early March. This year, we are also planning a bigger concert event to showcase some of the new songs and musicians behind them. More details will be coming out soon with that information. If you have any questions, contact us at midsusriver at gmail.com Purchase your copy of the 2025 Songs of the Susquehanna 2-disc Greatest Hits album in either CDs or USB format by using the form below:
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AuthorsRiverkeeper John Zaktansky is an award-winning journalist and avid promoter of the outdoors who loves camping, kayaking, fishing and hunting with the family. Archives
November 2025
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