New Songwriting Workshop moved to Jan. 13, Songs of the Susquehanna submissions due by Jan. 31

The fourth annual Songs of the Susquehanna project is in full swing, as original songs by musicians within the Susquehanna watershed are being accepted now through Jan. 31, 2024, for consideration in Volume 4 of the popular project under the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association.

"This project started during COVID as a way to engage people about river topics when in-person events were impossible and as a way to showcase some of the great musical talent our region is blessed with," said Riverkeeper John Zaktansky. "It continues to grow and we've had original music from all sorts of people representing genres from folk to rock to country to rap and everything in between. We've had songs that make you laugh, that make you tear up and some that make you want to take action and clean things up. I continue to be blown away by the creativity and the wide range of ages, skillsets and sounds represented in this project."

New for this year's project is a Songwriting Workshop, to be offered at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024, at the Montour Preserve's Educational Center. (Note: It originally was scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 6, but due to a forecasted snowstorm, will be postponed to Jan. 13).

A Zoom component is being offered for the 1 p.m. workshop for adults/teens for those unable to attend in person. Those wishing to attend via Zoom can log in using this info: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82458203593?pwd=dVdYMnhBWUMxM1FESmp4bkYxYWRHdz09

Meeting ID: 824 5820 3593
Passcode: 658157

It will start with Zaktansky sharing info about the project, reviewing rules and discussing various elements of the river and environmental topics that could lend themselves to song ideas.

Also at the workshop will be a variety of musicians involved in the Songs of the Susquehanna project's previous volumes, including Richard Findlay and Rebecca Jade and offering tips on how to turn ideas into potential submissions for the project. 

"We want to give everyone a chance to participate in this project, to spark their creative juices and have their voices heard," said Zaktansky. "We're even looking to do a short program earlier in the day for younger kids and their parents."

That will begin at 11 a.m. and is open to kids under age 12 and their parents/families. It will be led by Zaktansky and Rebecca Jade, starting with a reading from some popular children's books focused on rhythm and rhyme and then transitioning to developing a group exercise related to the project. 

Pre-registration for both segments of the day is required (form is below). Either or both of these segments will be cancelled if there are not enough people registered for the events.

Ultimately, submissions for Songs of the Susquehanna: Volume 4 must be emailed to [email protected] by Jan. 31, 2024, preferably as .mp3 files. Songs that contain lyrics must have those lyrics included in the body of the email as part of the submission or attached as a separate document. 

To be considered, songs must be no longer than five minutes in length, must be original songs and we are accepting no more than two songs per musician or musical group each year. Submissions must be appropriate for all ages (lyric-wise, no swearing or inappropriate innuendos). They will be put online during the month of February for people to listen to and provide feedback on with the final playlist announced in early March 2024.

Learn more about the Songs of the Susquehanna project, including listening to clips from each song from all three previous volumes by clicking here. If you have any questions, please contact Zaktansky directly at [email protected] or 570-768-6300.

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Donate to this project and to the musicians who are involved using the portal below: