Oak Ridge Today

Two songwriters advance in state contest

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Image courtesy Explore Oak Ridge

Two songwriters from Oliver Springs and Nashville will advance in a state competition after qualifying in Oak Ridge on Wednesday.

The two songwriters who advanced were Rachel McIntyre-Smith of Oliver Springs and Sam Hatmaker of Nashville. They were selected from a field of 20 contestants in a qualifying round at Oakey’s Bar and Grill in Oak Ridge on Wednesday, February 8.

“Each competitor was judged based on their overall performance, originality, and connection to the audience,” Explore Oak Ridge said in a press release.

The songwriters played their original compositions before a panel of expert judges and an audience of supporters. The judges’ panel featured a mix of musicians and songwriters from the area representing various musical genres and expertise, including former “American Idol” finalist Janelle Arthur.

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Four qualifiers win at songwriters competition

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Locals, visitors, and music industry leaders came together for a lively celebration and songwriting competition for East Tennessee songsmiths at Tennessee Songwriters Week’s qualifying round in Oak Ridge, Tenn., on Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022. (Submitted photo)

Locals, visitors, and music industry leaders met for a celebration and songwriting competition for East Tennessee songsmiths at Tennessee Songwriters Week’s qualifying round in Oak Ridge on Wednesday.

“A slew of songwriters provided one of the most engaging and exciting songwriting competitions to date,” a press release said.

The competition was at Oakey’s Sports Bar in Oak Ridge. Each competitor was judged based on their overall performance, originality, and connection to the audience, the press release said. Out of the 20 applicants, only four were part of the winners from Oak Ridge’s qualifying round to advance to the next round at the Bijou Theater in Knoxville.

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Oak Ridge will host songwriter competition qualifier

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Oak Ridge has been selected to host a qualifying round in February for Tennessee Songwriters Week, and applications are now open for the competition.

It’s the Tennessee Department of Tourism Development’s fourth annual Tennessee Songwriters Week. The Knoxville area’s qualifying round will take place at 6 p.m. Wednesday, February 9, at Oakey’s Sports Bar in Oak Ridge.

“The Tennessee Department of Tourism Development created this week to celebrate the foundation of the craft for which Tennessee is known: music,” a press release said. “Oak Ridge was among 30 locations statewide selected as a qualifying round host.”

“We are thrilled to partner with the Tennessee Department of Tourism Development as we host a 2022 Tennesseee Songwriter’s Week qualifying round at our signature Oakey’s Sports Bar,” said Katy Watt, president of Explore Oak Ridge. “Positioned perfectly in a valley along Knoxville’s trending city scene and the Great Smoky Mountains, Oak Ridge is the ideal destination for a musical experience unlike any other.”

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