Collierville chosen as a qualifying round venue for Tennessee Songwriter’s Week

Next month, Collierville will join nearly 50 other Tennessee music venues in welcoming songwriters from across the state to perform their best work and hopefully move their careers forward, as the state of Tennessee celebrates one of its most beloved crafts. This is the sixth annual Tennessee Songwriters Week showcase, but it’s Collierville’s first time to host a qualifying round.

“In September, we successfully submitted our application to participate,” said Collierville’s Cultural Arts Coordinator, Victoria McDaniel. “Our qualifying round is scheduled for January 25,2024 at 12 pm at The Depot Visitors Center. We are thrilled to announce that we will be featuring 15 talented songwriters, and two winners will advance to Lafayette’s Music Room for the Showcase event.”

Participation in a statewide music competition is just one step McDaniel has taken in “building musical excitement” in the Town. This holiday season’s Evening Music in the Gazebo performances have heightened the Christmas vibe in Town Square by providing a musical background for shoppers and diners, while the Harrell Theater performances have given residents a peek at what’s in store for the future of the neighborhood venue. McDaniel was previously involved with Stakt Media’s “Sessions”, a podcast which showcases local musicians.

Sign-up for the qualifying round of the Tennessee Songwriters Week showcase opened Friday. The link to sign-up for the Collierville qualifying round is here: colliervilletn.gov/TNSongwritersWeek.

For the big picture and official rules of the competition, go to tnvacation.com.

Songs will be judged by quality of the song (original lyrics/melody and clear narrative) and performance (ability to understand lyrics and connection with the audience).

The qualifying round inside the Depot Visitors Center is open to the public. Seating for the public won’t start until after 11:30 am as the event starts at 12 pm noon. Seating will be limited and is first come, first served seating.