CLEVELAND, MS —Two current entertainment industry majors at Delta State University’s Delta Music Institute (DMI) and two alumni are among six songwriting finalists selected to compete for a main stage performance at the 2018 Mighty Mississippi Music Festival. It will take place Oct. 11-13 at Warfield Point Park in Greenville, Mississippi.
Delta State students Liz Spague and “Broadway” Joe Hemphill and alumni Jessica Faith and Aaron Taylor submitted original songs via a video link and have been chosen as finalists in the contest by a panel of professionals in the music industry. Contestants will perform their songs at the festival on Thursday, Oct. 11 at 7 PM. The winner plays at the festival’s Mighty Main Stage on Saturday afternoon, Oct. 13.
“This is the first songwriting competition I’ve entered,” said Sprague, who hails from North Berwick, Maine, “and it’s exciting to have my music recognized in this way.”
“Songwriting competitions like this are a great way for young songwriters to begin to have their work evaluated in a professional arena. It’s also an excellent way to have their work exposed and ‘tested’ with a live audience,” said DMI Director Tricia Walker. “We encourage our students from day one to pursue real-world experiences.”
The Mighty Mississippi Music Festival is a three-day multi-genre concert celebrating the fields, the farmers, the legends, and all the music they inspired. The Mighty Mississippi Music Festival is a project of Down River Entertainment, LLC, founded by Delta natives Steve Azar and Jason Fratesi. Headlining this year’s festival are Americana stars Lucinda Williams, James McMurtry, and Ashley McBryde. Go online to www.mightymississippimusicfestival.com.
About Delta Music Institute: The Delta Music Institute (DMI) is an independent center of study under the College of Arts & Sciences of Delta State University. DMI provides students with a broad and thorough education in the technological, creative, and business areas of the music and entertainment industry. Go online to www.deltastate.edu/artsandsciences/delta-music-institute/
