Ashland resident Ginny Ray won the 2024 Ashland Song Competition with her tune about the historic town, “You Already Know.” (Photo courtesy Downtown Ashland Association)
Ashland is on the hunt for a talented songwriter who can vocalize the virtues of the town for its third annual Ashland Song Competition. The contest, now ready for submissions at ashlandfourthfridays.com, is open to musicians of all ages and backgrounds, both local and national.
The contest was inspired by the song “Ashland, Ashland,” written years ago for the Ashland Variety Show, which was produced by the Hanover Arts & Activities Center. “At the end of the show, they would sing ‘Ashland, Ashland’ as a display of community spirit,” says Louise Keeton, Downtown Ashland Association’s director of operations. “I wanted to spread that joy so the next generation of musicians could contribute their voices to Ashland’s history.”
When the contest began in 2023, Keeton was unsure of the response she would get from the songwriting community. But after receiving numerous inaugural submissions, and 21 entries in 2024, any apprehension she harbored dissipated. Last year, she increased the reach of the contest by introducing the 2024 Ashland Song Competition album, “Songs From the Center of the Universe,” streaming on all major platforms and at ashlandvirginia.com/hear.
“We had about 14 songs submitted that met the criteria, so we added them to the album,” Keeton says. Per the contest rules, song entries must be original, use family-friendly language, and not violate any laws. If lyrics are used, they must reference the town of Ashland.
The 2024 winning song, “You Already Know” by Ginny Ray, kicks off the album. “She grew up in Ashland,” Keeton says. “She is a middle school student, and she was our youngest contestant.”
Keeton hopes the added buzz of the album will lure more songwriters to this year’s competition, which will be judged by local music professionals and is open to anyone who has a song to share. “Last year, one of the songwriters that submitted a song was from Nashville,” Keeton says.
Contest winners receive a no-cost recording session at Free Jambalaya studios in downtown Ashland, which collaborates with artists from across the U.S. “A lot of people don’t know that Ashland is home to a top-tier recording studio and music producer,” Keeton says. Free Jambalaya will also release the winning song on streaming platforms via its label.
Free Jambalaya studio engineer Matt Treacy says the 2024 competition was an incredible experience. “It’s one that makes me proud to be working in Ashland,” he says. “When we started conceiving this project, I expected a few people to submit their music. I absolutely did not expect 25 submissions, or the high-quality songwriting. Working on a project like this shows you exactly how many great songwriters from our town are looking for a platform to share their music.”
In addition to the recording session, the winning artist will be offered a performance slot at Ashland’s annual Light up the Tracks holiday kickoff celebration in November, which draws about 8,000 attendees. “The song winner can showcase their incredible talent in front of a captive audience,” Keeton says.
With “Songs From the Center of the Universe” already out in the world, Keeton is looking forward to the second album, which will be released after the competition closes July 27. She sees the contest and the albums as a way to introduce Ashland to the globe. “We are the Center of the Universe,” she says. “We want to pull everyone into our orbit.”
