Northwestern University: Johnny Mercer Songwriters Project participants and master teachers announced
The Johnny Mercer Foundation’s (JMF) Songwriters Project will once again convene in-person June 18-24 at Northwestern University, continuing an 18-year partnership with the American Music Theatre Project (AMTP).
Sixteen participants, selected from almost 200 applicants from around the world, will take part in an intensive week-long program of master classes and workshops led by returning master teachers Stephen Bray, Craig Carnelia, Lindy Robbins and Autumn Rowe.
This year’s songwriters, hailing from five countries, including the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Australia and Georgia, will participate in the program, which has been a catalyst to the careers of many artists who have gone on to win top honors in the field including Tony, Oscar, Golden Globe, Grammy and Latin Grammy awards, the Richard Rodgers Award, the Jonathan Larson Award, the Lucille Lortel Award, the Fred Ebb Award, the Kleban Prize and the inaugural Alan and Marilyn Bergman Award.
The 2023 Songwriters Project participants are Shane Dittmar (Raleigh, North Carolina); Sophie Edwards (Canberra, Australia); Sydney Friedman (New York); Chloe Geller (Pittsburgh); Hayley Goldenberg (Toronto); Aubrey Hays (Gulfport, Mississippi); Sarah Kaufman (New York); Julia Koyfman (Seattle); Alice Mason (Portland, Oregon); Semra Mikailova (Tbilisi, Georgia); Sam Norman (London, United Kingdom); Jasmine Power (Wales, United Kingdom); Eliza Randall (Boulder City, Nevada); Dylan Schifrin (Los Angeles); Damon Smith (New York); and Karis Stephen (Tyler, Texas).
“On behalf of the foundation, we are incredibly grateful to ASCAP and everyone in the music industry who helped us select this year’s participants,” said JMF’s executive vice president Jonathan Brielle. “We look forward to getting to know all of these wonderful writers.”
Program tuition, travel and housing for the songwriters is generously underwritten by the Johnny Mercer Foundation. The project will conclude with the Songwriters in (Virtual) Concert event at the end of July, which will stream for free on the Songwriters Project YouTube channel.