Art takes time—and great songs often take just a little more. That’s why Downtown Ashland Association and acclaimed music producers Free Jambalaya are harmonizing with consuming creative schedules. The deadline for the Ashland Song Contest has been extended from July 27 to Sunday, August 10, inviting musicians of all ages and genres to find their muse in Ashland, Virginia, and turn that inspiration into song.
The Ashland Song Contest is only in its second season, but music has always been part of Ashland’s heartbeat. From the rhythm of trains echoing through town to the melodies spilling out from front porches and open windows, creativity lives in every corner of the Center of the Universe. Local events like Ashland Fourth Fridays offer a perfect excuse to soak it all in every fourth Friday through August. Live music under the stars, the laughter of neighbors shopping on the Town Hall Lawn, the scent of something delicious drifting from a downtown kitchen or farm-to-fork food truck. It’s not just atmosphere. It’s fuel for your next great lyric.
“There’s something about Ashland that brings out every genre,” says Downtown Ashland Association Executive Director “Coach” Antonio Miller. “Last year, we heard hip-hop, folk, gospel, and indie rock all telling their version of Ashland’s story. From Mauice Taylor’s ‘Train Reaction’ to Aidan Hamilton’s ‘Ashes & Dirt,’ each track from Songs from the Center of the Universe showed us how this town speaks to people in different ways.”
The first season of the Ashland Song Contest ended with a standing ovation—and a star. Thirteen-year-old Ginny Ray stole hearts with her original song “You Already Know,” earning a professional recording session, airplay on K101.2 POP’s nationally syndicated Barry Farmer Morning Show with Sharron Lizzy, and a chance to perform at Ashland’s signature events. Now, the stage is set once again.
Entries are open at AshlandFourthFridays.com, and the winner will be announced live at Ashland Fourth Fridays on August 22 at the Ashland Town Hall Pavilion. One song will get the grand prize, but every qualified Ashland-themed submission becomes part of Songs from the Center of the Universe volume 2 - and the town’s growing musical legacy.
If you’ve ever felt Ashland’s charm tug at your creativity—or if the Center of the Universe has a hold on your heart—this is your chance to sing it out in the Ashland Song Contest.