BMI Foundation Chosen as Beneficiary of 21st Annual Key West Songwriters Festival
BMI’s David Preston, Love and Theft’s Stephen Barker Liles, BMI Foundation President Deirdre Chadwick, and Love and Theft’s Eric Gunderson gather for a photo at the Southernmost Beach Resort during Key West Songwriters Festival on May 7, 2016.
Photo by Erika Goldring.
The 21st annual Key West Songwriters Festival (KWSWF), presented by Broadcast Music, Inc., (BMI), raised more than $6,500.00 to benefit its principal charity partner for music education and performance, the BMI Foundation. Proceeds will support the Foundation’s core programs on behalf of emerging musicians and other nonprofit arts presenters nationwide. The Foundation, in turn, announced a $1,500 donation to the Bahama Village Music Program (BVMP), during the Festival’s mainstage concert on Saturday, May 7th, 2016, in the heart of Key West, FL. BVMP is a nonprofit organization providing free music instruction to children age six to sixteen in the local Key West community.
“BMI and the BMI Foundation’s shared commitment to supporting songwriters and composers of all genres coincides perfectly with the scope of the Festival, and we were honored to have been chosen as its official beneficiary for the first time this year,” said BMIF President Deirdre Chadwick. “By repaying some of this generosity to the local community, we aim to encourage the next generation of songwriters and music lovers in the southernmost state.”
The largest festival of its kind in the world, this year’s KWSWF staged over thirty shows at various beaches, resorts, theaters, and other popular venues throughout the island city during May 4th - 8th. The festival featured over 150 performing pop and country songwriters, including award-winning artists and up-and-coming talent. Thousands gathered on Key West’s Duval Street on Saturday night for a mainstage performance by platinum-selling BMI artist Jake Owen. During the concert, Epiphone guitars autographed by Festival performers including Owen were raffled to support the Foundation. With the success of its 21st season, the Festival has donated over $11,500.00 to BMIF in the last two years.
About the Key West Songwriters Festival
The Key West Songwriters Festival is held annually at various venues throughout Key West, Florida in May of each year. Many of the more than 50 shows are free to the public. Since 1997, BMI has been a presenting sponsor of the festival and helped it grow into both a tourist attraction and favorite of island locals. The festival revolves around five days and nights where live music bliss introduces crowds to the faces, voices, and stories behind the songs.
About Bahama Music Village Program
The Bahama Village Music Program offers free musical education and instruction to children aged six to sixteen years old in the Key West community. The program creates a great sense of community spirit and pride, fosters important mentor relationships between local teenage musicians and their students, encourages parent participation, and enhances students’ self-esteem. BVMP was founded in 1999 to honor Ellen Sanchez, a beloved music teacher in Bahama Village who brought music to countless children in the community for over fifty years. Bahama Village is rich in cultural history and community involvement, inspiring students to become not only better musicians, but also better human beings. The program’s mission is to provide quality music education to children who would otherwise not have access to private music instruction. For more information, visit www.bvmpkw.org.
About the BMI Foundation
The BMI Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 1985 to encourage the creation, performance, and study of American music. The Foundation’s programs include competitive scholarships for songwriters and composers, operating grants for nonprofit arts presenters, and support for innovative music education initiatives in schools and communities across the country. For more information about the work of the Foundation, please visit www.bmifoundation.org. For exclusive news and content, follow @bmifoundation on Twitter at twitter.com/bmifoundation and like “BMI Foundation” on Facebook at facebook.com/bmifoundation.