# Event Details - **Event Name**: Protest Song Writing Contest - **Event Start and End Date**: Sun, 12 Jul, 2026 at 06:00 pm - **Event Description**: Protest Song Writing Contest Submission Deadline: Midnight, June 21st Live Performance & Final Contest: 6-8 p.m., July 12th at Heartwood Soundstage's Listening Room From Mavis Staples and Woody Guthrie to Jesse Welles and Childish Gambino, songwriters have used their talents to help us make sense of difficult times, to find resilience, to speak out for truth and justice, and to support each other through hardship. Songwriters, you are invited to carry on this tradition by raising YOUR voice and submitting an original protest song to the Heartwood Soundstage Protest Song Writing Contest! 77 songwriters sumbitted to this contest. Of those, submissions we've invited 20 songwriters to come perform and participate in the contest. These performances will be reviewed by a panel of judges comprised of local songwriters, poets, and community organizers. Judges will score songs with a rubric that awards points for creativity, lyricism, musicality, and originality. The following songwriters will perform their songs live in the Bob McPeek Listening Room at Heartwood Soundstage on Sunday, July 12th from 6-8 p.m. to a live audience. After the performances, the judges will select one final winner to receive a prize basket of gifts including a bar tab and tickets to Heartwood Soundstage. Jared Hart (Bohemian Sunshine) freddy Mick Marino Michael Omeara Rick Ryan Penny Van Meir Caitlyn Vinci Mike Llenera Dan Kahn John Gray Shermyen (Confession Kids) Margie Z Josh Lederman YASS Dan Stepp Hoyt Walston Jake Crown Jon Gaunt Mariee Sioux Wis Benoit Brian Johnson (Whiskey & Co.) The judging panel includes: Joe Courter - Writer, Gainesville Iguana Terri Bailey - Writer, Community Organizer, Bailey Learning & Arts Collective Veronica Robleto - Community Organizer, Rural Women's Health Project Jimmy Fishhawk - Poet, Community Organizer Ricky Kendall - Songwriter, UF Arts in Medicine Artist in Residence Chelsea Carnes - Songwriter, Heartwood Soundstage Everyone is invited to attend the live contest on July 12th, tickets are sliding scale/pay what you can. Proceeds will support Heartwood Soundstage and Community Spring. Community Spring is a local nonprofit that is working to advance economic justice by disrupting the cycle of poverty and mass incarceration. Learn more at https://www.csgnv.org/. Poster art by Jason Rockhill - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/gainesville/protest-song-writing-contest/200029973341045 - **Event Categories**: contests, art, literary-art, nonprofit, health-wellness, kids - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 98 ## Ticket Details ## Event venue details - **city**: Gainesville - **state**: FL - **country**: United States - **location**: 619 South Main Street, Gainesville, FL, United States, Florida 32601 - **lat**: 29.64506 - **long**: -82.32395 - **full address**: 619 South Main Street, Gainesville, FL, United States, Florida 32601 ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: Protest Song Writing Contest - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events8/banners/a251e219c87d52188701ed112e3dc05974bb409deff8dcfe0170d18e0ff58a84-rimg-w1200-h776-dc02060f-gmir?v=1783647252 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is Protest Song Writing Contest being held? - **A:** Protest Song Writing Contest takes place on Sun, 12 Jul, 2026 at 06:00 pm to Sun, 12 Jul, 2026 at 06:00 pm at 619 South Main Street, Gainesville, FL, United States, Florida 32601. - **Q**: Who is organizing Protest Song Writing Contest? - **A:** Protest Song Writing Contest is organized by Heartwood Soundstage. - **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me? - **A:** Protest Song Writing Contest is ideal for music lovers, fans of all genres, and anyone who wants to celebrate the power of music - from intimate gigs and live sessions to festivals and cultural performances. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Gainesville, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. With 90+ people already showing interest, this is clearly an event worth adding to your calendar - don't miss out. ## Structured Data (JSON-LD) ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "MusicEvent", "name": "Protest Song Writing Contest", "image": "https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events8/banners/a251e219c87d52188701ed112e3dc05974bb409deff8dcfe0170d18e0ff58a84-rimg-w1200-h776-dc02060f-gmir?v=1783647252", "startDate": "2026-07-12", "url": "https://allevents.in/gainesville/protest-song-writing-contest/200029973341045", "location": { "@type": "Place", "name": "619 South Main Street, Gainesville, FL, United States, Florida 32601", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "619 S Main St, Gainesville, FL 32601-6700, United States", "addressLocality": "Gainesville", "addressRegion": "FL", "addressCountry": "US" }, "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": "29.64506", "longitude": "-82.32395" } }, "eventAttendanceMode": "https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceMode", "description": "Protest Song Writing Contest\nSubmission Deadline: Midnight, June 21st\nLive Performance & Final Contest: 6-8 p.m., July 12th at Heartwood Soundstage's Listening Room\n\nFrom Mavis Staples and Woody Guthrie to Jesse Welles and Childish Gambino, songwriters have used their talents to help us make sense o", "organizer": [ { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Heartwood Soundstage", "url": "https://allevents.in/org/heartwood-soundstage/11192355", "description": "Heartwood Soundstage is a state-of-the-art recording studio, video production facility, and intimate performance venue - built by musicians for music lovers and music makers." } ] } ] ```