Blending over 30 years of experience as a local author, songwriter, and storyteller, her career includes a long tenure as a music teacher at the Montessori School of Pensacola and decades of teaching environmental education through the arts, inspiring the next generation. She is the co-creator of the ABCs of Ecology curriculum; a program developed with Karen Harvill that uses music to teach children about everything from pollinators to endangered species. Today, her reach is expanded to include sign language instruction, featuring original "signing songs" that make learning fun and accessible. She can be regularly found sharing stories and songs at the Foley Public Library and the Gulf Shores Public Library as well as alongside our other Frank Brown Songwriters Festival instructors in schools throughout Baldwin County, AL and Escambia County, FL.
Youth Showcase
Frank Brown Foundation for Music - Annual Youth Showcase
An important aspect of the Foundation mission is the production and presentation of an annual Youth Showcase, where student songwriters are given the opportunity to perform in a professionally produced setting before an audience of their peers from surrounding schools. The showcase is produced by the Frank Brown Foundation For Music and sponsored by Lucy Buffett's Lulu’s.
Songwriters 18 and under are invited to apply to perform and the event is open to songwriters of all genres, including instrumentalists. All performances must be original compositions and participating artists are selected based upon songwriting skill and performance ability. From those performances, several artists are selected to receive cash prizes with one songwriter/artist receiving an invitation to become a paid and featured songwriter in the following year's Frank Brown Songwriters Festival, performing alongside some of the most accomplished songwriters in the music industry. As an added opportunity, the event's entire production and sound team is composed of student interns from area schools, providing hands-on experience in producing such an event. All applicants will be considered by a panel of festival judges and those chosen to perform will receive a ‘Guest Songwriter’ pass to the Frank Brown Songwriters Festival.
Please see below for application information. We look forward to hearing your original music and seeing your performances!
Youth Programs Director - Jo Billups
In Memory of Karen Reynolds, In-Schools Outreach Director Emeritus
Having been a featured performer in the Frank Brown Songwriters Festival for over 25 years, In-Schools Outreach Director Emeritus, Karen E. Reynolds, was an award-winning singer-songwriter and East Tennessee Writers Hall of Fame Songwriting Inductee with national credits to her name. Over that period, she dedicated herself to building and sculpting this program. Due to her extensive background as a respected music industry consultant and having taught workshops and music educational courses for a variety of universities and music conferences and organizations, she was as proficient in the classroom as she was onstage. The Frank Brown Foundation for Music Board of Directors voted Karen into this position with the fullest confidence that she would be a leader with experience and passion for this program. She was an excellent steward of the Foundation’s mission to provide this community service. The Board is blessed to have had Karen serve as the Director for this important extension of the Frank Brown Songwriters Festival. Her leadership and experience were fundamental to the growth and integrity of the program, as well as, in fostering critical community support and partners who share and fully realize the Frank Brown Foundation’s vision to have a positive impact on area youth. Her passing in 2025 was a great loss to the music community and particularly to the Frank Brown Songwriters Festival family.
2026 Frank Brown Songwriters Foundation for Music and Songwriters Festival
Youth Showcase Application is now open.
Songwriters, 18 years and under and still attending high school are invited to apply to perform in the 2026 Annual Frank Brown Foundation for Music Youth Showcase. Submitting student artists must provide their own instruments, must be able to accompany themselves and must be available to perform a minimum of three (3) original and self-written songs (including instrumentals) in the live showcase presentation. This event is open to SOLO performers (duos or groups will not be considered) of all genres and will take place on Tuesday, November 10th, 2026, at Lucy Buffett’s Lulu’s (200 E 25th Ave) in Gulf Shores, AL.
All applicants will be considered by a panel of festival judges and selection will be based upon their skills as a songwriter (most important) and ability to 'deliver' the song as a performer. Selected songwriters will be contacted directly with all information regarding their scheduled performance.
APPLICANTS MUST PROVIDE A LINK TO WHERE THEIR MUSIC CAN BE HEARD ONLINE WHETHER IT BE A VIDEO PERFORMANCE OR A SITE WHERE THEIR SONGS ARE INCLUDED FOR LISTENING. SORRY, WE CANNOT ACCEPT HARD COPY CDS OR DOWNLOADS.
There will be a First, Second and Third-place showcase winner declared with $500, $250 and $150 awarded respectively. The First-place prize winner will be invited to be a paid performer in the following year’s (2027) Frank Brown Songwriters Festival.
**IMPORTANT INFORMATION**
ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY OCTOBER 10th, 2026. APPLICATIONS RECEIVED AFTER THAT DATE WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. THIS EVENT IS OPEN TO ALL GENRES, SOLO PERFORMERS ONLY. DUOS OR GROUPS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. ALL APPLICANTS MUST ALSO BE AVAILABLE FOR AN EVENING PERFORMANCE ON THE SAME DATE AS THE SHOWCASE.
