Todd B. loves his ukulele. Or make that ukuleles. He has gone so far as to write a song about his collection, which you can see in this video. Todd, an enterprising musical moonlighter nicknamed “Brother Sonny” who does not disclose his last name on his web site, has written several original contemporary folk songs and has performed the work of various folk artists including Burl Ives and Bascom Lamar Lunsford.

The annual festival honoring Florida folk musician and songwriter Will McLean (1919-1990) takes place this weekend at Withlacoochee Campground, Dunnellon, Florida. McLean spent much of his life traveling around the state and writing songs based on Florida history. He was awarded the Florida Heritage Award in 1989 and inducted posthumously into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in 1996.

This year’s winners of the Best New Florida Song Contest, sponsored by the Will McLean Foundation, will be presented their awards and will perform their songs at the festival. The winners are Garrison Doles, first place for “This Florida;” Chris Kahl, second place for “Out on Cedar Key” and Carla Bak, third place for “Boil that Sugar Cane Down.”

Scheduled artists include The Mayhaws, Clyde Walker and Roadside Revue, to name just a few.

Hartsville, South Carolina hosts the Renofest Bluegrass Festival each year during the fourth weekend of March. The event is named for the bluegrass banjo player Don Reno. A major element of the festival is a set of contests: the state bluegrass band, guitar and banjo championships. First-place winners will take home a $1500 cash prize, a Sunburst D18 guitar built by Wayne Henderson or a Deering “Terry Baucom” 5-string banjo, respectively.

Performers for this year’s gathering include Church Street Blues (last year’s bluegrass band competition winner), Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out, Ronnie Reno and the Reno Tradition, and Claire Lynch. More information on the festival and the artists is available in this article by Nick Hilbourn of the Morning News.

Festival performer audition spots are still open for Ontario and Quebec residents under 25. Auditions will be held March 21 and the festival is scheduled for August 20-23. Contact information and details are at:

http://www.ottawafolk.org/main/performer.html

The Kerrville Folk Festival, in Kerrville Texas, is now accepting entries for the 2007 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk contest for emerging songwriters.

Quoteing the press release. -Ken

Plowshares Coffeehouse in Phoenixville , PA will be hosting its sixth annual Singer-Songwriter Competition and is now accepting entries. Ten entrants will be selected to perform at the Finals Showcase on March 31, 2007. Each finalist will receive $100 plus a $150 gift certificate good toward CD duplication at Oasis CD Manufacturing. One Grand Prize winner will be selected by our judges including Gene Shay of WXPN, Dena Marchiony of the Philadelphia Songwriters Project, and Gar Ragland of the Mountain Stage NewSong Festival. The Grand Prize is $500, plus a $500 gift certificate for duplication at Oasis CD and includes a showcase feature at the next Finals Showcase. The Finals Showcase will feature sets by Jonathan Byrd and the 2005 Grand Prize winner, Iain Campbell Smith.

Hudson Harding Music and the Plowshares Songwriting Contest have announced the contest winners for 2006.

The Solarfest Singer Songwriter Showcase is accepting applications.