The 5×5 Songwriters Showcase celebrates songwriting, diversity, and multiple genres of music through interviews and live performances. For details about the individual performers and advance registration (this event is free) please visit our Eventbrite ticket page.
Emma G
Finding her voice as she rediscovers her American heritage from her home base in Washington DC, New Zealand-born singer/songwriter Emma G is a combination of Adele,Pink, Tracy Chapman and Alanis Morrissette. Her edgy tones and gutsy lyrics hammer home her messages of love, vulnerability, empowerment and strength with a soul-pop/rock sound that is engaging, inspiring and appealing to a hugely diverse audience.
Unapologetically outspoken, flying her freak flag, and always smiling, Washingtonian Magazine dubbed Emma G as one of the “Best of DC”. One Love Massive describes her as “charismatic”, and ANR Factory describes her voice as “poignant and beautiful” with “astounding bravery to speak up” on issues that matter to her. And where did this bravery come from? A long history of health issues, brain surgeries, battles with depression and suicide, drug addiction, and sexual assault, yet still finding the inner strength to come out the other side positively: singing her truth. “Things that happen to us don’t make us who we are, but we all need to overcome struggles. The trick is to overcome them together.” Says Emma G. “My hope is that my music will not only resonate with individual people, but also ignite those flames of love, resilience and community”.
Recent appearances have included the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade, Fox5 TV, Dash Radio, and The Kennedy Center. With her career blossoming, and fame surely beckoning, who knows what is around the corner? “Well behaved women seldom make history, so here I am doing what I do best. The best adventures have unknown outcomes”
Learn more about Emm G at www.EmmaGMusic.com
Chris Urquiaga
Chris Urquiaga is a singer-songwriter, pianist, composer, music director, and producer from Silver Spring, Maryland.
In August 2018, he released a Latin pop album called “I’m Here”. The album is available in CD form, on iTunes, and on all other music platforms. He performed the CD release concert for his “I’m Here” album at the historic Blues Alley in Washington, DC in August 2018.
In 2017, he released an album entitled “Complete”, which consists of original pop songs in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. The album is available in CD form and for digital download.
Chris has performed in many different venues throughout the United States and internationally. Some of those venues include The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, The White House, The Library of Congress, The United States Capitol, Strathmore, Signature Theatre, and Conservatorio Nacional de Música in Lima, Perú. In June 2018, He made his Signature Theatre debut as Music Director for the “Entirely Elvis” Cabaret -a show with sold out attendance at every show. At Signature Theatre, he performed a cabaret entitled “Songs in the Key of Stevie” also to a sold out audience.
In 2017, Chris received the Montgomery County Hispanic Heritage Month Award in Maryland for his achievements in the performing arts and for his help in shaping his community. In January 2019, he was the featured performer for the Hispanic Swearing-In Ceremony for the 116th U.S. Congress which was organized by the CHCI (Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute). He was an Artist in Residence at Strathmore for the 2016-2017 Season and during that season he performed sold-out concerts and conducted music education workshops there.
Chris graduated from The Eastman School of Music in 2014, where he majored in Music Composition. During his time at Eastman, he recorded, performed, and wrote music for his own band, a cappella groups, orchestras, choirs, and various chamber ensembles. He has had interviews and live performances broadcast on ABC News, CBS News, C-SPAN, Fox News, Telemundo, Univision, and WUSA 9. He has performed the U.S. national anthem for NBA and MLB games and also for the international tennis tournament, Citi Open. In August 2013, Chris was invited to perform at The White House for the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington Commemoration, which was hosted and organized by President Obama and the First Lady. He has also performed for U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders, Chuck Schumer and Chris Van Hollen, U.S. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Joaquin Castro, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, and Attorney General for the state of Maryland Brian Frosh.
Composition is a passion for Chris. He has been commissioned by the Congressional Chorus, in Washington DC, to compose 3 original works; in 2012 for their 25th Anniversary Concert, in 2013 for a concert entitled “Shakespeare Sings”, and in 2016 for a concert entitled “Young, Hip, and Global”. In 2011, he was commissioned by world-renowned soprano, Carmen Balthrop, to compose two original compositions in Portuguese. He was also commissioned by the Prince George’s Philharmonic in 2013 to compose a piece as their featured season world premiere. In 2008, he received the Kennedy Center Award for Excellence in the Performing Arts.
To learn more about Chris Urquiaga, please visit www.chrisurquiaga.com
Justin Trawick
Justin Trawick has been performing in the Washington DC area and along the East Coast since 2006, citing musical influences like Bob Schneider, Greensky Bluegrass, The Tallest Man on Earth, G. Love, Old Crow Medicine Show, and David Gray. In February of 2014, Trawick won “Song of the Year” at the Washington Area Music Awards for his solo recording of “All the Places That I’ve Been,” which can be downloaded on iTunes as a single along with his five other solo records and EPs. In June of 2015, Trawick released his first single, “Goodbye”, under the band name “Justin Trawick and the Common Good”; written about the search for direction and belonging in a world that constantly feels one step ahead of you. Trawick and the band have performed for the Kingman Island Bluegrass Festival, Appaloosa Roots Music Festival, Floyd Yoga Jam, TedxEast in NYC at the City Winery, TedxPennsylvaniaAvenue in DC at the Newseum, and has opened for over 30 national acts including Suzanne Vega, Wyclef Jean, Brett Dennen, Blues Traveler, Enter The Haggis, Bob Schneider, and Edwin McCain, and shared bills with Dr. Dogg and The Avett Brothers. Founder of the nationally touring show “The 9 Songwriter Series” and co-founder of “The Circus Life Podcast” with guests such as Kevin Eubanks, Chris Thomas King, Ernie Halter, Yarn, and Snuffy Walden, Trawick has built a brand that extends far beyond his home base in DC. For more information, please visit https://justintrawick.com.
Cathy DiToro
Cathy DiToro. is a DC-based singer-songwriter who has been singing from a young age and performing regularly around the DMV for over 10 years. She is a multi-instrumentalist, playing guitar primarily, but also keys and percussion.
She performs original music as Cathy D. and released her first EP “NostalgiAddict” in February 2019. Fronting multiple bands, she sings with local 80s favorites, The Legwarmers, 2000s tribute, “So Fetch,” and the high-energy, 6-piece ska pop band, Party Like It’s.
She has played numerous venues, theaters, festivals, and sporting events, including a Japan tour in 2015.
An avid advocate for women in the DC music scene, Cathy started a nonprofit in 2017 called ProjectHERA. Its mission is to support, connect and empower women and girls of all ages and genres in the music industry. Each year, she hosts the HERA Music Festival, a female-fueled, all ages, celebration of women in music.
She also works as a booking agent for bands and solo artists in and around DC.
To learn more about Cathy DiToro, please visit www.facebook.com/CathyDMusic
All Things Weatherly
Nearly a decade after Kyle Ragan and Christopher Mooneyhan first met, a journey began that would eventually lead to the perfect partnership. Weatherly formed out of their mutual desire to find musicality, creativity, and individuality; in short, A New Story.
From that partnership has emerged a successful production studio, boasting new releases by numerous artist; a Podcast supporting local business, supporting local music, and serving to evolve there own creativity; and last but certainly not least; the musical project bearing the name that started it all: Weatherly.
Weatherly began as two 30 something-year-old musicians, Songwriters, and fathers pursuing their musical dreams to write, perform, and produce music they are proud of. Pushing barriers or being just performers, Weatherly are collaborators, producers, engineers, and primarily songwriters. Their music spans genres and refuses to sit firmly in any box and that is just how they (and their fans) like it.
To learn more about Weatherly, please visit www.allthingsweatherly.com
Dave Phenicie has been in bands since the early 80’s as either the bassist or lead vocalist.
In the Summer of 2006 he made a solo album called Long Lonely Time, but joined the band Stonehoney that August and put the solo career on hold until now. Dave is currently in the studio putting the finishing touches on his latest full-length album called “This Life”.
To learn more about Dave, please visit Facebook.com/DavePhenicieMusic
Deau Eyes (Ali Thibodeau) is an indie rock n roll artist based in Richmond, VA. With soulful siren-like melodies and cleverly crafted lyrics, Thibodeau takes you on a sonic romp laced with courage, confidence, and general bad ass-ery through loss and leaving. The Deau Eyes debut album Paper Stickers was released Dec 11, 2018.
To learn more about Deau Eyes, please visit DeaueEyes.com
Ya Minko was born in the French speaking former French colony Gabon. He now lives in the Washington D.C. area. Though predominantly focused on Hip-Hop/Rap, genre bending his music is also influenced by his cultural background, and the many genres he was exposed to during his musical journey. Ya Minko was introduced to songwriting, and record production, in 2011. He immediately fell in love with the process and dedicated all his time to it. After he moved to the Washington D.C. area, in 2012, for his studies, Ya Minko focused his entire attention on the art of making records, and his music career, sacrificing his academic career in the process.
To learn more about Ya Minko, please visit Yaminko.com
Chevre simply describes themselves as “Psychedelic Roots Rock for your Funkhole”. This mysterious band hails from the Frederick, MD area and contains the musical talents of two Lukes, John, and Jimmy.
To learn more about Chevre, please visit Facebook.com/ChevreBand
Pleasure Train is a Washington DC area band that incorporates a fusion of styles rooted in groove, alternative, jam, jazz, pop, and house. Pleasure Train has been a staple in the local music scene since the summer of 2014, and the band has enjoyed making their own unique contribution to the soundscape of the greater Washington DC area.
Pleasure Train’s number one goal is to turn each show they play into a once-in-a-lifetime event, taking their audience along on an emotional ride and spreading the energetic rush that only live music can provide.
To learn more about Pleasure Train, please visit PleasureTrainMusic.net
Daniel Warren Hill is a songwriter, producer, and performer. He currently rocks guitar and vocals for Alt/Rock band YellowTieGuy, produces, sings and mixes live video for Data Recovery Project, and lends his talents to Beach Boys Tribute Band “Back To The Beach”. When not performing, Daniel is actively engaged in family activities with his wife, two children, roommate, and dog. Daniel enjoys exploring other creative and business pursuits, spending time in nature, and is currently addicted to Star Trek Timelines.
Global citizen and neo-folk singer Eli Lev is making the world a smaller place, one song at a time. Eli pens hymns for everyday enlightenment—songs that resonate because they’re heartfelt, earthy, and offer wisdom culled from self-discovery. His latest album, All Roads East, has been featured on CBS Radio, Buzz Feed, and Paste Magazine for its blend of country, folk, Americana, soul, and pop, while being free from any specific tradition. In performance, his infectious musicality, commitment to deep grooves, and playful charisma foster an immersive experience for the audience that moves bodies and opens hearts. “The most meaningful thing for me is being able to express what I always felt about humanity through my music. I want to bring people in, make them feel special, and break down the walls that keep us apart.”
Ginny Hill is vocalist for DC rockers Higher Numbers. Writing gritty and passionate original music, along with covering rock and alternative. Fueled by two brothers on electric guitars, a strong female vocalist, and a thunderous rhythm section.
Gabrielle Zwi is an 18 year old singer/songwriter with a ukulele and a fresh perspective. Many of her songs focus on life with disabilities, cultural identity, and young queer love. RIO Entertainment Busker and Children’s Music Teacher.
Justin Shapiro is a DC native singer/songwriter and the former frontman/rhythm guitar player of Green River Junction.
Nah is 5 friends from the Washington DC area making indie rock, dreamgaze, hippie punk, or whatever you hear when you’re listening to them. Nah. began in 2015 with an almost entirely different cast of humans as the brainchild of bassist Brendan Ra Tyler, the intention behind it being a way to communicate better about mental health and healing, a purpose that has held strong for 3 years. As a group they strive to create more inclusive, loving, and safe spaces for anyone who might stumble upon one of their shows. Spaceship Sound Studios was started in 2018 in the Nah. band home by drummer Stephen Rodriguez as an effort to help boost the DIY community in DC and get more local music that they believe in on streaming services, or just out into the world for more people to hear. Nah. is all about music, community, and love. You’re welcome any time.
Giff is owner/operator of CakeIsMyFriend Media, a Veteran owned lifestyle, media and retail company created to support, coach, motivate and entertain everyday people.
Giff’s objective is to be, mildly entertaining, yet definitively informative. Through the use of Podcasts, Blogs, and Accessible Tools, he delivers, all of the goodness; none of the calories.
Jahnel Daliya has been performing her original music in the DC and VA area since 2014. She first began singing professionally at age 14 when she performed with two gospel projects in DC, Children of the Gospel followed by Urban Nation.
After making her rounds at numerous open mics and a singer songwriter series, Jahnel Daliya began performing as a trio at numerous venues, festivals, and fairs.
In 2016 she began recording her first record at The Brink Analog Studio which released June 2017.
Aside from her original music project Jahnel is a lead vocalist with a five piece classic rock/top 40 cover band, Badlands Band.
A quietly soulful voice paired with intricate finger style guitar brings listeners in to Jasmine Gillison’s introspective, observational world of storytelling. “Little Light”, her debut album, is a bit of a departure from her typical acoustic performances. A varied set of arrangements highlight the depth and width of Gillison’s aptitude for storytelling. Jasmine was fortunate to work with many talented musicians on this project, including Producer Ben Tufts (educator and percussionist in bands such as FuzzQueen, Virginia Creep and Uptown Boys Choir), Producer and Session Bassist Howard Rabach of Machine Room Studio in Arlington, VA, as well as a host of other musicians and great friends.
Some of Stephen Schillinger‘s earliest memories are bouncing back and forth on the couch while his father played America records and his mother spun The Beatles. Twenty-five-ish years later, while working for four months in St. Louis, Steve borrowed his friend Tom Berger’s guitar and asked him to show off some chords. The rest is history. As BSG’s primary songwriter, Steve cites those early records, along with artists like Big Star and Ryan Adams and REM and The Jayhawks and The Grays and Sloan and The Connells and The Tragically Hip, as the templates for his compositions. A love for both stoner metal and prog rock creep to the surface every now and then. Steve has two self-produced solo records that you can ask him about.
Steve is a right-thinking musician: he likes his guitars American his amps British. So that means primarily Gibson and Taylor guitars and Orange amplifers. Though he does have a Fender Pro Junior for tiny little gigs and an Italia Rimini 12-string for when he wants to sound like Roger McGuinn. And he has a Rickenbacker now.
When not pretending to be a rock star, Steve works for an organization providing interactive patient care solutions to hospitals all across the United States. He and his wife live in Springfield, VA.
Some of Steve’s earliest memories are bouncing back and forth on the couch while his father played America records and his mother spun The Beatles. Twenty-five-ish years later, while working for four months in St. Louis, Steve borrowed his friend Tom Berger’s guitar and asked him to show off some chords. The rest is history. As BSG’s primary songwriter, Steve cites those early records, along with artists like Big Star and Ryan Adams and REM and The Jayhawks and The Grays and Sloan and The Connells and The Tragically Hip, as the templates for his compositions. A love for both stoner metal and prog rock creep to the surface every now and then. Steve has two self-produced solo records that you can ask him about.
Steve is a right-thinking musician: he likes his guitars American his amps British. So that means primarily Gibson and Taylor guitars and Orange amplifers. Though he does have a Fender Pro Junior for tiny little gigs and an Italia Rimini 12-string for when he wants to sound like Roger McGuinn. And he has a Rickenbacker now.
When not pretending to be a rock star, Steve works for an organization providing interactive patient care solutions to hospitals all across the United States. He and his wife live in Springfield, VA.
Bellwether Bayou is the solo folk project of Laura Schwartz, a classically-trained violinist who has been moving steadily in a more folksy direction since living in New Orleans, Ithaca, and Xi’an, China.
Based in Washington, D.C., Bellwether Bayou brings looping violin and soulful vocals together to create a modern take on classic folk sensibilities. The sound of Bellwether Bayou mixes original tunes with unexpected covers and new spins on old traditionals.
(Photo by Semi Charmed Life Photography: https://www.semicharmedlifephotography.com/)
Melinda Hamilton fell in love with the guitar at age 10. The folk/rock music of the 60s was perfect for learning to sing and play guitar. She loved the sounds of Peter, Paul, and Mary; Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Carol King, James Taylor, and Joni Mitchell. In the 70s and 80s she was heavily influenced by the group vocals performed by bands like The Beatles, The Eagles, CSNY and Fleetwood Mac. It was a magical time for music and formed the basis for her musical style. In 1981 she met Mike Hamilton and fell in love with his music. Melinda and Mike formed the bands Desire and No Doubt Crypto and were quite successful performing in the mid-Atlantic region throughout the 80s and early 90s.
Mike Hamilton grew up in Titusville, a small town in the mountains of Northwestern Pennsylvania. In the 1960s he was listening to Jimmy Rogers, the Carter Family, Hank Williams, Stanley Brothers, Bob Dylan, the Beatles and the British Invasion. Mike started playing music in high school and formed a band and began writing songs. He formed the band DESIRE which evolved into the band NO DOUBT CRYPTO, recorded the NO DOUBT CRYPTO album featuring original music and founded the Joe Bag O’ Donuts (BMI) music publishing company. In the next decade he turned his talents to producing and engineering his own music and regional acts around the mid-Atlantic region. He was the chief engineer for Roar Productions Recording Studios in Columbia, Maryland and founded his own production company, BigHouse Productions. Mike opened Mission Road in 2003 to record his original music and engineer and produce projects for independent and regional releases.
Between 1995 and 2013 Mike and Mel recorded and released the following CDs: Beggars & Poets, Appalachia, Open Book and Pardon My Confusion, Can You Direct Me To The Other Side Of Nowhere?. In 2016, they released “2 Stupid 2 Lip Sink Chronicles”.
Jason Mendelson is an Alexandria composer and multi-instrumentalist whose MetroSongs project has captured hearts and feet across the D.C. Metro region, infusing the history of each location with a musical flavor all its own. When he’s not playing electric 12-string guitar and singing, he can usually be found on various instruments supporting local acts like Selling Fairfax by the Pound, Alex Parez & the Hell Rojos, Maryjo Mattea & a Pile of Dudes, Motion Quotient, or Jonny Grave & the TombsTones, and has performed on stages all over the area, like the Electric Maid, Black Cat, 9:30 Club, and Kennedy Center Millenium Stage. Jason’s studio, An Undisclosed Location, is responsible for involvement in several local projects from bands like The Lucky So & So’s, The Iris Bell, the Clara Barton Sessions, Two Dragons & a Cheetah, and more.
In June 2019, Jason began releasing new music by way of a project simply called Scenes, which includes: “Where They Make Rum” as well as “Thief In The Night”.
Petty Indulgences formed in 2016 to play a benefit show supporting local artists in DC’s theater community. We stayed together because we love making music. Our goal always has been and always will be making the best music we can while telling stories that are too often left untold. Includes the talents of: Quique Cunningham on Lead Vocals & Effects, Phil Stack on Guitar, Christopher Herring on Percussion and Vocals, and Jam Grant on Bass and Vocals.
Master Sword is a 5-piece American progressive power metal band inspired by music from The Legend of Zelda series, that celebrates Nintendo’s series in a way no one else ever has. Taking influence from an array of hard rock to progressive metal favorites, Master Sword has crafted tracks which uniquely capture the spirit of the games and molded that spirit into impressively rockin’ heavy metal tunes.
“If you like power metal you owe it to yourself to get down with the Master Sword.” – The Metal Observer
“If you are a Legend of Zelda fan, you owe it to yourself to check out Master Sword, even if you do not consider yourself a fan of rock or metal music. Zelda fans around the world have paid tribute to the works of Koji Kondo by putting their own spin on the music, and this is far more than just a rock version of the Zelda theme, or game music done with guitars.” – Christiana Skye/Script the Darkness
Following a successful kickstarter campaign, their first full-length album “Shadow and Steel” was released January 2, 2018. The band has presently launched a new Kickstarter campaign for their forthcoming Sophomore record: The Final Door
Alchemical Records is a Washington, D.C. based music publication. We cover the Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond, VA metro area music scenes, including band interviews, articles about your favorite musicians, new music and concert dates.
