Nine DMV Songwriters: The Bernard/Ebb Songwriting Awards

Here is something worth getting excited about.

On Friday, April 24, at 7:30 p.m., the Music Center at Strathmore will host the 10th Annual Bernard/Ebb Songwriting Awards. Nine finalists from across Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., will perform original work live for a panel of judges, with winners announced that same night.

The awards were founded by Montgomery County philanthropist Cathy Bernard in honor of her uncle, Broadway lyricist Fred Ebb—the man who gave us Cabaret, Chicago, and the immortal "New York, New York." The adult winner receives $10,000 plus recording studio time. The youth winner receives $2,500. Past winners include Rochelle Rice, and bēheld, now a member of Sweet Honey in the Rock, and currently director of Strathmore's Artists in Residence program.

But the real story is the finalists themselves.

The Adult Finalists

Laura Brino (Arnold, Md.) makes music that feels like a warm cup of coffee on a rainy day. Based in Annapolis, she blends folk, rock, and pop with influences ranging from Joni Mitchell to Phoebe Bridgers. She has performed at Rams Head On Stage, Jammin Java, and New York's Rockwood Music Hall. She also runs the Songbird Collective, supporting women and non-binary artists.

Sam McCormally (Mount Rainier, Md.) is a true multi-hyphenate: songwriter, singer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist. He was the lead singer and songwriter for the D.C. indie rock band Ugly Purple Sweater and currently plays with Fellow Creatures. He has composed music for documentaries and collaborated on the score for the play Meena's Dream.

Erynn McLeod (Charlottesville, Va.) writes at the crossroads of folk and musical theater. A native New Yorker, she graduated from Berklee College of Music in Valencia, Spain, with a master's in contemporary performance. While there, she won first place at the International Writers Camp in Haarlem, Netherlands, and had her original song "Queen" produced by Patrice Rushen.

Integriti Reeves (Upper Marlboro, Md.) is a dynamic vocal powerhouse whose "Modern Vintage" style bridges past, present, and future. Her voice draws comparisons to Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole. She has performed with Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder, Esperanza Spalding, and Smokey Robinson, and as a featured soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra. A graduate of Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Peabody Institute, and Howard University, she has served as an Artist-in-Residence at Strathmore.

She-unO (Silver Spring, Md.) grew up in Prince George's County to Nigerian parents and started writing raps for class presentations in fifth grade. His music is rooted in rap, R&B, and soul, deeply influenced by his faith. He has released multiple projects, including his 2024 album (T)here.

Marissa Zechinato (Brooklyn Park, Md.) is a DMV-based singer-songwriter and teaching artist with experience in jazz, pop, and classical music. A graduate of Howard University in Vocal Jazz Studies, she has performed at the Apollo Theater, Kennedy Center, Blues Alley, the White House, and NPR's Tiny Desk as a member of Howard's premier jazz voice ensemble Afro Blue. She has shared the stage with Kelly Clarkson, Chance the Rapper, Common, and Mavis Staples.

The Youth Finalists

Erin Leberknight (Ellicott City, Md.) is a 12th-grade singer-songwriter who plans to pursue a bachelor's degree in musical theater. She blends folk and pop in piano-centered pieces rooted in storytelling, citing Joni Mitchell, Nick Drake, Olivia Rodrigo, and Bob Dylan as influences. She was a youth finalist in 2023 as well.

Saanvi Purohit (Clarksburg, Md.) is just 14 years old. A ninth grader, she has been singing since early childhood and released her first single while still in middle school. A multi-instrumentalist who plays piano, guitar, and ukulele, she has already released multiple songs, including "Did You Know?" and "Fourteen."

Nate Stern (Washington, D.C.) is a 12th-grade songwriter whose music blends indie pop and alternative influences. He began writing songs in elementary school and has spent six years creating playful, story-driven pieces inspired by artists such as Fountains of Wayne, The Magnetic Fields, They Might Be Giants, and XTC. He plays guitar, bass, keys, and drums, approaching songwriting as a creative puzzle. Outside of music, he is his school newspaper's first regular humor columnist and hopes to pursue songwriting for bands, film, television, and musical theater.

The Judges

The finalists will perform for a panel of three accomplished songwriters: Kyshona, a licensed music therapist who uses songwriting to heal divided communities; Ryan Montbleau, a road warrior with nearly thirty years of ecstatic live shows and over 250 million streams; and Angela Sclafani, a Fred Ebb Award winner who believes an artist's duty is to reflect the times.

Why This Matters

The Bernard/Ebb Awards are not a battle of the bands. They are a celebration of craft. Songwriting is the invisible engine behind almost every genre—the thing that turns a melody into a memory. These nine finalists represent the range of that craft: folk, hip-hop, musical theater, indie rock, R&B, jazz, and pop, all on one stage.

Strathmore has built something rare: a competition that actually supports its artists, with cash prizes, studio time, and real career development. The adult winner walks away with $10,000 and recording support. The youth winner gets $2,500 and, more importantly, a stage at one of the region's premier venues.

If You Go

What: 10th Annual Bernard/Ebb Songwriting Awards Finalists Concert
When: Friday, April 24, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Music Center at Strathmore, North Bethesda
Tickets: Available through Strathmore's website

#BernardEbbAwards #Strathmore #DMVSongwriters #DMVMusic #SongwritingCompetition

More News from Takoma Park

• The Root System: Inside D.C.'s Underground Plant Swap Network From the "Plant Aunties" of 1960s Shepherd Park to today’s digital exchanges, D.C.’s plant swaps have been about neighborly generosity, food sovereignty and community.
• Before It's Gone: The Fading Footprint of Neighborhood Hardware Does a store lose its soul when the name on the ledger changes? When it comes to hardware stores, true local literacy lives in the hands of people, not in systems.