(Photo from MS Songwriters Festival on Facebook)
- Educational outreach is a cornerstone of the alliance, and the mission is to highlight and help the Magnolia State’s songwriting community.
Every September, stepping into a venue during the Mississippi Songwriters Festival, you’ll likely stumble onto raw, unfiltered, straight-from-the-heart musical magic, the very magic George Cumbest, president of the Mississippi Songwriters Alliance (MSA), experienced in 2009 while attending the Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival. It was his moment of vision.
“I wanted Mississippi to have its own songwriter festival,” he recalls. “By 2010, we made it happen.”
Starting with four venues in Ocean Springs, the MSA is now a statewide nonprofit with international reach, year-round programming, and a packed festival calendar. Yet, the mission remains personal, nurturing songwriters, honoring musical heritage, and changing the lives of Mississippi songwriters, musicians, and listeners.
Growing a Grassroots Movement
Cumbest says he is fueled by “a love of music and a belief in community,” but the work takes “a lot of manpower and time. Funding is always challenging, but we’ve had unwavering support from volunteers, sponsors, and public partners.”
Today, the Gulf Coast festival spans two cities, and the Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Center hosts a monthly songwriter series.
“We now have a festival in each tourist region of the state and an ambassador leader for each region who schedules opportunities for songwriters to perform across the state,” George says.
MSA has also created international songwriter exchanges with Sweden and Norway and built a Hall of Fame to honor Mississippi’s musical giants. The Jackson County Board of Supervisors and the City of Ocean Springs are integral supporters of the MSA.
“During the legislative session, we take a trip to Jackson to showcase what MSA does throughout the year,” George explains. “We have been able to take the school choir from a school that we work with to perform in the Capitol rotunda. We also bring a recently inducted Hall of Fame member to perform for the legislature.”
The City of Gautier and state legislators have been instrumental in bringing the vision of the Mississippi Performing Arts Center to life. With legislative funding and a partnership with the City of Gautier, MSA will break ground on the Mississippi Songwriters Performing Arts Center (MSPAC), which is set to open in 2026.
“We honor Mississippi’s musical heritage by recognizing members in the hall of fame and supporting local and regional songwriters through education, networking, and paid opportunities to play and develop their craft.”
Through the MMAT program, MSA targets the next generation by working with Mississippi school systems and public libraries and hosting the youth showcase.
Changing Lives Through Song
MSA’s educational impact occurs in the classroom when Sean Gasaway, MSA’s education director, leads Mississippi Music Arts Therapy (MMAT) workshops. These workshops use songwriting to teach self-worth, collaboration, and emotional resilience.
“It’s about value and purpose,” Gasaway says. “When kids create something together, they build emotional connections. They’re less likely to bully each other. They carry that bond with them.”
In this creative setting, students brainstorm lyrics and write melodies.
“Even kids who struggle in class come alive,” he explains, before sharing a heartfelt memory. “An autistic student who barely spoke wrote a full page of musical notes and danced to his own song in front of the class. It was beautiful.”
Gasaway breaks the ice as a professional songwriter with funny songs like “Bacon” and “Porkchop,” to spur the kids into writing alongside him.
“It works 100% of the time,” he says.
Mississippi is known as the birthplace of America’s music.
“The MSA wants to Make Mississippi the Place for America’s Music and The World! It all starts with the song AND at home,” he stresses. “Serving the needs of the community starts with our youth. Educational outreach is a cornerstone of our alliance and the mission to highlight and help our state’s songwriting community.”
A Deep-Rooted Delta Connection
Tricia Walker brings her lifetime experience of music and music education as head of MSA’s Delta Chapter and organizer of the Cleveland festival. Walker, a respected songwriter and educator, illuminates the region’s rich musical roots.
“When I lived in Nashville, I used to come down to play the Frank Brown festival at the FloraBama and heard that there was a Mississippi Songwriters Festival on the Coast,” says Walker. “I met George Cumbest and was invited to play the festival, and that’s when I became aware of the vision of the Mississippi Songwriters Alliance.” Tricia loved what they were trying to do, and after moving back to Mississippi in 2006, she became more involved with them.
“We’re the first satellite festival,” she says, “and we focus on building community among local songwriters.”
The community will come to life May 16-17 at the annual Delta Songwriters Festival at GRAMMY Museum® Mississippi, where performances happen “in the round,” Bluebird Cafe-style.
“Songwriters are often Lone Rangers,” she says. “We give them a tribe.”
The May event includes songwriting workshops covering copyright basics and navigating streaming platforms.
Walker manages the local music initiative Deep Roots, which presents live local music in community venues five nights a week.
“We’re in our fourth year, and awareness and appreciation for these local musicians has really increased in the community and for our visitors as well.”
The program has been so successful, she says, that musicians contact her.
“We work new talent into the roster as we can.”
An educator, musician, and award-winning songwriter, Walker aims to raise awareness about the value of songwriting.
“There’s no music industry without a great song,” she emphasizes. “Songwriters deserve to be seen and celebrated.”
Behind the Scenes with the Festival Coordinator
Darwin Nelson wears many hats, including festival coordinator, sponsor, and performer. In short, he’s a logistics wizard and a motivational coach.
“I’m the guy scheduling songwriters in sets of three,” he explains, “like herding cats.” Experience taught him to pair dependable performers in case of no-shows. He depends on his mix of spreadsheets, texts, and a lot of patience.
Darwin and his wife Dana have been a musical duo for decades.
“She’s like a leg or an arm,” he says. “I’m not complete without her.”
They write and perform together, cherishing the festival as their annual ritual. Their dedication is personal.
“It’s about honoring the vision George started and keeping it alive in memory of folks like Scott,” he shares. “This is a community that celebrates its roots.”
He’s witnessed the festival transform the region economically, culturally, and emotionally.
“People plan their year around it now,” he says. Venues line up to participate.”
Looking Ahead
The MSA board has big plans for the Mississippi Songwriters Alliance, like a publishing company, a record label, and even more platforms for Mississippi songwriters to shine.
MSA comprises a passionate group of songwriters, musicians, educators, leaders, dreamers, and more. It’s a community that properly pays tribute to the songs we love and will come to love and the people who write them. Still, at its core, MSA is about legacy, community, and the stories that connect us all through songwriting.
“It all begins with a song,” says Tricia Walker.
“We want to always get better,” says Darwin Nelson, “but bigger doesn’t always figure into that equation. Support the arts! Whether it be poetry, theatre, dancing or songwriting. It’s who we are in Mississippi. Let’s never forget that and don’t let future generations forget that either.”
Mississippi, with MSA, you have never had a stronger voice.
Richelle Putnam
