Sparks & Wiry Cries Launch Their 7th Season

Sparks & Wiry Cries is an organization that promotes the advancement and preservation of art song. Led by Martha Guth and Erika Switzer, they are entering their seventh season and this year's events feature songSLAM events in Ann Arbor, Minneapolis, Toronto, New York, Slovenia, Chicago, and Denver. Martha Guth encapsulates their mission perfectly with this quote:

Sparks & Wiry Cries was born out of a passionate desire to keep the genre flourishing, to provide opportunities for those in its community and to support the growth of new art song, because the stories we tell, and the connections we make are critical to our humanity. 

What is songSLAM? Each event is:

a unique competition for emerging composer/performer teams to premiere new art song, in partnership with Source Song Festival. In the poetry-slam tradition, audience members vote on their favorite performances, and $900 in cash prizes are awarded.

Sparks & Wiry Cries also publish an art song magazine and podcast. If you feel moved to support their activities, you can also donate.

Best of luck to Martha and Erika as they embark on Season 7. Here's a video of Martha talking about Sparks & Wiry Cries' many activities: