Best Songs of the DSA Meeting: April 2026

Meeting Critiques

Each month songs of members are critiqued at the 1st Thursday workshop. Winners each month are published in Songwriters Notes. Members only may enter up to 2 songs per month (or more if time allows) by going to this link https://dallassongwriters.org/song-critique/ to enter the lyric and audio file or you may upload the lyric and perform the song live at the meeting. Time is limited to the review of 8 songs per meeting on a first come basis. (If we run out of time, the songs will be moved to next meeting). Members will have until the end of November to rewrite and record their song before it is sent to the judge. At the end of each year, the songs are judged by industry pros and the Song of the Year is awarded to the songwriter whose song garnered the most points from the judges. Also, The Vern Dailey Songwriter of the Year Award goes to songwriter who has the most songs with the highest points in the top ten. Winners are announced at the Virtual Awards Program in February which include performances by the finalists.

Thursday, April 9, 2026

BestSongs of the Meeting 2026

JANUARY

A Million Miles From Texas by Steve Ledford
Help Someone Else by Wayne Gathright
Love In My Boots by Bob Juch
Music Box by Steve Ledford
One Step Away by Kerry Hughes
Rise Up and Shout by Bob Juch
Whiskey Kinghts by Wayne Gathright

FEBRUARY

Alternate Ending by Wayne Gathright
You Went Your Own Way by Wayne Gathright
Seatle by Steve Ledford
She by Steve Ledford

MARCH

Golder by Wayne Gathright
I Am Thorns by Steve Ledford
I Don't See Us Down The Road by Steve Ledford
Listen by Wayne Gathright
On the Road to Some Where Else by Michael Roth

APRIL

Last Stop For Sanity by Wayne Gathright
Lights On by Don Johnson
Back Then by Steve Ledford
Up Against the Wall by Steve Ledford
The Riddle by Wayne Gathright
Sasquatch Walk The Land by Davis Claerr

MAY

Men Hurt Too by Steve Ledford
You're The Only One by Steve Ledford
Pieced Of Me by Michael Roth (lyric only)
Carved In Stone by Steve Ledford & Alexis Tapp

JUNE

Here For You Too by Don Johnson
I Never Hels Love by Wayne Gathright
I Want To Ride Horses by Steve Ledford
Where No One Ever Goes by Michael Roth
Winding Down by Steve Ledford

JULY

I Want To Live In This Old Church by Steve Ledford
Better Left Unsaid by Steve Ledford

SEPT

Lucy's Bar by Robert Juch
A Prayer by Wayne Gathright
I Wrote A Song by Wayne Gathright
Memory by Steve Ledford
Maybe We Just Happened by Steve Ledford
Go Higher by Lee Pride

OCT

NOV

BEST SONGS OF THE MEETING CRITIQUES

Each month songs of members are critiqued at the 1st Thursday meeting. Songs that are critiqued each month are published in Songwriters Notes. Members only may enter by uploading lyric and audio file to https://dallassongwriters.org/song-critique/ or you may upload the lyric and perform the song live at the meeting. Members will have until the end of November to rewrite and record their song before it is sent to the judge. At the end of each year, the songs are judged by industry pros and the Song of the Year is awarded to the songwriter whose song garnered the most points from the judges.

Also, The Vern Dailey Songwriter of the Year Award goes to songwriter who has the most songs with the highest points in the top ten.