Join us on the opening night of BEAUTIFUL The Carole King Musical to celebrate some of our favorite local singer/songwriters! Olney Theatre Center will highlight Bernard/Ebb Songwriting Competition winners Calista Garcia (Youth 2017 winner), Integriti Reeves, and Juliet Lloyd (Adult 2022 winner). Each will perform a short sample of their songwriting, and then we'll sit down to learn about their journeys as female singer/songwriters in today's music industry. This conversation will be moderated by Cathy Bernard, founder of the Bernard and Ebb Songwriting Awards.
Watch the live stream on YouTube or Facebook platforms on Saturday, July 6 at 5:00pm eastern time.
About the Moderator: Cathy Bernard is the President of HCM Corporation, a real estate management and investment firm, and founder of the Bernard/Ebb Songwriting Awards. Ms. Bernard is a philanthropist and active volunteer in the community. Ms. Bernard consults for new businesses and is involved in entrepreneurship programs to help people start their own businesses and create their own destinies. She has been named to the Top 100 Women in Maryland in 2006, 2008 and 2010. She was also named to the Top 25 Women in Business in Montgomery County in 2008, received the County Executive Volunteer Award in 2004, and received the Montgomery County Patrons Award in 2018.
Ms. Bernard is the niece of Fred Ebb - the renowned American songwriter. She believes in the exceptional talent in the DMV and is committed to uplifting the region's arts and entertainment sector. In addition to founding the Bernard/Ebb Songwriting Awards, Ms. Bernard serves as the Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors at Signature Theatre, is a Member of the Board of Directors at Strathmore and Imagination Stage, and is on the Emeritus Trustee Council at Round House Theatre. Ms. Bernard is the Chair of the Board of Directors at The Upcounty Hub and serves on the Board of Directors for Sunflower Bakery. Ms. Bernard is also the founder of The Bernard Family Foundation, which provides grants to organizations in the arts, education, and cancer advocacy programs.
Meet the Songwriters
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Calista Garcia
Calista Garcia delivers flairs of Latin, blues, roots, and pop, tied together with introspective lyricism. 23-year-old folk-rock singer/songwriter Calista Garcia is a prolific songwriter who plays guitar, piano, ukulele, bass, mandolin, and harmonica. She is a 2022 Kerrville New Folk Winner, the 2022 Songwriter’s Association of Washington Young Artist of the Year, the 2022 Winner of 2 DC Area “Wammies” music awards (Best Folk song & artist), a 2021 Chris Austin Songwriting Finalist at Merlefest, a 2021 “She is the Music Foundation” Connect TogetHER Songwriting Fellow, the 2020 National YoungArts Gold Winner in Voice/Singer-Songwriter (top prize), a 2020 Johnny Mercer Songwriting Project Fellow, a 2019 Strathmore Artist in Residence, a 2017 & 2018 Berklee Performance Showcase Winner, the 2017 Bernard Ebbs Young Songwriter of the Year and a two-time Grammy Foundation Young Songwriter Program Artist. A member of ASCAP and the Dramatists Guild, Calista also writes for the stage, having completed her second folk-rock-inspired musical, Crystal Skies, which premiered in April 2018. Crystal Skies was a 2020 semifinalist for the Eugene O’Neill Musical Theatre Conference. Calista splits her time between New York City and Washington DC. She is on Takamine’s worldwide roster of Takamine guitar artists.
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Integriti Reeves
Integriti Reeves is a dynamic vocal powerhouse whose “Modern Vintage” style exists at the crossroads of Black American Music, embodying the past, present, and future of the genre. Her voice elicits comparisons to the dulcet purity of Ella Fitzgerald and the smoky effortlessness of Nat King Cole. Her musical outlook is experimental, whilst her signature retro look pays homage to icons of the 1950s. In 2014, Integriti participated in the highly selective John F Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts Betty Carter’s Jazz ahead program, a residency for young composers. In 2013 Integriti served as an Artist-In-Residence at the prestigious Strathmore Hall Arts Center. Integriti also appeared on season three of NBC’s The Sing-Off, as a member of Afro-Blue. The group advanced as finalists in the competition. Integriti has performed with many renowned contemporary artists including; Herbie Hancock, Ernie Andrews, Geri Allen, Esperanza Spaulding, Stevie Wonder, Bobby Mcferrin, Liz Wright, and Smokey Robinson. Integriti has also performed as a featured soloist with The National Symphony Orchestra. Her musical experience is grounded in academic excellence. She is a proud local product, a graduate of DC’s storied Duke Ellington School of the Arts and Baltimore’s venerable Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University (B.M.) and Howard University. (M.M.) Her debut solo EP Stairway To The Stars was released in 2014. It features an eclectic mix of Jazz standards, Brazilian rhythms, and other contemporary influences. Integriti’s recent original compositions reflect a new, introspective chapter, whilst maintaining her style as a wordsmith and storyteller. She crafts intricate melodies and harmonies that feel both fresh and timeless. She believes that sound can be a snapshot, a measure, a mirror, a lyric, a lifeline and that music is meant to be felt and shared. Integriti also has a new source of inspiration. In September 2023, Integriti and her Husband welcomed their first child- A beautiful baby girl! Integriti’s rising star shines brightly.
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Juliet Lloyd
Juliet Lloyd is an acclaimed Maryland-based singer/songwriter who has garnered comparisons to Patty Griffin, Carole King, and Chris Stapleton for her signature blend of soulful, roots-infused contemporary folk. Across her 20-year career, Juliet has released three studio albums, garnering placements on television shows on MTV and VH1 and airplay on more than 175 radio stations across the country. Her 2022 EP High Road, hailed as a "top-tier singer/songwriter album" by reviewers, features songs that earned Juliet top honors in the 2022 Bernard/Ebb Songwriting Awards and Mid-Atlantic Song Contest, four “Wammie” finalist nods, and several other prestigious national songwriter awards in 2023. Both solo and with her band, Juliet has performed 150+ shows a year since 2020, including headliner and supporting spots at regional festivals and a growing number of listening rooms across the country.
