Angela Sclafani (in green) with the adult finalists and judges at the 2025 Bernard/Ebb Songwriting Awards concert
Finding the Heart of the Song
Head judge Angela Sclafani brings a musical theater writer’s sense of narrative and emotion to Strathmore’s 2026 Bernard/Ebb Songwriting Awards
By Barbara Ruben
“In theater, every lyric has to move the story forward,” says Angela Sclafani, head judge for the 2026 Bernard/Ebb Songwriting Awards. “That’s how I listen to all songs—what journey am I being taken on?”
A musical theater songwriter at heart, Sclafani brings that same storytelling mindset to her role as head judge. She believes that whether a song is pop, jazz, rock, or folk, the power lies in its ability to connect emotionally through story.
“No matter the genre, what we’re looking for is how the lyrics inform the storytelling,” she says of the competition, which takes place at Strathmore on April 24. “Finding the common thread through lyrics and melody is very helpful.”
That focus on story aligns perfectly with the awards’ goal of celebrating songwriters across every style of music. Established by Cathy Bernard and named in part for her uncle, legendary Broadway lyricist Fred Ebb, the competition underscores how powerfully well-crafted lyrics can shape a song’s emotional arc even before the melody brings it to life.
Sclafani, who joined the judging panel in 2025, brings a wide lens to her work. She has earned recognition for both theater and contemporary songwriting—winning first place three times in the Great American Songwriting Contest’s Adult Contemporary category and receiving the (coincidentally named) 2019 Fred Ebb Award for aspiring musical theater songwriters.
Her own musicals often blur genres and themes. Passion Project, a song cycle about women and the work that drives them, draws from a mix of musical styles, while The Golden Record—inspired by the time capsule launched on NASA’s Voyager mission in 1977—blends eras and sounds to reach listeners beyond traditional theater audiences. That stretching across genres, she says, teaches her how storytelling can make a song powerful no matter its style.
Her first year on the panel gave Sclafani a new appreciation for the process behind the types of competitions she’s entered herself. “It kind of pulls the curtain back so you see how much of it is subjective and how taste really comes into the game,” she says. This year, she plans to read applicants’ lyrics before listening to recordings to focus on story first, without bias toward genre or style.
“There’s a great sense of camaraderie in the competition,” she adds. “Going into this year, I see myself as a peer to these artists and want to be respectful to each because I’ve been in their shoes.”
Sclafani appreciates that the award spotlights local songwriters. “I think Strathmore has such a welcoming and nurturing relationship to artists,” she says. “It feels very community oriented, which is rare in a competition.”
Now in its tenth year, the Bernard/Ebb Songwriting Awards competition recognizes outstanding songwriters from Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. The live performance finals take place at Strathmore, where one songwriter receives a $10,000 grand prize plus $1,500 toward studio recording, and one young songwriter under 17 is honored with a $2,500 award.
“We’re always looking for judges who can connect with artists as peers and mentors,” says Joi Brown, Strathmore’s vice president of programming. “Angela embodies that balance—she knows what it means to be on both sides of the competition, and she listens for authenticity above all.”
For Sclafani, judging isn’t just about critique—it’s about connection. “I want to give their music the respect and consideration that I hope to get when I’m on the other side of it,” she says.
Strathmore extends its deepest gratitude to Cathy, Alex, and Amanda Bernard for their unwavering dedication to our region’s talented songwriters and for generously investing in this meaningful event.