From singers to actors to musicians, Northwest Louisiana is teeming with extraordinary young talent. 

And while many people outside the arts community may not be aware, a local vocal coach noted the abundance.

A vocal coach who had worked with singers and musicians throughout the ArkLaTex and beyond, Jennifer Dowd knew local students possessed the skill to compete with performers from across the country. 

However, these students often lacked access. Typically, aspiring creatives need to be in a hub such as New York City or Nashville to gain access to training, opportunities, mentorship and industry connections.

Instead of sending students away to find these resources, Dowd decided to bring the resources to the students by founding Songbook South in April 2017. 

The organization provides aspiring performers with professional-level instruction, mentorship and networking opportunities right in their own backyard.

“We have a wealth of young talent in this area,” said Songbook South Founder/President Dowd. “I wanted to bring my contacts down from New York and Nashville to be in our realm here in Shreveport-Bossier.”

Since founding Songbook South, nationally recognized educators, performers and industry professionals – originally from the ArkLaTex – have traveled to Northwest Louisiana to help students improve their skills, provide connections and educate them on the business side of entertainment. Dowd said, “[These entertainers] have a particularly special place in their hearts for our young people.”

This month, the organization is hosting its 11th annual Songbook South Inspiration Weekend on Sept. 18 and 19. There will be music workshops and lectures, and the event ends with a High School Vocal Competition, where Dowd says the top three vocalists win cash prizes.

This year, Laurel Massé, founding member of the Manhattan Transfer and world-renowned jazz singer, her longtime accompanist/arranger/music director, Dean Rolando, and singer, director and choreographer, Dr. Briana Sosenheimer, are working with the vocal intensive participants at Centenary College. 

Massé and Rolando are also appearing and performing at a public screening of the new biopic “Laurel Massé: How Can I Keep From Singing,” at the Robinson Film Center on Thursday, Sept. 17.

“We’ve had a history of bringing in many industry luminaries to work with our youth over the years,” Dowd said. “This not only allows them to learn from these guest artists and educators, but they also forge a relationship with them that they can then use when they are ready to become professionals.”

Those connections have become one of the organization’s defining strengths. 

Students often maintain relationships with mentors long after workshops and competitions end, creating a network that can help guide them through college programs, auditions, career decisions and professional opportunities.

C.E. Byrd graduate and SongBook South alumnus, Braden Tucker, is a senior at the University of Louisiana Monroe. His years with the organization helped him foster relationships with clinicians and mentors from across the country.

“SongBook South allowed me to work with world-renowned performers that helped shape my emotive, vocal, and overall performance capabilities,” he said. “These clinicians also gave me so much access to music business knowledge and – hopefully – a leg up once I get into the industry myself!”

Parents also serve as witnesses of the organization’s enduring influence.

Lisa Huber has watched her daughter, Leah Huber, grow alongside Songbook South since the organization’s earliest days. 

Now 27 years old, Leah’s career reflects the kind of pathway Songbook South hopes to create for aspiring performers.

After high school, Leah earned a Bachelor of Music degree before pursuing advanced opera studies. She is currently performing with an opera troupe in Pittsburgh. When she isn’t rehearsing or performing, Leah also teaches voice to students of her own.

Looking back on her daughter’s journey, Huber credits Songbook South with helping prepare Leah for success.

“Songbook South prepared her and gave her the resources to succeed,” Huber said. “They helped her develop the skills, confidence, and network necessary for a highly competitive field.”

For many participants, Songbook South serves as both a launching pad and a support system, helping them navigate the often-complex world of performing arts.

Last year, Bianca Mattyson Rios was referred to the SongBook South High School Vocal Competition: Great American Songbook Edition 2025 by her choir director. She was accepted as a top 10 national finalist and participated in both a two-day master class intensive and the competition.

“I gained so much through this opportunity, not only as a performer, but as a person,” she said. “I was proud to be named the 2025 grand prize winner…at 16 years old and a junior in high school,” said Rios.

Rios said she also learned simplicity is key in order to reflect authenticity, and doing less allows her to “live in the song, lyrics, character, and moments.”

For Dowd, those moments of discovery remain at the heart of everything Songbook South does.

“You just see that look come over their face that they’ve discovered something,” she said. “And it changes them forever.”

If you’d like to audition for the Songbook South Singers or competitions, or become a board member or donor, contact Jennifer Dowd at info@songbooksouth.org.