The Sidney Berne Davis Art Center is excited to once again present some of the best local songwriters as part of this year’s Island Hopper. All artists are members of the Americana Community Music Association, a Fort Myers based not for profit, that promotes year-round original music.

Bio’s

Bill Metts started singing playing guitar during the Country Blues revival of the 1960s and fell in love with the art of finger-style guitar. He has performed at the prestigious Mississippi John Hurt Blues Festival, the world famous “Ground Zero” in Clarksdale Mississippi, at the Will McLean Festival in Brooksville Florida and numerous times in the BMI sponsored Island Hopper Songwriter Festival. For four years he hosted the weekly Songwriter Circle at the Americana Community Music Association located in Fort Myers Florida. Though he occasionally will do selected covers, originals are his preference.

https://billmetts.bandcamp.com/

Robert Bidney is a singer-songwriter whose messages are as strong as his melodies. A seasoned performer, Bidney connects with his audiences through his infectious energy and emotional performances. He has recorded three studio albums to date. An eclectic array of artists around the world have covered his songs, and he’s credited with a number of national radio and TV jingles. “Thank Goodness,” Bidney’s third album, was among the 50 most-played albums on folk radio upon its release in 2023. Bidney was a winner in the 2023 first annual “Music for Humanity” songwriting contest and was a finalist in the 2023 International Acoustic Music Awards. Bidney’s work has been praised by Ben Fong-Torres of Rolling Stone, Lee Zimmerman of Goldmine Magazine and Jon Stein of WTBQ 93.5FM in New York, among others.

https://robertbidney.com/

Roy Schneider, Founding member of the Americana duo Reckless Saints, Roy Schneider has been performing his original music throughout the United States and  abroad for the past two decades. His songs have thrice made him a NewFolk Finalist at the Kerrville Folk Festival (TX), a contestant on NBC’s The Voice – Season 5 and placed him in the Telluride Acoustic Blues competition (CO). No Depression called him “A songwriter in the grandest tradition of Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, Guy Clark and Lyle Lovett, but with a voice, songwriting skill, stagecraft and instrumental talent all his own.”  In April 2023 Roy and Reckless Saints partner, Kim Mayfield, released a new album titled ‘Blue Twangled Folk’n’ Roll, and are currently making preparations for a new live-in-studio record for 2025.”

Reckless Saints

Karen Cohen’s eclectic guitar playing will perk up your ears, while her singing and songwriting will dovetail your heart.  Her voice captures the emotional essence of her songs and resonates with our own personal experience.  Her writing is full of imagery and her melodies are as diverse as the stories behind the songs. Karen’s roots run deep in pre-war fingerstyle Blues, 60’s & 70’s Folk music and she has an affinity for women guitar players of those eras. She Will have you Leaning In! 

Karen lives in Punta Gorda, FL.  She is currently performing at multiple Folk Festivals around Florida, ACMA events and Community showcases. 

Bruce Gallant  For over 40 years, Bruce has been writing songs, using them as a journal to reflect the different times in his life. “I started writing songs in my late 20s and have never stopped. Anything of importance in my life is in one of my songs. Writing is essential for my survival.” Bruce is also on the board of the Americana Community Music Association, and hosts the weekly Singer-Songwriting Circle.