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A Prolific Songwriter Who’s Finally Getting Some Recognition

David Ray Cecil's music made it to the final rounds of two major songwriting competitions.
David Ray Cecil's music made it to the final rounds of two major songwriting competitions.
David Ray Cecil's music made it to the final rounds of two major songwriting competitions.
Credit Courtesy of David Ray Cecil
David Ray Cecil's music made it to the final rounds of two major songwriting competitions.

Singer and guitarist Dave Ray Cecil began writing music when he was six years old. As a child, he strung notes together on the piano and secretly used his brother’s guitar to write songs.

Since then, he has not stopped making music and makes time to write whenever he feels moved to do so. When he was a real estate agent, he scribbled down bits of new songs in his car in between showing people homes. In the past few years, Cecil has been recognized for his soulful songwriting and was a finalist in two major songwriting competitions: the NewSong Music Competition and Kerrville New Folk Competition. Critics have described his music as having a spiritual and ethereal quality. Cecil shares some of his songs with host Frank Stasio and performs live at the Triad Stage in downtown Greensboro.

Singer/songwriter and guitarist Dave Ray Cecil joins host Frank Stasio to shares some of his songs live at the Triad Stage in downtown Greensboro.

Copyright 2019 North Carolina Public Radio

Longtime NPR correspondent Frank Stasio was named permanent host of The State of Things in June 2006. A native of Buffalo, Frank has been in radio since the age of 19. He began his public radio career at WOI in Ames, Iowa, where he was a magazine show anchor and the station's News Director.
Amanda Magnus grew up in Maryland and went to high school in Baltimore. She became interested in radio after an elective course in the NYU journalism department. She got her start at Sirius XM Satellite Radio, but she knew public radio was for her when she interned at WNYC. She later moved to Madison, where she worked at Wisconsin Public Radio for six years. In her time there, she helped create an afternoon drive news magazine show, called Central Time. She also produced several series, including one on Native American life in Wisconsin. She spends her free time running, hiking, and roller skating. She also loves scary movies.