Mary Segato Wins Best Song Of The Month Contest

Mary Segato, a pop songwriter based in Nova Scotia, Canada, has won the SongwriterUniverse “Best Song Of The Month” Contest for February, for her song “Don’t Give Up On Me” (co-written by Mark Zubek of Toronto). Segato has yet to achieve the professional songwriting credits of some of our previous song contest winners, but “Don’t Give Up On Me” is an impressive song which is quickly getting excellent feedback from music sites and radio stations.

“Don’t Give Up On Me” is a graceful, heartfelt ballad which is well crafted. The song starts off softly with a piano-based arrangement and a soulful lead vocal performance by Mark Zubek. Then in the chorus, the emotion of the song reaches a higher level, aided by the expressive vocal harmonies of Connor Vincent. This recording was expertly produced by Zubek, who is known for producing and developing new artists, and has recorded and toured with prominent artists in several genres.

Segato grew up in Halifax, NS, and then lived in Vancouver, BC for 15 years. She now lives in Wolfville, a town near Halifax. Segato learned to play guitar when she was 12, and was inspired by listening to such artists as Bob Seger, John Denver and Gordon Lightfoot. However, she didn’t seriously pursue her music or her songwriting early on.

After college, she decided to get married and had children, and was a stay-at-home mom for years. “I started writing poetry in my 20s, and when I returned to Nova Scotia and my kids got older, I started writing songs,” explained Segato. “I wanted to get to my passion, which was music. I bought a Tascam recorder and started writing many songs and recording rough demos. I also joined a songwriters association in Canada.”

In 2012, Segato worked with producer Angelo Bundini of Los Angeles, to record & release a 10-song album of her songs, called Heart Strings. “It’s a compilation of songs I’d written, and the album features a collection of singers mostly from L.A.,” she said. “Then I started entering some of these songs in competitions, which were selected as semifinalists in several song contests.”

For “Don’t Give Up Me,” Segato decided to work with Mark Zubek in Toronto. “Mark produced the song and polished it up,” she said. “He made a good suggestion, which is to double up on the chorus, which made the chorus sound better.”

Currently, Segato continues to write & demo new songs, and she’s pleased with the positive response from “Don’t Give Up On Me.” “My goal is to get placements and to have an established artist record my song.”

“I’d like to thank all the singers, producers and musicians who have worked with me so far. I’d also like to thank my husband Peter, who’s been a big believer in my songwriting, and he’s always encouraged me.”