APRIL 2005 ISSUE
Anatomy of a song contest
For every professional songwriter who has scored a radio hit, there
are thousands of dreamers strumming their guitars with no audience but
the four walls of their messy room and their dog. They may hope to
one day know the thrill of hearing their own musical brilliance
emanating from the next car over at a red light, but they have no idea
where to begin. What happens between creative inspiration and money
in the bank?
Many have talent and desire, but few have the resources to move or
make regular trips to Nashville or L.A. Fewer still have the tenacity
to get that hit song once they get there. So what is a songwriter to
do when just paying the bills takes so much time and energy, it's all
they can do to even write songs, much less record and pitch them?
There is one simple and relatively inexpensive first step for these
creative dreamers: SONG CONTESTS.
Song contests are an excellent opportunity for aspiring songwriters to
promote their talents. One usually gets judging sheets, which should
give honest feedback about your work. Also, just doing something with
your songs will give you a sense of momentum. You could even end up
with some decent prizes and bragging rights, too.
We found over a dozen song contests during our research, from small
contests hosted by various organizations to well known international
contests. This article will compare the Billboard Song Contest, CMT
NSAI Song Contest, and Positive Pop Song Contest, and discuss three
main aspects: judges, prizes, and odds. BILLBOARD SONG CONTEST The Billboard Song Contest is sponsored by Billboard Magazine and has been in place for years. Because it maintains a very high profile, a Billboard award makes an impressive addition to any resume. www.billboard.com/bb/songcontest
JUDGES: As of 2004, entrants receive judging sheets. Billboard says they have "preliminary panels" of judges who are "supervised by songwriting professionals" to screen the entries down to the semifinalists. [Translation - word on the street is, they sometimes use college students to weed out the first round of entries.] Those who make the semifinals are judged by "Billboard's Blue Ribbon Judging Panel".
CMT NSAI SONG CONTEST The CMT NSAI Song Contest is brought to you by Country Music Television and Nashville Songwriters Association International. Although it's sponsored by CMT and based in the Nashville music industry, this contest is not limited to country songs, and boasts some very impressive rewards. www.nashvillesongwriters.com
JUDGES: Judges are a panel of music industry professionals and songwriters. Entrants do receive the judges' critique sheets.
POSITIVE POP SONG CONTEST The Positive Pop Song Contest is brand new to the song contest scene. This contest's only stipulation is that the song lyric be positive. Some writers may be put off by that description, but the contest's "positive" element only refers to limiting lyrics which contain blatant dark, morose, violent, or sexual content. Almost any songwriter has a song in their catalog which meets this definition. They accept songs of all musical styles, which means if you have a few songs that meet the criteria, you could increase your chance of winning. www.positivepopsongcontest.com
JUDGES: All entrants receive judges' feedback, and all judges are qualified music industry professionals and songwriters.
IN SUMMARY: Entering song contests is a great way to get yourself started, with a minimal investment. The main thing is to get your music out there, and to start finding out where you lie on the landscape of professional songwriting, and where you can go with it. Until you put yourself into the market you will never be more than the best songwriter your friends know. Editor's Note: There is also the John Lennon Songwriting Contest: www.jlsc.com
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