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Best Songwriting Contests: Guidelines, Prizes, John Lennon, VH1, International Songwriting Competition
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Published: August 23, 2007
Music is a wonderful thing, and people invest in it for a number of reasons. Whether it is personal edification, a trick to lure in mates, or just a creative outlet for the inner impulse, many learn to pick up the guitar or pluck away at the piano. After playing for some time, people usually learn to excel and start writing songs of their own, songs friends suggest could play on the radio someday.
The musicians build confidence, develop their music repertoire, and start to look for a venue for their music. When it comes to the veritable lotto of music, few things offer a possibility for immediate gratification as the songwriting contest.
There are a plethora of songwriting contests in the US with varying contest prizes and guidelines. One of the most popular songwriting contests began in 1997, the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. Amateurs and professionals alike have the opportunity to submit songs of five-minute length or less in either of the two sessions held annually. The songwriting contest requires only the song, an accompanying lyric sheet for songs with lyrics in them, a $30 fee for each song submitted, and a completed application. Songwriters may submit to any of the 12 categories ranging from Rock to Jazz to Electronic to Children's. Each year, judges select 72 Finalists, 24 Grand Prize Winners and 12 Lennon Award Winners. For one truly gifted individual, the songwriting contest offers the Maxell Song of the Year. Songwriting contest prizes range from iPod shuffles to $5,000 of studio equipment, to even a week of touring and performing on the Warped Tour. Judges for the competition include John Legend, Bob Weir of Grateful Dead fame, Al Jarreau and scores of other familiar faces to the music community.
Though slightly less popular than the John Lennon contest, the simply named International Songwriting Competition (ISC) also offers musicians the world over to send in their music for review. The International Songwriting Competition's guidelines appear fairly lax, with submissions of any length accepted, involving any musicians the song's author sees fit to use, and accepts song lyrics by themselves. Song categories for this songwriting competition also vary more broadly than the John Lennon contest. Also, the judges intend to use the categories more as a guide than a means of confining the artist. The fee of $30 a song is identical to the above songwriting competition. As for contest prizes, the ISC includes $25,000 in cash alongside $20,000 in merchandise and services for the overall grand prize. Other winners earn thousands of dollars in merchandise and services, and a special full scholarship for the Berklee College summer program for the first prize winner in the teen category.
Song of the Year also provides an annual competition with direct links to VH1 and its Save the Music program. Contestants work toward receiving monthly nods in each respective category, then judges select one song to represent each of the 10 categories of the competition, finally settling upon a single overall winner of the competition. The guidelines indicate a $29.95 fee for the first song submission and $19.95 for each additional song or to enter the first song in a second category. Songwriting contest prizes range from cash prizes to music-related software to help the songwriter develop their skills. Proceeds from the songwriting contest help support VH1 and its mission to maintain music programs in schools.
So the avenues for success in the music world are out there - via a songwriting contest - just waiting for the right songwriter to come forward and submit. The songwriting contest prizes are considerable, though the musician will assuredly find something more fulfilling from the experience than the cash prize. After all, claiming to be an internationally acclaimed artist functions as a great introductory line in any conversation.
Sources:
"About the Contest." John Lennon Songwriting Contest. 13 Aug. 2007. http://www.jlsc.com/about.php.
"About the Contest." Song of the Year. 13 Aug. 2007. http://www.songoftheyear.com/about.htm.
"Awards and Prizes - 2007." John Lennon Songwriting Contest. 13 Aug. 2007. http://www.jlsc.com/prizes.php.
"Awards and Prizes - 2007." John Lennon Songwriting Contest. 13 Aug. 2007. http://www.jlsc.com/prizes.php.
"FAQ." International Songwriting Competition. 13 Aug. 2007. http://www.songwritingcompetition.com/FAQ2007.html .
"Judges and Prizes." International Songwriting Competition. 13 Aug. 2007. http://www.songwritingcompetition.com/prizejudge.h tm.
"Meet the Judges." John Lennon Songwriting Contest. 13 Aug. 2007. http://www.jlsc.com/judges.php.
"Prizes." Song of the Year. 13 Aug. 2007. http://www.songoftheyear.com/prizes.htm.
"Rules and Regulations." Song of the Year. 13 Aug. 2007. http://www.songoftheyear.com/rules.htm.
Related Articles
There are a plethora of songwriting contests in the US with varying contest prizes and guidelines. One of the most popular songwriting contests began in 1997, the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. Amateurs and professionals alike have the opportunity to submit songs of five-minute length or less in either of the two sessions held annually. The songwriting contest requires only the song, an accompanying lyric sheet for songs with lyrics in them, a $30 fee for each song submitted, and a completed application. Songwriters may submit to any of the 12 categories ranging from Rock to Jazz to Electronic to Children's. Each year, judges select 72 Finalists, 24 Grand Prize Winners and 12 Lennon Award Winners. For one truly gifted individual, the songwriting contest offers the Maxell Song of the Year. Songwriting contest prizes range from iPod shuffles to $5,000 of studio equipment, to even a week of touring and performing on the Warped Tour. Judges for the competition include John Legend, Bob Weir of Grateful Dead fame, Al Jarreau and scores of other familiar faces to the music community.
Though slightly less popular than the John Lennon contest, the simply named International Songwriting Competition (ISC) also offers musicians the world over to send in their music for review. The International Songwriting Competition's guidelines appear fairly lax, with submissions of any length accepted, involving any musicians the song's author sees fit to use, and accepts song lyrics by themselves. Song categories for this songwriting competition also vary more broadly than the John Lennon contest. Also, the judges intend to use the categories more as a guide than a means of confining the artist. The fee of $30 a song is identical to the above songwriting competition. As for contest prizes, the ISC includes $25,000 in cash alongside $20,000 in merchandise and services for the overall grand prize. Other winners earn thousands of dollars in merchandise and services, and a special full scholarship for the Berklee College summer program for the first prize winner in the teen category.
Song of the Year also provides an annual competition with direct links to VH1 and its Save the Music program. Contestants work toward receiving monthly nods in each respective category, then judges select one song to represent each of the 10 categories of the competition, finally settling upon a single overall winner of the competition. The guidelines indicate a $29.95 fee for the first song submission and $19.95 for each additional song or to enter the first song in a second category. Songwriting contest prizes range from cash prizes to music-related software to help the songwriter develop their skills. Proceeds from the songwriting contest help support VH1 and its mission to maintain music programs in schools.
So the avenues for success in the music world are out there - via a songwriting contest - just waiting for the right songwriter to come forward and submit. The songwriting contest prizes are considerable, though the musician will assuredly find something more fulfilling from the experience than the cash prize. After all, claiming to be an internationally acclaimed artist functions as a great introductory line in any conversation.
Sources:
"About the Contest." John Lennon Songwriting Contest. 13 Aug. 2007. http://www.jlsc.com/about.php.
"About the Contest." Song of the Year. 13 Aug. 2007. http://www.songoftheyear.com/about.htm.
"Awards and Prizes - 2007." John Lennon Songwriting Contest. 13 Aug. 2007. http://www.jlsc.com/prizes.php.
"Awards and Prizes - 2007." John Lennon Songwriting Contest. 13 Aug. 2007. http://www.jlsc.com/prizes.php.
"FAQ." International Songwriting Competition. 13 Aug. 2007. http://www.songwritingcompetition.com/FAQ2007.html .
"Judges and Prizes." International Songwriting Competition. 13 Aug. 2007. http://www.songwritingcompetition.com/prizejudge.h tm.
"Meet the Judges." John Lennon Songwriting Contest. 13 Aug. 2007. http://www.jlsc.com/judges.php.
"Prizes." Song of the Year. 13 Aug. 2007. http://www.songoftheyear.com/prizes.htm.
"Rules and Regulations." Song of the Year. 13 Aug. 2007. http://www.songoftheyear.com/rules.htm.
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