Great American Songwriting Contest (info/opinion)

[Donna]

I am all ears for any op/ed or info on such contests.

Specifically, has anyone here entered the Great American Songwriting contest?

What do you think of it?

Thanks.

[john]

Hi Donna

One that is regularly entered by members is the ISC (International Songwriting Competition.). There are a few others. Lazz should be able to point you in the right direction on that. I'll have a dig about on the one you mentioned.

Cheers

John

[Donna]

Thanks for answering, john.

[Steve]

I've never entered any competition! Mainly because I don't think my songs are anywhere near good enough...

[Donna]

Not even Songstuff's?

[Steve]

Not even Songstuff's?

I won the Christmas song contest once!

But I was the only entry...

[Donna]

hee hee.

I've thought more about contests than entered (songwriting or otherwise). I'd had really bad experiences w/ a couple when a youngster. It messed w/ my head esp. when this one didn't choose a little be-bop quartet who absolutely smoked the outfit I was in...I couldn't believe the judges, it made me certain it wasn't about talent at all, but about the most commercial thing which could be shoved down everyman's throat.

Maybe like other things, it must be entered into w/ detachment. I was never so happy to see that Songstuff had a contest right when I needed some reason beyond myself to start again - write and record something new. I don't mind competeing, either. I had that feeling like - it'd be considered seriously which is the best one can realistically hope for. It was the BEST experience! Regardless of outcome.

I kinda thought the G Am. Contest could be OK, too, but maybe it was only that I figured I should be grown up enough to accept a "professional" critique (and pay for it via the entrance fee). I don't know. I've seen weird things even in my children's school talent auditions reminiscent of the be-bop guys getting tanked. I guess if one's counting on the exposure a contest can give, well CAN it really give exposure number one, but number two, it'll probably not turn out like that. Yet I do think that auditioning (so to speak) in new situations can be valuable.

[johnthebank]

I have entered the GASC in the last few years and only been a finalist until last year, when I won an HONOR AWARD. I entered a song jointly written with ALAN LAURIS which won an HONOR AWARD in the FOLK'ACOUSTIC section. We were very pleased as the list of judges looks pretty prestigious. Also the entrants are predominantly from the US and CANADA, so any success was doubly sweet. There is nothing to stop any of the judges contacting an entrant if something clicks with them. I've been very impressed so far with their attitude and professionalism, and ben quite willing to pay the fee. If I'm not prepared to show a bit of confidence in my work, why should expect anyone-else to. Good luck if you go for it.

Edited January 2, 2006 by johnthebank

[Donna]

Hey, thanks for that reply, jtb, all of it. I will look further into GASC because of the experience you've had in being taken seriously with curteousy and professionalism.

Is there a link to your award-winning song? That's totally cool, congrats! And I like the part about judges may contact privately if something clicks. That to me says a certain respect (wrong word) right off the bat.

[johnthebank]

Hi Donna if you follow the link to my site you can find Spring Will Come.

The GASC answered a question before from someone asking if judges can contact entrants. The thing is : the songs go through voting stages. A judge may really dig a song but get outvoted. On one of my critiques the judge gave me 10 in 2 sections. At the end of the contest any judge can ask the GASC to contact the entrant asking permission for their details to be forwarded to the judge. I expect the answer would be YESSSSS usually. Anyway it can happen so maybe it does. I'm glad that we won an HONOR AWARD because I can legitimately use their downloaded HONOR AWARD LOGO on my business cards and stationery.

Good luck John

PS . The full song can be found on www.alanlauris.com via the link on my site

Edited January 4, 2006 by johnthebank

[Rudi]

Never entered a contest like this. What do they want? Recordings I spose? That would leave me out.