4 Qualified Song Contest Perspectives
January 18th, 2010 by Lior ShamirSeveral months ago, I was interviewed for an article in Berklee Today, the Berklee College of Music magazine.
The piece, titled Healthy Competitions, studies the many perspectives on song contests and their changing role as the business of songwriting has evolved and become ever more competitive over the years.
I thought I would share some of these perspectives with you by publishing four quotes from the article which you can read in its entirety here.
“Aspiring songwriters get in trouble when they start looking for the quickest way to achieve their musical goals in the shortest amount of time by doing the least amount of work,” says singer/songwriter Dave Petrelli, the director of events for the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI). “Less-than-legitimate song contests can take advantage of that by promising really unrealistic things.”
“I’m sure that winning a songwriting contest is a positive event, even if it’s only to boost the prestige or stroke the ego of the winner,” Songwriting Department Chair at Berklee, Jack Perricone says. “Because more than money, songwriters need to have their songs acknowledged and to be given hope that they are not writing in a vacuum.”
“We have a proven track record in past years of winners going on to get signed to music publishing contracts, record contracts, and hit the charts,” says Eddie Phoon, the event director for the USA Songwriting Competition. “Kate Voegele got her start by winning first prize at the 2005 USA Songwriting Competition in the Pop category; the record labels took notice. We even placed her at our showcase at South by Southwest, where she was signed after the show by Interscope.”
Emily Shackelton entered the John Lennon/BMI Foundation scholarship competition and won, despite doubt that her song would even get listened to. “I was definitely proven wrong,” Shackelton says. And the win has really made a difference. When Shackelton moved to Nashville, BMI set her up with a rep that landed her a publishing deal. Additionally, last year she placed as a runner-up in the American Idol songwriting contest, and subsequently crowned idol David Cooke sang her song on TV, resulting in nearly 200,000 iTunes downloads and a number 15 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 charts.
What’s your take on this?
January 19th, 2010 at 10:35 am
it’s reassuring.