SONG CONTEST BLOG

We Are Listening has brought together an exceptional panel of judges for an extraordinary international singer songwriter competition called The Singer/Songwriter Awards.  Six gifted song contest winners will choose from six attractive songwriting, recording and marketing related prizes packages, including an exclusive recording session with producer Steve Williams (Sting, Eric Clapton, Seal) in London, England; a one week songwriting retreat in Stockholm, Sweden; television and film placement; 8 week US college and community radio promotion; record mixing and mastering; and CD duplication.  As part of the singer songwriter competition prize package, We Are Listening undertakes to non-exclusively represent the winning songwriters and provide global digital distribution, sync licensing administration and bespoke online promotion.

Launched in 2005, The Singer/Songwriter Awards is We Are Listening’s first and foremost singer songwriter competition.  Since its inception, We Are Listening has added new music industry opportunities to its service roster, venturing beyond the singer songwriter competition to niche initiatives like lyrics-only and World music genre contests.  The company has become one of the leading forces in independent music promotion and boasts the most prestigious singer songwriter competition available to both unsigned and signed songwriters and recording artists.  Its founder, Lior Shamir, is committed to making We Are Listening a next-generation, turn-key solution for independent artists.

Lior Shamir

The Singer/Songwriter Awards from We Are Listening is a prestigious international songwriting contest that takes place six times a year and attracts songwriters and performing artists from across the globe.  The songwriting contest boasts a music industry panel  of the highest caliber and offers a range of songwriting, recording and marketing related prizes for unsigned and professional artists.  For lyricists, We Are Listening has developed a lyrics-only songwriting contest called the Lyric Writer Awards, the first independent songwriting contest to offer a co-writing and publishing deal, and takes place four times a year.  Songwriters that write in any language other than English have also been catered to with a world music song contest called the World of Music Awards, a songwriting contest for foreign-language and instrumental composers that reflects the rich variety of music and culture from every corner of the world.

Founded in 2004, We Are Listening provides aspiring and established artists with relevant music industry opportunities and artist development services.  In addition to its songwriting contest initiatives, We Are Listening caters to fledgling songwriters with a unique approach to music education through professional feedback and on-going evaluations.  Armed with a 37-strong panel of the music industry elite, We Are Listening is quickly becoming one of the leading independent music companies in the new music economy.

We Are Listening currently accepts entries for three international song contests: The Singer/Songwriter Awards, Lyric Writer Awards, and World of Music Awards. 

The Singer/Songwriter Awards is a song contest for songwriters writing original material with English-language lyrics in any genre.  The songs may be the product of more than one songwriter and winners have a choice of six song contest prizes, including a trip to London to record the winning song.  Participants are not required to be the performing artist on the recorded submission. 

The Lyric Writer Awards is an English-language, lyrics-only song contest in any genre.  The lyrics may be the product of more than one lyricist and winners enjoy professional publishing opportunities in the US market. 

The World of Music Awards is a world music genre song contest.  The songs are not required to contain words and, those that do, may be recorded and submitted in any language.  All entries may be the product of a songwriting team and, like The Singer/Songwriter Awards song contest, participants are not required to be the performing artist on the recorded submission.  Winners receive a fully-financed trip to world music festival, WOMEX, accompanied by one of We Are Listening’s music industry veterans.

We Are Listening also provides songwriters and performing artists with an assessment service as well as a special performance-oriented contest called Breaking the Band.  All of this and more on We Are Listening’s music contest page.

This is an exciting time for the music industry and its emerging artists.  Although there is still some confusion as to how music should be consumed online, it is evident that the systems available to both the artist and the consumer are challenging the traditional practice of the music industry, specifically the record industry.  The internet has empowered artists with user-friendly applications for self promotion and sales.  Resultantly, consumers can reach artists directly and visa versa.  This relationship allows the artist to take control of his business.  For instance, performing artists and songwriters can now choose to make their songs available online on a specific date for a specific period of time, set the price, provide discounts or even share them for free, all which are decisions typically taken by the record label.  Not anymore, for the most part.

In today’s music industry, the potential for you to develop a direct and intimate relationship with your audience is far greater than ever before.  By nurturing a relationship with your fanbase, you are in fact learning about their wants and needs, likes and dislikes and, of course, how to increase your appeal.  Consider the value of truly ‘knowing’ your audience, no matter how big you’re fortunate enough to become. 

Although the record industry has taken a massive beating and will probably continue to, the music industry is fit and healthy and beginning to embrace a prosperous new dawn.

As songwriters, how are we ensuring that we get better at what we do?  Do we wait for a lightning bolt of inspiration to hit us in the middle of the night, only to discover that we forgot to set aside a pen and paper on the bedside table?  Or, are we jamming with our band until we find a riff we all agree on and then charge the vocalist with the arduous task of writing the lyrics before next band practice?

I have spoken with many songwriters in my time.  Some have declared that their songs come from hours of writing and rewriting, whilst others confessed to a twenty minute muck-around and, voila, a song is born!  Even songwriters that consistently produce hits can get better.  No matter how successful or reputed your music is, there is always room for improvement.  If music is your life, then music is your life’s work.  And work it is!

Songwriting is a series of disciplined decisions.  You begin with a certain set of rules that you intend to stick to.  Rules?  Okay, guidelines.  For example, you choose a language, a key, a metre, a feeling you want to express etc.  Of course, these can change but one must begin somewhere…  In my case, I always write in English, on a guitar or piano and choose a key to work in.  I think of the story I want to tell and build from there.   As part of my songwriting exercise regimen, I force myself to start differently.  For instance, I mix things up by changing instruments or working off a song title from a newspaper headline.  Sometimes, I will try to write in odd metres or keys outside of my comfort zone.  It keeps me on my feet.

Here are a couple of tips to sharpen your songwriting chops:

- Set aside some time for yourself to write (not high, drunk or tired!)
- Listen to music you wouldn’t usually listen to
- Try to write in an unfamiliar musical style/genre
- Try writing a happy song – surprisingly hard!
- Write on a different instrument
- Collaborate with other writers
- Use a rhyming dictionary
- Analyse music you wish you wrote
- Try different song forms ( AABA, AAA, Vs Ch, Vs pre-Ch Ch etc.)
- Make a handy list of metaphors, alliterations, powerful rhymes and hooks
- Try to write a soundtrack or underscore to a visual excerpt, home video or film
- Try writing a radio jingle for a specific product or service
- Read poetry

When I first arrived in Boston back in 1996 to begin my studies at Berklee College of Music, I had preconceived notions about the process of songwriting.  Like many ‘natural’ songwriters, I felt that songwriting came from within; free from form, rules, or a specific discipline.  I decided to major in songwriting and began to study its craft in the commercial sphere.  During the span of my four year degree, I picked up specific songwriting tools and strategies to make songwriting as much a professional discipline as an intuitive recreation.  Songwriting is as methodical as it is artistic.  Or, rather, ‘professional’ songwriting (i.e. songwriting for recording artists, radio jingles, television etc.) is as much a professional craft as a vocational talent.  For fledgling songwriters, I highly recommend an in-depth revision of ‘successful’ songs from the last two or three decades.  Whether it’s “Yesterday” by The Beatles or “Yellow” by Coldplay, I am confident that you will find patterns – tried and tested songwriting principles – that will guide you when you craft your songs.  Once you have a number of songs you feel good about, go out and get as much professional feedback as you can.  Try entering a song competition too (if the organizers provide an assessment service).  Remember: the record industry is founded on superb songwriting because that’s where the money’s at!

Overplay, the independent artist platform for music promotion and discovery, announced today that they have given their website a facelift and added some exciting new interface features.  To celebrate this re-launch, Overplay are accepting free entries for their international song competition, “Play & Rate”, for which I have been a member of their song competition panel for some time now.

Since 2003, Overplay has been providing independent artists and fans with communication tools and promotional incentives with a one-stop-shop platform.  In addition to a variety of awards, sweeps and the “Play & Rate” international song competition, Overplay empowers fledgling artists to sell their digital assets and merchandise directly to their fanbase.

SoundOut, a member of the SliceThePie family, is an innovative platform for music marketing testing, providing its users (independent artists, labels) with detailed consumer research before releasing their music to the public.  Users upload their songs to the site anonymously and the songs are scrutinized in a focus-group environment by members of SliceThePie.  It acts as another means for independent artists and labels to learn about and better target their audience before spending lots of money on going to market with their music.  It’s also an excellent resource to help guide the decision makers as to which song from the album should be the ‘single’.  Whether SoundOut has really gone to bat by ensuring that the necessary focus-group conditions have been met remains to be seen.  However, it is a great idea and, for only $20 – $50, certainly worth a test drive.

The New York Songwriters Circle Loft Series is a monthly gathering designed to support a thriving community of musicians at all levels and abilities through education, information, and peer-to-peer interaction. By bringing in top-notch industry experts and talent, as well as providing a forum for all artists to express their individual needs, the Loft Series offers a caring and supportive environment for artists to be artists while sharing knowledge, experience and ideas.

THIS MONTH: Publishing! Wait, what?

WHEN: Tuesday, January 27th, 2009, 7pm

WHERE: The Baycrest Loft

362 Broadway, Corner of Franklin, Suite #2S
New York City

Special Guest speaker: Entertainment Attorney Ronald Bienstock, Bienstock & Michael, P.C

For more information.

Obama Girl

Michelle Citrin