Profile of the International Songwriting Competition

International Songwriting Competition

ISC, or International Songwriting Competition, is held every year and is open to both amateur and professional songwriters, residing in or outside the United States. The said competition was founded in 2002.

ISC offers a number of categories to choose from, these include Adult Contemporary, Children's Music, Country, Folk/Singer-Songwriter, Gospel/Christian, Pop/Top 40 and World Music. They also have Lyrics Only and Music Video categories.

Participants must complete and submit an entry form along with a copy of their song in CD, tape or MP3 format plus two copies of the lyric sheet. You may enter online or by snail mail. There is an entry fee to join this contest. Entries must be original songs; entrants retain ownership rights to their songs. Please visit the ISC Web site for more information.

Songs are judged depending on the category it is entered. Criteria includes Arrangement, Creativity, Lyrics, Melody, Originality and Overall Likeability.

ISC offers monetary and/or in kind prizes depending on how you placed in the competition. There will be a People's Voice Winner, 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in each category, and a Grand Prize Winner who will receive $25,000 in cash plus other prizes.

Deadline for entries is on September 20, 2012. If you're entering via snail mail, your submission must be postmarked on or before the deadline. if you're entering online, your submission must be sent by midnight of September 20, Eastern Standard Time (US). Finalists will be announced on February 2013. Winners will be announced on April 2013.

ISC boasts a prestigious line-up of judges, among them are Tom Watts, Martina McBride, Jeremy Camp, Suzanne Vega, Monte Lipman (President/CEO of Universal Republic Records), Dan McCarroll (President of Capitol/Virgin Label Group), Douglas Cohn (Sr. Vice President, Music Marketing and Talent of Nickelodeon), and Albert Schilcher (VP Music and Music Marketing of MTV International).

For more information on the International Songwriting Competition's rules, deadline of entries, etc., visit their official Web site.

Reference

ISC. (2012). In International Songwriting Competition 2012. Retrieved from http://www.songwritingcompetition.com/

In the words of singer-songwriter Mark Knopfler, "Each song has its own secret that's different from another song, and each has its own life. Sometimes it has to be teased out, whereas other times it might come fast. There are no laws about songwriting or producing. It depends on what you're doing, not just who you're doing."

On that note, here are some related songwriting articles that will help you discover your inner songwriter:

The Songwriter As A Storyteller - Learn what details to include in your song to make it more compelling.

The Parts of a Song - You've heard about the verse, bridge, chorus, refrain, coda, etc. These are all parts of a song; here's a concise explanation of each part.

Strong Opening Lines - Some of the best songs are those that have strong opening lines; here's how to come up with yours.

A Word on Titles - Suggested ideas on coming up with catchy song titles.

Which Comes First, Melody or Lyrics? - When writing a song which comes first, the melody or lyrics? Learn the answer here.

What is a hook? - Definition of the word "hook" as used in music, with examples for further reference.

What is a riff? - Definition of the word "riff" plus some song samples.

Other Song Forms - Other types of lyric writing strategies and guidelines.

Song Collaborations - It is a common practice among musicians to collaborate on songs. Sometimes these collaborative works become huge hits and along the way long-lasting friendships are made.

They Write the Songs - Get to know the men and women behind some of your favorite timeless songs through these profiles.