[Koolkat]

Has anyone entered anything in this contest? Does anyone know anything about it?

www.songwritingcontest.co.uk

[Jess]

I think there's quite a few topics about this comp, but hey let's start another one
I entered earlier this year and thought it was a really fun experience as it was my first songwriting competition, but I think the standard is very high! The winner of the lyrics section was a bit random, and some of the other categories seemed to be more about recording quality than content, but I think it's really worth the £15 entry fee. Plus, everyone who enters gets an individual score out of ten- I got a six which I was really proud of and I think fellow forumite Seriousfun got an eight which is amazing!
I would recommend it when it begins again (I think it'll be next year)!

[Koolkat]

Thanks for that. It seems that it may be another way of getting your songs heard by the right people. I know the chances of winning are probably slim but it would be interesting to see how your songs are scored. I have a couple of possibilities I am working on so I think I might give it a try next year. Unfortunately I found out about it too late for this year but it means I can work on my songs a bit longer without rushing them.



 

[Jess]

I think the best thing to do is listen to the previous winners and try and learn as much as you can from their entries (I think you can listen to winners from a couple years ago somewhere so it's worth having a look)

[terrysains]

Very good song I give you 7 out of 10. You didn't win.  £15:00 please, I take Paypal, bank drafts and cash in an envelope. Thank you. NEXT! Terry.

[benjo]

hey,

mmmmm  does make you wonder,
when you look into most things these days
someone's always related to someone who wins
like in football the Redknap's HARRY JAMIE, the Nevill's GARY PHIL the dad NEVIL NEVILL the sister
captain of England netball team, it goes on
I've seen all this go on in football, look at the phone inns on telly and radio not to long ago
they were all fixed and known people won
I think you have to make your own mind up really
but I do think terry has a good point... 

[tina m]

yes i wouldnt touch it with a 10 foot pole ..to be rockn roll about it!....but then again if you sit at home waiting for fame to come to you its not going to happen either ...but you will have £15 to put on the lottery or the horses or the scratch cards etc
 a friend of mine got semi finalist in it this year & hes in america which seemed a little bit wrong to me

[Jess]

No one said it was instant fame, but there is no way someone my age can just go and get a job in this industry, so you've (well I've) got to build a file from somewhere

[tina m]

sorry i didnt realise you were young jess
its good to be enthusiasthic & try evrything & find out for yourself when youve got the energy of youth

age makes you wise but also cynical

[benjo]

I say what I say but I will still enter because you never know
the right person the right place kinda thing
I still put the lotto on but I know i'm not goin to win it
I think that's how they have got us,
you just never know

[hardtwistmusic]

No one said it was instant fame, but there is no way someone my age can just go and get a job in this industry, so you've (well I've) got to build a file from somewhere

I just read that a very young (and very talented) Elton John knocked around undiscovered for five  years from the ages of 15 to 20, then met Bernie Taupin and was paired with him by a music industry person. 

THEN:   The two of them knocked around undiscovered for another six years before breaking through.  I suspect it's not easier now.  The source for this story is Elton John himself.  Read in in an interview he did with an internet writer. 

[benjo]

hey

from what I've heard Elton john was on a fine line until he was sent the states
where I believe it all got started for them,

watched a program last night can't remember what it was called
but it was giving out all the past secrets of what went on in the charts
the shops the radio stations and it makes you sick when you think
if you had a spare couple of grand back then you could get what you wanted
and where you wanted in the music industry

[Boydie]

There could be an argument that it is actually EASIER now

Orson's "No Tomorrow" got to number 1 with less than 18,000 weekly sales!!!!

The relatively recent introduction of downloads has changed this, with Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" getting to #1 with ZERO physical sales

[John Staples]

Has anyone entered anything in this contest? Does anyone know anything about it?

www.songwritingcontest.co.uk

Hi Koolkat,

I entered 2 songs in this year's UK Songwriting Contest, Christmas At Grandpa's (http://www.songwriterforum.co.uk/song-reviews/christmas-at-grandpa%27s/) and Saw A Man. Both received semi-finalist status. My score for Christmas At Grandpa's was 8 out of 10 which they said put it in the top 5% of 5000 songs! I was absolutely thrilled with the results!

To be clear, there are no producers and record execs ringing me up because of it, but I can say for certain I have gotten more airplay and more attention to my music because of the contest results. And it is a nice talking point when discussing your music to be able to say you were a semi-finalist.

I think the point some folks miss about these types of competitions is there are benefits to participating beyond winning. Another benefit, at least to me, is it encourages me to improve my songwriting, my playing, my recording and mixing and submit only the cleanest songs. So, in preparation for next year's contest, I am working on 2 or 3 songs and really going all out to try and make them as good as possible. Maybe I'll get to finalist next year!

[John Staples]

a friend of mine got semi finalist in it this year & hes in america which seemed a little bit wrong to me

hey Tina, now you know how Elvis felt when you sent those Beatles over here!