California Student Wins Songwriting Contest For Teens

I always find it a refreshing change when there is an even for teenagers specifically. Here, we have a songwriting contest in California for 16 year old teenagers. Giving them the oppertunity to shine in front of a panal of judges which include the likes of Alicia Keys, Damisn Marley and Sara Evens to name a few.

Check out the article and the winner. (below).

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Laurel Dammann, a 16-year-old high school junior from Arcata, Calif., is the winner of the 2006 Songwriting Contest for Teens sponsored by Billboard and USA Today.

Inspired by the theme "come together," Dammann's song "Through the Fall" beat out more than 5,000 other student entries from across the country. Her song was chosen unanimously by the panel of celebrity judges -- Alicia Keys, Damian Marley, Bow Wow, Hoobastank and Sara Evans -- as the best of 10 finalists (the first unanimous vote in the contest's five-year history).

"It's about prejudices and stereotypes. Everybody has them," says Dammann of her winning song. "The problem is, some don't look past the differences to see the person and, if they're in trouble, help them out."

As the winner, she receives a trip for two to the Billboard Music Awards in December in Las Vegas, where she'll hang out backstage; a $1,000 U.S. savings bond; and a Sony DVD/CD burner and production software. Runner-up Nathan J. Campbell, 14, of Brooklyn, N.Y., who gets USA WEEKEND in the New York Daily News, wins a $500 savings bond and Sony software.

Perhaps the biggest prize, Dammann says, is having her words printed in a national magazine. "I'm definitely excited about winning," she says. "It's given me more confidence because I've never really let people read [my music]."

Source www.billboard.com / Chris M. Walsh


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Lemar Meets and Greets Fans At Rock FM

Soul singer-songwriter Lemar has gone through quite a journey from the 'pop idol' days. He has now sold a boastful 1.5 million records from his first two albums, Dedicated and Time To Grow.

His latest offering The Truth About Love is set to be released on September 11th and he has been promoting the first single at Prestons Radio Station Rock FM.

Check out the article.

Calvin






The soul singer was at Rock FM to promote his new album The Truth About Love which is out on September 11.

The 27-year-old, who was a special guest at last year's Red Rose Awards, was also plugging the first single from the record, called It's Not That Easy, which is released on September 4.

He recorded an interview with mid-afternoon DJ Rick Vaughn which will air later this week.

And he made time to meet up to 100 fans who turned up at the radio station's St Paul's Square headquarters.

Click here to finish reading the article

Source http://www.lep.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=73&ArticleID=1680272

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Ferdinand Plan New Material Only Singles

The following news is directly taken from www.pr-inside.com...


Scottish hitmakers FRANZ FERDINAND have vowed to only release new material on singles in future.

The TAKE ME OUT rockers are convinced reverting to 1960s practice, when it was inconceivable for a band to release an album track as a single, will boost their creativity.
Frontman ALEX KAPRANOS says, "Putting out new singles is very good for the progression of a band's songwriting."

Songwriter Chapin Set to Perform at Café Arabica in Morristown

Jen Chapin is a New York-based singer-songwriter on the rise. Her 2004 Hybrid Recordings release, Linger, has earned the highest praise from sources as diverse as National Public Radio's All Things Considered, People, The Today Show, and Entertainment Weekly. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel lauded Linger as being "smart, observant, lyrically deft, politically aware and emotionally intuitive" while The Boston Globe called it simply: "addictive."

Now, 2 albums on, she is getting lit up to promote her new and highly anticipated album, 'Ready'.

She is set to perform at Café Arabica in Morristown on September 9th where she is accompanied by her trio band - including her husband Stephan Crump on acoustic bass.

Check out the article. (below)

Calvin

New York singer-songwriter Jen Chapin shares tastes and values with her husband, bassist Stephan Crump, when they work together on various music projects.

"We always set the ground rules early on as far as not stressing one another out," she said. "We try to keep things light and fun because we can both be pretty intense. But it gives both of us this arena where we can interact and share and respect each other's work ethic and artistry."

Chapin will perform with her trio (Crump on acoustic bass, Jamie Fox on electric guitar) at Café Arabica in Morristown Friday and again Sept. 9.

"It's all about performing with people you enjoy as individuals, not just as musicians,"she said. "The trio is a really great setting for being able to listen and respond to each other. There are enough elements to have richness and variety to the sound, but there are also moments where it's sparse and almost silent. We all have a great time."

Click here to finish reading the article

Source www.dailyrecord.com / by Robert Hicks

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Simon Fuller Not Sitting Idle

Music industry Mogul Simon Fuller has his sights on taking things to 'higher heights' with his vision of incorperating a songwriting competition in the pop idol show and producing it for the next 'American Idol' to sing.

Pop Idol - despite being a cultural phenomenon has had more failures than success, in terms of producing 'winning hit-making artists'. The successes of artists such as Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood are a display of what the show 'can' produce - but on the whole there is more hype then musicianship.

Still, this won't stop Fuller from world domination. He's approach has always been one to admire - regardless of whether you like his public persona, or indeed despise the man.

Check out the article here. (below)

Calvin

THE Mogul Who Swallowed Pop Culture is perched in his office high abovebustling Sunset Boulevard, scheming. His groundbreaking project is thebehemoth that has come to rule not only television, but also much ofthe entertainment landscape.

Butif you thought Simon Fuller, the British creator of "American Idol,"would be sitting back by now celebrating his success, think again.

"I'm hungry," he says, and he's not talking about his next meal.

Nextitem on his agenda: taking the unscripted talent show to, yes, evenhigher heights, this time with a songwriting competition that will beincorporated into the show and produce a song that will be sung by thenext "American Idol."

After that, he plans to revolutionize the entertainment arena furtherthrough his production company, 19 Entertainment, and otherpartnerships. He wants to start using unique strategies that, in hisview, will change the way talent is developed and exposed.

Click here to finish reading the article.

Source www.latimes.com / by Greg Braxton, Times Staff Writer

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Songwriting Service Provides Quick Connections to Music Publishers, Record Labels, and Others in the Music Industry

After you've written your best songs, and you feel you want to pitch them, there is a very frustrating and often long period before anybody with high importance actually gets to listen to it. And even then, it's not just about listening to it, but 'doing something with your song' that will enable you to finally have some sort of career in songwriting.

Songwritingconnection.com is a songwriting service that 'connects' songwriters to artists, publishers, record labels, managers and agents. As simple looking as this website may look, it's impact is pretty huge.

They would send email or postal queries for songwriter to music publishers, record labels, managers and agents and help you write a powerful 'query letter' and target companies according to the location, genre or size. It's a way to fully maximize your chance of getting a response with your material.

In fact, they don't deal solely with songwriting - but also book publishing and pitching scripts for TV.

Read a recent article on songwritingconnection here.

Calvin

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Nashville Folk Festival Returning For Third Year

The annual American Folk festival is one which has only been around for a few years, yet it has grown into one of the most upscale and laidback music festivals in the Nashville area.

Even though the festival is a one-day event, the performers are allowed to bring their families and given lakeside cabins for the weekend.

Check out the article...

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Kaleidoscope Media and Nashville Scene announce that the third annual Americana Folk Festival will be held Oct. 21 at Montgomery Bell State Park in Dickson.

Legendary singer/songwriter Patty Griffin is the headline artist for this year’s festival.

With at least 30 musical acts in bluegrass, Americana, folk and jazz, an arts village and a beautiful Tennessee state park as the backdrop, the 2006 festival will be one to remember, organizers said.

Ask any musical artist about their influences, and it’s a sure bet that Griffin will be named within most everyone’s list.....

Click here to finish reading the rest of the article.

Source www.dicksonherald.com

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James Morrison Could Never Have Been a Van Driver!...

Pop newcomer JAMES MORRISON is thrilled with his burgeoning chart career, because it takes his mind off losing out on his original dream - driving vans.

The YOU GIVE ME SOMETHING star was sacked for crashing several of the vans he was being employed to clean, because he simply couldn't resist getting behind the wheel.

But he became so depressed after being fired, he immediately turned to songwriting to channel his woes.

He says, "In many ways, getting the bullet was the best thing that ever happened to me.

"They gave me the boot because I crashed a couple of vans." A friend adds, "He was devastated when he got the sack, but it worked out well because it inspired him to write this album (UNDISCOVERED)."

Source http://www.pr-inside.com/morrisons-white-van-misery-r13742.htm

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A Quick Chat With Chris Carrabba...

Few recent singer-songwriters have injected their audiences with as much fervor for the song as Chris Carrabba. His troubadour revues under the stage name Dashboard Confessional are showcases of youthful longing come lyrically alive.

To watch 2500 of his fans sing along to every tune at the top of their lungs is to behold a catharsis seemingly unmatched in alternative pop-rock circles since the mid-'80s heyday of the Smiths.

Over here, VH-1 link up with the man for a quick chat...

Calvin

VH1: How old you were when you started writing songs and what were some of your early inspirations?

Chris Carrabba: I began writing at about age 15, because that'swhen I was given a guitar, but I noodled with melody all the time.That's the one gimme I got: I had to work hard to become a good playerand singer, but hearing melody and harmony has come prettyeasily to me; it's something I'm really interested in othersongwriters, that added thing that draws me into a song, really deeply.When I start to take pieces apart, I realize that the part that grabbedme was this strange harmony.

VH1: What's a good example of that early in your life?....

Click here to finish reading the 'quick interview'.

Source www.VH1.com/news

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Using Musical Hooks in a Song

There are of course many example of songs where different types of hooks are used. Using different musical hooks can make a song irresistibly interesting.

Madonna's multi-platinum hit 'Music' (from year 2000) is of those songs that exposes nearly nothing but hooks.

The song hits an underlying musical hook (reminiscent of the organ riff in The Animals '60s hit, 'It's My Life') combined with an unstoppable groove created by Miruais Ahmadzai (who co-wrote the track with Madonna).

Of course too many musical hooks can spoil a song, but over here you have some pretty cool lyrical content (though not clever - simply 'cool') to even out the pitch.

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Nirvana: Using the ABCABCABC Song Structure

When you write a song, you have one of a few ways to structure it. In a few posts ago, I mentioned a very common song format 'ABAB' which the soul singer Alicia Keys used in her songs 'Fallin'. In that case, 'A' would be the verse and 'B' would be the chorus.

In this example, Nirvana pull out all the stops and use the 'ABCABCABC' song format. This is where 'A' is the verse, 'B' is the pre-chorus (ie. the link to the chorus) and 'C' being the chorus itself.

This gets even more interesting when they add an instrumental after the second chorus.

Of course the thing that strikes me most about this song is what the song is about. To this day, I'm still trying to think of one meaning.

It's a fine example of how powerful melody can be. Check out the song....

Calvin

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Singer/Songwriter Derek Webb To Give Away Mockingbird CD!

Now this is what I call good a good business strategy. While it's certainly not a new one, it's definitely one to score with in the music industry.

Singer songwriter Derek Webb is set to GIVE AWAY his 'brilliantly reviewed and controversial' album, Mockingbird. It will be announced and launched on the website www.freederekwebb.com and anybody will be able to go online and listen & download the album.

And that's not all. We are able to SHARE the album as well. It's a very clever way of dealing out your songs, and I believe will pay off big time for future.

Check out the article here.

Calvin

"Derek has always been an innovator and forward thinker in his life, songwriting and musical endeavors, and this FREE DEREK WEBB campaign is an example of such creativity," commented INO Records' President Jeff Moseley.

"We fully support Derek and this brave idea and are looking forward to watching fans react to his efforts."Mockingbird tackles many sensitive issues including poverty, war, and the basic ethics by which we live and deal with others in a raw way that has made some people uncomfortable. But that's okay with Webb. "I'm not trying to push buttons or make people upset," he......

Click here to finish reading the article.

Soruce http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060731/clm069.html?.v=43 / Derek Webb

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Songwriter Guy Hill -- A Texas Treasure

When you throw enough mud on the wall, some is bound to stick.

The statement holds true of songwriter Guy Hill who never stopped writing since the age of 18 and never left his guitar - wherever he went.

Check out the article...

Calvin


Guy Hill has been a songwriter for 33 years. Hill's songs have had the interest of several major country recording artists. Greenville, TX (PRWEB) July 31, 2006 -- Guy Hill has been writing songs for 33 years. Hill was born in Austin Texas and now lives in Greenville, Texas, about an hour from Dallas.

Hill has caught the eye of several major country recording artists as a result of his songs being pitched to them through LucKi Entertainment, LLC. Artists such as Gretchen Wilson, John Anderson, Hank Williams, Jr., Kentucky Headhunters, George Strait, Chris LaDoux, Cimarron, Pam Tillis, George Jones, Dwight Yoakum, Steve Holy, Chris Cagle, Dolly Parton, Ricky Skaggs, George Canyon and Randy Travis, and others.

His earliest musical influence was Hank Williams. Hill used to listen to his records as a small child. Hill also listened to his AuntÂ’s 50Â’s rock and roll records. Hill began making up songs to entertain himself at a very early age.

When he was 18 he got his first guitar. Hill taught himself to play. He practiced constantly taking the guitar with him everywhere he went. The first song he learned to play was "DonÂ’t Be Angry" by Stonewall Jackson. It was then he began songwriting in earnest. By this time Hill's musical influences were Bob Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot, the Eagles, Gram Parsons, Rodney Crowell, Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, George Jones, EmmyLou Harris, and others.

Click here to finish reading the article

Source http://www.prweb.com

Michael Jackson: An Overlooked classic...

Leaving aside all the hysteria that surrounds Michael Jackson, he still remains a great pop songwriter.

Here is one of his most over looked singles, 'Stranger In Moscow'.

According to Jackson, he wrote the song while on tour in Russia.

The song was a successful European hit but is all too forgotten because of the dance remixes that overplayed the original version.

Here's the video - which might I add captures the essence of isolation and loneliness, beautifully.








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Sonya Kitchell on Pop Idol: "No, thank you, not really interested."

Sonya Kitchell's rare gift may result from some fortuitous conspiracyof genetics and environment, or it may be the manifestation ofsomething more mystical -- but there's certainly no denying herexceptional talent. Kitchell is an eloquent songwriter, dazzling singerand old soul who just happens to be 17 years of age.

Check out the article.

Calvin

Sonya Kitchell has been singing almost all her life. Before she reached her teens, she was leading her own jazz band in clubs, and later, she was singing and strumming her guitar on
tour opening for veteran entertainers. So friends thought Kitchell would have been a formidable contender on what has become the nation's ultimate entertainment stage,
the phenomenally successful "American Idol."

The teenage singer-guitarist-songwriter's response? "No, thank you, not really interested."

That's because Kitchell has no interest in performing songs that aren't her
own. Though she's just 17, Kitchell has written more than 100 songs.


Click here to finish reading the article


Source http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com / by Charles J. Gans

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Songstress is a Finalist in VO5 Red Hot Rising Star Contest

Singer-Songwriter Sherrie Adams started writing at an early age - cutting demo tapes at the tender age of 13.

She has drawn influences from the likes of the Beatles, Aerosmith, Cold Play and Sheryl Crow and at present is a finalist in the VO5 Red Hot Rising Star contest.

The winner of this popular competition will get a meeting with Maverick Records.

Check out the article...

"(I was) cutting demo tapes at age 13," revealed singer-songwriter
Sherrie Adams, one of five original music artists to make it to the
finals of last week's "Have A Nice Gig" contest to open for Bon Jovi.

Though Adams lost out to South Side band Stellar Road, she claims to have
slipped into second place by only a small margin. Still, she is pleased
with the strong showing of support her fans gave her in that
competition, and hopes it will continue on her next effort to grab the
brass ring of stardom.

Click here to finish reading the article.

Click here to check out Sherrie Adams My Space page.

Source http://www.thetimesonline.com

(thetimesonline.com / nwtimes.com)

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Vienna Teng's Latest Offering...

Songstress Vienna Teng - who once quit her software engineering job to pursue her singing career - has just released her third album entitled 'Dreaming Through The Noise.

She has teamed up with heavy weight producer Larry Klein (who has worked with the likes of Joni Mitchell and Madeleine Peyroux) to engage in some beautiful country and jazz arrangements.

You can check out her interview (audio) here.

Source - http://mercextra.com/listen/index.php?cat=MarianLiu

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A Common Song Format - 'ABAB' - with an addition...

There are many song formats one can use - one of the most common structure is the 'ABAB'.

This means, 'A' would be the verse and 'B' would be the chorus. They would alternate throughout the song and in most cases at the end of the track, there will be some sort of climax in the chorus.

A powerful way to further grab your listener with this kind of song format would be to include the chorus before the actual first verse.

Here is a powerful example of this format - WITH the chorus AS the intro. It's a famous hit written and performed by the modern day soul singer Alicia Keys.

'Fallin' starts with a powerful chorus, grabbing the listener from the first 20 seconds of the song. The added benefit of this is when it's played on the radio, DJ's are less likely to interrupt from the start of the song :-) It works like a charm.

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If You've Done It, Teach It...

It goes for any profession. If you are a property investment entrepreneur and have achieved success, perhaps you would now want to teach others how to jump on the ladder.

Award winning songwriter Kim Mclean has chosen to teach her craft with new title as 'professor of songwriting' at Trevecca University of Nashville.

She certainly has the credentials - with not only having recorded over 200 songs by artists (such as Tim McGraw, Trisha Yearwood, Lee Ann Womack and a host of others) but has also had her compositions in TV sitcoms, Such as West Wing and Hope and Faith.

Her career spans over 20 years and has a wealth of knowledge to share with aspiring songwriters.

Check out the article.

Calvin

Dove Award winning songwriter, Kim McLean accepts a new title this fall as Adjunct Professor of Songwriting at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville. With over twenty years of professional songwriting experience and over two hundred songs recorded by artists like Tim McGraw, Lee Ann Womack, Trisha Yearwood, The Martins, LordSong, The Florida Boys, The Nelons, Sierra, and more, Kim McLean will share songwriting technique, craft, and inspiration with students beginning with the fall semester August 29, 2006.

Click here to finish reading the article.

Source http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/7/prweb416667.htm
PRWeb.com

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I've Found That The Harder I Work, The Luckier I Get...

Those are the words of songwriter Hal Kethcum who's success came at age 38.

He says "the never-ending thirst to learn more keeps my creativity going".

Check out the article.

Write a song sometime. Go ahead, come up with an idea perhaps about love -- and give it a go.

Not real easy.

But for Hal Ketchum, songwriting seemingly comes as naturally as his next breath. Scheduled to appear tonight at the Cary Street Café, the singer-songwriter long ago set his life's course into action.

"I wrote a poem for my mother, and it got her attention. I thought, 'Cool, this is a great way to get attention,'" Ketchum said by phone last Friday afternoon from his home in Nashville. "I started to put words down. It's still my favorite thing to do. Sometimes it's like having your own radio station in your head."

Click here to finish reading the article

Source http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/
RTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149189615992 / BY TOM NETHERLAND
TimesDispatch.com

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