The USA Songwriting Competition is now in its 15th year and again open for submissions. This international contest offers over $50,000 in merchandise, cash and more for the grand prize winner. There are 15 categories to submit to including Pop, Rock/Alt, Country, R&B, Gospel/Inspirational, Folk, Latin, Instrumental, Jazz, Hip-Hop/Rap, children, World, Dance/Electronica, Novelty/Comedy and Lyrics Only. Each category winner will win prizes as well as 20 honorable mentions.

This is one of the biggest international contests out there! To find out more, click here.

Congratulations to Hiding in Public for winning the Weekend Quickie Contest with their song “Anyone But You.” Hiding in Public is a pop-rock group led by songwriter David Holland and guitarist/singer Jamie Moses.

The song “Anyone But You” takes you through the mind of a man reliving his wedding day – a day he wishes had never happened. This catchy storyline song is fun, dark and many listeners may relate, ending with the lines:

“I regret it every hour
I drown myself in whiskey sour
I’m reminded every minute
A hole to hell and I’ve fallen in it
I could spend my whole life with anyone but you”

Hiding in Public says they seek to “delight your ears with classic snap, crackle, pop-rock.” The group’s introspective songs are loaded with radio-friendly hooks and retro twists that sound both fresh and familiar.

Be on the lookout for the next Weekend Quickie Contest tomorrow on our Contests page.

Congratulations to Todd Michael Dean for winning the 12/10 Weekend Quickie Contest with his song Don’t Tell Me It’s Over. Todd has a big sound reminiscent of the Eagles, with solid guitar and lyrics. He is in search of writers in the New York area to co-write songs in hopes to release a new album in 2010.

A new Weekend Quickie Contest will launch today, 12/23/09 at 5 PM CST. Check the contest page to enter. Win cash and great prizes from Sonoma Wire Works and LoopWorkshop.com.

Congratulations to Michael Dekkers for winning the December 10th Weekend Quickie Contest with his song Emerald Coast.

Michael has been a songwriter since his adolescence, but a trip to Nashville in the 90’s inspired him to take his music to the next level. Since then, he has placed several songs with publishers in the Country, World and Contemporary Christian genres. Today, his main focus is on instrumental compositions for film and TV.

Michael says he is “creatively inspired” by the ever-expanding digital world. The song Emerald Coast is a perfect example of his creative vision coming to life. This soothing instrumental adds a unique Celtic-style harp that engages the listener from start to finish.

Well done, Michael!

Last weekend I attended the Miami Music Festival in Florida. This was a first-year event and I applaud the coordinators of the conference as the did a stellar job. Lots of good panels during the day and many sponsors who presented their products during the breaks.

On Saturday, I went “clubbing” and saw a couple of good bands. The first was a young 15 year-old blues guitar player from Denver named Taylor Marvin. At 15, he has the chops of someone twice his age and you can certainly “feel” his playing while you listen. He is surrounded by good people and could be a budding star on the blues scene. I saw another young band, The Republik, at an outdoor venue called Finnegans River. The Republik is very tight, good songwriters with a good vocalist. with the right breaks, could have some success.

As the Miami Music Festival grows, I think it will become one of the major events for showcasing independent music. If you get a chance, check it out next year.

– Roy

The deadline for the International Songwriting Competition has been extended by the ISC until tomorrow, December 17th, and Broadjam members can submit for only $25.

The ISC features over $150,000 in cash and prizes shared by 65 winners, and is judged by the most influential decision-makers in the music industry. Judges include big industry names like Jeff Beck, John Scofield, Loretta Lynn, John Mayall, Steve Winwood, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Weird “Al” Yankovic.

Many Broadjam artists were finalists in the 2008 ISC, so enter your best songs and music videos this year for a shot at winning the grand prize of $25,000 cash (U.S.) and $20,000 in music equipment and services.

Click here to enter The International Songwriting Competition (ISC)

Today is final deadline for submissions to the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, so be sure to get your last minute entries in now. This is the biggest JLSC prize package to date, totaling over $275,000 in cash and prizes! You don’t need a professional recording. Entries will be judged on originality, melody, composition, and lyrics (when applicable). Your songs may be entered in any of the following categories: Rock, Country, Jazz, Pop, World, Rhythm & Blues, Hip Hop, Gospel/Inspirational, Latin, Electronic, Folk, and Children’s.

Enter the John Lennon Songwriting Contest

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Congratulations to the first Weekend Quickie Contest winner Jean Paul Zoghbi with his song “Here At Last.” There will be a new Weekend Quickie each weekend, so keep checking back.

Jean Paul is currently living in Dubai where his focus is in classical music composition with a special interest in orchestral instrumentals. According to Zoghbi, he is influenced by a slew of composers including Rachmaninov, Sibelius, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Brahms, Puccini, Verdi and Dvorak. His favorite film composers include Elmer Berstein, John Williams, Gabriel Yared, William Ross, Ennio Morricone, Henry Mancini, Hans Zinner, James Horner and many others.

Jean Paul Zoghbi’s music does an incredible job telling a story, most often without words. You really can picture the scene unfolding with every measure. When he does collaborate, he provides a great complimenting sound to vocals, as seen in his recent collaboration with Peter G. Olach.

Well done Jean Paul Zoghbi!