Are you a creative musician with a knack for writing great songs? Do you have trouble getting your talent recognized and your music heard? Don’t miss the opportunity of a lifetime to have your music judged by the best and the brightest in the business. Time is running out. The deadline for submission to the International Songwriting Competition is just around the corner.

In it’s sixth year as the worlds leading lyrics and melody competition, the ISC is the premier opportunity for up and coming musicians to get their music heard by the shining stars of the music world. Founder Candace Avery is the woman behind such other prestigious events as NEMO Music Festival (going into its 11th year) and the Boston Music Awards (celebrating 20 years) as well as a partner in the RedGorilla Music Fest in Austin, Texas. A graduate of Berkelee College of Music and former drummer, Ms. Avery’s goal has always been to help aspiring musicians and industry professionals further their careers and to give exposure and recognition to their achievements.

The entrance fee is a modest $30 per song, and artists may enter as many songs, in as many categories as they like. The competition is truly international as approximately 50% of all winners hail from outside of the United States. Entries are due by October 15th 2007, so get moving! There are 19 categories in 2007: Pop/Top 40, Rock, AAA, Americana, Blues, Instrumental, Folk/Singer-Songwriter, R&B/Hip-Hop, Jazz, Gospel/Christian, Country, Children’s Music, World, Dance/Electronica, Latin, Lyrics Only, Teen, Performance and the newest addition this year, Comedy. The ISC is taking Comedy serious! A trio of all-star comedians, David Cross (Mr. Show, Arrested Development), Cheech Marin (Cheech & Chong), and parody king Weird Al Yankovic will helm the panel, giving rising comedy minds the fast track to the ears of some of the most important comic icons in our popular culture. Judging is based on five categories: Creativity, Originality, Lyrics, Melody and Composition. However, performance is not taken into account for all those worried that their recordings may not be of stellar quality. The panel at the ISC is interested in good music, not good production value, as they understand that not all those who have talent have the monies needed to record professionally. The performance category does take into account the talent of the musicians on record, but again, gives leeway for less then perfect production value.

Entrants are screened by an experienced panel of ISC staff with extensive songwriting and music backgrounds, who then pass the selections off to a committee consisting of musicians and music industry professionals. This years Judges include world famous artists Tom Waits, Jullian Casablancas (The Strokes), Nelly Furtado, Robert Smith (The Cure), Loretta Lynn, Frank Black (Pixies), Ray Davies (The Kinks), Amy Ray (Indigo Girls), and blues legend John Mayall. On the industry side, mavens like Monte Lipman (President, Universal Records), Charlie Walk (President, Epic Records), Producer Steve Lillywhite (Rolling Stones, Phish, U2, Morrisey), and Betty Pino (DJ – WAMR) represent the business of music.

Don’t forget about the dough. The prize package is extensive with over $150,000 worth of cash, goods and services at stake. The Grand Prize winner will receive $25,000 cash and approximately $20,000 worth of goods and services including Cakewalk SONAR Producer Edition, an EV Voice Dynacord PA System, a Sure KSM9 Mic, 1000 CDs from Discmakers, and much more. The top three songwriters in each category will also be awarded large prize packages, with one more opportunity for recognition and reward available as the “Peoples Voice” award.

Past winners include Lukas Rossi of Rockstar: Supernova Fame (Pop/Top 40), Stephen Kilroy of Middle Distance Runner (Rock), Connie Mitchell and Angus McDonald of Sneaky Sound System (Dance / Electronica) and the 2006 grand prize winner Scott Leger.

So go on over to the ISC website, draw up your entry form, and give yourself the opportunity of a lifetime.

Cityzen is a proud industry partner of the International Songwriting Competition