The CD Seller, an online company based in Minneapolis, has created a
CD selling tool for independent performers. The company is the newest
of four sponsors of the regional contest, now in its second year,
which is now open to current residents of the eight Great Lakes states
and the Province of Ontario. Other sponsors are Songbridge, the song
marketing company based in Ontario, Canada, which provides a weekly
pitch sheet to its songwriting members and a free e-newsletter with
tips and insights on marketing; Elderly Instruments of Lansing (MI),
one of America's largest mail order suppliers of vintage and new
stringed instruments; and Lamb's Retreat for Songwriters of Royal Oak
(MI), which holds songwriting weekends in Northern Michigan.
Thirteen winning songs will be chosen this year, and the Grand Prize
has been increased to $1,500 cash, with additional publicity and
promotional opportunities. Winners also receive prizes and discounts
from the four sponsoring companies.
The CD Seller has created a professional and affordable CD display and
sales tool for musicians and bands who market their CDs at live
performances. The product, created by a professional musician, can be
seen and ordered exclusively through the website, www.thecdseller.com.
The deadline for entries in the 2007 Great Lakes Songwriting Contest
is April 14. The contest is organized by The Michigan Songwriters, the
Ann Arbor-based cooperative that previously sponsored the Metro
Detroit and Michigan Songwriting Contests. The group expanded to the
Great Lakes region for the first time last year, and the contest drew
about 500 entries.
"A lot of great music has come out of our part of the world, from
Motown to Prairie Home Companion to Chicago Blues and New York jazz,"
says contest spokesman Bill Frank. "It's produced big names like Bob
Dylan, Prince, Madonna, the Barenaked Ladies, and Jars of Clay, just
to name a few. But some of the best music is written by the locally
known, little-known, and unknown songwriters, and that's who we're
looking for."
The 2007 contest is open to all ages and all styles of music.
Songwriters are not forced to pick a particular category for their
songs. Each song is judged on its own merits, not by how well it
conforms to the conventions of a certain genre of music. There are no
age limits, and past winners have ranged from teenagers to senior
citizens. Rules, entry forms, and information on the 2006 winners can
be found on the contest website, www.GreatLakesSongs.com.
http://www.GreatLakesSongs.com
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