IBMA Announces Songwriter Showcase

Good songs are the heart and the future of any musical genre and IBMA will once again focus attention on 10 selected songwriters and their material during the World of Bluegrass Convention to be hosted in Nashville, Tenn., September 26 – October 2, 2011.  The exact date and time of the Songwriter Showcase, sponsored by ASCAP, will be announced in a future issue of International Bluegrass and also at www.ibma.org

The IBMA Songwriter Showcase is not a contest.  Its purpose is to present new, original bluegrass songs to artists, producers and record label reps looking for new material, as well as to other industry reps in the audience.  Both veteran and novice songwriters are invited and encouraged to submit songs.  Songwriters who presented original material at past IBMA Songwriter Showcases are not prohibited from submitting a CD again for this year, but they should present a different song.

IBMA Songwriter Showcase Application Procedure:

Submit a CD of one original song to: IBMA Songwriter Showcase; #2 Music Circle South, Suite #100; Nashville, TN 37203.  Deadline is 1st May 2011. CDs will not be returned. Be sure the CD will play in a CD player, and not just a computer. It is not necessary to submit a highly produced song demo.  A vocal with a guitar is fine. Typed song lyrics are appreciated.  There is no form to fill out or application fee to submit a song for consideration, but be sure to include your contact info: name, address, telephone & email address.

Selection Criteria:

• Original works OR co-written by the person who submits the CD
• Unpublished OR not previously recorded by a major bluegrass artist or a major artist from another genre.

Songs will be chosen on the basis of their:

• Representation of the bluegrass genre
• Potential appeal (Are they likely to draw the interest of recording artists and to get airplay by bluegrass broadcasters?)
• Quality of work (lyrics, melody)
• Entertainment value.

If you have additional questions, contact Nancy Cardwell at the IBMA office: USA (615) 256-3222, nancyc@ibma.org