Songdoor 2008 International Songwriting Competition Doubles Participation

Aug. 31, 2008 - PRLog -- NASHVILLE, TENN., USA - September 1, 2008 -- With 10 weeks yet to go in the SongDoor 2008 International Songwriting Competition, organizers say they've already surpassed last year's entry totals. Complete information is available at www.songdoor.com.

SongDoor 2008, which is sponsored by SongU.com, Jay's Place, Broadjam, Spring Hill Studio Productions, Masterwriter and Digital Rodeo, is a relative newcomer on the scene. The competition launched in 2006 and has quickly garnered the support of major industry forces like ASCAP and Digital Rodeo, a wildly popular "country music mySpace" which came on board as a partner this year.

"Our competition is quite different," explains Tony Zotta, SongDoor president. "The entry fee is $10 to cover our costs. In return, entrants receive a self-paced songwriting course of their choosing at SongU.com and a detailed, personal critique of every song he or she enters. The course and critique are valued at $70. Getting $70 worth of songwriter's tools for an entry fee of $10 is a pretty good return-on-investment. People always think there's a catch, but there isn't."

"That's why we hooked up with them," says Robert Reynolds, Mavericks bassist and founder of Digital Rodeo (www.digitalrodeo.com). "They care about the writers and genuinely want to give them a leg up. They walk the walk."

"The word-of-mouth about SongDoor is clearly getting around," adds Zotta. "Our numbers are more than double what they were this time last year, and we haven't even come into 'crush season' yet." The deadline for this year's competition is November 15; entries are accepted online or by mail. Complete entry information is available at www.songdoor.com.

Entrants are eligible to win the Grand Award, valued at approximately USD $5,270 in music merchandise and services, including a fully-produced professional demo at Jay’s Place, a Music Row institution that has recorded the likes of Garth Brooks, Gretchen Wilson, Lonestar, Chet Atkins and many, many more. Other awards include a one-year Platinum Membership to SongU.com,  MasterWriter software, Bose headphones and more. Seven Category Winners each receive a valuable package of awards worth more than $2,300, including a production demo at Spring Hill Music Productions. The total awards purse is more than $25,000 this year.

Judges include seasoned music industry producers, artists and engineers who have worked with/for such artists as Britney Spears, Neil Young, *NSYNC and Justin Timberlake, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers, Jimmy Buffett, Hot Apple Pie, Tony Bennett, Kenny Rogers, The Charlie Daniels Band and many others.

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The SongDoor International Songwriting Competition is an annual event produced by songwriters, for songwriters. The competition is open to amateur and professional songwriters, and musicians worldwide. Entries are accepted online or by mail through November 15, 2008. An unlimited number of songs may be entered in any of seven categories: Alternative, Christian, Country, Pop, Rock, Singer/Songwriter and Instrumental. For SongDoor rules, FAQs and entry form, please visit the website: www.songdoor.com or email info@songdoor.com.