Peggy,
You want to know what I would do on my songs? GET THEM IN FRONT OF REAL PEOPLE!!! This is where songwriters fall apart. They write songs in their living room. Play them for their friends. Send a link to some other people. Put them on web sites. Even put them up here. Although usually lyric onlys.
Play them or have them played in front of a cynical group of people more interested in their own conversations or texting than listening to songs. Are they making those people pay attention? Has anyone come up after the performance asking where they can get a copy of that song? Are they sending you emails the next day wanting to find out where you are performing next?
There's where your "rubber meets the road." REAL PEOPLE. And that is where contests FALL COMPLETELY APART.
Because the people who are interested in and do contests ARE OTHER SONGWRITERS! And songwriters DONT' BUY MUSIC!!!
The artists who actually CAN DO THIS, DO IT!!! Those that CAN'T DO CONTESTS!!!!
Say you can't perform, or are not a good singer/guitar player/etc?
LOOKS LIKE YOU GOT YOURSELF A BIG OL' PROBLEM!!! Because the people actually doing this ARE!!!
Does that mean you have to be great to get it out there in teh first place? DON'T HURT! But you have to HAVE SOMEONE THAT IS ONE OF THOSE FIRST.
I have never seen more CART BEFORE THE HORSE, OUT OF TOUCH WITH REALITY, people than ANY ONE DOING CONTESTS or particpating in most songwriter forums.
"How can I get my songs out there?" Unless you have an artist YOU CAN'T.
"I've got to get my songs copyritten so someone won't STEAL THEM!" What have you gotten worth stealing? That song that has the same title, melody, subject matter, same lyrics, as the ten thousand other songs with the same title,melody, subject matter, lyrics, that were written 20 years before you were born?
Where is your music being played? What artists are beating a way to your door to get more? How many musical circles are you hanging around to get people interested in your stuff and that you are helping promote THEIR stuff?
How many nights have you stayed up till midnight waiting to play one song on an open mic or waiting in the audience to hear a performer do their songs? How many pot luck suppers have you hosted inviting a bunch of songwriters over? How many have you attended? How many writers meetings,workshops, seminars, have you gone too? How many songs have you written? How many professional demos have you paid for?
All these are questions that are NESSASARY to answer before anyone does ANYTHING in this business.
We have a "100 rule." in Nashville. Until you have written at LEAST 100 songs, and demoed 10% of those, you have not even GOTTEN STARTED. The people you are trying to compete with have 500-1500 songs. Are you sure you are ready to play on that field?
There is nothing wrong with dreaming. That is how we all get there. There is nothing wrong with writing for ourselves and family and friends. That is all great.
But the second you step into someone else's ears, minds, worlds, via live performance, contests, auditions, what have you, YOU ARE IN A WHOLE NEW BALLGAME.
You have to step up. And you need to know the realities.
Are their people making it? Absolutely.
Is it impossible to do. Absolutely not.
Is it improbable? more than improbable.
But it can be a great way to meet people, to share what you do with a lot of people. Make friends for life, and get your art out there. That CAN BE DONE.
You just have to do it with common sense and realistic expectations.
That's what we do here.
MAB