Songs From 27 States, Five Countries Make First-Round
Culled from almost 400 entries, the semifinalist songs from the 21st Annual Song Contest hosted by the Dallas Songwriters Association (DSA) have been announced. Songwriters from around the world once again made the annual fundraiser an international event.
Songs from Texas led the way, with 17 in the semifinals. California and New York were close behind with 14 and 13. Surprisingly, only three songs represent Tennessee; Canada and Australia had just as many. A song each from Germany and France also made the group.
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For the second year Rusty Bickford, left, president of Fort Worth, Texas-based Tradition Guitars, has donated a guitar for the Grand Prize winner of the Annual Dallas Song Contest. At the Dallas Guitar Show, Bickford tracked down DSA President Buck Morgan to make the presentation. The winner gets a G-12 Standard Series guitar with a skunk-stripe neck, proprietary pickups and a 5-way switch that delivers tons of tone. |
By category, the semifinalists are:
AMERICANA/FOLK/BLUEGRASS
Adenine by Kyle Carey, Providence, RI
A Hole in the Fence by Rob McHale, Troutman, NC
Blue Sky Blues by Phil Henry, Rutland, VT
Breakfast for One on the 5th of July by Ed Romanoff, Brooklyn, NY
Come, Follow Me, All You Restless Sailors by Phyllis Travis, Houston, TX
Easy Street by Drew Ashe, Newborn, GA
Enough is Enough by Jean Synodinos, Austin, TX
Hill of Death by Mark W. Courtney, Las Cruces, NM
Lady Luck by Ed Romanoff, Brooklyn, NY
New Year's Prayer, by Ed Romanoff, Brooklyn, NY
Over Now by Chatham Street, Stephens City, VA
Solstice Morning by Tom Neilson, Greenfield, MA
The Voice by John Friday, Bonita Springs, FL
COUNTRY
Angel In My Arms by Wyler Delray, Creve Coeur, IL
Armour by Jaymie Jones, Omaha, NE
A Place To Land by David Carter, Jude Jones, Cincinnati, OH
Every Time I Hit The Bottle by Jeremy Pike, W. Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, CAN
Fresh Air by Carmen Logan, Lancaster KY
Grandpa, Why So Slow by Tom Biles, Keller, TX
In by Brooke Malouf, Stan Gassoway, Dallas, TX
Jim Beam & George Jones by Wyler Delray, Creve Coeur, IL
Just Can't Help Myself by Lori Bunting, Antioch, CA
Let's Gamble On Us by Larry Dodge, Dallas, TX
Love Drunk by Erin James, Nashville, TN
No Hard Feelings by Shane Martin, Independence, MN
Pass It Down by Andrew Scott Willis, Chad Tyler, Gallipolis, OK
River Dance by Ruben Estevez, Nashville, TN
Side Effects by Lori Kelley, Centerville, VA
Someday by Jim Burnevik, Minneapolis, MN
Tex Appeal by Thalia Kalodimos, Chicago, IL
The Color Of Blue by Jim Burnevik, Minneapolis, MN
The Perfect Crime by Jean Synodinos, Austin, TX
You're Just 18 by Mathew Stemme-Writer, Castaic, CA
INSTRUMENTAL
After The Storm by John Visconti, Merrick, NY
Gypsy Dancer by Andre Kerek, Miami, FL
Half Past Dawn by Andre Kerek, Miami, FL
Laptop Lover by Paul McNair, Dallas, TX
LOVE SONGS/ EASY LISTENING
A Deeper Meaning by Stonewall "Stoneman" Towery, Clayton, CA
A Soft Place To Fall by LV Band, Glen Ellyn IL
Before You Go by Sebastien Parentin, Loudrefing, France
In Between by Marissa DiBlasio, Valencia, CA
Let Me Love You by Mimi Balkey, Steve Ritter, Don Townsley, Dallas, TX
Looking In The Eyes Of A Heartache by John Visconti, Merrick, NY
Small Things by Andy Hill, Renee Safler and Hard Rain, Redondo Beach, CA
Sweeter Than Temptation by Mike Corbin, Merrick, NY
The Way Things Are by David Spence, Austin, TX
What Used To Be by Hillary Chapman, NY, NY
Y-E-S by Noel Cohen, Jeremy Bruce, Jennifer Marks, NY, NY
CHRISTIAN/INSPIRATIONAL
Deception by Paul McNair, Dallas, TX
For Your Glory by Jackie Doss, Dallas, TX
Hail Mary by Joe Perlaky, Oregon, OH
I Never Realized by Robert Young, Henningen, Germany
Is This The Way by Charles Green, Danville, IL
Keep Walking On by Jami Jackson, Astoria, NY
Let Jesus In by Keith Thompson, Las Vegas, NV
Love Is Stronger by K-onna Mason, Provo, UT
Open Your Heart (and Let the Light Shine) by Keith Thompson, Las Vegas, NV
Promises Promises by Lance Watkins, Nashville, TN
Save Me by Joanna Ensley, Tyler, TX
Sudbury Rain by Matt Stemme, Castaic, CA
The One by Keith Thompson, Las Vegas, NV
You Carry Me by Brad Alden, Siren, WI
NOVELTY/ CHILDREN'S
Airport Blues by Lanny Sherwin, Santa Barbara, CA
Dad Said A Bad Word by Lanny Sherwin, Santa Barbara, CA
Down on Grandpa's Farm by Patricia Lou Harris, Klamath Falls, OR
Femme Fatale by Jan Seides, Austin, TX
Fernando The Fantastic Fea by Brendan Watson, Balmoral, Queensland, Australia
Jungle Beat by Patricia Lou Harris, Terri & Josh Finch, Klamath Falls, OR
Milkshake Lake by Randy Sauer, Hays KS
My Samior by Donna Lisa, Westfield, NJ
Oliver Otter by Donna Lisa, Westfield, NJ
Poopie Diaper by The Monkey Bunch, West Toronto, Ontario, CAN
Santa's Dream Flight by Glen Naylor, Bright, Victoria, Australia
Seabiscuit by Lou Harris, Terri & Josh Finch, Klamath Falls, OR
Tell Us The Time by Frank Fulton, Annapolis, MD
Thank You For Giving Me A Chance by Becky Wright, Tahlequah, OK
POP/ROCK/ALT/R&B
23,999 MPH by Christopher Fisher, Broadalbin, NY
All I Want To Do by Patrick McGee, Orlando, FL
Diva by Steve Ritter, Don Townsley, Dallas, TX
Exception To The Rule by Debra Gussin, Los Angeles, CA
In Everybody's Life by Geoff Rotunno, Solvang, CA
Inhale Life by Mellina Barnett, Moreton in Marsh, UK
It Should Be Me by Janine Wilson, Hyattsville, MD
Keeping Time by Jen D'Angora, Medford, MS
Let The Right One In by Louie Cate, Alexandria, VA
Memories by Tara Priya, San Francisco, CA
Ode To A Tom by Danny McIntyre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, CAN
Sail On by David Bogosian, Eranston, RI
Stop Messin With My Mind by Marissa DiBlasio, Valencia, CA
Unfaithfully Departed by G William Boyd, Plano, TX
You're Everything by Noel Cohen, NY, NY
SINGER/SONGWRITER
Breakaway by Steve Bennett, Lake Cathie, Australia
Come On Home by Vicky Williams, Ennis, TX
Crazy Daddy by Wyler Delray, Creve Coeur, IL
Diary by Steve Johnson, Hot Springs Village, AK
Don't Tell Me by Mary Munsey, Abingdon, VA
Follow Me by Paul Cataldi, Fort Worth, TX
Freedom by Dennis McVay, Canton, OH
Granada, Mi Amor by Jaime Leopold, Portland, OR
Happy Goodbye by Pierre Mongeon, Eask York, Ont., CAN
Nothin' New by Mary Munsey, Abingdon, VA
One Foot On Your Doorstep by Renee Safier, Andy Hill and Hard Rain, Redondo Beach, CA
Stay Another Day by Renee Safier, Andy Hill and Hard Rain, Redondo Beach, CA
The House of Thieves by Leni Stern, NY, NY
Water Wheel by Randall Kronn, Winchester, MA
What Do We Know (about love) by Michael Holland, Boston, NY
You by Jefferson Headricks, Wickford, RI
All first place category winners win $100, a one-year Broadjam MoB membership and a year’s membership in the DSA. Second place winners win $50 and a year’s DSA membership, and third place finishers win a DSA membership.
The Grand Prize winner will take home a new G-12 Standard Series Tradition electric guitar featuring Tradition 2-1-1 pickups with coil tap Humbucker, get a Premier Demo by Beaird Music Group--one of Nashville’s top recording facilities--and receive a one-year Primo MoB membership with Broadjam, the on-line resource company and web community for musicians.
Grand Prize runner up gets a day of free recording at Riversound Recording Resort, nestled along the Llano River on the back of a 300 acre ranch in the Texas Hill Country, in addition to a one-year Broadjam Primo MoB membership.
Third Place overall receives a song critique and fully-produced demo with Kim Copeland of Nashville’s Kim Copeland Productions and a one-year Broadjam Primo MoB membership.
Additional sponsors include Crystal Clear Sound, Patrick McGuire Recording and WM Sales/Cam Audio. Submission partners are Broadjam.com and Sonicbids. Music industry partners are Dallas International Guitar Festival, Arlington Guitar Show, Tradition Guitars, MyStudio Recording Studios, Texas Music Group, Bar-b Music Marketing Consultants, Musemuse.com, Sante Fe Design, Austin Songwriters Group and Jo-Musik.
Dallas Songwriters Assoc. is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to providing information about the craft and business of songwriting. All styles of music are welcome in the DSA, and membership includes writers of all ages. DSA monthly activities include meetings with guest speakers, song critiques and performance showcases that are open to the public. In addition, the DSA supports and promotes workshops and contests and publishes a monthly newsletter. For more information, visit www.dallassongwriters.org.
