23/05/2013
ATTENTION ALL ASPIRING SONG WRITERS!!!!
All ages are welcome for the Amateur Songwriting Contest. The theme of the song must be about social issue topics, such as ecology, justice, peace, equality, crime prevention, freedom of speech, etc. Submissions are accepted from October 1, 2012 to July 30, 2013. For more information and to enter the contest, click the Contest Entry Form and Contest Rules links below.
The songwriter performances are a "People's Choice" award. To vote, the audience member must be in attendance for the entire Sunday presentation. The "People's Choice" winner will be awarded $500 grant!
The Center of the World Festival songwriting contest is open to all amateur songwriters regardless of nationality or origin. Amateur is defined to mean anyone who does not make a financial living from their talent, and includes persons who previously made a living as professional songwriters and/or musicians, but have not done so for a significant period of time.
The Rules :
Song’s theme must adhere to social issue topics, such as ecology, justice, peace, equality, crime prevention, freedom of speech, etc. The songs are limited to 5-minutes, including musical instrumental parts. The Festival is for a General Audience base. DO NOT SUBMIT "Mature Audience Only" material. Please consider general audience for appropriate language in your song lyrics.
The songs must be original and unpublished and not produced in any type of setting or venue. Songs that were written by someone else or a long time ago (in public domain) are not considered original, even if they are rearranged. Please do not send public domain songs that you have written lyrics to or rearranged.
Songs must not infringe any copyrights or rights of any third parties. All entrants will be required to sign the application, confirming that the song entry is original and that he/she holds copyrights to the song. Songwriters will retain copyright and full ownership of their songs. Center of the World Festival will not have any ownership rights to any song submitted. Copyright your material.
Collaborations are accepted. Songs may have multiple co-writers, but each writer must complete an application form, referencing the shared song. However, one person must be designated on the primary entry form and it is to this person that any grant prize will be awarded. The division of prizes among co-authors is the responsibility of the winners. Grant Prize is $500.
Minors (children to age 18 years) must have signed parental consent. Parent or guardian must sign the entry form and put the minor’s date of birth on the entry form. Competition is restricted to English language submissions only.
There are no contractual obligations, or royalties paid to songwriters whose songs are selected as finalists for the Festival. However, all finalists will receive a Certificate of Recognition.
Entry constitutes permission to use the songwriter’s name, likeness, and voice for future advertising and publicity purposes without additional compensation. Performances of the Finalists will be video-recorded and posted on our website as well as YouTube. If you are chosen as a finalist, a separate video agreement will be mailed to you.
Song submission donation: There is a suggested minimal donation of $10.00; payable by check to Center of the World Festival, Inc. Send donation with submitted songs. These donations are used to pay for the advertising expenses associated with conducting this Festival. No donation is expected from under-age minor amateur songwriters nor adult hardship cases. To clarify some confusion over the "donation" request: As a nonprofit charity, we are always seeking donations. However, there is not an entry fee for this competition. Donations are voluntary. All submissions are accepted without donations.
Only "hard-copy" paper "snail-mail" submitted applications are accepted.
E-Mail applications will not be accepted. A Lyric sheet must accompany the application. Print out a Songwriting Contest Entry Form and mail to:
The Center of the World Festival
P.O. Box 1929
Frazier Park, CA 93225-1929
Deadline for song submission is July 30, 2013. Finalists will be announced by August 10, 2013. All songwriters will be notified of the results. After the song is accepted as a finalist, the song may not be withdrawn for any reason.
Should your song be selected as a finalist, you are giving the non-exclusive right to the Center of the World Festival to produce and perform the song from August 16 through August 18, 2013. All performances will be limited to two performers and two instruments. The songwriter may perform their own song (with their own instrument) and/or bring one singer/musician to accompany them. If they are not performing their own song, they may bring two singer/musicians to perform the song. The songwriter must be in attendance at this Festival production. Performers will have use of microphones, but the venue is unsuitable for electrified instruments. This event is conducted outdoors in a gazebo-style setting.
We do not conduct, nor send, written evaluations of songs to songwriters.
The songwriter performances on Sunday will be a "People's Choice" award. To vote, the audience member must be in attendance for the entire Sunday presentation. The "People's Choice" winner will be awarded $500 grant prize.
At this time, we are not accepting phone calls. If you would like to talk to someone personally about the Festival, please send a letter with your submission, explaining your questions. Or e-mail us at the link on this website. Please give a voice telephone number, e-mail or fax telephone number, as well as best times to call you on your voice number. We will contact you as soon as possible.
