"It all starts from a great song" - Michael Gudinski, CEO - The Mushroom Group of Companies
As part of their 150 commemorations, NAB with support from APRA, today launched the NAB Songwriting Competition - an initiative designed to help inspire, educate and unearth the nation's next generation of great song writers.
This new initiative supports a raft of music initiatives NAB have been undertaking in 2008 - free public music performances by established artists, showcases for local and upcoming music artists, the successful NAB Songwriting Workshops at secondary schools as part of the NAB 150 , and NAB's recent Sponsorship of APRA's inaugural S3 Summit 'Play the Music" Showcase.
Aspiring songwriters and would be songwriters all over the country of all ages are invited to submit their original songs - with the chance of having their song professionally produced and then performed at the NAB finale later this year (details of which will be announced over the next few weeks)
Entries are open from today at www.nab.com.au/songwriting and close last mail Friday, 1 August, 2008.
Entries are being accepted in three categories to allow for people of all levels of skill to enter:
- Category 1 - open age section, the most basic category. Entrants are required to provide lyrics to one of three existing backing tracks available for download on the website.
- Category 2 - open to persons under 16 to enter a completed demo of their own song.
- Category 3 - is identical to Category 2, but open to all aspiring artists aged 16 years and over.
The only requirement is that all of the entries must address the theme of "ideas, dreams and aspirations".
To help aspiring artists with writing their own song, there is an entire section on the website dedicated to providing some insight and education into the craft of song writing.
" The NAB Songwriting Competition is a fitting progression to NAB's support of the inaugural Song Summit Sydney and demonstrates their commitment to the creative talents of Australian songwriters . APRA is proud to support this initiative which we hope will go some way to help realise the dreams and aspirations of songwriters across Australia ." - Sally Howland, Director Members Services, APRA
The judging panel:
- Andrew Hagger - Executive General Manager, Private & Institutional Wealth National Australia Bank
- Ian James - Deputy Chairman of APRA, Chairman of AMCOS, Managing Director - Mushroom Music Publishing
- Bill Page - Creative Director - Mushroom Music Publishing
- Sally Howland - Director, Members Services - APRA
- Paul Anthony - CEO - Rumblefish ( USA )
