All About the International Songwriting Competition

Jim Morgan is an Australian who has been resident in the United States for several years and who for most of those years has overseen the operations of the International Songwriting Competition and the Unsigned Only Music Competition.  Morgan hails from Canberra, where he first discovered his passion for music as a drummer. After venturing to the United States he worked with the Boston Music Awards and the Nemo Music Conference, then at the fledgling International Songwriting Competition (ISC). As Morgan explains in this interview, the decision to relocate the ISC from Boston to Nashville was a strategic one, driven by the city's thriving music scene and the collaborative nature of the songwriting community.  ‘When I first came to Nashville over 20 years ago,’ he says, ‘my impression was probably like a lot of people, which is Nashville is just country music. And it wasn't the case even back then when I first started, but now it's not like that at all. And Nashville's moniker is Music City. It's not Country Music City, it's Music City.’ The introduction of the Unsigned Only Music Competition, a spin-off from the ISC, was a response to the growing need to provide a platform for unsigned artists. Morgan emphasizes the importance of recognising and supporting these emerging talents, as the music industry landscape continues to evolve, with artists increasingly taking control of their own careers.  The ISC has several high-profile judges, including Reba McEntire, Mariah Carey and Tom Waits, and Morgan shares insights into the reasons why those judges not only want to be involved but often return year after year.  For emerging artists, Morgan offers valuable advice on selecting the right songs to enter, emphasising the importance of showcasing one's best work and not being limited by the age or recency of the composition. He also underscores the benefits of competing, as it allows artists to gauge their music against industry standards and potentially open doors to new opportunities, such as publishing deals, film and TV placements, and even record label signings.   ‘Anything that we can do to help get more recognitions to those artists is definitely something that is a benefit to us and a benefit to the artists,’ he says. It became clear during the conversation that Morgan has never lost the thrill of discovering exceptional new talent through the competition – he remains a music fan, which itself is a testament to the talents and efforts of the songwriters who enter these competitions.  Hopefully this interview offers valuable insights – and some tips! – for songwriters and artists hoping to enter either competition. You can find more information on how to enter at the links below. https://www.songwritingcompetition.com https://www.unsignedonly.com Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Instagram Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Facebook  Sunburnt Country Music website  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.