Television: A Great Way to Expose Artists

Television has always been an important medium through which artists can raise awareness about their music. Without “The OC,” Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek” may never have been introduced to mainstream audiences, and void of “Entourage” exposure, Cold War Kids would be significantly less well-known. Licensing music to television is mutually beneficial, as the artist reaches new audiences, and the show is not expected to pay exuberant fees. Shows like “Gossip Girl” and “Scrubs” introduce the masses to music that they would not ordinarily hear on their local hit radio station, and spark exciting conversations about the soundtracks of last night’s episodes. Furthermore, theme songs are a lucrative method of showcasing the talents of various composers and songwriters.

Several John Lennon Songwriting Contest winners have gone on to license their music for television. Among these are The Swear, Laura DiStasi, Gaby Moreno, and Andrew Belle. Because they lent their music to popular network television programs, these artists have inspired many to research their songs, and subsequently buy their music.

The Swear has been featured on “Jersey Shore,” “Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew,” “View of the City," “A Decade of Cribs," “Disaster Date,” “Valemont,” “Always Wasted,” Converse commercials, “Tool Academy,” “Cribs,” and many more programs. Laura DiStasi’s music has been featured on “Melrose Place” and “Mercy”. Along with her Emmy nominated theme song for “Parks and Recreation,” Gabby Moreno’s music has been featured on “Lincoln Heights,” “The Hills,” and “Ghost Whisperer.” Finally, Andrew Belle’s songwriting talents have been showcased on “One Tree Hill,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “90210,” and “Pretty Little Liars.”

As a suggestion, to safely and securely license music, one should research reliable internet resources for assistance. In order to copyright music, one should visit eCO Online System and create an account. A tutorial on how to properly copyright can be found here.


SOURCE: http://www.musicbizacademy.com/internet/how2copyright.htm
SOURCE: http://www.seventeen.com/cosmogirl/andrew-belle-unsigned-find
SOURCE: http://gabymoreno.ning.com/
SOURCE: http://www.last.fm/music/Laura+Distasi
SOURCE: http://www.theswear.com/news.cfm
SOURCE: http://www.lauradistasi.com

JLSC Facebook Page: Become A Fan

In addition to our blog, the John Lennon Songwriting Contest wants to keep you up to date on Facebook as well. Our new Facebook page has some great content, including current contest news and pictures of past winners and finalists. Plus, as an added bonus, the JLSC will be selecting at random one of the fans of the page to receive one Apple iPod Shuffle. For a chance to win, click on the banner below and click "like." Be sure to tell your friends to do the same!

WINNER UPDATE: The Swear to Be Featured on “The Jersey Shore”

Eight years ago, a rock musician by the name of Elizabeth Elkins was a Grand Prize Winner in the 2002 John Lennon Songwriting Contest for the song “Deception Bay.” Now, Elkins continues to pursue her musical dreams by performing with alternative rock group The Swear. Thus far, the group has released two albums – “Every Trick’s A Good One” (2005) and “Hotel Rooms and Heart Attacks” (2008) – and has been the subject of many positive reviews. Guitar Player Magazine captures the essence of their unique sound by naming the group “rock warriors with a total command of meaty riffs, feedback swells, dynamics, and churning, crunching chords.

The Swear has a long list of accomplishments, including endorsements from Gibson Musical Instruments, GHS Strings, Ampeg, Paiste Cymbals, Pearl Drums, and Vic Firth Drumsticks. Their music has already been featured on a variety of television networks, including Fox, ABC, the CW, the WB, FX, TNT, The Discovery Channel, CNN, and VH1. Tonight, they will add MTV to the list. Their song, “The Violence Rings,” will be part of the soundtrack on the highly anticipated season premiere of the hit television show, “The Jersey Shore.”

After tuning in to hear The Swear on MTV tonight, fans in the Atlanta, GA area should be sure to see the band live at one of their upcoming tour dates. See the list below for a venue near you.

TOUR DATES:

7/31/10: North River Tavern (21+) (Atlanta, GA)
9/24/10: Lenny’s (21+) (Atlanta, GA)
10/23/10: Downtown Sounds at the Hard Rock Café (18+) (Atlanta, GA)
11/12/10: Vinyl (18+) (Atlanta, GA)


SOURCE: http://www.theswear.com/
SOURCE: http://www.myspace.com/theswear

WINNER UPDATE: Yoko Ono Blogs about Madison Violet!

As many music fans are already aware, Yoko Ono maintains her own blog on her website, imaginepeace.com. In response to the announcement this week that Madison Violet were named the Maxell Song of the Year winners, Ono posted about the folk duo and included a great video of one of their performances of the winning song, "The Ransom." To see the full blog post, click here, or watch the embedded video below.




SOURCE: http://imaginepeace.com/archives/11837

FINALIST UPDATE: Joanie Leeds Receives Nomination from Nickelodeon

Children’s music singer/songwriter Joanie Leeds found the start of her musical career to be a challenge, as most beginning artists do. Long before she was named a finalist in the Children’s category of the Session II 2009 John Lennon Songwriting Contest for her song “I’m a Rock Star,” Leeds spent many of her days bouncing from gig to gig around local venues in New York City. She finally realized her passion for children’s music when she got a job at a Gymboree in Manhattan and was able to earn a paycheck by working and singing with kids. After a stint on the birthday party and pre-school circuit, Leeds had enough music to fill three full-length albums.

At present, Leeds tours as part of the group Joanie Leeds & The Nightlights. Members include Leeds (guitar/vocals), Dan Barman (drums), Scott Stein (keys), Matt Aranoff (bass), and Thomas Bryan Eaton (electric guitar). The band, now a well-known group in the children’s music community, has performed at such venues as the Brooklyn Children’s Museum and XPoNential Fest in Camden, NJ. After releasing a DVD entitled “City Kid Live,” Joanie Leeds & The Nightlights were honored with two first place and one second place National Telly Awards, which recognize local, regional, and cable television commercials and programs; other recipients have included Bon Jovi, CBS, AT&T, and Comedy Central.

The group’s most recent honor comes from one of the most well known children’s television networks. Nickelodeon’s Parents Connect has just nominated Leeds and her band for the “Best Party Entertainer” award. The winner is determined through fan votes. Anyone wishing to support Joanie Leeds & The Nightlights’ can vote for the group at the Parents Connect website. Voting closes August 31, 2010.

Joanie Leeds & The Nightlights continue to maintain a full touring schedule on top of their other activities. For those interested in seeing a performance, check out their complete list of tour dates.


SOURCE: http://www.joanieleeds.com/citykid/index.html

WINNER UPDATE: SoulStice Collaborates for International Concept Album

In 2009, SoulStice was named a Session I Grand Prize Winner in the Hip-Hop category of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest for his song “Strange Kinda Love,” but this title was only one stepping stone on his rise to success. His 2005 debut album “North by Northwest” was released to many positive reviews and critics were quick to call his music “enlightened.” With a growing fanbase across the globe, SoulStice was given the opportunity to share the stage with such artists as John Legend and Wu-Tang Clan, and in 2008 he was invited to join the prestigious Recording Academy.

In addition to his thriving music career, SoulStice has also gotten involved in social activism as one of the newest members of the NOH8 campaign. This campaign for marriage equality was founded in response to California’s Proposition 8 and is described as a “photographic silent protest movement.”

Recently, SoulStice has focused his efforts on creating an album with fellow artist SBe. The two musicians have collaborated with artists in the U.S., Canada, Ireland, Belgium, France, Germany, the U.K., and the Netherlands. The record, fittingly named “Beyond Borders,” shows music’s potential for universality. For those interested in learning more about this incredible international endeavor, visit the website here.

Think you might be the next hip-hop artist to watch? Enter your song into the JLSC.

SOURCE: http://www.thinkbeyondborders.com/
SOURCE: http://www.myspace.com/soulstice
SOURCE: http://www.baltimoreblack.com/articles/2010/soulstice_joins_NOH8_campaign.php

JOHN LENNON SONGWRITING CONTEST "MAXELL SONG OF THE YEAR" GOES TO CANADIAN DUO, MADISON VIOLET

The pair surpassed thousands of entries with "The Ransom" to take top annual prize.

New York, NY (July 27, 2010) – The Alternative Country duo, Madison Violet, has been announced the winner of the coveted “Maxell Song of the Year” from the 13th annual John Lennon Songwriting Contest for their original composition, “The Ransom." The duo made up of Brenely MacEachern, who sings the lead vocals on the track, and Lisa MacIsaac, who sings the harmony, will be awarded $20,000 courtesy of Maxell, in addition to other prizes.

Known for their extensive touring routine, Brenely started writing the song in Australia nearing the end of a 2 month long trip when she was longing for home. Lisa later helped her finish the song in Grenada. The pair recorded the song in Pro Tools with an acoustic guitar, a snare kick and hi-hat, an upright bass, an organ and a lapsteel guitar.

Both hailing from Scottish small towns in Canada, Brenely and Lisa have chosen a musical path that channels their parent’s vintage record collection that compromised the likes of Neil Young and Dolly Parton.

A total of over $275,000 in cash and prizes will be distributed this year by the year-round contest open to both amateur and professional songwriters. Visit www.jlsc.com to listen to Madison Violet’s winning song, download their photo and enter the current contest.