The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) has posted its list of winners for 2003. The ISC received over 11,000 entries from 60 countries and awarded $100,000 in cash and prizes for 13 categories. In only its second year, the ISC boasts over twenty high-profile sponsors including The Berklee College of Music, Erni Ball, Sennheiser and mega-star judges including Rob Thomas, BB King, Nile Rogers, Pat Methany and many others industry pros. The '03 Grand Prize went to New Zealand diva Moana Maniapoto who took the Grand Prize with her song, "Moko" a world-beat number which explains the Maori tradition of tribal tatooing. Though Michigan was woefully underrepresented in the competition, two local names did appear as semi-finalists...
Bay City resident Jen Cass became a semi-finalist in the ISC with her song "Trouble" in the AAA/Roots/Americana category. Jen has won or placed in a number of songwriting competitions, including being one of ten winners in the folk category of The John Lennon Songwriting Competition. You can see Jen Cass perform at The Hamtramck Blowout on March 5th at the Adams Corner Bar for the DCM music night. Livonia pianist Tim Brockett placed as a Semi-Finalist in the Blues category of the ISC with his song, "Can I Walk You To Your Car". Though precious little can be gleaned from the web on this well-traveled blues artist you can see a short biography of his namesake here, as an entertainer on the Island of Yap.
The ISC will be taking entries for the 2004 competition starting in April. You can find out more about entry requirements at the ISC Website.