2014 DSA SONG CONTEST WINNERS
AMERICANA
1. No Hiding Place by Lucia Comnes and Gawain Mathews, San Francisco, CA
2. Over Space and Time by Nitanee Paris, Malibu, CA , Roy Bemelmans, Wijnansrade, Netherlands
3. Hold Me by Dickey Johnson, Dallas, Tx
CHRISTIAN/ INSPIRATIONAL
1. The Journey by Rob Cariddi, Fort Mill, SC
2. The Plans I Have for You by DeDe, Houston, TX
3. What You Made of Me by Mike Hyden, Ralston, NE
HM Known & Loved by Blue Light Bandit, Framingham, MA
HM Believe by Life Is Hard, Houston, TX
COUNTRY
1. My Shine by T Ediwin Doss, Silver Springs, MD
2. Made In The USA by Roger Kaye, Glen Falls, NY
3. Where The Corn Used To Grow by Benjamin Neuman, Nashville, TN
INSTRUMENTAL
1. Surreal McCoy by Charlie Hill, Tulsa, OK
2. Change the World by DeDe, Houston, TX
3. Malibu by Maxim Senin, Lakewood, CA
3. Morning by Christian Taylor, Seattle, WA
LOVE SONGS/ EASY LISTENING
1. Love Is Everything by Al Hovden, John Roles, Vancouver, BC
2. Something Just Clicks by James Bennett, Tulsa, OK
3. Do You Miss the Heat by Debra Gussin, Los Angeles, CA, Stacy Hogan, Nashville, TN
NOVELTY / CHILDREN
1. Jingle Jangle Christmas by Rob Cariddi, Fort Mill, SC
2. Snowflake by Katie Hardyman, Taree, NSW, Australia
3. Squishy Flip Flops by Randy Sauer, Hayes, KS
3. The Christmas Song That No One Knows by Renee Safier and Andy Hill, James Vermilya, Rodondo Beach, CA
POP/ROCK
1. Forget You Girl by Debra Gussin, Los Angeles, CA, Kyle Vincent, Amherst, MA
2. Learn to Breathe by Nitanee Paris, Malibu, CA
3. I've Already Won by Debra Gussin, Los Angeles, CA, Stacy Hogan, Nashville, TN
SINGER SONGWRITER
1. Open Up by Denise Rosier, Lake Forest, CA
2. Say That You Love Me by Gracie Lott, De Soto, TX
3. Small Town Living Life by Stephen Blackwell, Wills Point, Tx
GRAND PRIZE
1. No Hiding Place by Lucia Comnes and Gawain Mathews, San Francisco, CA
2. Say That You Love by Gracie Lott, De Soto, TX
3. Something Just Clicks by James Bennett, Tulsa, OK
See the Press Release on the Grand Prize Winners: http://dsapress.blogspot.com/2015_01_01_archive.html
Here the winning songs on Soundcloud. https://soundcloud.com/dallas_song_contest/sets/dsa-2014-song-contest-winners
See the Press Release on the Grand Prize Winners: http://dsapress.blogspot.com/2015_01_01_archive.html
Here the winning songs on Soundcloud. https://soundcloud.com/dallas_song_contest/sets/dsa-2014-song-contest-winners
GRAND PRIZE JUDGES COMMENTS
Here are my Top 3. I intend on writing in more detail about these and others, but I thought you might like to know some of my thoughts for your shindig tomorrow. Lots of strong songs this year. Unlike most years, many songs could have won this. Once I get settled in my new home, I will write a more detailed review. Thanks for letting me be part of this great contest.
Roy
1.) No Hiding Place – While the song has about a 5 note range, I gave it high marks for melody. The melody is so easy to remember, I found myself humming this over and over again and really wanting to learn the lyric. Sometimes great melodies are really simple, that is the case here. The lyric is captivating, thought provoking and if we were only hearing the melody and lyric, one can visualize exactly who would be singing it, what kind of band would be playing and even the clothes they would be wearing. It creates a vision beyond the content of the lyric. Another thing that caught my attention was that this song is dead center of the Americana genre with many lyrical & visual overtones. One listener might feel “religious,” one might hear “relationship”, one might simply see "a bird" and another might experience something completely different. Songwriting contests come down to the opinion of the judge, but there is no denying that this song nails the genre, with or without the music. With that said, it really isn’t my cup of tea, but the fans of this genre will eat it up.
2.) Say That You Love Me – Very strong lyric, melody and hook. Clearly written from the heart by a very good writer. The melody and lyric are so strongly connected, it feels as if the singer is “begging” throughout the song. Obviously, relationship songs are a dime a dozen and it’s hard to create something unique that no one has done before. This is unique and I believe it’s one of those songs that would make a life playlist of a 15 year old girl. She will probably remember this song when she is 50, as it is very memorable and speaks loudly to a specific audience.
3.) Something Just Clicks – Another unique and different relationship song. Simple melody with a strong lyric. The hook is unforgettable and the melody of the backing vocals actually becomes one of the memorable parts of the song. The production doesn’t help the song as I believe it has so much more potential. But it is a song that I will remember for a long time and believe that it has opportunity in the rock, pop and r & b markets. Although this singer is very good, it could be interpreted in many different ways. In my eyes, that’s what makes it good.