2019 DSA SONG CONTEST WINNERS

Winner	song_name	fname	lname	city	state	country
	Americana/Folk/Bluegrass
1	Daughter of the King	Tim	Sharp	Tomball	Texas	US
2	Dream of You	DeDe	Wedekind	Kingwood	Texas	US
3	A Thousand Lives	Arthur	Revechkis	Stamford	Connecticut	US
	Christian/Inspirational
1	Unless	Dam	Stasi, Kickbend and Mesus	Willow Springs	IL	US
2	Grace Sets the Table	Matt	Stemme	Castaic	California	US
3	YOU ARE MY AMAZING GRACE	Debra M	Gussin	Los Angeles	California	US
	Country
1	When Angels Sang (In My Back Yard)	Rex	Poindexter, Craig Lackey	West Hollywood	California	US
2	Making Memories That Last Forever	Tommy	Patterson	Comanche	Texas	US
3	Twenty Dollar Bill	Rex	Poindexter, Craig Lackey	West Hollywood	California	US
	Instrumental
1	Special Feature	Ingvi Thor	Kormaksson	Reykjavik	Non USA	ICELAND
2	Fading lights	Lars	Wallen	Stockholm	Stockholm	SWEDEN
3	The Devil Willing	Charles	Carter	Dallas	Texas	US
	Love Songs/Easy Listening
1	Thank You For Loving Me	Louie	Cate, John Monno, Casey Dugan	Alexandria	Virginia	US
2	OUR TIME	Debra	Gussin and Dale Effren	Los Angeles	California	US
3	Enduring Love	Ingvi Thor	Kormaksson	Reykjavik	Non USA	ICELAND
	Novelty/Childrens
1	Desert Christmas	Kevin	Reardon	Riverside	Connecticut	US
2	LOVE IS NOT	Debra M	Gussin and Don Grady	Los Angeles	California	US
3	It's Gonna be Alright	Bill	Martin	Dallas	Texas	US
	Pop/Rock/Alt/R&B
1	TO FALL IN LOVE	M'Lynn	Musgrove	Dallas	TX	US
2	Euphoria	Louie	Cate	Alexandria	Virginia	UNITED STATES
3	Just an Hour	Phil	Ipsan	New York	New York	US
	Singer/Songwriter
1	TO FALL IN LOVE	M'Lynn	Musgrove	Dallas	TX	US
2	Should've Known Better	Julie	Ludgate	Basingstoke	England	UK
3	Living and Dying	Stephanie	Sammons	Dallas	Texas	US
	Grand Prize Winners
1	Unless  https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=444966422937309	Dam	Stasi, Kickbend & Mesus	Willow Springs	IL	US
2	A Thousand Lives https://www.broadjam.com/songs/comrad/a-thousand-lives	Arthur	Revechkis	Stamford	Connecticut	US
3	LOVE IS NOT https://www.broadjam.com/songs/debragussin/love-is-not	Debra M	Gussin and Don Grady	Los Angeles	California	US
	Young Songwriters - Ones To Watch
		TK	Brown	Gun Barrel City	TX
		Jade	Nicole		TX
Winner		Ireland		Grapevine	TX
	Best Songs of The Monthly Meeting
	Song of The Year
1	The Story of Bonnie and Clyde	Barbe	McMillen	Dallas	TX
2	Watering Hole	Harry	Hewlett	Dallas	TX
3	Monahans	Randy	Overton	Dallas	TX
	Songwriter of The Year	Harry	Hewlett	Dallas	TX

Winners were announced January 18, 2020 at the Historic Sons of Hermann Hall. Here is a link to the video of the event recorded by Don Wall Productions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69Ov2xo-Acs

And there are oodles of photos on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/dallassongwriters/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2883673535018186

Pdf of the Awards Program: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12U21eMdAYS13sS4Z5smSL3AD059xYUVt/view?usp=sharing

DSA 2019 Songwriting Competition Grand Prize Judge Roy Elkins Comments

This was an interesting year in judging the DSA contest. There were 23 songs to evaluate and after the first listen, it was about a fifteen-way tie for first. It seems that every year the songwriters are “upping” their game and the entries are getting better and better. Most years, it is difficult to pick a winner. But this year, 7 or 8 different songs could have walked away with the title. So what does a judge do in this situation?

If I have listened to the list many times and still can’t come up with a winner, I read the list of song titles and ask myself, which songs do I remember? This always helps me clear it up. Good songs are memorable. Well there were still 7 or 8 that could be the winner.

If I still don’t have a winner, then I rank the top candidates in each category. Lyric, Melody, Hook, Structure, Truth and Originality to aid in the decision. I do place a score from 1 to 10 on all songs for these categories, but ranking them in order helps break the ties. That helped a little in this year’s contest.

In this group, there were many strong hooks, like Unless, Euphoria, Grace Sets The Table, Love Is Not and A Thousand Lives. And so many engaging melodies, like Unless, Love Is Not, Dream of You, Special Feature and To Fall In Love. And some very good lyrics like A Thousand Lives, Living and Dying, Twenty Dollar Bill, When Angels Sang, Daughter of a King, Love is Not and Unless.

So, here are the winners:

1. Unless
2. A Thousand Lives
3. Love Is Not
4. Euphoria
5. Just An Hour

When listening to a song, I hear something new and different each time. Below I have offered some brief thoughts on many of the songs. 

All the best to everyone at the Dallas Songwriters. It’s always an honor to be part of this excellent contest.

Roy

Unless

A rap melody with great flow juxtaposed against a fantastic chorus. The peaks and valleys in this are amazing. This is a rare rap song that could be delivered on acoustic guitar, solo piano or orchestrated like it is here. The song has a strong religious message and could be a CCM or pop radio hit.

A line that stood out, “More rooms for the homeless isn’t really what we need, more rooms in our heart is the way we conquer greed.” This is an outstanding line. This entire song makes you think, and clearly protests the world as it is. Every line is the truth and most listeners will agree and connect with it. This is truly a very strong lyric.

Intro is 43 seconds long, which would eliminate the song from most commercial radio consideration. If it was my song, I would start the rap at 23 seconds or cut out the first 23 and bring it back later in the song. Piano part is tasteful and may be more effective later in the song, but the intro is too long. 

Production note: Re-record this with a live band and I believe it will go to another level. 

A Thousand Lives

Songs don’t necessarily have to be commercial to be good. On my judge’s scoresheet, there isn’t a category titled “commercially viable.” With that said, in today’s homogenized industry, it might be difficult for this unique song to cut through. But that’s why I like it. A Thousand Lives isn’t commercial, but it’s a strong and powerful folk song that is believable. Overall, the chord changes, melody and feel of the song are as good as it gets. 

Specifically, on the word “All” in each chorus, I love the change as it is unique and unexpected. Although I do like the opening line a lot, I would be curious to hear the first and second verse switched around.  My other thought with this song would be to re-title it to the hook, “Second Saddest Thing of All.” I do understand why the writer titled it after the opening line, as it is very strong.

This is a simple song that is very well-written. My guess is that this songwriter has a few commercially viable songs as well. I love this and would like to hear more from them.

Love Is Not

This song is all around good. Very, very strong lyrics. Great structure and vibe, although a little long for commercial radio. Well organized and the truth of this would hit home with every listener. Uniquely original with a strong chorus. The hook “Love Is Not” is rock-solid and easy to sing along with. I found myself liking this more with each listen.

The intro is a little long. If it was my song I would start the song at 8 seconds or start the verse at 9 seconds. If it is shopped, an industry listener might not get past 20 seconds. Get to the verse as quickly as possible, it is one of the strengths of the song.

Euphoria

Great feel to this song. In a club setting, this would pack the dance floor. At 1:05, we hear the hook, “Euphoria.’ The end of the chorus caught me by surprise, “only one word……I feel.” It made me smile as I was anticipating the chorus was done at this point and would jump right back to the verse. I liked this song more each time I heard it. Very current and contemporary.

Production and arrangement notes: Not sure the bridge at 2:43 is even necessary, it seems to break up the song when the groove is so infectious. Intro too long, 35 seconds before the verse begins.

Just An Hour

I absolutely love the structure of the vocal on this. This entire song is filled with creative and innovative lines like “I’ve reached the end of making amends”. One could argue that some of the lines might not make sense with the theme of the song. But that is the magic as the writer is rambling and hoping to spend “Just An Hour” with someone. I believe the song is about a parent, but the fact that I don’t really know makes it even more mysterious. Great work on this and I would love to hear more from this writer.

Production note: If this was my song, I would hire a really good producer and let them perform their magic. Also, a live band, especially a real drummer, would take this to a whole different level.

Daughter of a King

If there is a song in this competition that is dead center in it’s genre, it’s this one. I can easily hear and see The Carter Family, The Stanley Brothers or more contemporary acts like Trampled By Turtles or The Old Crow Medicine Show performing this. The song lends itself to interpretation as well. A great lyric where every daughter sees her dad as a king, but more importantly, the dad is writing about his princess. Every time I listened to this song, it moved up the list. If I had another week, it may have moved up further as it grew on me. A well-crafted lyric probably written by someone who has done it many times before. I would love to hear more from this writer.

Enduring Love

Simple lyric, nothing inventive or new. But what I liked about it is the marriage of the lyric to the melody. An example, “like the sun adorns the heavens” is sung at the high end of the scale. And the rest of the phrase walks back down to the starting point. I love this kind of phrasing and especially the structure of this vocal. I don’t consider the production when evaluating a song, however it is clear this singer either wrote the song or she is a phenomenal interpreter and should get a writing credit. Her delivery certainly enhanced the melodic brilliance of this piece.

Living and Dying

Nice song. I liked this song a lot and thought it was really well written. The phrase “anybody save me” at 1:14 is a real nice marriage of the lyric, vocal and progression. “Another year of breaking hearts, I’m getting good at brand new starts” is a good opening to the second verse.

Note: Try increasing tempo 6 – 10 BPMs as it feels like the singer might be struggling to stretch the vowels. 

Desert Christmas

Very good melody, especially in the hook where the vocal builds “This will be a Desert Christmas…”. 

Dream of You

Very nice melody in the chorus. Strong hook.

Fading Lights

Very tasteful and soft melody. I love the change at 1:29. It might work well with a lyric on top of this. I think the melody could soar with a lyric on it. 

Grace Sets the Table

A great chorus. Very unique and innovative. When I first read the title, I was curious. And that in itself is the magnet for this song. It is one of the best literal hooks in the competition. More than any other song in this competition, I feel this has the most potential because of the chorus. Again, it’s strength is a unique and innovative hook that is very good.

A key to a great song, especially in this genre, is that every line should set up the chorus. I didn’t think the verses were as strong as the chorus. If this was my song, I would re-write the verses and bridge to support the hook. If the writer is struggling with this, then find another writer and offer a co-write. This a extraordinarily strong hook to work from.

The bridge in the song, while performed with love and passion, has no direct literal relationship to the chorus or the verses. I realize the love of Jesus is the theme. But to make the song great, work on the delivering words in a way that no one has ever done before. The chorus does this well and if the rest of the song measured up to the chorus, it would certainly be one of the best I have ever heard in this genre. Please note that I generally offer more critique on songs that I believe have strong potential. I am excited about the possibility for this song.

It’s Gonna Be Alright

Good hook and a positive outlook.

Making Memories That Last Forever

Very good melody and some strong lyrical phrases. “If his brown eyes don’t get you, her blue eyes will,” “And I wouldn’t trade this moment for nothin,” “Making memories that last forever.”  Very good structure and melody. I kinda like how the melody “whines.” Could be the vocalist, but when I tried it, I came up with the same feel. Good melody.

The strong lyrical segments are contrasted by lines such as “I walk into the house,” “I reach out to open that refrigerator door,” “She’s gettin’ hungry…..snack, “etc. These sound like “filler” lines and although they rhyme, they come across a bit contrived which affects the “truth” of the song. If this was my song, I would re-write and make sure that every line is supporting the hook. If that is done, it will go from good to great.

Our Time

One could easily hear Celine Dion, Josh Groban or someone similar knocking this song out. This is a big song and I could easily hear a slower interpretation as well. Good melody, good hook and a good message. Love the line “Crossing the line between faith and forever.” When I heard the end of the chorus the first time, “It’s our turn to shine, let’s take it,” I thought this phrase would be more effective repeating it one more time with a slight change of words and then nail the hook, “This is Our Time.” I noticed at the end of the song, a similar phrasing happened: “It’s our turn to shine let’s take it, No doubt in my mind we’ll make it.” That’s really what was crossing my mind earlier. Just food for thought. I love the song and placed with the right artist, it might generate some traction. Possibly Broadway might be avenue as well. It feels like an experienced team wrote this song and I would love to hear more from them.

Should’ve Known Better

One of the most original in the collection. Interesting melody in the verses which contrasts nicely with the chorus. You can almost feel the melodic pain from the hook.

If it was my song, I would try singing the I….I at the end of the line. Try coming out of the pre-chorus right into I should’ve known better, then sing the I…I’s. It may not work worth a try. I think the pain at the end of the phrase rather than the beginning might make it a little more effective. Another good writer other songs I would like to hear.

Special Feature

I am not sure what it is about this song, but it found myself humming the melodic hook over and over again. Very tasteful melody and the song itself is well put together. I have an attraction to this kind of jazz guitar and it’s probably influencing my ability to judge this objectively. 

Production note: If it was my song, I would lose all the additional instruments, horns, winds, etc. They are a little distracting and don’t really add a  lot. I think simplicity (George Benson style) would really bring out the best in this song.

The Devil Willing

This is a serious contender for film & TV placement. A tasteful instrumental that reminds me of David Arkenstone. He is so good with instrumentation and so is this writer/producer. This would be a great film or tv track, as it sounds more like a bed than an instrumental song. While I could listen to this over and over, the melody could be more prominent.  Between 2:20 and 2:40 it appears to drift a little from the theme. Production note: If this was my song, I would remix, tweak the aforementioned section and pitch to film and TV.  Make sure to create alternative versions with lots of stems for a music supervisor to choose from. Like to hear more from their catalog.

To Fall In Love

I really liked the performance, style and production. If this was a production contest, it would have easily finished in the Top 3. Strong melody.

Thank You For Loving Me

Good melody and arrangement.

Twenty Dollar Bill

I really like this idea. The second verse is really strong along with the bridge/third verse. Good lyric writing. Sometimes songs that are contrived can zap the truth from a song. But in this case, there is an additional message about need and greed, and it was done very skillfully and the truth shines. I am not sure that the chorus is as strong as the verses but  will probably remember this for it’s originality. Great work, and I got a feeling this is a seasoned writer. Love to hear more.

When Angels Sang In My Backyard

Excellent lyric, original and great concept. The verses in this piece are intriguing and set up the chorus well. Another song that moved up the list with each listen.

You Are My Amazing Grace

It’s a good song, good lyric and clearly well-written.