Nationwide band competitions and songwriting contests abound, but few of them are for younger musicians. The Young Guns 2008 TEEN Nationwide Online Battle of the Bands and Songwriting Contest is out to change that in a big way. The first-of-its-kind competition is offering not just one but two grand prizes that are sure to inspire any high-school-age artist.
Young Guns 2008 is a project of the Music Business Students Association of Catawba College. Catawba's popular music curriculum, one of only a handful offered at an American college or university, has made the North Carolina school a top choice for college-bound performers and songwriters from across the country. The talent of Catawba's students has brought it first and second place finishes in the national John Lennon Songwriting Scholarship competition and recognition by "In Tune Monthly" as one of the Top Music Schools for 2008.
The winner of the Young Guns Muzak Heart & Soul Prize for best band will take home a cool $5,000 and have the rare opportunity of opening for Grammy award-winning band BLANK live in concert. Meanwhile, the recipient of the Young Guns ASCAP Jam Prize for best original song will travel to Los Angeles to perform as a special guest at one of the music industry's premierEvents, the ASCAP I Create Music Expo.
Teen musicians living anywhere in the United States may enter Young Guns 2008 beginning January 15 through March 15, 2008 by visiting www.YoungGuns2008.com. The Young Guns website features an individual page for each competing band as well as educational content of interest to popular musicians about creating songs, recording demos, taking publicity photos, and writing bios. Visitors to the site can listen to the music of all entrants and help pick the Young Guns winner through online voting.
The Muzak Heart & Soul Foundation is serving as the Presenting Sponsor for Young Guns 2008. The contest is also sponsored by a number of other leading organizations within the music industry, including ASCAP, "In Tune Monthly," Hear Technologies, Disc Makers, and Host Baby.
For more information about Young Guns 2008 and Catawba College, visit the competition website or contact Dr. David Lee Fish, Catawba College Director of Popular Music and Music Business, at dlfish@catawba.edu or by phone at (704) 637-4280.
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