Writers who have appeared in the past include Norah Jones, Vanessa Carlton, Lisa Loeb, Avril Lavigne, John Oats, Gavin Degraw, and Charlotte Sometimes. Kate Voegele, winner of the Circle's 2006 contest, is currently starring in the hit tv show One Tree Hill and her new video is currently on MTV's TRL. Company of Thieves, winners of the 2007 contest, were recently named "one of the top bands to watch for in 2008" by the Chicago Daily Herald.

The Grand Prize includes $5,000 cash, a chance to perform at Madison Square Garden as part of The New York Songwriters Circle/New York Titans Concert series and professional recording studio sessions at Dubway Studios, up to a maximum of $1,000.

Second Prize is $3,000 and third place will receive $1,500. Additionally, a special International Award of $1000 will be awarded to a writer who originates from anywhere in the world outside the U.S.

All 12 finalists will receive:

• An opportunity to perform as part of the Circle's showcase series in New York City or Philadelphia.
• An opportunity to have their song included on NYSC’s compilation CD release.
• A feature on songwriters-circle.com

Deadline for submissions is September 30th, 2008. For more information about the contest, the list of judges, sponsors, prizes, and to submit your music, visit songwriters-circle.com.

Founded and directed by singer/songwriter Tina Shafer, The New York Songwriters Circle has been at the forefront of discovering songwriting talent for over 17 years. With over $10,000 in cash and prizes, it is one of New York's premier venues for new, independent songwriters from all over the world.

Deadline for submissions is September 30, 2007. For more information please visit www.songwriters-circle.com.

Seen here are Infinity VP Wes Spencer and Corporate Attorney Steve Hildebrandt, BMI's Dan Spears, Loeb, Infinity CFO Jacques Tortoroli and Infinity Treasurer Paul Rourke.

]]> 2004-08-10T18:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/233982 Artists, Loeb, Lisa, Musical Styles, Pop, Rock, Regions, New York Lisa Loeb have taken their love of food on the road along with their guitars to star in a new Food Network series called "Dweezil & Lisa." The show, which airs Friday at 10pm and 2am ET/PT, follows the real-life couple across the country in search of musical and culinary adventures.

Dweezil Zappa, BMI's J.W. Johnson and Lisa Loeb pose for a photo on their tour bus just before a Bowery Ballroom show in New York City to promote their new Food Network series.

Jeff Cohen, Hugh Prestwood, BMI's Charlie Feldman, Jesse Harris, Lisa Loeb, Lamont Dozier, BMI's J.W. Johnson, Peter Zizzo, Rich McSheehy (President of the Kauai Music Fest), (kneeling) Dweezil Zappa, and Russ Titelman

Some of BMI's hottest songwriters attended this unique event, including Lamont Dozier, Hugh Prestwood, Frank Myers, Lisa Loeb, Jesse Harris, Jeff Cohen, Kara DioGuardi, John Cruz and Peter Zizzo. Others in attendance included producers Russ Titelman, David Tickle, Dweezil Zappa, attorney Nick Ferrara, and Stephen Finfer of TVT Music Publishing. Dates for next years event will be announced soon.

Stephen Finfer, Russ Titelman, and Lamont Dozier

Peter Zizzo, Kara DioGuardi

Kara DioGuardi, and Jeff Cohen

Dweezil Zappa, Stephen Finfer, and Lisa Loeb

Kara DioGuardi, Lamont Dozier

BMI's Charlie Feldman, Kara DioGuardi, and Russ Titelman

]]> 2003-06-16T18:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/233682 Artists, Cohen, Jeff, Dozier, Lamont, Harris, Jesse, John, Elton, Jones, Norah, Loeb, Lisa, Musical Styles, Dance, Rock Grammy winner Jesse Harris has joined the staff of the Kauai Music Festival, set for June 1-4 in Kauai, Hawaii. Harris received 2003 Grammy Song of the Year honors for "Don’t Know Why," recorded by five-time Grammy winner Norah Jones on her multi-platinum project Come Away with Me. In addition to "Don't Know Why," the CD -- named Grammy Album of the Year -- features four other songs written by Harris: "Shoot The Moon," "I've Got To See You Again," "One Flight Down" and "The Long Day Is Over" (co-written with Jones).  

Visit the BMI @ the Kauai Music Festival Mini-Site for more info

Harris is also a singer and leader of The Ferdinandos, whose lineup includes Kenny Wollesen on drums, Tim Luntzel on bass, and Tony Scherr on guitar. Their combined credits boast ongoing work with Bill Frisell, Tom Waits, John Scofield, The Lounge Lizards, Sex Mob and many others. The Ferdinandos perform regularly in New York City at The Living Room, Tonic, Fez, and The Knitting Factory.

Harris joins a growing group of renowned songwriters, producers, attorneys, and other industry professionals who will be part of the songwriting and performing staff at the Kauai Music Festival. Other staff members include Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Lamont Dozier, songwriter Jeff Cohen ("Crazy for this Girl"), writer/artists Lisa Loeb and Dweezil Zappa, and local resident David Tickle, a producer and engineer who has worked with U2, Elton John, and Blondie.

The Kauai Music Festival, co-sponsored by BMI, will be held at the Hyatt Regency Kauai from June 1 through June 4, 2003. The festival is an event where songwriters can learn about the craft of songwriting, how to succeed in the music business, and the latest developments in music technology in a series of small group seminars and panel discussions. Each night the Hyatt will take on a festival atmosphere with performances by the students and the professional staff. A songwriting competition concert and a final evening gala concert are among the highlights. The evening events are open to the public.

Attendance at the festival seminars is limited to 300 songwriters. Some openings still exist for attendees, although rooms at the Hyatt are nearly sold out. For full details about the Festival and to sign up, visit the Festival website at www.kauaimusicfestival.com or call toll free 1-877-MUSIC -22.

Though still young, Branch has been enraptured by music for a long time. “For as long as I can remember, and from what my family recalls, I was always singing,” she explains. In fact, her musical development may have prenatal. “When I asked my mom what music she listened to while she was pregnant with me, she told me that she sang along with the radio in the car to The Beatles a lot. Perhaps that’s why The Beatles are my favorite band. Who knows?”

Branch began years of vocal lessons, and for her 14th birthday got her first guitar. “A day later, I wrote my first song,” she recalls. “I remember telling my parents that I had written a song. They didn’t really believe me.”

Her relationship to music is a primal one. “Music has always been in me,” Branch asserts. “When I sing, I have a sense of peace, I feel like my brain turns off, and I become the core person of who I am -- the essence of me. I feel connected to whatever is out there. It’s almost like I leave my body and get to watch.”

By her late teens, she had gotten a manager, recorded an album-length demo to sell at shows and get the music industry’s attention, and landed some concert dates opening for Hanson. Maverick Records executive Danny Strick caught Branch in Los Angeles on that tour, and she was soon after signed to Madonna’s record label. And at age 17, she recorded and released her first album.

“Everywhere,” Michelle’s first single, rose to number 5 on the pop charts, followed by “All You Wanted” and “Goodbye To You,” establishing Branch as a certified star. Her chart success has translated into international tours, multiple guest spots on “The Tonight Show,” an appearance in the movie The Hot Chick, and a collaboration with Carlos Santana on the single “Game of Love.” She has recently been finishing up her second album, which features such guests as Sheryl Crow and Dave Navarro of Jane’s Addiction.

The New Kids may have been Branch’s initial inspiration, but her influences are far deeper. Her favorite acts include The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Cat Stevens and Lisa Loeb, perhaps one reason her music has such broad appeal. “I have kids and their parents coming to my show,” observes Branch. “It’s really cool because my lyrics appeal more to the older people and the actual sound of the music appeals to younger people.”

Branch says that her musical creations come from a mystical place, including her dreams. “I have dreams when I write and entire song, chords and everything. I wake up and hope I can remember the dream-song, and find hat I’ve already written it all down, and I just pick up the guitar and play it,” she says.

For all her success, Branch finds that the biggest reward she has enjoyed has been the effect her music has on listeners. “I’ve received hundreds of e-mails with wonderful comments like, ‘when I’m having a bad day I listen to your songs and I feel better.’ That, to me, is the best reward.”

She would also like her music to prompt others to create, just as the music she loves did with her. “I hope I can inspire people my age to play music,” Michelle says, “There are so many “put together” musical acts today. Younger girls write and tell me, ‘They all dance and sing and look so perfect, and it’s hard to watch them. Then I heard your music and now I’m writing songs.’ I hope that continues. I want to be able to speak the truth and make a difference.]]> 2003-01-14T17:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/musicworld/entry/233361 Artists, Cake, Firecracker, Loeb, Lisa, Musical Styles, Pop, Rock, Musicworld, Feature Although it's been four years since we last heard from her, Lisa Loeb has hardly been idle. The singer/songwriter, who came to fame with her song "Stay (I Missed You)" in the film Reality Bites, has relocated from New York to Los Angeles, where she has found plenty of work doing animation and commercial voice-overs as well as making guest appearances on The Nanny and The Drew Carey Show and appearing in the 1999 horror film House on Haunted Hill.

But while her music career may have been on the back burner during that time, it has not gone stale: Loeb's third album, entitled Cake and Pie, comes out on February 26. And in keeping with the food theme, Loeb is considering baking a pie onstage during each tour stop.

"I've been talking to a friend who's a chef in Arizona with two restaurants," she told the Los Angeles Times. "We could make a video featuring the pie-oven roadie, get it on the [Food Network] - my favorite TV channel. "Maybe we could get it sponsored by [oven brand] Viking, get cake-mix boxes with my picture on them."

It's that kind of whimsy that Loeb's fans have grown to cherish, via her two albums on Geffen Records, Tails (1995) and Firecracker (1997). Ron Fair, the former RCA executive who was responsible for placing "Stay" in Reality Bites, was named president of Geffen's sister label A&M last year, and brought Loeb over to A&M for Cake and Pie. The result finds Loeb collaborating with a number of high-profile songwriters, including Glen Ballard, Randy Scruggs and current beau Dweezil Zappa.

The result should delight the legions who made "Stay" a number one hit and landed Firecracker's "I Do" in the Top 20. Led by the hauntingly plainspoken "The Way It Really Is," the bloodied-but-unbowed sentiments of "Underdog" and the gently empathetic "Kick Start," Cake and Pie reveals a songwriter and artist who has matured in impressive fashion.

"No one sounds like her," Fair told the Times. "Now she has a more introspective sensibility about what has happened in her life and at the same time has quirky charm."

"The songwriting's more combined with telling a story," Loeb added. "The rock is more intensely rock, the acoustic songs are more intensely acoustic, the orchestral songs more intensely orchestral. Ron's an actual producer and record person. He's very passionate about music."

With Cake and Pie, Loeb has unquestionably proven the same about herself.

Cohen's first big break after leaving BMI to pursue his music career was landing the theme song to the WB show Jack and Jill. The track, "Truth About Romeo," had already been recorded by his band, Pancho's Lament, on their self-titled debut CD. Since then, Jeff has had a number of his songs featured on Dawson's Creek and Party of Five. Three of his songs have also reached MP3.com's Rock Top 10.

As if the singer/songwriter's immediate success on the web and on TV wasn't impressive enough, Cohen co-wrote the radio hit "Crazy For This Girl" for the pop duo Evan and Jaron. The pair has been seen on shows such as MTV's Total Request Live promoting their smash single.

At BMI, Cohen started in the Licensing department but quickly moved to Writer/Publisher Relations, which allowed him to work directly with the artists and songwriters. While moving up to his position as Director, Cohen signed artists such as the Spin Doctors and Lisa Loeb, proving he had a knack for spotting talent. It was during this time that he would form his band with his friend and drummer Pete DeMeo, although Pancho's Lament would perform only on rare occasions.

Eventually, however, the encouragement of Cohen's friends and his love for music would convince him to leave his career as a BMI executive and pursue his dream of being a professional musician and songwriter. It is now obvious he made the right decision.