Performance Opportunities

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Songwriting

Whether you're aspiring to join the ranks of professional song writers or simply want to find an open mic at which to play your latest tune, a large and varied songwriting community exists to satisfy song writers of all skill and experience levels. The Internet contains a wealth of information applicable to everyone, from the dabbling novice to the meticulous expert.

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Songwriting Basics

Many publications about the songwriting community are good for beginners and those seeking a ... read more »

The Craft of Songwriting

As with poetry, prose, and other forms of writing, there are many schools of thought on song ... read more »

Performance Opportunities

If you're ready to move beyond playing for your friends or busking at train stations, you'll need to seek out more professional venues, such as clubs, theaters, and cafés. The sites below offer a range of resources for taking your songs to the public and for finding out where up-and-coming artists are playing.

Dulcinea's Insight

Open mic nights at local clubs and cafés, where writers can sign up to play their originals, often serve as auditions for club bookers. They are also a great way to connect with your fellow musicians. Peers are often the best sources of information and inspiration.

For the price of a usually modest annual membership, various songwriter associations offer special showcases that are a good middle ground between open mics and actual club shows. They also can provide access to often hard-to-contact music business professionals.

Regional associations can be a great way to connect with your fellow artists and industry reps. Many hold showcases, host monthly open mic competitions, and provide insider status in the sea of opportunities and opportunism that goes hand in hand with the music industry.

There are songwriting associations in most countries and states. The sites listed below operate from areas with rich songwriting traditions.

Most established songwriters are members of multiple associations-locally, regionally, and nationally-which is useful for touring.

Dulcinea's Picks

For general information on gigs and showcases ...

lyricist.com may not be the most visually appealing site, but it serves as a directory to some hard-to-find open mic and songwriting festivals.

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Just Plain Folks is an incredibly rich resource for the global folk music community. It consists of songwriters, music publishers, record labels, performing arts societies, educational institutions, and other members of the music industry who are dedicated to helping one another thrive.

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Songwriter.com presents a diverse collection of independent artists who have come together in their marketing efforts. You'll find song and performance evaluations, singing tips, and more on this site.

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For songwriting associations ...

The World Wide Songwriters Association Web site won't win any awards for great design, but it does aim to encourage and support amateur and professional songwriters in their efforts to create great music. By signing up for free membership to this site, you'll be allowed to upload your original songs so the songwriting community can hear them.

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The Nashville Songwriters Association International , the world's largest not-for-profit songwriters organization, operates from the unofficial songwriting capital of the world. It also has a Toronto chapter.

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Songwriter.co.uk , home of the International Songwriters Association (ISA), serves songwriters, music publishers, and the songwriting business.

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SongwriterUniverse has a directory of songwriter associations in the United States and Canada. If you can't travel to conferences sponsored by the bigger associations listed in the links above, a local association might be a helpful resource.

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