Song Contest Results And A Realization

Well folks, the Great American Song Contest results are in.

Here are the 10 songs I entered and the average score of each one. The
scores are made up of the following components:

Title/Hook
Clarify/Progression Of Theme
Originality
Rhyming
Imagery/Poetics

Melody
Structure
Prosody
How Lyric Fits Music

Ratings are from 1 to 10

1 means you need some serious work
10 means you are pro level

5 means you are average

Here are my overall scores. I'll touch on some high and low points after.

Stuck Into Drive - 7.28
Drop Dead Blonde - 7.22
Hang On Irene - 7.06
What Have You Done For Me Lately? - 7.00
Hey Suzy - 6.89
There Goes Another One - 6.89
Can't Rock In Alcatraz - 6.83
Rise Of Nations - 6.78
Another Night In Vegas - 6.67
Panic At The Disco - 6.44

As for the best of my submissions, Caliban, that was the song I wrote
after you gave me those tips you did.

No need to say more. Thanks.

What I found strange is that the song that I thought was the worst of
the lot, Drop Dead Blonde, came in a close second. This might be a
reflection on my own personal taste in music not being in sync with the
general population.

High Points:

Stuck Into Drive - Scored 10 for Title/Hook and 9.5 for How Lyrics Fit.
Judge said it was an excellent effort but needed further developing of
the lyrics...too general. **NOTE** Most of the criticisms of my songs
were on the lyrics...as I expected.

Drop Dead Blonde - Scored 9 for Title/Hook and 9 for How Lyrics fit.
Judge said he saw potential in this one as a possible hit with some work.

Hang On Irene - Scored 8 for Title/Hook. Judge said hook was solid.

What Have You Done For Me Lately? - In your face hook has strong
potential. Scored an 8 for Title/Hook, Originality and 9 for How Lyrics Fit.

Hey Suzy - Classic and memorable hook. Scored 8 for Title/Hook and
How Lyrics Fit but judge said in this competitive genre, this song is a
hard sell.

There Goes Another One - Scored 10 for Originality and 8 for How
Lyrics Fit. Judge said music stands out in an odd by compelling way.

Can't Rock In Alcatraz - Scored 8 for Title/Hook, Structure, Prosody
and 9 for How Lyric Fits.

Rise Of Nations - Scored 8 for Structure and How Lyric Fits.

Another Night In Vegas - Scored 8 for Title/Hook and Clarity/Progression

Panic At The Disco - Scored 9 for Title/Hook and 8 for Imagery/Poetics.
Judge loved frantic energy of this one but had a problem with the melody.
It was the only song of the 10 where a judge had a problem with the
melody.

Overall, I'm above average but not quite ready for the pros.

This after over 25 years of writing songs.

Some of the judge's criticisms, I just don't hear...honestly.

Rather than be the typical Internet marketer who has little or no success
and blames it on everybody else, I'm going to assume that the judges know
what they're talking about and the problem is with me in two areas.

1. I'm simply not good enough.
2. I can't tell that I'm not good enough...for whatever reason.

Let me touch on number 2.

I am probably the most critical person of myself when it comes to my
music. It took me 10 years before I felt I was finally good enough to enter
this contest again. I didn't expect to win, but I did expect to do better
than I did...though not by much. I expected my songs to score around an
8 overall. I fell a little short of that.

Talent is a funny thing. I don't even know how you define it. And quite
honestly, I don't even know if it's something that can be developed. If
it could, you'd think after 25 plus years I'd be better than I am.

But I'm not...and I have to accept that.

So, with that realization, I have come to also realize that if I'm going to
continue to enjoy writing, I'm going to have to do it for the pure love of
writing...which I do.

When my wife saw the envelops from the song contest, she was afraid
that I'd be all upset and depressed after reading the results. Maybe at
21 I would have been. At 52...I've got more important things to concern
myself with.

In other words...I'm no longer a wide eyed teenager.

And then there's something else. If I'm going to be totally honest about
my writing, I don't sweat blood over my songs like I do over my IM products
because I don't want songwriting to be a job. I want to enjoy it and I
can't if I have to worry about every note and every lyric being in just
the right place.

And it shows in my scores.

Considering I write most songs in an afternoon, those scores are damn
good. No, I don't really bust my ass on my craft like I should.

I don't want to wake up and hate it one day.

Anyway, if anybody wants to hear any of these tunes, they're all up on
my YouTube page.

YouTube - wagtunes's Channel

Even if I never earn a dime at this business, I will always love writing more
than anything else I do.

Even more than the stuff that earns me my income every year.