AAA (Adult Album Alternative)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nAAA\nstands for Triple A (Adult Album Alternative) and is a radio format with a\nbroader, more diverse playlist than most other formats since it\ntends to pull from both album tracks and tracks released as singles. Musical selection tends to be on\nthe fringe of mainstream pop and rock as well as many other music genres such\nas indie rock, pop rock, alternative rock, folk rock, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Examples: Jewel, John Mayer,\nFleetwood Mac, Jason Mraz, Lorde, Ben Harper, Beck, The Jayhawks, Pete Yorn,\nTori Amos, Coldplay, Train, Counting Crows, U2, etc. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nAC (Adult Contemporary)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nAC stands for Adult Contemporary and is a popular radio format geared toward rock, pop, and urban styles of music. It used to be perceived as consisting of music that was considered more \u201ceasy listening,\u201d but today it is much more contemporary and typically includes artists who have been proven at Top 40 stations. It is often thought of as music with mass appeal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Examples: Elton John, Billy Joel,\nMariah Carey, Adele, Ed Sheeran, Pink, The Weeknd, Meghan Trainor, etc. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nAmericana<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nAmericana music incorporates elements of various mostly acoustic American roots music styles, including country, roots rock, folk, gospel, and bluegrass resulting in a distinctive roots-oriented sound. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Examples: Gillian Welch, Joe Ely,\nJohnny Cash, Steve Earle, Lyle Lovett, John Prine, Emmylou Harris, Willie\nNelson, John Hiatt, Ryan Adams, Brandi Carlyle, Jason Isbell, Amanda Shires, etc.\n<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nBlues<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nBlues is a music genre that originated in the Deep South of the United States incorporating spirituals, work songs, and rhymed simple narrative ballads. The blues form is characterized by the call-and-response pattern, the blues scale and specific chord progressions, of which the twelve-bar blues is the most common. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Examples: B.B. King, Stevie Ray\nVaughn, Robert Johnson, Eric Clapton, Warren Haynes, Fantastic Negrito, Keb\u2019\nMo\u2019, Taj Mahal, etc. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nChildren\u2019s Music<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nChildren’s\nmusic or kids’ music is music composed and performed for children of all ages,\noften designed to provide an entertaining means of teaching children about\ntheir culture, other cultures, good behavior, facts and skills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Examples: The Wiggles, Kidz Bop,\nLaurie Berkner, etc. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nChristian<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nChristian\nmusic is music that has been written to express either personal or a communal\nbelief regarding Christian life and faith. Common themes of Christian music\ninclude praise, worship, penitence, and lament, and its forms vary widely\nacross the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Examples: Chris Tomlin, Casting\nCrowns, for KING & COUNTRY, Kirk Franklin, Yolanda Adams, Mercy Me, etc. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nComedy\/Novelty<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nComedy music is a genre of music that is humorous in nature, whereas novelty songs are songs built upon some form of a novel concept, such as a gimmick, a piece of humor, or a sample of popular culture. This is the only category in ISC that accepts \u2018cover\u2019 songs in the form of parodies. Standup Comedy routines (without music) are also accepted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Examples: Weird Al Yankovic, Adam\nSandler, Jack Black, etc. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nCountry<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Country category is a genre of popular music that originated with blues, old-time music, and various types of American folk music and is currently trending toward modern\/pop country. This category also includes more traditional country music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Examples: Luke Combs, Willie\nNelson, Carrie Underwood, Gabby Barrett, Eric Church, Miranda Lambert, Tim\nMcGraw, Ingrid Andress, Dolly Parton, George Jones, etc. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nEDM (Electronic Dance Music)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nElectronic\ndance music, also known as dance music, club music, or simply dance, is a broad\nrange of percussive electronic music genres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Examples: Illenium (former ISC\nGrand Prize Winner), Skrillex, deadmau5, Martin Garrix, Calvin Harris, Diplo,\netc. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nFolk\/Singer-Songwriter<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nFolk\/Singer-Songwriter\nrepresents a wide variety of music originally built upon on the folk-acoustic\ntradition, although this role has transmuted through different eras of popular\nmusic and is often more contemporary than traditional folk music. Eligible are\ntraditional and contemporary folk songs. Singer-songwriter is used to define\npopular music artists who write and perform their own material, which is often\nself-accompanied generally, but not always, on acoustic guitar or piano.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Examples: Bob Dylan, James Taylor,\nNorah Jones, Tracy Chapman, Neil Young, Jackson Brown, Carole King, Leonard\nCohen, Nathaniel Rateliff, Leon Bridges, Damian Rice, Ray LaMontagne, etc.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nInstrumental<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nInstrumental\nis a recording normally without any vocals, although it might include some\ninarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. This\ncategory can contain any style\/genre of song.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Examples: Vangelis, Joe Satriani,\nSteve Vai, Kenny G, John Williams, Herb Albert, Yanni, etc. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nHip-Hop\/Rap<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nHip-Hop refers to a cultural movement that originally attained widespread popularity in the 1980s and \u201990s, and is also the backing music for Rap, the musical style incorporating rhythmic and\/or rhyming speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Examples: Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Drake, Eminem, Snoop Dog, Nicki Minaj, etc. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nJazz<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nJazz music is defined by its characteristic rhythm patterns, unique harmony, generally acoustic\/live instruments, and often some form of improvisation. While many jazz songs do not feature a vocal, they can still be included in this category. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Examples: Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Ella Fitzgerald, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, etc. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nLatin<\/strong> Music<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nLatin Music is a catch-all genre for various styles of music from Latin America, Spain, Portugal, and the United States, as well as music that’s sung in Spanish or Portuguese language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Examples: Shakira, Marc Antony, Selena, Ricky Martin, Daddy Yankee, Anuel AA, Reik, etc. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nLyrics Only<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe\nLyrics Only category is judged solely on lyrics, no music. Non-English lyrics\nare accepted, but please provide an English translation for our listening\ncommittee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Music Video<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nMusic\nVideo category is open to all styles of music and is judged based on\noriginality, technical skill, visual aesthetics, and general concept. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Performance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe\nPerformance category is open to all genres of music and is judged on\nsongwriting and overall delivery of the song. The criteria include vocal\ndelivery (if applicable), instrumentation, melody, arrangement, lyrics,\ncreativity, and overall likeability. Exceptional instrumentalists or vocalists\nshould consider this category. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pop\/Top 40<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe definition of Pop is constantly changing and evolving. Generally, the Pop category has a strong emphasis on the vocal and melody. Instrumentation can vary widely from just a piano or acoustic guitar, to a full band, or an electronic track. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Examples: Lady Gaga, Justin\nBieber, Justin Timberlake, Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, Katy Perry, etc. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nR&B\/Soul<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nThis category encompasses a wide variety of rhythm and blues genres, ranging from classic 90\u2019s R&B to modern Neo-Soul. The instrumentation can be entirely electronic or feature a full band. The results combine rhythm and blues with elements of pop, soul, funk, disco, hip-hop, and\/or electronic music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Examples: Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Beyonc\u00e9, Chris Brown, Rihanna, Mary J. Blige, Erykah Badu<\/em>, John Legend, Alicia Keys, etc. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nRock<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nRock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as “rock and roll”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Examples: Led Zeppelin, The Who,\nAerosmith, Metallica, Nirvana, Arctic Monkeys, Green Day, Radiohead, The\nStrokes, Muse, The White Stripes, etc.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nTeen<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe only\nrequirement for this category is that all entrants must be 18 years of age or\nyounger by December 31st<\/sup> of the competition year. If there are\nmultiple songwriters, they must all adhere to this age requirement, and the\ndates of birth for all songwriters MUST be included. Entrants may be from any\ncountry. Please be sure to have your parent or guardian sign the entry form and\nalso put your date of birth(s) on the entry form!<\/p>\n\n\n\nUnsigned (formerly Unsigned Only)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Unsigned category is for anyone who is not currently signed to a major label record company (Sony BMG, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, EMI, or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, or imprints). If you enter a song into the Unsigned category, you must also enter the same song into at least one other category (cannot be the Unpublished category). Please note that there is an additional fee for the second category. Entrants may enter songs of any genre into this category. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you want to enter both the Unsigned and Unpublished categories, you are required to enter a total of four entries. For example, Unsigned, Unpublished, Rock, Music Video. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unpublished<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Unpublished category is judged exclusively by established, high-profile music publishers. This is your chance to get your music heard by publishers who can help your songwriting career. If you enter a song into the Unpublished category, you must also enter the same song into at least one other category (cannot be the Unsigned category). Songs entered into Unpublished cannot be owned in any part by a music publishing company (entrant must own 100% of the publishing rights to the song).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you want to enter both the Unpublished and Unsigned categories, you are required to enter a total of four entries. For example, Unpublished, Unsigned, Rock, Music Video.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
World<\/strong> Music<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nWorld Music is a musical category encompassing many different styles of music from around the world, including traditional music, quasi-traditional music, and music where more than one cultural tradition intermingles. It often includes traditional music from non-western cultures with non-western instrumentation. It can include, but is not limited to, styles such as Afro-Cuban, Cajun, Indian, Reggae, Klezmer, Celtic, and many more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Examples: Afro Celt Sound System,\nFemi Kuti, Ravi Shankar, Ang\u00e9lique Kidjo, etc. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"ISC CATEGORY DESCRIPTIONS Below is information on our categories to help you with your selection. The categories are a guide, not a rule; a great song will stand out and be recognized even if it does not fit exactly into a specific category. Please do not email us and ask us to pick a category […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23373,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-446","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/songwritingcompetition.com\/songs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/446","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/songwritingcompetition.com\/songs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/songwritingcompetition.com\/songs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/songwritingcompetition.com\/songs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23373"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/songwritingcompetition.com\/songs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=446"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/songwritingcompetition.com\/songs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/446\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":177314,"href":"https:\/\/songwritingcompetition.com\/songs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/446\/revisions\/177314"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/songwritingcompetition.com\/songs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=446"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/songwritingcompetition.com\/songs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=446"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/songwritingcompetition.com\/songs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=446"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}