Dave, many thanks for taking the time to post your thoughts.

Our tagline is, 'We give peace a chance through music.' We are designed to seek out talented, culturally diverse, young musicians and songwriters from around the world, and bring them together to create exceptional music. Through the music production process, we (scholars) introduce participants to concepts of acceptance of diverse others, democratic processes, and peace mindedness. This is all done virtually so we can involve artists from around the world. Each artist will serve as a native cultural ambassador. Music has the beautifully magical power to bring together people of difference, so we use music to build bridges and create friendships between young musicians on a global scale.

We have very lofty ambitions as to what we want to offer longterm to assist young musicians and songwriters in being recognized, promoted, and putting money in their pockets. But, we are 3.5 years old, and slowly growing every year. This was our Proof of Concept Project, so it is very much learn by experience. After what we experienced with the songwriter submissions, we have much to learn! As a former academician, this is not disappointing. I completely know/understand that we often learn the most important lessons and make our biggest strides forward from our failures. When I have a knowledge gap, I turn to experts. Who better consult than the folks at JPF?

I hear what you are saying regarding singer/songwriter contests. My reasoning for having the songwriter be a separate individual was two pronged. First, it allows for more people from more cultures to get to know and learn from each other. Second, the experience is designed so that each participant has equal voice. If the songwriter also was a musician, that one person would have two 'says.' Does this make sense?

Thank you for your time.
Bill