Unsigned artist sweeps competition semis

Beverly Perry: “I found that songwriting was a needed creative outlet. For me, it’s not about winning awards.”

Oklahoma-based singer-songwriter, Beverly Perry has achieved an unprecedented eleven entries in six categories of the 2015 UK Songwriting Contest semi-finals

Singer-songwriter Beverly Perry from Oklahoma has eleven entries that have advanced to the semi-finals in the 2015 International UK Songwriting Contest out of over 7000 entries. Perry is getting noticed by key music industry professionals in the competition’s judging panel, who have advanced her originals to the latter stages in pop, acoustic folk, country, adult contemporary, christian/gospel and singer-songwriter categories.

The UK Songwriting Contest is an international songwriting event, operated in association with The BRIT Trust, The BRIT School and Music Aid UK, with the aim of ‘discovering and encouraging new songwriting talent and promoting the craft of songwriting’. Among the hopefuls advancing to the 2015 semi-finals is Oklahoma’s Beverly Perry, whose song It Was Real made it to the finals in the country music category in 2014. Diagnosed with a rare genetic disease, Acute Intermittent Porphyria, Perry was forced to leave her career with a medical company and move back to Oklahoma in 2012. “I found that songwriting was a needed creative outlet. For me, it’s not about winning awards. There is something healing about creativity,” explains Beverly Perry.

“It was very unexpected”

Songs in the contest are judged solely on composition, with exception of the singer-songwriter category in which vocal performance is also judged. Perry entered three songs in the singer-songwriter category this year, with all three advancing to the semi-finals. Placing in six categories with eleven entries, Perry says, “I am honoured to have so many songs selected to be among the semi-finalists. The competition is stiff and music can be subjective.” She adds, “I’m keeping my fingers crossed that at least one song will be a finalist again this year. It would be a dream to win a category. I am just happy that I have been chosen to advance in multiple genres this year. I was shocked to learn that my original tunes were resonating with different judges across all genres I submitted to. It was very unexpected.”

Among the music industry names on the 2015 UK Songwriting Contest judging panel are: Shelly Peiken, Marc ‘Kipper’ Eldridge, Lucie Diamond, Simon Ellis and Mark Cawley. The finals will be announced in December. Many past entrants have been noticed and signed by publishers, producers, and record companies. Perry says, “It is a great opportunity for songwriters. It’s an honour just to be heard by music industry professionals”.

For more about Beverly Perry, visit: beverlyperry.com and for more on the UK Songwriting Contest, go to: songwritingcontest.co.uk

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