Nationwide Song Contest Winner!
Best Alternative Worship Song from Emerging Lutheran Singer-Songwriters
"New Prayer Song" to be featured in volume 2 of Songs For Worship
2010 Winner: Best Alternative Worship Song
Gretchen Weller Mertes came out of the womb singing, and hasn't stopped yet. In a past life, she toured around the countryside in true Lutheran Rockstar fashion, playing at youth gatherings and churches across the country, and sharing the stage with other Lutheran royalty such as Rachel Kurtz, Dave Scherer, Jonathan Rundman, Peder Eide, and many more.
One time, Gretchen's band 'The Pull' won a Madison Area Music Award for best 'Other' album, much to their gladness and surprise. (Those Madison rockers never knew what to do with an album about Jesus. But at least they knew good music when they heard it!)
Gretchen currently spends her time as the worship pastor at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church in Renton, WA, and raising her daughter Advent with her husband and bass player, Ryan.
Listen to free sample of "New Prayer Song"
Gretchen in her office at St. Matthew's in Renton, Washington.
Guitar Chick Gretchen
Nationwide Worship Song Contest
Our first winner is Gretchen Weller Mertes, with her "New Prayer Song," is featured in
Songs For Worship, vol. 2.
The next contest is now open.
Enter your best Lutheran alternative worship song.
Up to two winning songs will be published in the next volume of Lutheran Songs Today!
ENTRY RULES
1) The song must be original, and entirely your own composition. Your song may be a collaboration of more than one person.
2) The composer(s) must be Lutheran; ELCA, LCMS, WELS, LWF, Lutheran Brethren, Apostolic Lutheran,
Church of Norway, Church of Sweden, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia, etc.
3) Record the song in a MP3, M4A, or similar format.
4) Write out the lyrics, to be copied into an email.
5) If your song is chosen, you would give permission for Songs For My Soul, Inc. to use your song, mechanical sound format and written piano/guitar/vocal format along with lyric/guitar format, in present and future publications. However you would also retain your copyright ownership to do whatever else you want to do with it. You would sign a contract stating all of the above.
Our panel of judges will be the singer-songwriters of the previous volume of Lutheran Songs Today.
Criteria for judging:
* consistency of lyrics rooted in Lutheran theology and practice
* sing-ability of melody
* play-ability of music by instrumentalists
The second Contest is now open.
Send an email to eric@songsformysoul.com.
Put your name, congregation, and lyrics in the text of your email.
Attach your MP3 of your worship song to your email.
(If your email service does not allow an MP3-sized attachment, please let us know, and we will make other arrangements to receive the MP3 recording of your worship song.)
Tell your musician friends that they may upload an MP3 recording of their Lutheran worship song, along with their lyrics!