SIBL Songwriting Competition Launches

The SIBL Project - Songs Inspired by Literature - launches a national and international songwriting competition.

SIBL is an inspirational group of artists working together singing and weaving a fabric of awareness and support for adult literacy. The challenge of adult literacy is rising exponentially according to the NIFL-National Institute for Literacy. 1 in 5 American adults cannot read to their children. Moreover, recent AMA-American Management Association studies revealed that over 38 percent of 1999 job applicants lacked the literacy and numeric skills required to perform basic job tasks. So much of the world is inaccessible to the non-reader and their isolation is an enormous global loss.

In the past, musicians through the power and enchantment of song have raised both public consciousness and millions of dollars for similarly critical issues such as health, housing and hunger. Now, with the vital influence of the SIBL Project, songwriters throughout the world will unite and seize an unprecedented opportunity to have their work included on a series of SIBL CDs. In February 2002, the first SIBL CD, entitled Chapter One, will be released and the net proceeds will directly benefit adult literacy programs in the Bay Area.

This distinct literary and musical competition opened May 1st, 2001 and concludes on World Literacy Day--September 8th 2001. The judges comprised of esteemed musicians, songwriters and world-renowned authors will select ten winning songs and feature them along with five familiar SIBLs on Chapter One. The grand prizewinner will receive $2500 in cash and runners up will receive other impressive prizes for their selected submission of an original song that was inspired by literature--SIBL.

SIBL, is a not-for-profit company, located in San Francisco, CA and dedicated to creating an awareness of the power of story, song, adult literacy and the fundamental legacy of all three.