Below is a copy of the Grand Rapids Press article on M-Live
http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2009/11/a_winters_tune_features_song_c.html

'A Winter's Tune' features song contest for 2009

By John Sinkevics | The Grand Rapids Press

November 22, 2009, 4:22AM

J. Oscar Bittinger, the force
behind the annual "A Winter's Tune" event.
Grand Rapids Press File Photo

GRAND RAPIDS -- The first-ever "A Winter's Tune" song contest has chosen seven new seasonal songs as finalists, with members of the public getting a chance to vote for their favorites starting today.

"I'm impressed with the quality of the writing," said contest organizer J. Oscar Bittinger, of Grand Rapids. "Most also display heart and a fair share look at the season with irony and humor."

The winner of the contest -- to be chosen through online voting at awinterstune.com -- will get a chance to perform during the annual A Winter's Tune concert at Wealthy Theatre on Dec. 6 along with established Michigan songwriters.

Chosen by a panel of local working musicians and media representatives, the seven finalists were culled from 31 songs submitted by 29 songwriters.

As part of the "people's choice" balloting, voters can go to the Web site to register, listen to the songs and start casting votes after noon today. To ensure that tunes are judged solely on their own merits, Bittinger said songs will be coded so each tune's songwriter won't necessarily be known to voters.

The songwriters whose tunes were chosen as finalists are Nathan James, John Latini, Nicole Lesinski, Siusan O'Rourke and Zig Zeitler, Jeff Oxford, Kyle Rasche and Jamie-Sue Seal. [Emphisis added by AWT]

In addition to the winning songwriter, the 13th annual concert on the afternoon of Dec. 6 will feature a who's-who roster of Michigan artists performing traditional and newly penned original holiday tunes in round-robin fashion.

The lineup includes Rick Beerhorst, Juliet Bennett-Rylah, Chance Jones, Charlie Cheney, Nicholas James, Jeff Rose, Ben Scott-Brandt, Jane Stancil and Jen Sygit, with Roger MacNaughton, David Molinari, Ralston Bowles, The Folk Brothers and J. Oscar and Lauran Bittinger "on special assignment."

Proceeds from the show will benefit community radio station WYCE-FM (88.1). Tickets, $15, are available online at wyce.org.

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