‘American Idol’: Novices welcome to songwriter competition

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On “American Idol,” song choice can make you or break you. Stay true to your style, but don’t get repetitive. Pick a great song, but not a song so great that the original recording is untouchable. It’s a lot of pressure!

Well, thanks to the recently announced “American Idol” songwriter contest, for once ‘Idol’ finalists won’t have to stress over choosing the perfect song -– we will. Contestants submit their original songs here, and fans will choose their favorites in an online poll. Then, the top two “A.I.” finalists will perform the winning song. It’s like a contest within a contest, ya dig?

And fear not, utter newbies; you needn’t be a musical genius to get in on the fun. Just stop by an Apple Store tonight for the ‘Idol’ on iTunes Songwriting Workshop. The class will teach novice composers to create music with GarageBand software.

-- Stephanie Lysaght