Christian musician Paul Baloche to host competition, concerts.

Paul Baloche

Christian musician Paul Baloche to host competition, concerts. 

LUDINGTON — Award winning Christian songwriter Paul Baloche will host a Christian Songwriters’ Invitational and Concert May 4-5 at the Ludington Area Center for the Arts. The all-day workshop will not only a chance to play with a Christian music legend but will also give musicians an opportunity to compete for a recording contract with Nashville-based Integrity Music. The public also is invited to a concert by the participating songwriters and Baloche at 7 p.m. Friday, May 5.

The event is being organized by Waterfront Worship, a group of Ludington community professionals who envisioned a series of events that would bring people together to celebrate the love of Christ and Christian music on the shores of Lake Michigan.  The Songwriters’ Invitational is the first event by Waterfront Worship; a Paul Baloche music concert also is scheduled for July 30 at Waterfront Park in downtown Ludington.

“We are excited to bring someone of Paul’s talents to Michigan where he can share his knowledge with budding musicians, and ultimately, help a songwriter fulfill a dream of landing a recording contract,” said Emma Martin, event coordinator for Waterfront Worship. “Plus, the Ludington community will benefit by enjoying his musical talents in the free concert on Friday evening.”

Songwriters are invited to submit their original songs via an online submittal form at waterfrontworship.com/submit by March 31 at 11:59 p.m. Songwriters are asked to upload the lyrics and link to the song being performed (Soundcloud, YouTube, or Dropbox files accepted). There is no charge for song submission; however, if a song is selected for the invitational, there is a one-time charge of $35 payable to HELP Ministry/Waterfront Worship. Initial judging of submissions will take place between April 1-15, and names of the invitees will be notified April 16. Up to 15 songwriters will be invited to participate in the invitational, and the invitees will be contacted via e-mail and also listed on the Waterfront Worship website.

The invitational begins Thursday, May 4 at 5 p.m. with a dinner reception followed by a private concert where all attendees will play their submitted songs for Baloche. On Friday, the songwriters will spend the day with Baloche, where he will demonstrate the process that goes into crafting songs, covering concepts like cultivating song ideas, singing sound theology, co-writing dynamics and finishing well to get songs heard. A full schedule is available at waterfrontworship.com/about-the-invitational, and questions can be directed to waterfrontworship@gmail.com.

The Invitational ends with a free public concert at 7 p.m. Friday, May 5 (a good will offering will be accepted for HELP Ministry), after which Integrity Music will award a publishing contract that includes creating a master-quality demo recording for pitching purposes. The winner will be promoted through Integrity Music social media platforms, announced on the We Are Worship website and promoted via press release to Michigan media. The winner also will be invited to perform at the Waterfront Worship concert with Paul Baloche on Sunday July 30 in Ludington. Rules of entry and prize details can be found at waterfrontworship.com/about-the-invitational.

Paul Baloche will return to Ludington Sunday, July 30 for a free Waterfront Worship Concert open to the public at 7 p.m. at Waterfront Park in Ludington. The recipient of the recording contract from Integrity Music will be invited to perform as well.

“Anyone who enjoys Christian music will appreciate the chance to enjoy these two free concerts in a beautiful setting near Lake Michigan,” said Martin. “We look forward to bringing this unique Praise and Worship entertainment experience to West Michigan.”

Baloche is a singer, songwriter and author in addition to serving as pastor at Community Christian Fellowship in Lindale, Texas, for the past 20-plus years. A three-time Dove Award winner, Baloche is best known for penning contemporary Christian hymns like “Above All,” “A New Hallelujah,” “Open the Eyes of My Heart,” “Hosanna” and “Your Name” that are sung by worshipers around the world. His songs have been recorded by numerous artists, including Michael W. Smith, Casting Crowns and Matt Redman and are featured on 14 of his own albums including Your Mercy, The Same Love, Christmas Worship, A Greater Song and Our God Saves. In addition to writing, recording and facilitating LeadWorship workshops around the world, Baloche has created a variety of teaching videos along with free resources designed for worship leaders and musicians. He has also written the books “The Same Love: A Devotion” and “God Songs–How to Write and Select Songs for Worship.”

The arts center is located at 107 S. Harrison St.