Singer Glenda Phipps has three songs Shortlisted in Australian Songwriters Competition

Three of Glenda's songs have been shortlisted in the first round of the National Australian Songwriters Competition.

Glenda has attended the competition for 16 years with one of her friends, just to see some of Australia's best artists and for the first time in 2020 she decided she wanted to give the competition a go.

"I just can't believe it, it is so exciting to have entered three songs and all three be selected, it is such an amazing feeling," she said.

"I just thought I would give it a go, and this year they opened up all the categories to be world wide so anyone could enter which means getting shortlisted against all these amazing artists is just incredible."

Glenda's song 'Karaoke Queen' was selected in the country category, 'Fair Maiden' in the Folk category and 'Shine Through' was selected in the contemporary category. One of those three songs was also shortlisted in the lyrics category though she isn't sure which one.

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"I do have a feeling it could be Karaoke Queen which is about the fun and cutthroat business of karaoke and what it was like when people were competing for prize money," she said.

Glenda grew up in a musical family performing from an early age with her three older sisters.

She said her first claim to fame would have been in 1973 when she performed on a singing competition on WIN TV.

"We didn't win but people at school were shocked because I was so quiet and then all of a sudden I was on TV so that got me a fair bit of attention," she said.

Glenda said songs come to her at all times of the day and night.

"It could be 2am and I will get up sing it into a recording and go back to bed and work on it the next day," she said.

With so many songs dating back to the 1970's, Glenda decided it was time to start recording them.

"With the help of my friend and band mate Bob Suttor we have been recording my songs because I wouldn't want something to happen to me and all that music is lost," she said.

Glenda has been apart of the Stoney Broke Band for many years now and are quite popular around the Lithgow area.

"We normally perform at Iron Fest and Halloween but this year we had to go virtual so we recorded about six songs and put it online for people to enjoy," she said.

Glenda will also be performing in the virtual concert 'COGIG19' with over 500 artists coming together to perform their songs.

To keep herself busy Glenda also performs at local nursing homes with her other band, and is also part of the Lithgow Choir and the Lithgow City Band.

"We can't wait to be able to get out and perform again," she said.

"I think having this time off though has allowed all artists to step back and think about hte direction they want to take with what they are producing."

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Glenda said she has always tried to encourage young songwriters and musicians to follow their passion.

"I used to run a program at LINC and we would do karaoke days and to just see the smiles on peoples faces when they bopped along to the music or picked up an instrument was amazing," she said.

Through Youth Community Projects, Glenda also used to run talent nights, something to get younger people more confidence in.

"I used to bring my daughters around and they would help out, they also have the music gene and so do my 10 grandchildren so I think I helped pass that down," she said.