Armed with talent, determination and a desire to help a worthy cause, a group of songwriters took action when their songs failed to make the finals in American Idol's recent songwriting competition. Each felt confident they had written the type of emotion-filled hit the TV show was looking for and wanted to find a way for their compositions to make an impact and be heard.

Impressed by the writers' passion, music producers Luanne Hunt, Sean Gasaway and John Bass set the wheels in motion in a Nashville recording studio to put together a compilation CD of the rejected tunes. The project, which will benefit the Oakland School for the Arts in Oakland, Calif., was announced on various Internet websites and garnered dozens of submissions.

Ten of those entries were ultimately chosen for the newly released CD "Hits They Missed! - Songs Not Fit For An Idol or So They Say." The disc features the work of 13 songwriters from across the United States including Dana Lamb of Fayetteville. Other selected songwriters include Sean Gasaway and Brad Bertram (Nashville, Tenn.), Luanne Hunt and Steve Hunt (Hesperia, Calif.) Patrick Hurd (Fort Gratiot, Mich.), David Kraut (New York, N.Y.), Jamie Southworth (Sanford, Fla.), Iggy Taylor (Hockessin, Del.), Heidi Thompson (Las Vegas, Nev.), Geoff Thurman (Chicago, Ill.), Nancy Vogl and Leslie Bowe (Chicago, Ill.).

The tunes' genres cover everything from pop and country to folk, R&B and adult contemporary.

"People are always talking to me about the lack of really great songs out there in all genres," said Hunt, the CD's executive producer. "But I think this CD is proof there are amazingly gifted songwriters who would do very well in the marketplace if only they were given the chance. Hopefully, 'Hits They Missed' will be the opportunity that leads them to big time success."

Hunt intends for that success to spill over to The Oakland School for the Arts, which will receive a large donation from the CD's sales. The institution, which was co-founded by former California Governor Jerry Brown, aims to create a learning environment that fosters excellence in the arts and education. The school, which is tuition free, received its 501(c)(3) status in 2001 and is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

The public can hear an album sample and purchase copies of the CD for $12 plus $2 shipping at www.melodiesthatmatter.com.

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