Modern war and political songs are being sought for inclusion on a special compilation CD release to benefit Folk Alliance International (FAI), as well as to create a fund to provide acoustic instruments for returning soldiers who were injured in combat.

A July 6 deadline has been set for the submission of tracks for consideration, while the CD is planned for release in September. Although there is no charge to submit songs, participating songwriters/artists must be current FAI members. The songs will be promoted to folk radio and the media. The CD will be available online, at FAI events, and through limited retail distribution, according to Louis Meyers, FAI’s executive director. Songwriters/artists whose songs are chosen for inclusion on the CD will be offered major discounts to the 2011 FAI conference and will be afforded opportunities to participate in special showcases/workshops during the event that takes place in Memphis,TN, February 16-20.

For consideration, send either an MP3 or a web link to the track to louis@folk.org, or mail a CD to the FAI office at 510 South Main Street, Memphis, TN 38103. More than one song may be submitted for consideration. The following information should be included with each track: name of song, artist and songwriter(s); length of song; submitter’s contact information (mailing address, email and phone number), artist website, publishing company, performance rights organization (PRO) affiliation, and a 30-word description of the song.

Folk Alliance International (www.folk.org) aims to foster and promote multicultural, traditional and contemporary folk music, while strengthening and advancing organizational and individual initiatives in folk music and dance through education, networking, advocacy, and professional and field development.

Its annual conference — for which early-bird registration and showcase applications may be submitted beginning June 15 — features four days of panel discussions and workshops, peer group meetings and singer-songwriter critique sessions, as well as four nights of artist showcases, feature performances and hundreds of private showcases that extend late into the night (or early morning, depending on your vantage point). Ranked among the five largest music conferences in North America, the International Folk Alliance Conference also boast a large exhibit hall and plenty of opportunities for networking and jamming, while the city of Memphis and its many music-related attractions beckons just outside the host hotel’s doors.