"The contest opened doors for me. Not only did it ultimately lead to my record contract with Capitol Records, my music was introduced to people like Oscar Peterson, David Foster and Steve Porcaro." Now, 20 years later Steve Porcaro along with Patrick Moraz, appears on Amin's new  album release "Virtuality".

"It's a real honour for me to be asked to act as a judge for the Roland competition and a rare privilege to be able to 'give back' to a process that brought me to where I am today. "

Between July 1 and October 15, 2008, Roland will be accepting WAV and MP3 file entries of original synth compositions. Contestants are permitted to use any hardware or software synthesizers to compose and record their original song. Six finalists will be chosen from the entries by a panel of judges and the chosen compositions will be posted on the internet to be put to a public vote. The combination of the online vote with the scores of the judging panel will determine the three finalists whose compositions will compete at the Roland Synthesizer Contest Finals in Montreal, Quebec later this Fall.

During the Roland Synthesizer Contest Finals, the three finalists’ WAV or MP3 entries will be showcased in front of a live audience and critiqued by a different panel of judges. The panel’s scores will determine third-, second- and first-place winners.

If you are a composer or know someone who wants to know more visit Roland online. The deadline for entries is October 15, 2008.