Photo courtesy Stax Music Academy
Looking to craft the perfect set of lyrics while simultaneously helping the fight for racial equality? Stax Music Academy (SMA) has the perfect platform for budding songsmiths with its Songwriters Showdown.
Announced on Juneteenth, the SMA Songwriting Challenge is for teens 13-18 based in the Memphis area to lend their voices to the black live smatter and Civil Rights movements.
Stax received a $50,000 Lewis Prize for Music COVID-19 Community Response Fund grant to fund the contest, and various prizes will be available for the top three winners. Everyone who makes a submission will also receive instructions on how to copyright a song. Contest judges include notable local artists and Grammy nominees Kirby, Jozzy Donald, ThanksGod4Cody, and CJ Tate.
Per the SMA website, the rules are as follows:
- Songs should be themed for the movement for justice and equality
- Open to all teens who live in the Greater Memphis area (10 miles of Memphis)
- Tempo should be midrange to fast
- All songs submitted must be original- beat, music, and lyrics.
- All material must be submitted by midnight on Friday, June 26th
- Submissions can be of any genre.
- All files submitted must be MP3 or MP4 with an email containing the names of writer(s) and contributor(s)
- All winners are based purely on the judges’ decisions. Submissions will be judged on lyrics, melody, arrangement, and recognizable hook. All winning submissions will be posted on SMA social media and remain the property of their creators.
But hurry! The challenge ends at midnight on Friday, June 26th. Submissions should be sent to ryan.peel@staxmusicacademy.org