Get ready to enter The Young Songwriter 2024 competition (SAYS24)

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Not long until SAYS24 is open for entries on the 1st February until the 31st March 2024! If you’ve never written a song before we can help you write your 1st song, if you’re already writing your own songs we can help make them the best they can be! We are passionate about young people expressing themselves and getting their voices heard.

In its 14th year The Young Songwriter 2024 (SAYS24) competition is the world’s leading songwriting competition for young aspiring songwriters, aged 8-22 (under 23 years), to get their songs heard by leaders in the industry & connect to a talented community of young songwriters across the world – both aspiring young songwriters who already have some experience, and those writing their first song!

We are uplifting and empowering songwriters/creatives of the future.

What to write your first song?

Check out our songwriting for beginning short & fun video course.

Sign up to our holiday songwriting workshops at the end of December (online or in London)

Join our weekly songwriting clubs from January 2024

Want to make sure your songs are the best they can be to enter SAYS24?

Check out our insightful song feedback service

Sign up to our holiday songwriting workshops at the end of December (online or in London)

Join our weekly songwriting clubs from January 2024

Calling aspiring young songwriters aged 8-22 around the world!

SAYS24 has 6 categories for young people worldwide: UK/Ireland 8-12 year olds, UK/Ireland 13-15 year olds, UK/Ireland 16-18 year olds, UK/Ireland 19-22, International 8-12 year olds, International 13-18 year olds and International 19-22 year olds.

SAYS judges have included, Calum Scott, Tom Grennan, GRACEY, Janet Devlin, Grace Davies, Imelda May, Midge Ure, Tom Odell, Jamie Scott, Imogen Heap, Chris Difford, Conor Maynard , James Walsh, Jin Jin, Fraser T Smith (Adele, Stormzy, Dave, Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran, Aitch, Mabel, Lily Allen, Rag ‘n’Bone Man, Taio Cruz, Tinchy Stryder, James Morrison, Arlo Parks), Amy Wadge (Ed Sheeran, Janelle Monae, Keith Urban, Ella Henderson, Labrinth, Birdy, Jason Mraz, Jessie Ware, Sam Ryder), Miranda Cooper (Girls Aloud, Sugababes, Griff, Maisie Peters), Plested (Lewis Capaldi, Little Mix, Anne Marie, Niall Horan, Dermot Kennedy), Jimmy Napes (Sam Smith, Disclosure, Clean Bandit, Taylor Swift), Emily Phillips (Florence and the Machine, Rizzzle Kicks, SOAK, Connie Talbot), Hannah V (Stormzy, JP Cooper), Eg White (Adele, Sam Smith, Florence & The Machine, Dua Lipa, Pink, Olivia Dean, Sigrid, Nick Jonas, Stormzy), and Simon Aldred (Liam Gallagher, Rag’n’Bone Man, Celeste, Avicii, James Bay).

Outstanding UK/Ireland finalists perform at The Young Songwriter 2024 showcase

And importantly, for all aspiring young songwriters to feel creative & inspired

Check out our new merchandise…hoodies, t-shirts, notebooks etc to express yourself with ease!

Latest information on The Young Songwriter 2024 competition

Check out our Young Songwriter 2024 competition page and stay tuned to our social media platforms – Instagram (song_academy) and Facebook, Twitter (SongAcademyUK).

Songwriting programmes for beginners to advanced young songwriters

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We run songwriting programmes tailored for every stage of the songwriting journey – from total beginners to songwriting (Vol.1), those who’ve just started (Vol.2) and those who’ve been writing songs for a while (Vol.3). Check our which programmes are best for you and read our songwriting resources to make your songs the best they can be!

Click here to check out all songwriting programmes and resources.

The Young Songwriter 2023 Live Showcase

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The Song Academy’s nurturing community cultivates a supportive environment for budding young creatives navigating the demands of growing up in today’s world. The Young Songwriter 2023 showcase brought together a special community of young songwriters, all saying how important the competition is to them – important in building their confidence, levelling up their songwriting, giving them a platform to express themselves, building friendships with peers and a support network for their musical journey.

The sound of instruments. The golden glow of stage lights. The distant echoes of vocalists warming up, and the hustle and bustle of young creatives as one by one they climb the stage to sound check. 30 young songwriters (the top 10 young songwriters in each age category) of The Young Songwriter 2023 UK section (8-12, 13-15 and 16-18 year olds) are getting ready to perform their original songs.

There’s an extraordinary energy that fills the Tabernacle, Notting Hill, that only can be described as electric. Months of creating, producing, writing, fine tuning and rehearsing has led to this pivotal moment for the young performers.

Having made it into the final of The Young Songwriter competition 2023, a mixture of nerves, excitement and anticipation seem to be the overarching emotions felt by the finalists.

When asked how they wrote their songs, the answers seemed to reflect so accurately the spontaneous minds of budding creatives. Some wrote their songs in their bedroom on a whim at three in the morning! Others had been working away at lyrics and melodies they’d had stuck in their head for months.

However, regardless of how these songs were written, what was incredible was to see the final versions performed with such conviction. Especially for some of the younger finalists, where it was their first ever performance in front of a live audience. The confidence that they found, as they navigated each note, was inspiring and evoked a similar response from the audience who overflowed the auditorium as showtime drew closer.

A big thank you to The Young Songwriter 2023 sponsors, Yamaha, Focusrite, YouTube Music, ICMP, Soundtrap and PRS for Music for supporting us to inspire and nurture the next generation of songwriters/artists/producers/young creatives.

Despite the fact that they were technically each other’s competition, the supportiveness found within the conversation of the contestants was a true testament to the encouraging nature of the community that Song Academy has created. Having built strong connections within the music industry now for 14 years, Song Academy has its own identity which is all about nurturing the creative, and you can see that expressed in spades at this event.

This support system seems to be ever more important and relevant as the way art and information are now being digitally consumed is changing so rapidly, and the environment seems to be edging further and further away from protecting the quality of art itself.

With the age of performers ranging from 8-18 years old, the level of maturity across all age groups and subject matters discussed in each song, was a true testament to each writer. A particular stand out was a song written by Kacia aged 16 who created a track delving into the complexities and culture surrounding knife crime. ‘Doing it for clout’ was a mature and lyrically strong perceptive on a challenging topic. To hear young writers express and explore these heavy subject matters at such a young age, was an insight into a generation clearly aware and conscious of current affairs and their repercussions within a wider context of society.

The Young Songwriter 2023 winners are:

16-18 year old category: Matt Jones – ‘Beauty’

13-15 year old category: Macy O – ‘Love Rampage’

8-12 year old category: Agnes Bull – ‘Cat Laws’

As young creatives enter the industry, Song Academy looks to lay strong roots at the beginning of their musical journey. Nurturing and encouraging each creative, whether they develop into a writer, artist, musician or producer. We can’t wait to see what 2024 brings for Song Academy, as well as the young songwriters it supports.

Finnian Feez, designer/songwriter and graduate of Central Saint Martins said at The Young Songwriter 2023 showcase “Each trophy has a different graphic inside them, all similar – signifying your shared goal and love of music, but each is unique, because, you’re all unique, and that is something that needs to be celebrated and encouraged to filter into your songwriting.

These empty boxes are a metaphor. They stand for the fact that no physical object will be the reason for you creating a song. Whether a guitar, piano, drum, synthesiser, whichever instrument it is, they’re just empty boxes – it’s what you have within you that leads to the creation of a song. So these trophies are a token of that message.

The trophies are made from recyclable or compostable materials and can be dismantled and rebuilt to clean or replace parts if needed.”

“It feels incredible. I honestly can’t believe I’m here, and to think my song made it into the final just feels surreal. Thank you for putting this event on and giving young creatives the chance to express themselves.” Isla

The Young Songwriter 2023 Trophies

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The Young Songwriter trophy is revealed at The Young Songwriter 2023 showcase at The Tabernacle, Notting Hill. Designed by Finnian Feez, designer, musician & songwriter and graduate of Central Saint Martins. It’s stylish, original, creative and has a powerful message.

We are thrilled with our iconic trophies for The Young Songwriter competitions! After an introduction from the head of product design, Paul De’Ath at Central Saint Martins, Finnian Feez was given the brief of designing and building a trophy for The Young Songwriter competition which would symbolise the power of songwriting, fit the brand values of Song Academy and connect with the thoughts, wants and desires of our worldwide community of young songwriters.

The design is perhaps not what you’d expect from a trophy, and just in case you’re thinking why are we giving an empty box to the winners, here’s some insight into the design!

Finnian said at The Young Songwriter 2023 showcase “Each trophy has a different graphic inside them, all similar – signifying your shared goal and love of music, but each is unique, because, you’re all unique, and that is something that needs to be celebrated and encouraged to filter into your songwriting.
 
These empty boxes are a metaphor. They stand for the fact that no physical object will be the reason for you creating a song. Whether a guitar, piano, drum, synthesiser, whichever instrument it is, they’re just empty boxes – it’s what you have within you that leads to the creation of a song. So these trophies are a token of that message.
 
The trophies are made from recyclable or compostable materials and can be dismantled and rebuilt to clean or replace parts if needed.
 
Songwriting isn’t easy. Creation in general is difficult, sometimes it can even seem impossible. Sometimes we can lose sight of why we even create in the first place or doubt that we have the ability. If we’re able to remind ourselves that it’s something that lives within us, and we’re true to ourselves, then we can overcome any creative challenges that might arise. We hope that in some way the message behind this trophy will help all of you as you grow and develop as songwriters and music makers.”

We think that Finnian has designed the perfect trophy for The Young Songwriter competition.

We’re looking forward to The Young Songwriter 2024 competition. Get your songs ready to enter between the 1st February and 31st March 2024!

Our inaugural residential songwriting camp was a big hit!

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Read more

The Song Academy Young Songwriter 2023 live showcase

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A must see event to inspire musical & creative young people! The top 10 finalists of The Song Academy Young Songwriter 2023 competition and special VIP guests will perform their original songs at the iconic Tabernacle in Notting Hill, UK. The winners will be announced on the night. Don’t miss out, book your tickets soon!


The inspirational Song Academy Young Songwriter 2023 live showcase will be held on Saturday 23rd September 6:45 – 9:45pm at The Tabernacle, 34-35 Powis Square, Notting Hill, London W11 2AY. The Young Songwriter 2023 competition top 10 finalists, Song Academy alumni making waves in the music industry plus VIP guests will be performing their original songs live.

The showcase celebrates the inventiveness & creativity of young people and the power of songwriting to help young people find their voice and find their tribe. The future is bright and diverse!

We are delighted that the showcase will be compered by TV/Radio star Abbie McCarthy and Song Academy ambassador Zara Musoni. Abbie McCarthy is an award-winning TV/Radio presenter & DJ, you’ll find her hosting BBC Music Introducing in Kent on the airwaves every Saturday night and also bringing great new music & fun interviews to your TV screens on E4 Extra & The Box Network with Fresh This Month. Abbie has been highlighted by the Radio Academy as one of the brightest young stars in radio, recently featuring in their esteemed 30 under 30 list and winning Silver for Best Music Presenter at the ARIAs 2020.

The list of Young Songwriter 2023 young songwriters performing on the 23rd September is shown below.

How to book your tickets

To book your seats at this unique event send an email to contact@songacademy.co.uk. Seats in the tiered seating cost £22.50 and for seats in the gallery are £17.50. All seats have an excellent view of the stage. There is limited availability so we suggest you book soon. E-tickets will be sent out the week before.

About The Young Songwriter 2023 competition

The Song Academy Young Songwriter competition is the leading international songwriting competition for young people aged 8-18. This year attracted around 1,000 high quality entries. Song Academy gives the unheard youth a voice and platform to express themselves and be heard. The standard of finalist songs entered this year was exceptionally high. To select the top 10 songs we listened for inventiveness, creativity & bravery with lyrics & melodies illuminating our imaginations. Young people have a unique way of expressing themselves, they are a new generation experiencing life in the most vivid and visceral way.

SAYS23 Star Judges include Fraser T Smith, Amy Wadge, Miranda Cooper, Eg White, Jimmy Napes, Emily Phillips, Plested, Hannah V, Sodajerker, Sacha Skarbek and Dan Gillespie Sells.

Official sponsors of The Song Academy Young Songwriter 2023 competition are YouTube Music, Yamaha, Soundtrap, Focusrite, PRS for Music and ICMP.

Fraser T Smith (songwriter, producer and SAYS23 judge) said “With so much going on in the world, it’s never been more vital for young people to be able to channel their energy and emotions into something positive, which is what The Young Songwriter competition encourages and facilitates through songwriting. Every young person has something to say, a story to tell, or a message to share – that’s why Song Academy is so important to our community.”

Tom Odell (singer songwriter and Young Songwriter judge) said “When I was 13 years old I started writing songs, and over the following years I became more and more obsessed with it. But the thing that always kept me awake at night was how to get them out there for people to hear them. This is why I think the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition is a great way to inspire and help through this process, and it’s something I wish had been around when I was starting out.”

Many of our past finalists are now making waves in the industry, including Gayle, Matilda Mann, Oscar Lang, Lexie Carroll, Cassa Jackson, Oscar Welsh, Natalie Shay, Joshua Shea, Tabitha Jade, Tom A. Smith, Gabriel Dryss, Katie Kittermaster, Gilska, Andrea Turk, Cathy Jain, Sebastian Croft, Daniel McCarthy, Eliza Mai, Miriam Nyarko, Wasia Project, Sophie Griffiths, Rosie Sullivan, Melanie Baker, Alien Blaze, Sweet Mylo, James Bakian, Hetta Falzon, Harry Hatcher, Conor Marcus, Clari Freeman-Taylor, Alex Spencer, Sophie DeMasi & Mullally.    

Past Young Songwriter Live Showcase Performers

Dylan Roberts | Dylanroberts.co.uk

Young Songwriter 2023 Performers Line-Up

FRANKIE MORLAND
OTTILIE WALLACE
SHOLTO CAMERON
ELISA MCEVOY
ISLA HANNETT
OREGON THIA GERRIT
12 DEERS BAND
KIT BOTTOMLEY
AGNES BULL
ELEANOR ROSE HANSON
MIA WILKS
CHARLIE RYAN
KACIA
MADDIE INSTONE
ELI CROSSLEY
ECHO BAND
SKYE BISHOP
MACY O
ELIZABETH EHINFUN
STUART VEITCH
SHAAN BHASKAR
RUBE
JS STARZ – JESSE NGOMA
ISLA MAE
COLE LAM
TAMARA HENDIN
SOPHIE FERIANI
MATT JONES
ADAM O’CONNOR, ARLO REDMAN
ROE BYRNE

To book your seats at this unique event send an email to contact@songacademy.co.uk.

The Young Songwriter 2024 competition is open for entries from the 1st February until the 31st March 2024. Get your songs ready!

ANNOUNCING THE TOP 10 SONGS OF THE YOUNG SONGWRITER 2023 COMPETITION #SAYS23

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PRESS RELEASE

SAYS23 Star Judges include Fraser T Smith, Amy Wadge, Calum Scott, Plested, Miranda Cooper, Gracey, Eg White, Jimmy Napes, Emily Phillips, Hannah V, Sodajerker, Sacha Skarbek, Dan Gillespie Sells, Janet Devlin & Simon Aldred.

Drumroll please! The top 10 songs of the hotly contested Song Academy Young Songwriter 2023 competition, in its 13th year, have now been revealed. This year’s competition attracted around 1,000 high quality entries from aspiring young songwriters aged 8-18 across the world, both experienced young songwriters and those who’ve written their first song.  62% of entrants were girls, 32% boys, 6% preferred not to say or had a unique gender identification. Entries were from across the entire UK/Ireland (71%) and around the world (29%). The future of music is bright and diverse!

The top 10 songs in each category of The Young Songwriter 2023 competition are SHOWN BELOW. You can listen to all top 10 songs on the Song Academy SoundCloud account!  Plus you can find out more about the top 10 finalists on our blog.

The UK/Ireland winners & runners-up will be announced on Saturday 23rd September 2023 at The Young Songwriter 2023 live showcase held at The Tabernacle, Notting Hill, London.  The International winners & runners-up will be announced at the online showcase on Sunday 24th September at 2pm GMT. Stay tuned to our social channels to hear the announcements first!

Emily Phillips, songwriter and lead judge of The Young Songwriter 2023 competition said “Another swift year has passed since the last Song Academy Young Songwriter Competition and nearly 1,000 songs for the 2023 entry have been listened to.  This years entries cover an enormous variety of sounds, styles, and lyrical invention. Unrequited love, family relations, social media, self identity and nature are common themes in the lyrics.  The songs vary from a simple guitar or piano accompaniment to full on production. My job is to discern the song beyond the performance and beyond the soundscape, which can be very difficult if the song is wrapped up in an irresistible way, and also hard if the presentation is poor.  There is no doubt that some great songs are inextricably bound to their sound which gives them the identity we gravitate to, so I hope the judges can be forgiven for loving a song partly because it sounds great.

I can only say that the judging process is not an exact science, and that mistakes will and can be made.  In much the same way that the Beatles were turned down by 4 record companies, I  will no doubt have inadvertently overlooked a great song. This may be because, some songs require many listens before you realise their secret magic.  Anyway, I’m trying to say that no writer in the competition should feel disheartened.   A song writer needs to write as many songs as possible, as often times, it’s in the proliferation that greatness comes. I also want to stress that the standard of some of the songwriting is astonishing, there is no match for the hubris of youth! 

Song Academy and the judges encourage all young songwriters to collaborate.  It’s fun, and can be a great way to connect with other like-minded young people.  Collaboration builds confidence and opens up a world of possibilities.  Song Academy is helping to build a community of the next generation of songwriters in the UK and around the world. What a fantastic organisation, I am very proud to be part of it.”

Fraser T Smith (songwriter, producer and SAYS23 judge) said “With so much going on in the world, it’s never been more vital for young people to be able to channel their energy and emotions into something positive, which is what The Young Songwriter competition encourages and facilitates through songwriting. Every young person has something to say, a story to tell, or a message to share – that’s why Song Academy is so important to our community.”

Rowena Atkins, Founder of Song Academy said: “The Young Songwriter competition stands for the craft and art of songwriting in its purest form, enabling young songwriters to aspire to the very best melody, lyric, structure, concept, harmony, mood and impact a song can have. We are looking for originality, creativity and musical bravery. We’re a supportive community where young people express themselves freely, get their songs heard and connect to like-minded young people. The benefits from this unique community are far reaching, especially the positive boost to mental health.”

The next opportunity for young songwriters aged 11-19 (divided into separate age groups) in the UK/Ireland is our new residential Summer songwriting camp from 9th to 12th August 2023, near Guildford, UK. There are a limited number of places available so please contact us soon.

OFFICIAL SPONSORS of The Song Academy Young Songwriter 2023 competition are YouTube Music, Yamaha, Soundtrap, Focusrite, PRS for Music and ICMP.

CATEGORY:  UK/IRELAND, 16-18 YEAR OLDS * TOP 10

A THERAPY SESSION IN NORTH CAROLINA – ISLA MAE

BEAUTY – MATT JONES

HARP – SHAAN BHASKAR

HYMN FOR THE HOMESICK KIDS – TAMARA HENDIN

JUST YOU AND ME – COLE LAM

LAZY – SOPHIE FERIANI

LITTLE GIRL – RUBE

SET ME ON FIRE – ROE BYRNE

TTF – JS STARZ

YOU ARE THE LIGHT – ADAM O’CONNOR AND ARLO REDMAN

CATEGORY:  UK/IRELAND, 13-15 YEAR OLDS * TOP 10

BACKGROUND GIRL – MADDIE INSTONE

CENTRAL LINE TO TOWN – MIA WILKS

DOING IT FOR CLOUT – KACIA

DOORS – CHARLIE RYAN

DRIVING SEAT – ELI CROSSLEY

FOURTEEN – SKYE BISHOP

LOVE RAMPAGE – MACY O

PATHOLOGICAL LIAR – ELIZABETH EHINFUN

PROMISES AND REGRETS – STUART VEITCH

THESE DAYS – ECHO

CATEGORY:  UK/IRELAND, 8-12 YEAR OLDS * TOP 10

BRAND NEW – SHOLTO CAMERON

CAT LAWS – AGNES BULL

H.O.P.E – ISLA HANNETT

HOLD ONTO YOUR BRANCHES – 12 DEERS

I AM FREE – OTTILIE WALLACE

I’LL GO ON AN ADVENTURE – ELISA MCEVOY

KING FOR A DAY – FRANKIE MORLAND

KNEBWORTH – KIT BOTTOMLEY

SUNFLOWER – ELEANOR ROSE HANSON

THE FUTURE’S HAPPENING – OREGON THIA GERRIT

CATEGORY:  INTERNATIONAL, 13-18 YEAR OLDS * TOP 10

BILLBOARD CITY – SUMMER BRENNAN

COINCIDENCE – LINDSAY LIEBRO

FIRE – MIA BENITA

HAND – FREDERIC THESIGER

JELLYMAN – SWAGSOCKS

LAST DAY BEING 17 – VICKY GAO

SO HARD – LINA SKALLI

THAT TINY HOUSE IN MY BRAIN – SOFIA KEMPA

THIN ICE – FELICIA HOLMEN

YOU DON’T KNOW ME – MALAIKA WAINWRIGHT

CATEGORY:  INTERNATIONAL, 8-12 YEAR OLDS * TOP 10

FLY – EYLA STEAD

GOLDEN LIGHT – MISHKA MEHTA

HUMMINGBIRD – LOUIE PHIPPS

MY HOPE – DAVID LEROY SANTOSO

MY TIME MACHINE – CLARA MORGAN

ONE FAMILY – YEN HYI AND NADYEZHDA WONG

RUNNING AWAY – SUN + MOON

SMILE ME A MELODY – ANLI STRYDOM

STEP BACK – LILIA ASHA WHEELER

WROTE THIS SONG FOR YOU – NICKY LAU

NOTES TO THE EDITORS – SONG ACADEMY OVERVIEW

Founded 14 years ago, Song Academy is dedicated to the future of music and the wellbeing of young people aged 8-18. Our mission is to help children from all backgrounds find their voice and find their tribe, through writing their own original songs at a formative time of their life. We nurture young writers, artists, musicians, producers and creative thinkers, empowering young people to achieve their full potential and shape their future.

Our focus is on the craft of songwriting, creating lyrics and music. We believe that songwriting and music can transform the lives of young people. Young people are growing up in a competitive, fast-changing and potentially isolating environment, leaving them vulnerable to various pressures and issues with their mental health. Songwriting enables young people to communicate their thoughts and feelings and connect to others. Through this creative and therapeutic process, they can discover their identity, overcome challenges, feel empowered, and advance their general writing and social skills. Not only can the songs they write advance potential musical careers, but also spark debate, build connection with peers and shape their future.

Song Academy runs after-school clubs, holiday workshops, school workshops, birthday parties, a Summer residential songwriting camp and an annual international Young Songwriter competition. As a result of our programmes, we have seen an increase in confidence, self-esteem, creativity, motivation, well-being and technical songwriting ability of our members.

Email: rowena@songacademy.co.uk. Tel: 07710 023743

ANNOUNCING THE TOP 30 SONGS OF THE YOUNG SONGWRITER 2023 COMPETITION #SAYS23

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PRESS RELEASE

SAYS23 Star Judges include Fraser T Smith, Amy Wadge, Calum Scott, Plested, Miranda Cooper, GRACEY, Eg White, Jimmy Napes, Emily Phillips, Hannah V, Sodajerker, Sacha Skarbek, Dan Gillespie Sells, Janet Devlin & Simon Aldred.

Drumroll please! The top 30 songs of the hotly contested Song Academy Young Songwriter 2023 competition, in its 13th year, have now been revealed. This year’s competition attracted around 1,000 high quality entries from aspiring young songwriters aged 8-18 across the world, both experienced young songwriters and those who’ve written their first song.  62% of entrants were girls, 32% boys, 6% preferred not to say or had a unique gender identification. Entries were from across the entire UK/Ireland (71%) and around the world (29%).  The future of music is bright and diverse!

Emily Phillips, songwriter and lead judge of The Young Songwriter 2023 competition said “Another swift year has passed since the last Song Academy Young Songwriter Competition and nearly 1,000 songs for the 2023 entry have been listened to.  This years entries cover an enormous variety of sounds, styles, and lyrical invention. Unrequited love, family relations, social media, self identity and nature are common themes in the lyrics.  The songs vary from a simple guitar or piano accompaniment to full on production. My job is to discern the song beyond the performance and beyond the soundscape, which can be very difficult if the song is wrapped up in an irresistible way, and also hard if the presentation is poor.  There is no doubt that some great songs are inextricably bound to their sound which gives them the identity we gravitate to, so I hope the judges can be forgiven for loving a song partly because it sounds great.

I can only say that the judging process is not an exact science, and that mistakes will and can be made.  In much the same way that the Beatles were turned down by 4 record companies, I  will no doubt have inadvertently overlooked a great song. This may be because, some songs require many listens before you realise their secret magic.  Anyway, I’m trying to say that no writer in the competition should feel disheartened.   A song writer needs to write as many songs as possible, as often times, it’s in the proliferation that greatness comes. I also want to stress that the standard of some of the songwriting is astonishing, there is no match for the hubris of youth! 

Song Academy and the judges encourage all young songwriters to collaborate.  It’s fun, and can be a great way to connect with other like-minded young people.  Collaboration builds confidence and opens up a world of possibilities.  Song Academy is helping to build a community of the next generation of songwriters in the UK and around the world. What a fantastic organisation, I am very proud to be part of it.”

Listen to the top 30 songs on the Song Academy SoundCloud account!  Plus the top 30 songs and young songwriters are SHOWN BELOW. The International 8-12 year olds category will wait until the top 10 announcements as they had fewer entries.

The top 10 finalists of all categories will be announced on the 12th May.  The top 3 finalists will be announced on the 13th June. The UK/Ireland winners will be announced on Saturday 23rd September 2023 at The Young Songwriter 2023 live showcase held at The Tabernacle, Notting Hill, London.  The International winners will be announced at the online showcase on Sunday 24th September at 2pm GMT. Stay tuned to our social channels to hear the announcements first!

Fraser T Smith (songwriter, producer and SAYS23 judge) said “With so much going on in the world, it’s never been more vital for young people to be able to channel their energy and emotions into something positive, which is what The Young Songwriter competition encourages and facilitates through songwriting. Every young person has something to say, a story to tell, or a message to share – that’s why Song Academy is so important to our community.”

Rowena Atkins, Founder of Song Academy said: “The Young Songwriter competition stands for the craft and art of songwriting in its purest form, enabling young songwriters to aspire to the very best melody, lyric, structure, concept, harmony, mood and impact a song can have. We are looking for originality, creativity and musical bravery. We’re a supportive community where young people express themselves freely, get their songs heard and connect to like-minded young people. The benefits from this unique community are far reaching, especially the positive boost to mental health.”

The next opportunity for young songwriters aged 11-18 in the UK/Ireland is our new residential Summer songwriting camp from 9th to 12th August 2023, near Guildford, UK. There are a limited number of places available so please contact us soon.

Next opportunities for schools are for Song Academy to run songwriting workshops for Leavers (academic years 6 and 13) to write a song about their time at school & looking ahead to the future. In addition to the positive experience of writing a song together encapsulating their time at school & thoughts of the future, we can create a backing track and full track for schools to use for promotions and Leavers to have as a memento!

Official sponsors of The Song Academy Young Songwriter 2023 competition are YouTube Music, Yamaha, Soundtrap, Focusrite, PRS for Music and ICMP.

CATEGORY:  UK/IRELAND, 16-18 YEAR OLDS * TOP 30

A HUNDRED YEARS – LILY CLARKE

A THERAPY SESSION IN NORTH CAROLINA – ISLA MAE

ARE YOU OKAY? – MAGGIE WAKELING

BEAUTY – MATT JONES

CRYSTAL CHANDELIERS – AMITY MILLER

DEAREST ONE – SEAN TRELFORD

HARP – SHAAN BHASKAR

HEARTBREAK? – FAITH LOUISE

HOMETOWN – ROSE MOLYNEUX & OWEN FRANCIS BLACK

HYMN FOR THE HOMESICK KIDS – TAMARA HENDIN

I’M NOT ALONE – THOMAS WIGLEY

IT’S NOT TOO LATE – RALPH BISHOP

JUST YOU AND ME – COLE LAM

LAZY – SOPHIE FERIANI

LITTLE GIRL – RUBE

MILESAWAY – CHINKZ

PEOPLE MADE FROM STARS – SASHA FORD

SELF ESTEEM – JOE GOODALL

SET ME ON FIRE – ROE BYRNE

SPARE ROOM – LILLY MAE CHANDLER

STARRY – RAINE HARLA

TESCO – EVE COLE

TTF – JS STARZ

UNTITLED – MANGSAM SENEHANG

VILLAIN ERA – EVA DONOGHUE

WATCHING – SIRINE

WHAT YOU’D WANT – ABBIE GORDON

WHO AM I TO TELL – ERIN O’SULLIVAN & OLLIE

WILD OUT AT SEA – ELIZA LOVISE

YOU ARE THE LIGHT – ADAM O’CONNOR, ARLO REDMAN

CATEGORY:  UK/IRELAND, 13-15 YEAR OLDS * TOP 30

ANOTHER TIME – IOLA CAMPBELL

BACKGROUND GIRL – MADDIE INSTONE

BE WHO YOU WANNA BE – LOIS BROOKS

BY YOUR SIDE – ARNAV MERVE, RAVI KAMATH, ARJUN RAMANI

CENTRAL LINE TO TOWN – MIA WILKS

DOING IT FOR CLOUT – KACIA

DOORS – CHARLIE RYAN

DRIVING SEAT – ELI CROSSLEY

FINE TOTALLY  – ROWAN ADDY

FOURTEEN – SKYE BISHOP

FRAUD – DANIEL MACKIN

HONEYSIDE – TITO WILEY

IF YOU WERE… – MAYONNAISE

INSIDE AND OUT – NEVAEH

JOHNNY SOMEONE – WOODY COLLINS

LAST TRAIN TO THE COAST – JOSEPH DAVIS

LITTLE GIRL – EMILY GASKELL

LOST IN THOUGHTS – MAYA MARTIN

LOVE RAMPAGE – MACY O

OCTOBER BOY – BAILEY BRITT

ONE OF A KIND – SAMUEL KHANNA

PATHOLOGICAL LIAR – ELIZABETH EHINFUN

PROMISES AND REGRETS – STUART VEITCH

PURPLE – LUCY HANSON

SILVER BIRCH – JEANNE MARIE MARAIS

TAKE ME HOME – SHANELLE RUDRIGO

THE LETTER – BRADÁN PEACOCK

THERE’S THIS PLACE – JOHNNY BEAU

THESE DAYS – ECHO

WALKING IN THE RAIN – BEN GUTHRIE

CATEGORY: UK/IRELAND 8-12 YEAR OLDS * TOP 30

10 RULES – KIDS OF ORION

ANY OTHER DAY – MAX MARNHAM

BACKSTAGE GUY – HALLUCINATIONS

BRAND NEW – SHOLTO

CAT LAWS – AGNES BULL

CRYSTAL CLEAR – CRYSTALS

DAYDREAMS – ROBYN JONES

GROWING UP IS EASY – FLORENCE

H.O.P.E – ISLA HANNETT

HOLD ONTO YOUR BRANCHES – 12 DEERS

I AM FREE – OTTILIE WALLACE

I’LL GO ON AN ADVENTURE – ELISA MCEVOY

JUST THE WAY IT IS – THEA WARD

KING FOR A DAY – FRANKIE MORLAND

KNEBWORTH – KIT BOTTOMLEY

LONDONERS – BLACK SHEEP BLUES

MONDAY – LIZZIE

MY SONG – GEORGIA RUSSELL

REACH FOR THE STARS – WILLIAM TYNDALE PRIMARY SCHOOL

ROCKET SHIP – ROBBIE HOPE

SHY FELLOW – HENRY MARNHAM

STRANGER – MILO DELLAL, NIKOLAI GRLICA, ERIK LANGRAN

SUNFLOWER – ELEANOR ROSE HANSON

THAT’S WHERE I’LL BE – EMILY FINE

THE FUTURE’S HAPPENING – OREGON

TRIAL OF TRUST – ALEXANDER YIJIAN WANG

UNFORGIVABE – REBECCA ALESHA AND MADELINE

WAIT – OLGA FITZPATRICK

WHAT A DAY – FINN CRABTREE

WORDS – EVIE MITCHELL

CATEGORY:  INTERNATIONAL, 13-18 YEAR OLDS * TOP 30

(I LIKE YOUR) GREEN EYES BABY – ANDREI SERBAN

AIR – JESSI JOY VILLA

ARE YOU GONNA LOVE ME? NOAH ROBERTSON

ASHES – AVA GRACE

BEE-SIDE – JAKE MURDOCH

BILLBOARD CITY – SUMMER BRENNAN

BLESSING – JOSH DIONISIO

BURNIN UP – CLAUDIA MATEOS

COINCIDENCE – LINDSAY LIEBRO

CYAN – PEDRO GIOMO

DECEMBER – CLAIRE KETELHOHN

FIRE – MIA BENITA

HAND – FREDERIC THESIGER

JELLYMAN – SWAGSOCKS

KEEP MOVING – MIA MASSY AND FAYE JOHNSON

LAST DAY BEING 17 – VICKY GAO

OAK TREE – JAYDEN POPE

OCTOBER – JOEY WILBUR

PUPPY LOVE – RAE

SHIVER – RUBY ARCHER

SLIP AWAY – SCARLETT ELISE

SO HARD – LINA SKALLI

START AND END – XINTIAN (DIANA) JI

THAT TINY HOUSE IN MY BRAIN – SOFIA KEMPA

THIN ICE – FELICIA HOLMEN

THIS – UNA ROULSTON

TOXIC – HARRY TOWBIN

WAITING IN LINE – SEASIDE FEELS

WHITE LIE – SOUTH

YOU DON’T KNOW ME – MALAIKA WAINWRIGHT

NOTES TO THE EDITORS – SONG ACADEMY OVERVIEW

Founded 14 years ago, Song Academy is dedicated to the future of music and the wellbeing of young people aged 8-18. Our mission is to help children from all backgrounds find their voice and find their tribe, through writing their own original songs at a formative time of their life. We nurture young writers, artists, musicians, producers and creative thinkers, empowering young people to achieve their full potential and shape their future.

Our focus is on the craft of songwriting, creating lyrics and music. We believe that songwriting and music can transform the lives of young people. Young people are growing up in a competitive, fast-changing and potentially isolating environment, leaving them vulnerable to various pressures and issues with their mental health. Songwriting enables young people to communicate their thoughts and feelings and connect to others. Through this creative and therapeutic process, they can discover their identity, overcome challenges, feel empowered, and advance their general writing and social skills. Not only can the songs they write advance potential musical careers, but also spark debate, build connection with peers and shape their future.

Song Academy runs after-school clubs, holiday workshops, school workshops, birthday parties, a Summer residential songwriting camp and an annual international Young Songwriter competition. As a result of our programmes, we have seen an increase in confidence, self-esteem, creativity, motivation, well-being and technical songwriting ability of our members.

Email: rowena@songacademy.co.uk. Tel: 07710 023743

Sparking ideas for new songs

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At Song Academy we use interesting songwriting briefs for our aspiring young songwriters to spark ideas for new songs.  Here are some ideas for starting new songs both starting with lyrics and starting with music.

 

Ideas for starting lyrically

  • Start from thinking about what’s important to you – certain people, social movements, events, activities, feelings etc.
  • Start from words/phrases that you hear a lot. Write a song inspired by a word or phrase that a lot of people say in everyday life – but not many people have sung about.  Perhaps something that your parents/ grandparents/teachers always say to you or words/phrases that your friends say/you hear on TV shows or social media.
  • Start from a title – Select 5 things in your bedroom i.e bed, chair, window, guitar, books – and then turn them into interesting song titles. For example: Bed – Safe Haven, Chair – Where I’ll Stay, Guitar – Broken Strings, Books – Read All About It.
  • Start from a quote – Find a quote you like. For example: “It is never too late to be what you might have been”, “an obstacle is often a stepping stone”, “to avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing”, “your only limitation is your imagination”.
  • Write a song inspired by the question “What if?”  This could be a “What if?” about your own life, thinking forwards to the future or asking a “What if” about a significant decision you have made. It could also be simply imagining another world, a dream coming true.  Think about your interests, what would you have fun writing about? Or is there something you would be fascinated to imagine and describe?  Think about historical events that have had a massive impact on the world (9/11, WW2). What could the world look like if these events had not occurred?
  • Song to self idea for a song. Write a song to yourself in a different stage of your life. This can be you talking to yourself in the past or the future. Decide whether you want to write the song in letter form, conversational (as if you are talking to someone else) or in the third person narrative (a story). Think about what you would love to say to yourself as a child and an adult, would there be any warnings you would like to give? Or reassurances? Do you want to give yourself some advice? Think about something that has had a profound impact on you or shaped you in some way. This can be positive or negative. What would you say to yourself? You could free write around this if you are stuck.

Ideas for starting musically

  • Start from a bassline – Listen to ‘Uptown funk’ by Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson.  The bass line can be the hookiest part of the song in some occasions – think about the simplicity that is needed, the importance of rhythm (the bass and drums work so closely together in bands to achieve the best sound). The bassline has also rhythmic and harmonic importance it helps the listener feel the beat/pulse and add a groove/funk/atmosphere to the song.
  • Start from a chord progression – Choose a key for your song and choose one of the three chord progressions, perhaps start with the key of C, E, F or G. Play your chords and improvise different melodies for your lyrics. Try these three main chord progressions:
    • I, IV, V (Which is C, F, G when played in the key of C Major)
    • I, V, VI, IV (C, G, Am, F in C Major)
    • I, VI, II, V (C, Am, Dm, G in C Major)

Have fun writing your songs!  It’s also a great idea to collaborate with musical & creative friends to develop your songs.

We’re looking forward to listening to your songs in The Young Songwriter 2023 competition!  The entry period is the 1st February to 31st March 2023.

Click here for all information on The Young Songwriter 2023 competition.

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