An immersive & motivational experience for aspiring young songwriters aged 11-18
Following the huge success of this year’s songwriting camp we’ve booked dates to return next year and we’re now open for bookings! We only have 45 places available so please book soon. Click here to book your place.
Our residential songwriting camp is designed for aspiring young songwriters to develop their songwriting skills, connect & collaborate on exciting songwriting briefs over 4 days & immerse themselves in all parts of the songwriting process, from finding inspiration, lyric writing, melody improvisation and composition to producing and performing. Our expert team of top songwriters and producers all share a passion for inspiring the next generation.
The 4 day programme includes engaging sessions on:
Creating song concepts and understanding song structure
Creative lyric writing
Chords, Melody and Harmony improvisation (with some music theory)
Ways to develop your sound and style
Recording and producing your songs
Choir & Band
How to engage your audience
How the Songwriting/Music industry works and latest trends
How to create your own brand & fanbase
Masterclasses where we give feedback on songs previously written and work in progress songs
Open songwriter/mic night
Quiz night
Special guest speaker nights with opportunity for Q&As
Performances at the end of camp showcase from 2-3:30/4pm on the last day.
Here are some highlights of the end of summer camp 2023 showcase.
Our fun and easy to follow songwriting video course for beginners is a perfect way to write your first song.
Scarlet and Brendan from Song Academy will talk you through each stage of the songwriting process to write your own song – from start to finish – deciding on a concept for your song, writing lyrics, improvising melodies, creating chord progressions and recording your song.
You don’t need to be able to play an instrument to write your first song with our new video course as we’ve created backing tracks for each part of your song. If you do play an instrument we’ve shown you how to play the chords (on piano and guitar).
There are useful worksheets for each stage of the process to make it really easy to write your song. For example worksheets on: suggested song structure, song map outline (blan and an example) piano chords chart, guitar chords chart, writing rhyming couplets and putting your song together.
“This is such a fun course! Thank you! My daughter Sara is 11 years old and loves singing, she wrote a fantastic song with your help and now spends most of her free time writing songs. Watch out Taylor Swift!” Paul, Father
https://www.songacademy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Beginners-Songwriting-Video-Course-Square.png10801080Rowena Atkinshttps://www.songacademy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/song-academy.pngRowena Atkins2023-11-16 11:31:392023-11-16 15:48:24Songwriting video course for beginners
Every year we get asked the questions “what type of song should I enter into The Young Songwriter competition?” and “do you have any songwriting tips?” so we thought we would put together some ideas and guidelines to help you write a winning song!
The main things that we listen out for when judging The Young Songwriter competition entries are captivating melodies, evocative lyrics, a coherent structure, a catchy chorus, emotive performances, clever use of rhyme, a sense of anticipation, and strong concepts.
It’s important to say at the outset that songs which break all the rules and defy any expectation can be the biggest hits of all! Therefore, in as much as there are so called ‘rules’, feel free to bend and break them if you feel inspired to!
The power of songwriting is that no matter what inspired the songwriter to write a song, the listener interprets the song in their own unique way, and finds strength from the message and connection.
Here are some elements of the songwriting process which we think are important:
Have a strong theme/concept
One of the key components, and biggest challenges, of songwriting is trying to express common, relatable feelings in an original and interesting way. The more inventive you can be when describing your feelings or experiences (for example, the pressures and joys of growing up and living in our society), the better. It’s a great way to express yourself by talking about issues you are passionate about in an engaging way.
Young Songwriter competition entries always cover a huge spectrum of topics, from personal experiences and feelings, to wider issues involving the writer’s communities, or even the entire world. Looking back on prior years, a popular theme was the state of the planet and awareness of environmental issues such as climate change. Another theme that came up a lot was mental health, with songs exploring anxieties, depression, drugs, death and high expectations. We also received many entires that explored the need be who you are, embrace your individuality and go for your dreams. Many songs took a stand for equality and freedom from barriers. Love and heartbreak always feature highly in Young Songwriter entries, with many different spins: we broke up, we’re breaking up, we’re about to break up, we’re not going to break up, I wish I could break up with you, we didn’t break up, I wish I had someone to break up with. Also, songs about the pain of toxic relationships and unrequited love.
But not all songs have to be dramatic and poignant – many people wrote songs about aspects of everyday life, like nature, sunlight, boredom, society, the stars, anything! Through lyrics and harmony the seemingly banal can sometimes be lifted onto another plain. It is great to be able to find inspiration in ordinary things, and it’s an amazing skill to be able to present those things in a way that people find exciting.
Plested, one of the fabulous Young Songwriter competition judges gave a great songwriting tip ‘Try to find a word or a phrase that a lot of people say in everyday life but not many people have sung about”, then write a song about it.
Come up with an interesting song title
A song title is almost like a book cover, so make it interesting! Compare a heartbeat to a flashing light or the feeling of losing fear by roaring it away – the more inventive the concept around the ordinary, the better. Think of recent hits Dark Horse, Wrecking Ball, Pompeii – interesting titles and concepts talking about everyday feelings to do with fear, love and empowerment. It can also be a good way to start a song, having a strong title that sets the theme of the song can inspire more lyrics around it!
We’ve had many interesting song titles in The Young Songwriter competition past entries, including; Biting Into Ice, Concrete Sheets, Sneaks & Geeks, Dead Plants, Like Lava, T-shirt, Packet Full Of Noodles, Armour, Paperclips, Shine in the Darkness, Blue Fingertips, Burnt Peaches, Lies In Makeup, Sungrazer, Hijacked By Parasites, Reset, Little Alchemy, Dopamine, Me Myself and I, Mrs Ocean, Keyboard Warrior, Battlecry, Muddy Clear, Growing Gills, Swim Against The Stream, Muddy Boots & Messy Hair, Ode To Ego, Painting With Colour, Helvetica, Puppeteer, Head Full Of Clouds, Same Blood, Mindless Town, Can’t Buy Forgiveness, Cat And Mouse, Fading Rainbow, The Taste Of Dust.
Make the first four lines agree with your title
The great songwriter Ralph Murphy says it very well in his books on the laws of songwriting – if the first four lines of your first verse can link back to your title then you’re onto a winner. Take for example Roar by Katy Perry:
I used to bite my tongue and hold my breath,
Scared to rock the boat and make a mess,
So I sat quietly,
Agreed politely,
Now you’re gonna hear me roar.
You create an expectation, and then you fulfil it. By doing this, you never lose sight of the message of your song, you keep in mind what you’re trying to say by always referring back to the title, thus never losing your listeners’ attention or the concept you’re expressing in your song. It also helps emphasise the message of the song and helps people remember it!
Have a good song structure
Here’s an example of a great song structure:
Introduction — An opening passage, either instrumental or vocals without lyrics
Verse I — Introduces the song’s message and sets the scene
Pre Chorus — Link between the verse and chorus
— Builds up both melodically and lyrically
Chorus — Main message of the song
— Catchiest part and most memorable part of the song (normally includes a ‘hook’)
— Most dynamic part of the song
Verse II — Continuing the explanation of the song
— Solidifying the message and introducing new imagery
— Lyrics change, melody stays broadly the same as verse 1, but you can tweak it a bit to keep it interesting!
Bridge or Middle Eight — A contrasting section that brings the song to a new level
— Rhythmically and melodically the song changes
— Looking at the message from a different view point
— Can build up tension leading up to the climax of the song
Chorus — Repeat (can add hooks to the outro of it) Outro — The closing passage. It can be instrumental or vocal
Write engaging lyrics
Young Songwriter finalists write lyrics that show the listener a scene unfolding rather than simply telling the listener how they feel. American songwriter Jason Blume, who has had hits with Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys, says whilst there are no rules to songwriting, there are tools to help you craft that perfect hit. And all you need is a simple AID – action, imagery, detail.
Action:
Use verbs (action or doing words) to help illustrate what is going on in your song. For example, instead of saying ‘I miss you and I’m sad’, try and show what missing someone and being sad looks like :
‘I wipe the tears falling from my eyes’
‘I clutch a tear stained picture of you’
‘I drove by where we first met’
‘I couldn’t walk through the door where we said our last goodbye’
The action words are ‘wipe’ ‘clutch’ ‘drove’ ‘walk’.
And instead of saying ‘I love you’ or ‘I’m in love’, why not show what a person in love does?
‘I wrote our names inside a heart, engraved upon a tree’
‘I hand picked and carried home 100 flowers for you and put a vase in every room’
‘I sing your name like a favourite song’
The action words are ‘wrote’ ‘picked’ ‘carried’ and ‘sing’.
Write a list of action words down before starting on your next song and try and use at least 5 of them in your next song to show what your feeling.
Imagery:
Blume says ‘whilst you cannot see heartbreak you can see the images and actions that convey that a person is heartbroken’:
‘She fell to her knees, laying flowers on his grave’
‘He kisses her photo’
‘His tears hit the floor like a waterfall of pain’
The images are ‘knees’ ‘flowers’ ‘grave’ ‘photo’ ‘tears’ ‘floor’ ‘waterfall’. Blume also states that by including ‘tangible items’ and nouns in your lyrics like ‘furniture, clothing, a car, a house, a specific place, food’, you enable your audience to enter your song.
Along with your list of action words, try and write down a list of images and every day nouns to try and include in your next song.
Detail:
This is the third part of AID that will help you to show your listener what is going on in your song. This time we’re searching for adjectives and adverbs to help the listener visualise your song more clearly. For example, if we were to go one step further with some of our examples from the Imagery section above and add a bit more detail to the floor, or the grave, you have something like this…
‘She falls to her knees on the cold, muddy ground and lays white lilies on his grave’
‘He tenderly kisses the photo of their wedding day in his old rocking chair’
‘His bitter tears slowly hit the wooden floor of his kitchen, like a cascading waterfall of pain’
Even with a few additional adjectives and adverbs, the scenes are much clearer to visualise; you can hear the creak of the old rocking chair, you can taste the bitter tears that fall onto the floor and see him in the kitchen, you can feel the cold muddy ground that she falls to – instantly you have transported your listener directly into the scene of your song, as if they are there with the singer, watching over what is happening.
So next time you’re stuck for lyrics, all you need is a little AID to help you on your way!
Play around with new melodies and chord sequences
Play around with different combinations until your find the melody you’re looking for. Choose a key for your song and then try out the I, IV and V primary chords as well as the II III, VI and VII chords.
Hooks
It has been said that the most successful ABBA songs have 5 hooks in each of their songs. A hook is a musical idea, melodic instrumental part, rhythmic phrase or a vowel/consonant sound or word repeated, that catches the ear of the listener to draw them into the song and helps to create its ‘catchiness’. According to popular commercial music today, the more hooks you can introduce throughout the song, the catchier it will be, because it’s constantly enticing the listener and, most importantly, keeping them interested. Listen to the start of Dancing Queen and the vocal ‘ahh’s and piano part before the hooky first line of the chorus, or Jessie J’s Price Tag (It’s all about the money, money, money/We don’t need your money, money, money). Other songs with simple but strong hooks include One Kiss by Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa, or Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen.
A lot of hooks are incredibly simple and may even be made by manipulating vocal parts, cutting them up or re-pitching them in an interesting way, songs that do this include Latch by Disclosure featuring Sam Smith, or Stay High (the Hippie Sabotage remix of Habits) by Tove Lo. Try and think about hooks for your own song, either lyrically, melodically or instrumentally. They can be incredibly simple and consist of a couple of notes, or a bit more interesting, just make sure they stick in your head!
Rhythm
Rhythm is an important part of many songs, it’s what makes people dance, or makes them nod their head and tap their feet. A solid rhythm can be a hook in itself, and it will lay the foundation on which to base the rest of your song around. It will also determine what kind of song it is, is it a fun, dancey song that makes you want to dance, like Get Lucky by Daft Punk? Or is it a slow, wistful song that people will sway along to, like Imagine by John Lennon? It could even be a fast, uptempo song that sounds exciting and triumphant, like Feel The Love by Rudimental ft John Newman. If the aim is to make the listener dance, try writing a song to the BPM of 120. If you’re writing a romantic acoustic song, experiment with different time signatures like 6/8 as this will get people swaying along to your song!
Another thing to experiment with is using triplets, it can open up a whole new world of melodic and rhythmic possibilities! A good example that we mentioned in the previous section about hooks is Latch by Disclosure featuring Sam Smith, you’ll hear the hi hat doing triplet rhythms where traditionally for that genre you would expect an even number of hi hats (either quarter notes, eighth notes or sixteenth notes).
Beats and rhythms also don’t have to be perfectly on beat, and often a beat that makes you want to dance will be a ‘swing’ or ‘shuffle’ rhythm, this is a technique that changes the length of notes to create a more uneven but interesting rhythm. An example of a swung rhythm is Ex’s and Oh’s by Elle King, hear how some of the hits are slightly late which gives a driving feel to the song.
Production
The Young Songwriter competition entries are mainly judged on the song itself rather than the production, but there are some entries that use the production to help present their song in a stronger way. For example, a more pop/electronic entry might rely on solid drum sounds and more bass than an acoustic entry. Both are totally acceptable approaches and it’s important to note that you do not need incredible production skills and a top mix in order to submit a successful song, many of the best songs ever written would still be just as good whether they were produced fully or just played on one instrument!
Recording
We receive many different styles of recordings, many people record themselves at home, even in their bedroom with a phone! We understand that not everyone has access to recording studios or fancy equipment, and much like the production, if your song is strong it will shine even without an expensive or time consuming recording process. The most important thing is that the recording is clear enough for our judges to hear the individual parts, try to avoid recording in noisy environments that may make your recording difficult to hear, or distract from the song itself. You can record elements separately and combine them in a DAW (SoundTrap, Logic, Pro Tools, Reaper, Ableton or any other suitable software) or record with one microphone in one go, whichever you feel most comfortable with! If recording onto voice memos be sure to sing as clearly as possible as the judges don’t want to miss out on hearing your amazing lyrics. That goes for all recordings.
THE POWER OF SONGWRITING IS THAT NO MATTER WHAT INSPIRED THE SONGWRITER TO WRITE A SONG, THE LISTENER INTERPRETS THE SONG IN THEIR OWN UNIQUE WAY, AND FINDS STRENGTH FROM THE MESSAGE AND CONNECTION.
Check out our insightful song feedback service to make sure your songs are the best they can be before entering The Young Songwriter 2024 competition!
https://www.songacademy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/shutterstock-hit-song.jpg10801080Song Academyhttps://www.songacademy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/song-academy.pngSong Academy2023-11-14 22:15:002023-11-16 16:36:55Want to win The Young Songwriter 2024 competition?
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
https://www.songacademy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Photo-for-SAYS23-blog-post.jpg10801080Rowena Atkinshttps://www.songacademy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/song-academy.pngRowena Atkins2023-10-12 17:23:152023-10-31 14:48:15The Young Songwriter 2023 Live Showcase
We’re calling all young people who love music, singing & writing lyrics! Join our songwriting workshops this Autumn half-term. It’s a perfect opportunity, in a condensed time frame, to write an original song with professional songwriters. Some groups for beginner to advanced young songwriters aged 8-18. Get creative, express yourself and find your voice! Songwriting workshops are both in London and online.
Our holiday songwriting workshops are a perfect opportunity, in a condensed time frame, to write an original song with professional songwriters. Participants will develop their lyrical & musical skills with new ideas and techniques. They will develop their confidence and ability to express themselves…as well as meeting other like-minded young creatives and having a lot of fun!
Small groups for beginners and those already writing their own songs and wanting some inspiration/guidance.
Here are some of the reasons why parents love their children taking part in our songwriting workshops.
My child already loves writing her own songs in her bedroom and really benefits from the guidance and inspiration from Song Academy to make her songs the best they can be.
My child loves singing and loved the challenge to develop her skills and write her own songs to sing.
My child has been a fantastic singer, but his voice is starting to break and writing his own songs filled the void of not singing as much.
My child is learning a musical instrument but isn’t that motivated to practice her grade pieces. Writing her own songs and accompanying herself brings her instrument to life and it’s played a lot more.
My child loves music and really enjoyed the freedom of writing her own lyrics and making up melodies. She now writes songs the whole time.
My child was super shy and writing her own songs in a supportive & nurturing environment has given her a boost of confidence and she’s proud of what she has to say through her songs.
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.
https://www.songacademy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Summer-Camp-Insta-2022-01-scaled.jpg25602560Rowena Atkinshttps://www.songacademy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/song-academy.pngRowena Atkins2023-09-25 12:31:002024-04-09 15:35:00Our inaugural residential songwriting camp was a big hit!
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!
https://www.songacademy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/SAYS23-showcase-square-with-date.jpg10801080Rowena Atkinshttps://www.songacademy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/song-academy.pngRowena Atkins2023-07-30 17:10:562023-09-02 10:33:58The Song Academy Young Songwriter 2023 live showcase
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.
https://www.songacademy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/SAYS23-top-10-finalists-MAIN.jpg10801080Rowena Atkinshttps://www.songacademy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/song-academy.pngRowena Atkins2023-05-12 11:47:192023-05-18 12:12:33ANNOUNCING THE TOP 10 SONGS OF THE YOUNG SONGWRITER 2023 COMPETITION #SAYS23
This year’s Song Academy Young Songwriter competition attracted nearly 1,000 entries from aspiring young songwriters aged 8-18 across the world, both experienced young songwriters and those who’ve written their first song. The judges were extremely impressed with the originality, creativity & musical bravery of the songs. We interviewed each of the finalists to get to know them and learn more about how they write songs. We’ll add more profiles as we receive them. Stay tuned!
OREGON THIA GERRITS – ‘THE FUTURE’S HAPPENING’
What inspired you to write your finalist song? I am excited about the future. I wrote this song around the launch of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, which began a new phase in space exploration. It made me look towards the future and wonder what it holds for humanity. There will always be ups and downs in the world. Even if sometimes things are difficult, people will continue to experience joy, hope and excitement. Hopefully the positive things will make us believe that we can become better and create a happy future for all of us,
What got you into writing songs? Song Academy! My school had a song writing club and I enjoyed the Song Academy sessions so much that I continued to do online song writing classes through the lock down.
What does songwriting mean to you? Song writing lets me express my feelings and sing about topics that mean a lot to me. I hope people can hear and sing my song and feel the same way.
What is your favourite part of the song writing process? I love everything. I like thinking about the song, writing the lyrics, composing the tune and singing it! I wish I could play the guitar though!
How do you usually start a song? How do you find that spark? It starts with something that happened to me, that makes me think. After a while, it develops into an idea. After brainstorming, I find interesting words that connect into a song.
Describe your setup that you used to write your #SAYS23 entry. Through Song Academy, I learnt the Soundtrap platform where I sang and recorded my song with Brendan Cleary, who played the guitar.
Who would be your dream artist/writer/band to collaborate with? Chris Hadfield, the Canadian singer and astronaut who sang and played guitar in space.
What would you say to someone aged 8-18 who is thinking about entering the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition next year? Don’t think! Just do it! Some of the best songs come from the heart, not from hours of careful technique.
What are your favourite other entries from this year’s competition? Who out of the other entrants (it doesn’t have to be a finalist!) would you like to collaborate with? Mia Wilks’ “Central Line to Town” was striking as it starts with a real life recording of the announcement on the Central Line. I really like Skye Bishop’s “Fourteen”. I listened to her other songs and thought her voice and her piano style was very moving and professional.
What do you like about the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition? The competition is a great opportunity for young people to express themselves and have fun while creating something that they will remember for all their lives.
KIDS OF ORION – ’10 RULES’
What inspired you to write your finalist song? We found a need in our school and in everyday life and decided to write about it. We wanted to try and help inspire and motivate kids of all ages and give them a guidebook on how to navigate life. I know we’re only young but the song 10 rules covers the things that we feel are important and that will help us to have positive futures
What got you into writing songs? At our school, The Orion Primary School, our teacher Ms McDonald help set up a cool music production club that helps us learn about music production. We learn about the basics of making music using Logic Pro x and also learn about songwriting and song structure and get to make our own music. We all actually produced this song ourselves in our lesson. We find music helps us in everyday life and we have a passion for spreading a message. Music helps us do this.
What does songwriting mean to you? It means we have a way of expressing ourselves when we can’t any other way.
What is your favourite part of the song writing process? Working together and learning about how music is composed. We had fun writing the lyrics and trying to think of the different ideas and things we could write about. So after we made the instrumental, it was fun to bounce our ideas off of each other about what the lyrics should be.
How do you usually start a song? How do you find that spark? We usually make the beat first then think about a concept of what we want the song to be about. We decided to write about things that are passionate to our school and make us happy. We also wanted to send a message out too.
Describe your setup that you used to write your #SAYS23 entry. We are very lucky at our school because we have access to a recording studio and radio station and we have music clubs. In our music production club we worked on a system called Logic and Rio from The Apex Project helped us learn how to produce the music, structure the song and compose the lyrics. It was hard deciding on a beat and finalising the piece but we worked together.
Who would be your dream artist/writer/band to collaborate with? Ariana Grande and Beyonce. There are so many great artists that we would love to meet one day.
What would you say to someone aged 8-18 who is thinking about entering the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition next year? You have to have patience and push your creative flare. It helps to have someone like Rio to teach you the process too.
What are your favourite other entries from this year’s competition? Who out of the other entrants (it doesn’t have to be a finalist!) would you like to collaborate with? We would love to have seen our other group from The Orion get through to the finals too. The Orion Alltimers. We have listened to many of the tracks they’ve made and like so many of them.
What do you like about the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition? That everyone has a chance to be involved and that you do not need to be older to enter.
HALLUNCINATIONS – ‘THE BACKSTAGE GUY’
What inspired you to write your finalist song? I was inspired to write backstage guy from myself and my life when I was younger. Basically there’s a forest with a river running through it near my house and when I was younger I had no friends so I would go to this place after school and listen to songs hour on end and although backstage guy doesn’t feature this place. The song is based around it and it’s over now.
What got you into writing songs? So when I was younger me and my aunty would go on zoom and do ukelele lessons and as soon as I started playing I felt like this was what I am supposed to do and after many covers I decided to write my own song and it wasn’t that good but I didn’t give up I tried again and again picking up on things I have done wrong and improving for my next song. One day I wrote a song and for the first time I really liked it ! So I carried on writing more and here I am today with ‘backstage guy’.
What does songwriting mean to you? Well it means everything to me and it’s the one thing I can do by myself no one bothering me and I find it a lot easier to tell things in my songs than speaking it.
What is your favourite part of the song writing process? When you finally get the catchy chorus you want after many tries.
How do you usually start a song? How do you find that spark? Well I think deep about what to write a song about how to make it original and then I play some chords on guitar and put my ideas into a catchy melody and when I get something I like I record it and write it down. But it’s not always the first chorus which is at the end as I usually change it.
Describe your setup that you used to write your #SAYS23 entry. First I sat in my room with just my my Pen and paper and would write down any melody’s and lyrics which would come to my head and then I would work out parts for people in my band and then we would get together and record it all on garage band and layer some more singing on top then make sure it’s all good and then we have the song. Also these are the people in Hallucinations: Maximus Myatt (me): guitar and vocals, Rupert Owens: bass guitar, Teddy Layzell: drums
Who would be your dream artist/writer/band to collaborate with? I have a lot of artists I like but my all time favourite is Twenty Øne Piløts as I like there lyrics and theme and I feel they have real depth in there songs and I also like Green day and Shawn Mendes They are all very different but I like listening to many kinds of music to give me inspiration.
What would you say to someone aged 8-18 who is thinking about entering the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition next year? First of all don’t listen to people who say your music is bad because if you do you will loose confidence and not carry on and that future superstar in you will not happen. And even if you don’t like it carry on because it won’t ever get better if you give up on it. In fact that counts for everything, if you don’t carry on and just give up it will never be good and you want it to be good don’t you?
What are your favourite other entries from this year’s competition? Who out of the other entrants (it doesn’t have to be a finalist!) would you like to collaborate with? I don’t know anyone else who entered but I had a listen and I really like daydreams by Robyn Jones as I can tell the lyrics really mean something and It is relatable to me and I can really feel the emotion.
What do you like about the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition? Before I found out about this I had no where to show my music and when I found out about this competition I was very pleased as I have been wanting an opportunity like this for a long time and getting through to the top 30 just still blows my mind and It made my day so that’s why I like song academy!
ELISA MCEVOY ‘I’LL GO ON AN ADVENTURE’
What inspired you to write your finalist song? I like nature and I have always liked writing songs about things I like.
What got you into writing songs? I want to be like my Dad, who writes songs.
What does songwriting mean to you? It means that I can say stuff in a different way to speaking and express my feelings in my songs.
What is your favourite part of the song writing process? The recording was probably my favourite part because I like hearing myself in the headphones.
How do you usually start a song? How do you find that spark? I hum a melody out loud and then start to think about how it could improve and what it could be about.
Describe your setup that you used to write your #SAYS23 entry. I wrote the song in one of my diaries in pencil and changed it until it felt right.
Who would be your dream artist/writer/band to collaborate with? I would love to sing with Sam Ryder.
What would you say to someone aged 8-18 who is thinking about entering the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition next year? I would say go for it and write what you think feels good.
What do you like about the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition? I like that it give me confidence to share my songs.
MAX MARNHAM – ‘ANY OTHER DAY’
What inspired you to write your finalist song? What inspired me to write my finalist song is to encourage people not to give up, and also that to tell people that not everyone is perfect.
What got you into writing songs? What got me into writing songs, is that I use to listen to a lot music (I still do!) and one day I though to myself “ what would it be like if I wrote a song?”
What does songwriting mean to you? Songwriting means to me, a great way to express myself.
What is your favourite part of the song writing process? My favourite part of the songwriting process is the bit where you are starting to make progress.
How do you usually start a song? How do you find that spark? I usually start a song by finding a melody on my piano, or find a beat on my computer.
Describe your setup that you used to write your #SAYS23 entry. My set up for recording is a Mac book air, a sound card, a recording microphone, a keyboard, a piano, a drum kit, and some more stuff.
Who would be your dream artist/writer/band to collaborate with? My dream artists to collaborate with would probably be The Kooks, MustBeJohn or the Skeggs.
What would you say to someone aged 8-18 who is thinking about entering the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition next year? I would say to work hard and to not give up.
What are your favourite other entries from this year’s competition? Who out of the other entrants (it doesn’t have to be a finalist!) would you like to collaborate with? My favourite entry is hold on to your branches by 12 deers.
What do you like about the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition? What I like about the Song Academy is the entries are always amazing. It also gives kids a chance to show other side of themselves and their talents.
HENRY MARNHAM – ‘SHY FELLOW’
What inspired you to write your finalist song? I think I was going through quite a hard time with being sick and i wanted to do something to distract myself.
What got you into writing songs? Probably the creativity and excitement of it all, and being able to do what ever you want in the song.
What does songwriting mean to you? It means quite a lot as it is a hobby of mine and I really enjoy it.
What is your favourite part of the song writing process? I think it is when you layer everything together, and you get that rush of adrenaline when you realise how good it actually is.
How do you usually start a song? How do you find that spark? Usually from brainstorming some ideas and trying to find a simple tune, before messing around with some synths and finding the right one.
Describe your setup that you used to write your #SAYS23 entry. Pencil, paper, guitar, piano, after jamming, sound card (presonos) and mics Audio box and layout deck.
Who would be your dream artist/writer/band to collaborate with? Probably either Lewis Capaldi or The Neighbourhood.
What would you say to someone aged 8-18 who is thinking about entering the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition next year? Creating something out of nothing is cool. Don’t give up.
What are your favourite other entries from this year’s competition? Who out of the other entrants (it doesn’t have to be a finalist!) would you like to collaborate with? Sholto, Robyn Jones, Eleanor Rose Hanson
What do you like about the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition? Freedom
OTTILIE WALLACE – ‘I AM FREE’
What inspired you to write your finalist song? There was a karaoke competition at school and I decided I wanted to write my own song for it.
What got you into writing songs? I have been composing and improvising since I first started playing the violin when I was 5 years old. I have written mostly for orchestral instruments and also some choral compositions. I am not sure why I didn’t write a song sooner! I Am Free is my first song.
What does songwriting mean to you? I love creative writing, I love composing and I love music. Songwriting combines all of those things. I really enjoy it!
What is your favourite part of the song writing process? I don’t think I have a favourite part. Maybe that will happen as I write more songs.
How do you usually start a song? How do you find that spark? I Am Free is my first song but I have since written more songs. Usually my inspiration is sudden. I think for a song I often think of words first. A phrase will come to me and that sets off more words and then also the tone of the music.
Describe your setup that you used to write your #SAYS23 entry. I wrote I Am Free using Sibelius. I was lucky enough to be able to record it at a local recording studio.
Who would be your dream artist/writer/band to collaborate with? I think it would have to be Toto!
What would you say to someone aged 8-18 who is thinking about entering the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition next year? I think it is really important to write and create without worrying about whether you are getting it “right” or whether it is good enough. I also think it is important to write music which really makes you feel something.
What are your favourite other entries from this year’s competition? Who out of the other entrants (it doesn’t have to be a finalist!) would you like to collaborate with? I’d love to say I’ve listened to all of the other top 30 finalists in all the categories but since they were announced on Friday I have been composing non-stop to meet deadlines and then been back at school! I’m looking forward to listening to them all over the next couple of weeks and imagining what it would be like to collaborate.
What do you like about the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition? It’s a fantastic opportunity to have your music considered by experts and shared with others. It’s very exciting!
ROBYN JONES – ‘DAYDREAMS’
What inspired you to write your finalist song? My inspiration to write this song came from the fact that there aren’t many ‘popular’ songs about getting lost in your own thoughts/overthinking currently. So, I wanted to bring attention to an issue that so many people can relate to.
What got you into writing songs? I wanted to challenge myself and step outside of my comfort zone by creating something completely original, and writing my own song.
What does songwriting mean to you? To me, songwriting means expressing my feelings and personality through music and lyrics.
What is your favourite part of the song writing process? My personal favourite part of the process is hearing the final product for the first time and realising how far I have come from the simple spark that inspired me to write the song.
How do you usually start a song? How do you find that spark? I like to think of a chord pattern and that brings to my mind a specific situation/experience I have had.
Describe your setup that you used to write your #SAYS23 entry. My setup to write the song was simply sitting in my bedroom alone with my guitar, finding a chord pattern, and playing it until it brings out a situation/experience I have had.
Who would be your dream artist/writer/band to collaborate with? ‘Fall Out Boy’ without question!
What would you say to someone aged 8-18 who is thinking about entering the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition next year? Just to give it a go, don’t be too quick to discard an idea and step out of your comfort zone.
What are your favourite other entries from this year’s competition? Who out of the other entrants (it doesn’t have to be a finalist!) would you like to collaborate with? My favourite is Backstage Guy by Hallucinations. I had a very fun time listening to it and found it to be very unique and very catchy. I also liked Hold Onto Your Branches by 12 Deers.
What do you like about the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition? I like the fact there are 2 age categories meaning I am competing with other entrants who are likely to be on the same or similar level to me, meaning we all get a fair chance.
KIT BOTTOMLEY – ‘KNEBWORTH’
What inspired you to write your finalist song? Seeing big bands at big gigs is mind blowing. Last year I’d seen Pearl Jam and Pixies in Hyde Park and then Liam Gallagher and Kasabian at Knebworth. It’s the massive, massive sound and the energy of the crowd. It was trying to put down in song that feeling of being part of something bigger than you. The surge when your favourite song is played in front of you, how connected you are with the crowd and performer. When I want to hear a song about something I write it. It played in my head, the melody and lyrics were there after the Liam gig, I walked home buzzing and had the song there. So it’s really a song about songs.
What got you into writing songs? I’m always singing, when I search up a song that I want to hear, if I can’t find it or that emotional feeling, then I write it. My mum says my first words were sung not spoken so I guess I’ve been doing it all my life. I often hear the melody in everything, we all do it sometimes on a train or in the rain, the beat and the music that is there. It’s taking that and making it bigger.
What does songwriting mean to you? Songwriting means for me creating, expressing myself and making something beautiful (maybe not the first time but trying and layering), making something for other people and for yourself. It’s fun and my favourite thing to do. I’m pretty obsessed with making music and writing songs.
What is your favourite part of the song writing process? My favourite part of the songwriting process is that it’s fun, it’s my favourite thing to do. Getting a song out of my head, and performing the song. Making something from nothing which is like all art i guess.
How do you usually start a song? How do you find that spark? I start a song with a melody, then a phrase I’ve heard someone say like ‘Sleepyhead maybe it’s time to leave we should go home to bed’ and ‘54321 I’m still waiting for the quiet’ are two other songs I wrote that just were there in my head because I’d heard it said so many times. Also it might be something I’ve been thinking about or a feeling I have. Then I start recording guitar first (or piano or ukulele) it depends where I am, then I’ll get some vocals down, then I’ll play drums on the keyboard behind it. That is when I start to lay down extra things like a pad synth. Or I play the trumpet so sometimes some of that or even some Kalima or shakers or even the dog barking. It’s fun to play with different sounds and to harmonise with myself. Sometimes I just sing into my phone so I don’t lose the song.
Describe your setup that you used to write your #SAYS23 entry. I went busking and saved up to get this equipment and the mac book pro computer was a Christmas/Birthday present from all my family because i was crashing the family macbook air with all the songs. For recording I use Logic pro now, I bought it two years ago because Sound Trap didn’t have all that I needed to record, and I use a Focusrite Scarlett set up. I’d asked around what older people used and that’s what was recommended. I don’t have a very good mic and I’m learning (sometimes the hard way) I’ve lost recordings 😩 I bought the midi keyboard for drums and synth etc. My recording/producing isn’t that good because I’ve done it all myself and I don’t have access to good drums and effects and I’m just learning about mixing and production. I’ve tried different ways to mix my vocals. it takes a long time but it’s fun. I also have a lyric book that I write down stuff that come into my head or funny things people say, or a phrase that I hear. ‘You’ll be sorry tomorrow/it’s you against yourself/too late for tears/clowns and chameleons heading out/can I borrow you for a second/join in if you know it’. So I look in that for inspiration. It’s quite a process and I’ve lost recordings but it’s all fun and often you just know when you’ve got a bit of something gold going on.
Who would be your dream artist/writer/band to collaborate with? My dream artist to collaborate with is hard, there are so many but if I’m allowed to pick people who have died then Kurt Cobain. Plus Harry Styles would be fun and of course Paul McCartney.
What would you say to someone aged 8-18 who is thinking about entering the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition next year? Do it! Try your best, make the best version of your song you can, and have fun while you’re making it and singing it. And back up your recordings!!
What are your favourite other entries from this year’s competition? Who out of the other entrants (it doesn’t have to be a finalist!) would you like to collaborate with? I like Sophie Feriani’s voice. I really enjoy Lazy. It would be fun to write/sing something with her.
What do you like about the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition? I like the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition because it’s interesting to see what other people around my age are doing. I enjoyed listening to the other songs, they’re all so good.
MILO DELLAL, NIKOLAI GRLICA, ERIK LANGRAN – ‘STRANGER’
What inspired you to write your finalist song?Milo: I wanted to write something I could enjoy and would also be good enough to share with others. It all started with the line “Hey, you’re stranger than me…” which just kept going around my head one morning. So I used that to kick off from. It got me thinking along the lines that: If you’re strange, then don’t feel like you’re the only one. There are always others who don’t fit in. And that’s okay! Then I just enjoyed playing with strange scenarios, like the idea of swimming through a desert, and an endless road. There was another verse that we didn’t end up using which had images of the running from the devil to a party where you play fandango on a banjo. Extreme and fun to think about. Originally, I thought this song would be a mother’s day present, then the band came over and we played it… and they really liked it, so we worked on it more together. Erik: When Milo told me and Nikolai about the #SAYS competition, I was excited. Milo had an idea for a song called “I hear the darkness” so we stayed break times to try to work on it. Me playing the cello, Nik on the guitar, Milo singing and everyone trying to create a lyric that was not the chorus. One day we asked if our friend Will wanted to help us. He then became our “manager”. After about 3 hours of hard work, we decided I hear the darkness was too complicated. We didn’t know what to do until Milo had a (another) great idea: to try to use his mother’s day song that was already partly written and had a tune. So, he showed us and we all liked it.
What got you into writing songs? Milo: I wrote my first song when I was 4 years old. It was actually a poem by my godmother (a poet) that I started rapping. Then I played around with my godfather on Garageband (not loops, but writing our own tracks with software instruments). He made our song into a music video for her poem which she used on her website and at poetry festivals, so I felt proud. Since then, I’ve written songs in lots of different ways and on different themes (a friend who I imagined running a detective agency at age seven; an R&B song about a kingfisher for my grandmother; and lots more).
What does songwriting mean to you? Milo: Being able to write something that I would like to just sit down and listen to again and again, and then having the right to call that piece my own. Music is also my favourite way to express myself.
What is your favourite part of the song writing process? Milo: I love hearing the finished product and thinking back to writing it and thinking: look what’s come of that! But of course there’s also that stage in the middle when you think it’s sounding pretty good, but you wonder how you can make it sound better. The beginning is trickier, it’s exciting but also scary… will it work? And where to begin?! But the most exciting is when we all get together as a band and work on it as a group. I get a bit obsessive, we all tease each other, sometimes we cancel out each other’s ideas… and it ends up leading to something better. And we laugh.
How do you usually start a song? How do you find that spark? Milo: I’m usually just playing around with some chords on the piano or a guitar, and something sounds really good, so I push further to see where it can go. Other times it can start with a lyric that comes to me and feels like it has something going for it, so I see where it can go.
Describe your setup that you used to write your #SAYS23 entry. Our music teacher at school suggested that I (Milo) enter a song, but I wanted to do a song with our band instead – we call ourselves N.E.M.isis. At first we were going to do a song that I’d half written called “I Hear the Darkness” – we worked at it for a few sessions during school breaks, then all the band and our manager Will (who’s in our class) came home and we spent ages trying to make it work, but the melody and combining all our instruments felt too complicated and it was over-ambitious for our deadline. So someone suggested that we work on improving this song instead. Phew! In the end, we combined my voice and other instruments, using LogicProX. I also threw in a little bit of guitar that I recorded when a family friend was riffing with me last Christmas.
Who would be your dream artist/writer/band to collaborate with? Milo: So many I don’t know where to begin! Here are a chosen few: Hazmat Modine; Muddy Waters; Freddy Mercury; Zoonation and DJ Walde; Radiohead; Stevie Ray Vaughn; Ali Farka Touré; Fanfare Ciocarlia; Miles Davis; Dave Brubeck; Dizzy Gillespie; and Ray Charles.
What would you say to someone aged 8-18 who is thinking about entering the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition next year? Don’t think: “I want this to win.” Think: “I want to like this song and get joy from it.”
What are your favourite other entries from this year’s competition? Who out of the other entrants (it doesn’t have to be a finalist!) would you like to collaborate with? Olga Fitzpatrick, Hallucinations, Robyn Jones, Robbie Hope, Alexander Yijian Wang, Max Marnham.
What do you like about the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition? It gives young bands and singers and songwriters a chance to be good and be seen and be public and show off a bit. And it makes adults pay attention to what we are doing.
AGNES BULL – ‘CAT LAWS’
What inspired you to write your finalist song? Molly, my teacher, has a cat called Billy and a fish called Raisins. I thought about what you can’t have, and used it for a metaphor for human life.
What got you into writing songs? Molly has encouraged me so much; I also love reading, love how you can put literature to music and use it to express yourself.
What does songwriting mean to you? It lets me express my feelings and notice and explain the world around me.
What is your favourite part of the song writing process? I like finishing it and reflecting on the end product. It makes me proud to think we’ve made something that other people can listen to.
How do you usually start a song? How do you find that spark? I come up with an idea that is like the trunk of the tree and the branches come off are different words we could use in the song and I try and weave them all in.
Describe your setup that you used to write your #SAYS23 entry. I work with my teacher called Molly. We recorded it in her house and then she produced it once we’ve finished recording the song.
Who would be your dream artist/writer/band to collaborate with? I’d love to work with the writers of Six the Musical.
What would you say to someone aged 8-18 who is thinking about entering the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition next year? Definitely do it. It’s thrilling and so exciting when you get selected.
What are your favourite other entries from this year’s competition? Who out of the other entrants (it doesn’t have to be a finalist!) would you like to collaborate with? Oh, that’s so hard to choose! I’d love to work with any of the entrants as it’s all new to me. Working with a choir would be cool.
What do you like about the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition? I like how there are different categories so it’s fair for everyone that entered. I also like that there is a competition just for younger people, not just teenagers or older people.
ISLA HANNETT – ‘H.O.P.E’
What inspired you to write your finalist song? I’m a people pleaser and I act differently around people depending on what I think they want me to be. I’m not sure yet who I am and I’m still figuring it all out. At school I have found it really hard and tiring acting differently around everyone and trying to figure who they want me to be. I wrote this song to tell people and myself that you don’t need to act differently around people to get them to like you you can just be yourself because if they don’t like you then they aren’t worth worrying about.
What got you into writing songs? Just enjoyed exploring with music and have loved both the piano and singing since I was little.
What does songwriting mean to you? It means a lot, when I’m struggling with things in my life it’s a way I can process my feelings. I sit at my piano and just overload, I’ve done this since I can remember.
What is your favourite part of the song writing process? I love creating the melodies as they reflect my feelings and playing around with the production at the end is really satisfying seeing it come together.
How do you usually start a song? How do you find that spark? I always start with just playing my piano and allowing it to flow from there. The spark for me always comes from something that has happened to me that I feel I need to process and take time to think through and seemingly writing music allows me to do that.
Describe your setup that you used to write your #SAYS23 entry. It was very much what I said above, sitting at my piano processing what I was struggling with at school. I wrote the melodies first, followed by the lyrics. I then record them and play around with it, practise it and then record it in soundtrap. Unfortunately I was poorly and full of cold when I recorded HOPE but I didn’t want to miss the deadline.
Who would be your dream artist/writer/band to collaborate with? JVKE, Benson Boone, Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift.
What would you say to someone aged 8-18 who is thinking about entering the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition next year? I would say to them to definitely give it a go, getting to share your music with people in the music industry who can help you grow is always an amazing thing to do. Try to write about genuine and relatable things because it helps your songs be authentic to you as an artist and allows others to connect to you and your music.
What are your favourite other entries from this year’s competition? Who out of the other entrants (it doesn’t have to be a finalist!) would you like to collaborate with? Sunflowers – Elenor Rose Hanson, Wait – Olga Fitzpatrick.
What do you like about the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition? I think being able to share my music with people and hear what industry experts think and feel about my music is such a wonderful opportunity to have. Whilst I always enjoy songwriting you also have to think about the technical side of things and this competition helps push me to do better and to develop my musical skills. Plus it’s always lovely hearing that people enjoyed listening to your music and that they think it’s good enough to be in the top 30!
EMILY FINE – ‘THAT’S WHERE I’LL BE’
What inspired you to write your finalist song? The song was abut my best friend and we have quite a close friendship with each other so I wanted to write her a song as kind of like a thank you gift.
What got you into writing songs? My guitar and singing teacher Melanie
What does songwriting mean to you? I love songwriting as it can help you express your feelings in ways that normal words cant. You can make it about anything you want and it will always be your songs. When I’m bored I usually make up random melodies and just add words to them and it is very enjoyable.
What is your favourite part of the song writing process? My favourite part of songwriting is probably listening to the final product and hearing all of your hard work come into one.
How do you usually start a song? How do you find that spark? When I was trying to think of the words for the song for this competition it was a sunny day outside so I started thinking of “you are my sunshine” and we just kept on thinking of words that would kind of fit the theme of the song and added melodies
Describe your setup that you used to write your #SAYS23 entry. Me and Melanie were in a classroom. She played the instruments and I sang the song and she helped me use Garage band to record the song.
Who would be your dream artist/writer/band to collaborate with? I don’t really know because I don’t really even have a favourite artist but I do like some songs by Billie Eilish and some people like that.
What would you say to someone aged 8-18 who is thinking about entering the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition next year? When writing their song they should put a lot of time and thought into it.
What are your favourite other entries from this year’s competition? Who out of the other entrants (it doesn’t have to be a finalist!) would you like to collaborate with? I like Wait-Olga Fitzpatrick, I’ll go on an adventure-Elisa McEvoy and Just the way it is-Thea Ward
What do you like about the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition? I love how it gives kids a chance to write their own songs and get to present it to other people.
BLACK SHEEP BLUES – ‘LONDONERS’
What inspired you to write your finalist song? How London works and being a Londoner
What got you into writing songs? Our music teacher.
What does songwriting mean to you? It means we can be creative and express ourselves but also entertain people.
What is your favourite part of the song writing process? Writing the lyrics.
How do you usually start a song? How do you find that spark? We look for the rhymes and take it from there.
Describe your setup that you used to write your #SAYS23 entry. We used 2 pianos/ bongos and 2 singers.
Who would be your dream artist/writer/band to collaborate with? Freddie Mercury and Queen.
What would you say to someone aged 8-18 who is thinking about entering the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition next year? Don’t worry about the other songs and don’t worry about negative things people might say.
What are your favourite other entries from this year’s competition? Who out of the other entrants (it doesn’t have to be a finalist!) would you like to collaborate with? Space Race by Falling Dominoes
What do you like about the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition? It’s a great opportunity for young people.
ROBBIE HOPE – ‘ROCKET SHIP’
What inspired you to write your finalist song? I come from a very musical family. My mums side of the family all grew up playing in a brass band. My aunties, uncles and cousins still do so although my mum moved out of Cornwall. One of my uncles is the head of the Cornwall Music Trust and has written lots of pieces. During lockdown I began writing some songs with my younger brother and enjoyed doing so. I wanted to have a go at writing a song by myself. Looking around my bedroom, I saw a book on the shelf from when I was younger called ‘Robbie the Rocket’. This gave me the initial idea of writing a song about a rocket ship. The rest of the song followed on from there.
What got you into writing songs? I began learning the guitar about 5 years ago (my dad plays the guitar and he and I both love Oasis) and I wanted to take things to the next level. I’m inspired by song writers like Noel Gallagher and Chris Martin.
What does songwriting mean to you? It is a way of expressing myself and making people think about things that are going on in the world. It’s nice to get down on paper the things that are going around in your head. I love playing music. I’m on my guitar every day and when I’m not playing music I’m usually listening to it. It’s a big part of my life.
What is your favourite part of the song writing process? I love experimenting with chords and putting them in an order that I am happy with. I also like to play with words and am a big fan of a pun!
How do you usually start a song? How do you find that spark? My inspiration can come from many places. I once wrote a song with my brother called ‘Miserable Day’ because it was raining and we were stuck indoors. The inspiration for Rocket Ship came from a book so I’m open to all ideas for a new song.
Describe your setup that you used to write your #SAYS23 entry. My setup is not at all fancy I’m afraid! I was just in my bedroom with my guitar and a notebook. I started with the chords, then the lyrics and finally the melody.
Who would be your dream artist/writer/band to collaborate with? I’d love to collaborate with Noel Gallagher, I just love his music and his style. I’m actually going to see him play in August, I can’t wait!
What would you say to someone aged 8-18 who is thinking about entering the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition next year? I’d encourage anyone to have a go. It’s a great way to express yourself. My top tip would be to write about all your experiences as you never know where a good song is hiding! Google is always useful when you’re stuck for a rhyming word too!
What are your favourite other entries from this year’s competition? Who out of the other entrants (it doesn’t have to be a finalist!) would you like to collaborate with? My favourite other entries in the competition are Knebworth by Kit Bottomley Music, Daydreams by Robyn Jones and My Song by Georgia Russel. A collaboration with Kit Bottomley Music would be great and of course the name of the song, Knebworth, just makes me dream of playing in front of a crowd.
What do you like about the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition? I like that it is open to any young person and that you don’t have to have any previous experience. It is also a great way to get your music heard.
EVIE MITCHELL – ‘WORDS’
What inspired you to write your finalist song? I’ve had some difficult times in school where the things that people said really affected my confidence and how I felt about myself. I then started to become more aware of the effect that words were also having on others – seeing friends’ faces crumple and shoulders sag when they overheard someone saying something unkind about them, but also how faces would light up when someone gave a kind or encouraging word, and I just wanted to let people see how important words can be and that a bit of thought before speaking could save a lot of unnecessary sadness.
What got you into writing songs? From a young age I would walk to and from school making up little songs, and making up songs and dances at home when friends came round, but it was only really when my music teacher told us to ask someone to give us some chords and then to see if we could come up with a song based on those chords, that I started to think more about a full song and working on it until I was happy.
What does song writing mean to you? Music writing gives me a chance to relax, through playing the piano and being able to express myself through the words. I want the songs that I write to be songs that other people can also relate to and that hearing the words will help them to realise that they are not alone in feeling the way they do. I like to also make sure there is some hope or positivity in my songs.
What is your favourite part of the song writing process? My Favourite part is coming up with the melody and it’s really cool if I catch a family member humming it!
How do you usually start a song? How do you find that spark? I usually start a song when I have just come home from school and then sit for a while playing the piano. I will play lots of different things, depending on my mood, and then after a while I will use the mood I am in to create something new or work more on a song that I have started.
Describe your setup that you used to write your #SAYS23 entry? I started with the 3 chords that were given at random to me and I played around on the piano using those chords until a melody formed. I would sing any old words to begin with to get the flow and rhythm, and then the more I sang the tune and my mood started to come though, some of the final words started to develop. Once I had these key phrases I began to work more on making the song tell a story and mean something. I did as much as I could with the song at home but then was given a birthday present of the day in a recording studio and was able to add different instruments to it and came up with speaking bits at the beginning and the end. My entry was what I achieved at the end of that day.
Who would be your dream artist/writer/band to collaborate with? Probably Ed Sheeran as I think he is probably one the best songwriters there is and has worked with lots of different people, as well as doing his own songs. Also, even though he is so famous and successful, he seems humble and a genuinely kind person who cares about and helps others. If I was to ever be successful, I would want to be like that.
What would you say to someone aged 8-18 who is thinking about entering the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition next year? I think it’s about writing from your heart and just giving it a go, even if you aren’t sure. Unless you try, you will never know what you can do and you can always learn something on the way. But most of all just enjoy what you are doing and keep at it!
What are your favourite other entries from this year’s competition? I really liked ‘Any other day’, ‘Wait’, ‘My song’ and ‘I’ll go on an adventure’.
Who out of the other entrants (it doesn’t have to be a finalist!) would you like to collaborate with? Probably Olga Fitzpatrick or Max Marnham
What do you like about the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition? I like that it gives everyone an equal opportunity to get their songs heard by songwriting professionals, whether they are just starting out or they have written lots of songs before.
THEA WARD – ‘JUST THE WAY IT IS’
What inspired you to write your finalist song? Somewhat realistic problems with friendships
What got you into writing songs? My love of music- I sing, compose and play various instruments
What does songwriting mean to you? It means a lot to me as you can express your emotions into music and let other people understand and enjoy what you have written
What is your favourite part of the song writing process? My favourite part is always the lyrics because I used to write scripts and I found it enjoyable
How do you usually start a song? How do you find that spark? I could be going somewhere or coming back from school and I think of a tune and I record it and then I build on it when I have the time to
Describe your setup that you used to write your #SAYS23 entry. It was in the afternoon during February half term and I was just on my laptop and then I thought of a tune
Who would be your dream artist/writer/band to collaborate with? Justin Paul and Benj Pasek
What would you say to someone aged 8-18 who is thinking about entering the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition next year? Write about what you know!
What are your favourite other entries from this year’s competition? Who out of the other entrants (it doesn’t have to be a finalist!) would you like to collaborate with? Alexander Yijian Wang. In my category has some awesome piano writing in it.
What do you like about the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition? That you have a chance to show other people your talents and joy for what you do.
ALEXANDER YIJIAN WANG – ‘TRIAL OF TRUST’
What inspired you to write your finalist song? In the nowadays world, no one really can trust each other because people keep on spilling secrets.
What got you into writing songs? I have always loved music and I thought that writing songs would be the true way of expression, via words and tune.
What does songwriting mean to you? Everything. I know that music is my best friend, always there to express the feelings that otherwise I’ll keep inside for ever.
What is your favourite part of the song writing process? The lyrics. Once you got the tune, just match it with the lyrics matching your theme.
How do you usually start a song? How do you find that spark? I play some chords on the piano and then notice a tune, and the lyrics come very naturally.
Describe your setup that you used to write your #SAYS23 entry. One of the music staff in my school recorded this song in the hall.
Who would be your dream artist/writer/band to collaborate with? JVKE as I really like his style of lyrics and especially tune.
What would you say to someone aged 8-18 who is thinking about entering the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition next year? Be creative and try to find a new way of music.
What are your favourite other entries from this year’s competition? Who out of the other entrants (it doesn’t have to be a finalist!) would you like to collaborate with? I don’t know as I didn’t know anyone else who entered. Although I didn’t get to listen to any of the performances, I would love to collaborate with anyone who is interested.
What do you like about the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition? There are so many people who offer to go for this competition and just to prove that every voice counts.
OLGA FITZPATRICK – ‘WAIT’
What inspired you to write your finalist song? It is about constantly thinking about solutions to other people’s questions and problems, whilst slowly forgetting myself. When I was writing the chorus, my goal for it was to exaggerate the first word of the first 3 lines ‘Wait,Stay,Complain’ to show that it felt like an endless cycle, I felt helpless, I couldn’t escape it.
What got you into writing songs? I always said that writing my feelings into song felt more healing than talking to people. It feels more freeing and like I can really say whatever I want to without directly telling anyone. This is also what makes the songwriting community so special, we can all get together and feel safe to express ourselves.
What does songwriting mean to you? Songwriting means a lot to me. In a lot of my songs, I use it as a form of activism and expressive writing. As well as that, I use it as a way of letting my emotions run free. I was always creative, even from a young age, so my art (paintings, songs, acting, dance, instruments, etc) always told a story of various emotions.
What is your favourite part of the song writing process? I love the part of the song writing process, were I sit or lie down with my guitar, play and sing a section or the full thing, and I feel like my heart pumps energetically, my body just relaxes and my mind can’t think of anything but the sound of my creation. That’s how I feel when I connect with my music.
How do you usually start a song? How do you find that spark? I usually start a song when I get a feeling. Whether it’s strong, weak, happy, sad or anything really, I get this lightbulb in my head that lights up and even if I’m in school, I feel like I’m on a mission to get to a guitar, pen and paper. From then, the lyrics come to me. I like to think of it as the words floating over to my heart, my mind, to my hands and then to my voice and guitar/ukulele.
Describe your setup that you used to write your #SAYS23 entry. I was on holiday in Innsbruck. I was sat in my brother’s car and I thought about how holidays for other people are about time for themselves, I realised that any free time I got, I was worrying about other people;friends, classmates, etc. Then it hit me, that I’ve forgotten about myself.
Who would be your dream artist/writer/band to collaborate with? Amy Winehouse, Melanie Martinez. They’re both so creative and although it isn’t possible, I would love to collaborate with Amy Winehouse, her music makes me feel like I can look inside of her mind and feel the jazzy blues of her music. I would love to collaborate with Melanie Martinez, because I can relate to so many of her songs. She is so creative and I would love to talk to her, I feel like it would be a conversation full of smiles and creativity.
What would you say to someone aged 8-18 who is thinking about entering the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition next year? I would tell them: Do not hold yourself back, be ambitious, don’t be afraid to write songs with deep meaning, sing with emotion and to never doubt what you can do, be confident!
What are your favourite other entries from this year’s competition? Who out of the other entrants (it doesn’t have to be a finalist!) would you like to collaborate with? Knebworth -Kit Bottomley, this song has an amazing vibe, this kind of vibe is really hard to achieve in songs, so major props to them! The music in the background is so much fun and it makes me want to dance to it! I would also want to collab with Bella, her piano skills are beautiful and I loved her emotion! I would definitely want to collaborate and write songs with her!
What do you like about the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition? It gives opportunities for children with big dreams. I’m so honoured to be apart of such a down to earth competition. Thank you so much on the behalf of me and all of the other contestants for giving us this opportunity and chance to prove ourselves and express our passion!
ELEANOR ROSE HANSON – ‘SUNFLOWER’
What inspired you to write your finalist song? To be honest, the song just sort of came to me, but the lyrics are lightly based around the war in Ukraine (hence the sunflower) and the people we have since met.
What got you into writing songs? I’ve wanted to be a singer songwriter since I was three, and I’ve been trying to develo that as well as I can since then. My sister and I sing in harmony all the time and turning some of this into songs is a fantastic experience.
What does songwriting mean to you? For me, writing songs gives me a chance to express my emotions and opinions, and it is a beautiful way to describe them to the world.
What is your favourite part of the song writing process? I really enjoy recording my songs and watching my ideas come together.
How do you usually start a song? How do you find that spark? I like to get into a calm environment and find something I’m passionate about, and then let the rest come. I usually start with a tune and then fit the words around it.
Describe your setup that you used to write your #SAYS23 entry. I just recorded it in my bedroom. I used GarageBand on our iPad. I played ukulele and viola and mandolin on the tracks and recorded vocals myself.
Who would be your dream artist/writer/band to collaborate with? There are so many inspirational artists I would love to meet and make music with, including Corrine Bailey Rae, Adel, Laufey, Paul McCartney and so many more.
What would you say to someone aged 8-18 who is thinking about entering the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition next year? I would probably say to keep calm, do the best they can and enjoy!
What are your favourite other entries from this year’s competition? Who out of the other entrants (it doesn’t have to be a finalist!) would you like to collaborate with? Hymn for Homesick kids by Tamara Hendin.
What do you like about the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition? I think it’s a great experience to write and record songs that you have written and listen to the other songwriters of your age.
12 DEERS – ‘HOLD ONTO YOUR BRANCHES’
What inspired you to write your finalist song? We wrote the song to remind people that from time to time everyone of us will find ourselves fearful in life, however, it depends on what you choose to do that defines you. Fear does not have a hold of you and you can always find the light in the darkness.
What got you into writing songs? From a young age we have been writing stories, we love helping people through music. Our school offers songwriting clubs so we signed up.
What does songwriting mean to you? Songwriting helps us get through difficult situations. It has also reminded us that we are all creative beings and that if you put your mind to it, anyone can write a song.
What is your favourite part of the song writing process? Where do we begin? There are too many! Choosing the genre or topic beforehand is probably the most fun. From there on we run into the unknown and discover all the other magical elements of songwriting.
How do you usually start a song? How do you find that spark? We first talk about our personal issues, what we are going through. Because we are a big songwriting group we experience our own individual issues or stories, then we find ways to interlink all these individual stories. The biggest challenge is making sure every student feels like their idea matters. We are a pretty talented songwriting group so when we work as a team, we find that beautiful middle ground in telling everyone’s story. At the end of the day, all our stories come down to the same aspect which is love, acceptance and paying it forward.
Describe your setup that you used to write your #SAYS23 entry. We sat in the class at our school, our teacher would use Garage Band to record us. She also used her acoustic guitar to accompany our singing. All members of the group have their own songwriting material and have an allocated space in the classroom where they can feel safe and creative.
Who would be your dream artist/writer/band to collaborate with? Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, Rachel Platten, Taylor Swift
What would you say to someone aged 8-18 who is thinking about entering the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition next year? GO FOR IT! It is all about the experience. It’s a wonderful and exciting competition to be part of and you have nothing to lose. There also aren’t many great platforms out there such as this.
What are your favourite other entries from this year’s competition? Who out of the other entrants (it doesn’t have to be a finalist!) would you like to collaborate with? Emily Fine and Bradán Peacock.
What do you like about the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition? Everyone is really friendly at Song Academy. It is very affordable and easy to enter.
FRANKIE MORLAND – ‘KING FOR A DAY’
What inspired you to write your finalist song? During lockdown I wrote many songs, a few of them I liked but my favourite was “King for a Day”. King for a Day was when the Queen was reigning. I thought because the Queen was getting old when King Charles came to take the throne he might let me be King for a Day.
What got you into writing songs? I’ve been writing songs my whole life and I don’t remember much about when I started. But my mum says I used to walk to nursery age 2 with my Ukelele strapped round my neck singing because I wouldn’t take it off!
What does songwriting mean to you? Songwriting allows me to express my feelings in something that I love and that’s totally my own way.
What is your favourite part of the song writing process? My favourite part of the process is the satisfaction of listening to the song back when you’ve finished.
How do you usually start a song? How do you find that spark? Anything can spark an idea, it could be something that’s happened at school or something outside. I sometimes write at the piano or on my guitar with my brother Henry playing drums.
Describe your setup that you used to write your #SAYS23 entry. My set up was an acoustic piano with some microphones, one for my voice and one for the piano.
Who would be your dream artist/writer/band to collaborate with? My dream collaboration would be with AC/DC (but they aren’t around anymore) I love Coldplay.
What would you say to someone aged 8-18 who is thinking about entering the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition next year? I would say go for it! Don’t let anyone stop you, write what you want to write and keep on applying even if you don’t get selected first time as a Finalist.
What are your favourite other entries from this year’s competition? Who out of the other entrants (it doesn’t have to be a finalist!) would you like to collaborate with? I’m really enjoying Kevin Jones’ music and would like to collaborate with him as I think we would sound good together.
What do you like about the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition? I think it’s a great opportunity for young creative people who are songwriting like me to get feedback and hear what other kids my own age are writing.
SHOLTO – ‘BRAND NEW’
What inspired you to write your finalist song? I wanted to write a song about people being themselves and being honest with each other.
What got you into writing songs? I started to write songs because I enjoy playing guitar and singing. After listening to other song writers I thought I would try it myself.
What does song writing mean to you? I like song writing because I can express myself and think about my life.
What is your favourite part of the song writing process? I like it when I listen back to the song and it makes me really happy.
How do you usually start a song? How do you find that spark? I start by finding a rhythm on my guitar and I hum to that. Then I think about a theme to write the lyrics of the song.
Describe your setup that you used to write your #SAYS23 entry. I write and play my guitar in my front room with my notebook of lyrics and ideas.
Who would be your dream artist/writer/band to collaborate with? I would really like to collaborate with Kid Travis.
What would you say to someone aged 8-18 who is thinking about entering the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition next year? It’s a great opportunity to express yourself in your song and you never know what can happen if you give it a go. Do you have any tips for them? Think about yourself or a situation in the world that other people can relate to. Find a quiet space to write and just really think about what you are trying to say.
What are your favourite other entries from this year’s competition? I like Just The Way it Is by Thea Ward and Sunflower by Eleanor Rose Hanson
Who out of the other entrants (it doesn’t have to be a finalist!) would you like to collaborate with? Eleanor Rose Hanson
What do you like about the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition? I feel like it’s a great chance to showcase your abilities and talent.
THE CRYSTALS – ‘CRYSTAL CLEAR’
What inspired you to write your finalist song? Our friendship and always sticking together to do things.
What got you into writing songs? Our music teacher.
What does songwriting mean to you? It allows us to express ourselves.
What is your favourite part of the song writing process? Finally getting it together after working on it for a while.
How do you usually start a song? How do you find that spark? We find a topic we want to write about.
Describe your setup that you used to write your #SAYS23 entry. School music classroom.
Who would be your dream artist/writer/band to collaborate with? BlackPink.
What would you say to someone aged 8-18 who is thinking about entering the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition next year? Take chances and push ahead.
What are your favourite other entries from this year’s competition? Who out of the other entrants (it doesn’t have to be a finalist!) would you like to collaborate with? Sholto
What do you like about the Song Academy Young Songwriter competition? It gives everyone a chance, it makes young songwriters feel valued and it provides a platform for us to hear what other people are writing.
https://www.songacademy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Henry-Marnham.jpg10801080Rowena Atkinshttps://www.songacademy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/song-academy.pngRowena Atkins2023-05-08 11:26:192023-05-08 20:31:35Get to know the SAYS23 finalists in the UK/Ireland 8-12 years old category
