Add to: | Technorati | Digg | del.icio.us | Yahoo | BlinkList | Spurl | reddit | Furl

Youth Music - The Songwriters' Academy

Youth Music encourages a new generation of young music-makers with The Songwriters’ Academy

If you think you may have the songwriting talents of Mike Skinner, Chris Martin or Damon Albarn, why not get involved with the latest initiative from Youth Music? The Songwriters’ Academy is supported by The British Academy of Composers & Songwriters, BBC Radio 2 and Apple and will search for the best Under 18 writing talent in the UK.

To enter you need to create an original song (a maximum of 6 minutes long) and send this on CD with your completed Entry Form (and Consent Form if you’re under 18). For more details and to download the forms visit the competition website songwritersacademy.co.uk.

Entries for U18s are totally free and are open to all genres of musical tastes - so commit your master work to a CD and send it in by October 2, 2006. If you are successful, you could be in for a bonanza of prizes - including money couldn’t buy commercial training in the form of a one day Masterclass about the music industry, and the chance to work with celebrity songwriting mentors Pam Sheyne (who co-wrote the multi-million seller "Genie in A Bottle" for Christina Aguilera, and more recently has worked with Corinne Bailey Rae on her debut album), and Paul Herman - who has worked with Natasha Bedingfield and Faithless, plus the opportunity to record your song in a professional studio and win equipment for home recording.

Youth Music is offering practical help via its 24 Action Zones located around England and Wales. The Action Zones will be providing an assortment of training, workshops and advice to aspiring young songwriters and music-makers to help them succeed in this amazing initiative. To find your nearest Action Zone visit www.thesoundstation.org.uk.

Youth Music was set up in 1999 with £10m a year of Lottery funding received through Arts Council England. It funds and facilitates high quality and diverse music making for young people who might otherwise lack opportunity. In its first five years Youth Music reached nearly 1 million young people and by 2010 the target is a total of three million children and young people to have benefited from Youth Music's work. For further info visit www.youthmusic.org.uk.

Richard Utting, Director of Fundraising & Development at Youth Music commented: "The Songwriters’ Academy is a great opportunity for Youth Music to work with such illustrious partners and worldclass songwriters and to open the competition up to the 18 and under age group, encouraging young people to create original music."