The Local Voice and Yoknapatawpha Arts Council Team Up to Host the Social Distancing Song Writing Challenge for Mississippi Artists

The Yoknapatawpha Arts Council, The Local Voice, and Mississippi Presenters Network are launching the Social Distancing Songwriter Contest. Our goal is to highlight the broad range of talent in the community, expand their network by providing a way for artists to connect with the community, and offer an experience that engages listeners.

Based off the annual Small Hall Songwriters Contest in January, local artists will have the chance to submit one original song. A panel of judges will review the submission and work with a local editor to create a weekly showcase to be streamed online. Viewers will have the chance to watch five new songs and vote for their favorite. Winners for each week will move onto the final showcase.

This event aims to achieve several goals. It is allowing us to support local artists providing them revenue lost due to the crisis including hiring those on the technical side of the art—editors, marketing, and content developers. Each artist whose song is featured will receive a grant from the J.E. Pitts Fund. If they progress to the next round, they will receive a second grant, and if they win, a third grant. It is expanding the audience of local artists. It is creating engaging participatory content. Those watching at home are not only enjoying the music but have the ability to take part in an event experience.

Submission can occur any time during the contest period. A new showcase will be released each Thursday in the digital version of The Local Voice with voting closing on Wednesdays at noon. Songwriters agree that The Local Voice, Yoknapatawpha Arts Council, and Mississippi Presenters Network can use the song as part of the contest and for promotions. The work must be an original song.

Submission deadlines are each Friday (although you can submit any time) for the Thursday Challenge. Videos selected will appear the following Thursday.

To submit a song: https://forms.gle/q7jdLJqHG9JV1QUf6

Tags: contest, Mississippi Presenters’ Network, Social Distancing Song Writing Challenge, The Local Voice, yac, yoknapatawpha arts council

About the Author

TLV News The Local Voice is a bimonthly entertainment guide and newspaper based in Oxford, Mississippi, covering and distributed in North Central Mississippi, including Oxford, Ole Miss, Taylor, Abbeville, Water Valley, Lafayette County, Yalobusha County, and parts of Panola County, Marshall County, and Tupelo . The Local Voice is distributed free to over 255 locations in North Mississippi and also available as a full color PDF download worldwide on the internet.