By Pauline France
Historic music venue Carnegie Hall recently partnered with California-based Rock School Scholarship Fund, and the Casterbridge Music Development Academy in White River, South Africa, to launch a nationwide search across the United States for talented young songwriters, ages 13-17.
Applicants are invited to submit their original songs through Carnegie Hall’s online community, Musical Exchange, for a chance to be one of six young songwriters from the U.S. to travel to South Africa and perform at the CDMA Route 40 Music Festival this December.
Applications will be screened by a listening committee made up of music professionals who will advance a group of finalists. The finalists will then be reviewed by a panel of world renowned artists including multi-platinum selling musician Dave Matthews, acclaimed South African singer-songwriter Vusi Mahlasela, Wayne Kramer (MC5), Vicki Peterson (The Bangles), Kay Hanley (Letters to Cleo), and Songwriter Hall of Fame 2013 inductee Holly Knight (Tina Turner’s “The Best”, Pat Benatar’s “Love Is A Battlefield”), plus a variety of South African musicians.
Applications are being accepted now through July 1. To be considered, applicants must do the following:
1. Join Carnegie Hall’s Musical Exchange
2. Access the members-only application page and fill out online application
In the online application, Carnegie Hall will ask applicants to:
• Upload a video performing an original song, alone or with a band, along with a copy of the song’s lyrics.
• Submit a video personal statement about the most memorable musical experience or greatest musical inspiration of the applicant’s life.
• Tell Carnegie Hall about themselves. (How many songs have you written? What instruments do you play? How long have you been writing songs?)
• Provide contact information for a parent or guardian, plus current school, principal, and music teacher.
• Pay a one-time application fee of $12.
Visit MusicalExchange.CarnegieHall.org for more information.
