2023 Spring-Almost-Summer “And/Or” Song Challenge

Sharpen those pencils, dip your pen, and tune those instruments to get ready to start writing, cuz this one will be a fine doozy of an event after a long hard winter of pretty much nothing exciting except more snow long after it should have been gone!

Stay tuned and watch for details coming your way of the 2023 Spring – Almost – Summer Song Challenge officially launching on May 15!

Click here for details of 2023 Spring-Almost-Summer “And/Or” Song Challenge.

2023 Winter Songwriting Challenge

Challenge Prompt: “Photograph”

Download challenge flyer: 2023 MAS Winter Songwriting Challenge.pdf

Click here for details of 2023 Winter Songwriting Challenge.

Start Date: 2/1/23
Deadline: 3/1/23
Option: Primarily a solo write, but co-writes are accepted

One of the most effective and primary tools we use as songwriters is imagery. The concept of a “PHOTOGRAPH” came to mind, and I thought it would be a great challenge to start off 2023.

Paul Nye, VP
MN Assn. of Songwriters

Click here to view the follow-up “Story Behind The Song” Zoom session.

Want to check out past challenge results?

Check out our Solo Songwriting Challenges.
Check out our Co-Write songwriting Challenges.

What are the songwriting challenges all about?

Here at the Minnesota Association of Songwriters, we offer a series of online activities to our members. One activity is participating in a songwriting challenge.

Writers are given a chance to sign up for a particular challenge. A certain criteria or prompt is given, and songwriters will write using that prompt.

It could be a preselected topic, a title of a song, a specific chord progression, a clip from a movie, or a still picture… anything we feel like throwing at them.

We know we have writers at different levels of experience and available time. For that, we offer three prompt levels to choose from: Easy-peasy, I Got This, and You Asked for It! Writers pick one level and run with it. This way, everyone who wants to participate, can.

We allow up to 30-days to complete and submit the song. But

it's not a contest, race, or competition in anyway. It's a fun exercise, keeping the creative juices flowing.

Besides the writing, members really enjoy seeing what their fellow songwriters have created using the same prompt they did.

We often include skills presented in a recent craft workshop as part of the challenge. This gives writers a chance to put what they’ve learned to practical use.

William, Nathan, Jeff, Bruce, Mary, Al

What kind of challenges do we offer?

We offer two songwriting challenges: solo songwriting and co-writing challenges.

Solo challenges are as you’d guess. Songwriters write a song by themselves. They have the freedom to come up with whatever they feel like for lyrics, or lyrics and music.

While this gives total independence and freedom, it also gives them full responsibility to come up with the song on their own.

In co-writing challenges, writers have two options.

They can prearrange one or more writers to write a song with them. Or, as many enjoy doing, they’ll let us randomly match them with one or more writers for the ultimate surprise writing experience.

When are songwriting challenges offered?

We offer co-writing challenges to our members periodically throughout the year. Usually every two months or so, giving you plenty of opportunity to join in some songwriting fun. We alternate between the two songwriting challenges.

Have questions?

If you have any questions about our songwriting challenges, want to find out if we are running a promotion with open sign-ups for non-members, or have any questions about our membership… feel free to e-mail us anytime.

Solo Songwriting Challenge Results

Co-Writing Challenge Results