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2023 Winter Songwriting Challenge

Challenge Prompt: “Photograph”

Download challenge flyer: 2023 MAS Winter Songwriting Challenge.pdf

A Little Background To This Challenge…

Recently, I wrote a song entitled “Camera” after learning of the tragic death of Stephen Laurel “tWitch” Boss (American freestyle hip hop dancer, choreographer, actor, television producer, and television personality on Ellen DeGeneres, et al).

The song is about the masks people wear to hide their true self or personal struggles, and the contrast between the public persona they show to the world and the private persona they keep hidden. 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 2023 off.

Paul Nye, VP
MN Assn. of Songwriters

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

Prompt Details & Ideas:

“Photograph,” can have anything to do with photograph/s. Just a few examples could be:

  1. Memories: this could have anything to do with memories of photographs.

  2. Technical: the processing, functionality of SLR cameras as opposed to digital cameras, including cell phones.

  3. Historical angle of photographs – a great possible storyline.

  4. Composition of photos – juxtaposed with composition of a song – or anything to do with composition, ie setting up a photo, building a set, heck, building anything.

  5. Fading of Images (grab that concept)

  6. Proof – what do photographs prove, if anything? How they can be manipulated for good or bad.

  7. Depth (or depth of field) – could be anything from the depth of a relationship or memory, to the depth of an object or experience.

There are many other ideas one could come with regarding this prompt.

More Details:

  1. Please don’t “dust off” an old recording that fits this prompt and submit it. This prompt is for songs written specifically for the prompt: “PHOTOGRAPH.”

  2. A link on MAS website will be created and sent out to participants to post songs when they are completed. Please include lyrics.

  3. About two weeks after the deadline, we will set up a Zoom session called “Story Behind The Song,” which will give challenge participants an opportunity to talk about how they came up with their concept for the song, the challenges they faced – both musically, lyrically, and technically, and anything else they wish to share about the song challenge. (Please note: since we already have a song review session, “Story Behind The Song” will not be a critique session. The intent is to be informational and educational, and both can be accomplished without constructive input from others. That said, songwriters are encouraged to submit the song they wrote for the challenge for a song review….or even to share at Round Robin Song Share.

  4. The “Story Behind The Song” Zoom session is optional, not required – but strongly encouraged because of the potential for other members to learn from your experience.

  5. The challenge is open only to MAS members.

  6. Any questions, please contact Paul Nye – paulenye@me.com.