Welcome to the 2020 MAS Fall Co-writing Challenge
Congratulations! You’re in for some cool songwriting fun.
If you're new to our challenges, here's a quick overview:
- You get a writing partner (see more below).
- We'll e-mail you the writing prompts and all the information you'll need to get started.
- You and your partner(s) will have 30-days to write a song and get it submitted.
- Once done, we'll post it to a special page on our website along with all the other songs submitted.
It's not a race.
It's not a contest.
It's just good writing fun with a chance to cowrite for the first time, or maybe write with someone new.
They're two ways to get paired up.
Find one or more writers yourself.
Either you have someone in mind you might want to write with, or you can go to our MAS members artists page and look for someone.
The important thing is to simply ask. Maybe they can, or maybe they can't right now.
You'll never know unless you ask.
If you decide to pair up with someone on your own, they will need to fill out the registration form as well, naming you as a writing partner.
Let us pick a writer for you.
Alternatively, you can simply check the box in the sign-up form that you want us to randomly pick a writing partner for you. We'll pair off lyricists with musicians where necessary. Otherwise it's a random pick.
The prompt.
Each time we offer the challenges there are prompts to get you started and follow. Something to make it interesting and fun.
Last time it was a title and a random chord progression pulled from our MAS Vice President's cell phone number.
We mix it up each time, to keep it fun and interesting.
And when the challenge is over, we'll reveal how we came up with your prompt. Usually has to do with something a MAS member said in a session, wrote in an e-mail to the list, information pulled from a member's artist page profile…
You never know what it will be, or who it will be. Could be you!
you'll get an e-mail with your writing prompt on Wednesday, October 21, 2020. If you opted for us to pick your writing partner, you'll find out who that is at that time.
But, first things first.
The deadline to get in is 11:59 PM Tuesday,, October 20, 2020.
Go ahead and Register Now!
Submitting your song.
When it's time, we will supply you with a submission form…
Be ready to submit your song any time after October 21, and before the deadline 11:59 PM Friday, November 20, 2020.
When time is up, and we have a chance to post them online, we’ll show you where to listen to them and announce it to the world.
You'll be able to hear what your fellow MAS members wrote using the same exact prompt you had to write your song.
It’s always fun to see how different pairs of writers approach one idea and put it in their own style.
Some questions you may have are
What are the rules?
This is a very relaxed challenge. No hard rules other than registration and completion deadlines, using the prompt we send you, and keeping it family friendly.
Write any genre you like. Any structure you like. As long or short as you like (but advisable to keep within normal length guidelines).
This is a great opportunity to use some of the things you've picked up on in our Thursday craft sessions, held on the 2nd Thursday of the month.
What if my co-writer cancels or backs out from the challenge for any reason?
If your co-writer can’t, or doesn’t wish to complete the challenge for any reason, let us know.
We’ll likely find someone to partner with you.
Does MAS have any copyright ownership to my song?
MAS has nothing to do with the song other than publish a link to it on our website. You and your cowriter own the song’s copyrights.
We do post your song to our website, and you agree to that by simply participating.
The rest is up to you.
Does our song need to be professionally recorded, mixed in a studio, recorded with multi-instrument tracks and etc.?
Not at all. An instrument-vocal track is perfectly fine. This is about songwriting, not creating a commercial track.
That said, you can dress it up however you’d like. It’s your song.
Can we write about anything we want?
You’ll get a topic or a prompt to use to start writing. Part of the fun for everyone participating is seeing how each song differs but still about the same topic or prompt.
Also remember, this is a family friendly event… subject matter… matters. MAS has the right to exclude any song submission deemed inappropriate.
If you have any other questions, just send us an e-mail at events@mnsongwriters.org.
We look forward to seeing your song!
