Though it’s a bit of a cliché to say that music transports us, that doesn’t make it any less true. And the lyrics and performances you submitted to our Song Writing Competition transported us to your worlds—your points of view, your emotions, the meaningful moments in your lives. Something that, in this time of so much isolation, is more necessary than ever.
Below, Guest Judge Michael Lydon shares his winning picks and tells us why they were so impactful!
Best Lyrics Winner: Calliope by eliza july (Canada)
Eliza’s “Calliope” gives a creative new spin on an old Greek tale of inspiration, rivalry, pay-back and, of course, music! The song effectively adopts an intimate, conversation-like style in its lyrics, making the listener feel connected and involved in the unfolding narrative. The idea of retelling an old story in a new light and in this case, from the perspective of a different character is a great creative tool and one that can be applied to all forms of creative writing. Calliope successfully utilizes an alternating verse-chorus structure with a bridge section leading into a final double chorus. The verses propel the narrative, the chorus is a more personal reflection on the part of the songwriter and the bridge combines the climax of the narrative with the emotions felt by the songwriter reflecting on what has happened. It is always a great idea to think about verses as narrative-based and choruses and bridges as more emotive. Congratulations Eliza on a fantastic song!
Best Performance: Top of My School by Katherine Xu (Canada)
Is “Top of My School’ devilish drama or is it comedy? Is it sarcastic satire or is it gentle teasing? Watch Katherine’s superb performance, acted and directed to hilarious perfection by a young cast and crew, and decide for yourself! Katherine owns her fantastic and funny song: she is a witty and expressive performer—keeping her audience engaged throughout this Broadway-esque number. The lighting, the music—including the fantastic piano accompaniment as well as the six-part-harmonies the classmates break into at a moment’s notice (I love that the classmates are “zooming” in too) all contribute to make this performance dazzle. Guaranteed to make you smile (or laugh out loud in recognition!). Well done Katherine!
Runner-Up: The Darling Kite by Isla Hutchins (UK)
“C'mon, darling, let’s fly through the air!” sings pop-folk performer Isla Hutchins in her warm, sweet, and catchy ballad, “The Darling Kite,” a song sure to win the hearts of swooning listeners around the world. Isla’s instruments are beautifully simple: a bouncy blend of two lead guitars plus a variety of folk-band stalwarts. The harmony? The kind of tuneful singing that folkies everywhere love. Add up all these sterling qualities, and you have a first class song you’ll be playing, and loving, for decades. Congratulations Isla!
Best Peer Review: em wilder’s (US) review of A Beautiful Ache
(Selected by Write the World)
In her review of “A Beautiful Ache,” em wilder did a great job providing kind, thorough, and helpful feedback. She started each comment with what the writer did well and then encouraged the writer to expand on these successful aspects to make the piece even stronger. In addition to her longer response answers that focused on the overall song, em wilder also used the highlighted comments to dive in and analyze the song more closely. Her interpretation of the individual lyrics allows the writer to know how the song’s message is being received. Well done!
Finalists:
Fifteen by serotonin (Canada)
To the Girl at the Orthodontist by CowsinTrees (Ireland)
To Mr. Moon by maliha_ayaz (US)
Prettier by maya’s_music (US)
Why Aren’t You Real? by NiamhCW (Ireland)
Fix Me by zachlee (US)
aphrodite by superrloser (US)
spaceman by snavier (Australia)
Smoke and Sleet by Blotted (US)
Editor’s Note:
The standard of work for this competition was exceptional. Thank you for sharing your music with us. It was SO hard for us to narrow down to the shortlist. As the standard of work was so high, we decided not to list pieces as ‘highly commended’, rather, we wanted to say to everyone who submitted for this competition: KEEP WRITING SONGS! The world needs your music more than ever.
