Shirley Martin Scholarship for Young Songwriters

Official Rules, Mission & Application

Revised January 2012

 Administered by
The Songwriters Association of Mid-North Indiana (SAMI)

MISSION STATEMENT

The Shirley Martin Scholarship shall be administered annually to a young adult who is actively seeking to advance his or her skills in the craft of songwriting. It is the objective of this scholarship to encourage, support and foster growth in all applicants.



SECTION 1 – ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
  1. Candidate must be a resident of one of the following counties to apply: Benton, Carroll, Cass, Clinton, Fountain, Howard, Jasper, Montgomery, Newton, Pulaski, Tippecanoe, Tipton, Warren, and White.
  2. Candidate must be age 14 to 19 at the time of application.
  3. Candidate must be a permanent resident of the state of Indiana.


SECTION 2 – JUDGING CRITERIA:

  1. Applicants will be judged on songwriting abilities, not performance capabilities. Judging will focus on song components including melody, chord structure, rhythm and lyrics.
  2. If the applicant so chooses, it is acceptable for the writer to have someone else perform his or her song on the demo recording.


SECTION 3 – REQUIRED MATERIAL AND DUE DATES:

Applicants must provide the following materials and entries MUST BE RECEIVED at Tippecanoe Arts Federation NO LATER than 4:30 PM on April 6, 2012. Entries received after this time may not be considered.
  1. A completed application. (See Attachment A)
  2. A brief written statement explaining how receiving the scholarship would assist the songwriter in pursuing their passion for songwriting.
  3. An audio recording of one original song (written solely by applicant) with corresponding lyric sheet(s). Although demo recordings do not have to be professional, they do have to be clear and concise. Songs can be submitted in formats including CD or cassette tape. (Song recordings in MP3 format may be sent via e-mail attachment to cher_fletcher@yahoo.com, but other written materials must still be mailed to TAF by deadline.)
  4. A letter of recommendation from a sponsor (examples: teacher, coach, pastor or music professional.)


SECTION 4 – RULES AND REGULATIONS:

  1. Copyright of entry remains the property of the scholarship applicant, but physical scholarship application materials (CD's, cassettes, copies of lyrics and essays) will become the property of the scholarship judging committee unless the applicant arranges to pick up materials from the Tippecanoe Arts Federation building prior to May 31st.
  2. Candidates should not submit their only copy of a recording.
  3. The Songwriters Association of Mid-North Indiana is not responsible for damaged or lost entries.
  4. It is the responsibility of the applicant to supply legible applications and lyric sheets.
  5. All music and lyrics must be the original work of a single writer.  Songs written by more than one author will not be eligible for consideration.
  6. It is not necessary for applicants to formally copyright songs prior to submission. US copyright laws protect applicant's songs regardless of formal copyright registration. If applicants would feel more comfortable undergoing formal copyright registration, they are encouraged to do so.
  7. Applicants must not infringe upon any existing copyrights or the rights of a third party.
  8. The Songwriters Association of Mid-North Indiana, in conjunction with the Shirley Martin Scholarship, reserves the right to modify rules, regulations and recipient entitlements as necessary. 


SECTION 5 – RECIPIENT ENTITLEMENTS:

  1. The scholarship winner shall receive a $500 cash award to be applied towards the winner’s education, musical instrument or other songwriting endeavor.
  2. Additional cash prizes may be awarded based on merit.


SECTION 6 – SCHOLARSHIP DISTRIBUTION:

  1. The scholarship board of directors and/or their designees will be responsible for choosing the winners.
  2. Winners will be announced on or about May 4th.
  3. The scholarship will be distributed at the awards ceremony to be held on or about May 15, 2012. The winners must be present at this ceremony.
  4. Top candidates will be invited to perform at the awards ceremony.
  5. Other participants may be invited to perform.


    STOP!      Make sure your completed submission includes:

    □  A completed application form. (See Attachment A)
    □  A brief written statement explaining how receiving the scholarship would assist applicant in pursuing their passion for songwriting.
    □  An audio recording with corresponding lyric sheet(s).
    □  A letter of recommendation.



    QUESTIONS PERTAINING TO THE SCHOLARSHIP SHOULD BE SUBMITTED TO:

    Tippecanoe Arts Federation
    Attn: Shirley Martin Scholarship
    638 North St.
    Lafayette, IN 47901
    or contact SAMI at http://www.samisong.com/ or
    E-Mail the Scholarship Coordinator, Cheryl Fletcher, at: cher_fletcher@yahoo.com


    Click here for Printable Application and Instructions

     
    Congratulations 2011 Shirley Martin Scholarship Winners!
    NameAgeHometownWinning Song
    First Place

    Christina Shipley    		19West Lafayette        Something Better

    First Runner Up
    Justin Colwell 16GreentownOde to the Spectator

    Co-Second Runners Up
    Chase Cotten17West LafayetteYellow Daisy
    Miguel Odron      16    Lafayette                   Your Other Half

    Mike Lane Horizon Award Co-winners
    Shelby Plummer
    		17 KokomoPerfect
    Hunter Taylor 15LafayettePart of a Breaking Heart

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First Place Winners: 
2011 - Christina Shipley
2010 - Adrianna Hudson
2009 - Skyelar Huston
2008 - Amanda Fletcher
2007 - David Stanton
2006 - Steven Arthur
2005 - Christine Anthrop
2004 - Adam Guymon
2003 - Bethany Jones
2002 - Annie Hatke
2001 - Michael Foland




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