Submissions are open to FEELS: A Mood-based Songwriting Competition, headed by Berklee College of Music and record label, Disrupción.
This contest is open to Disrupción artists, Berklee Boston and Valencia students, and any non-affiliated or unsigned artists. Participants will select one of four moods provided to them on a mood board, and each mood will center on a word from a language/culture that has no direct English translation. The word’s description is paired with a particular color palette and texture to create a holistic mood for artists to interpret. Ex. Fernweh (German) - ‘longing for a place you’ve never been to’.
The submitted song must be a maximum of 4 minutes in length, must include elements of melody, lyrics and chords, and may be accompanied by one instrument of the artist’s choosing. Writer is not required to provide the main vocals for their own submission. All submissions must be original and cannot contain any previously copyrighted material. All audio recordings should be high-quality and in .wav format. The word for the mood chosen does not have to be incorporated in the song title or lyrics.
Submissions will be voted on by members of Berklee Valencia's Disrupción Records and Boston’s A&R Collective to determine which 12 finalists will move forward to the next stage. After the finalists are chosen, they will be required to send in a video submission of the song performed by the writer and/or any performers from the recording in .mp4 format. Participants will also be prompted to submit a short 30-60 second video explaining their writing process and mood choice. A panel of guest judges will then choose the four final winners of the competition.
Prizes for the contest are as listed below:
○ All participants:
■ Indie Artist Branding Toolkit
■ Modern Guide to Music Publishing and Songwriter Checklist (courtesy of
Songtrust)
■ Access to mental health resources for creatives (courtesy of Sweet Relief
Musicians Fund)
○ 12 finalists:
■ Free 1-month Chartmetric trial
■ Feedback from our panel of guest judges
■ 50% discount on their Songtrust account
■ Access to an exclusive music publishing expert session hosted by Songtrust’s
Mandy Aubry
○ 4 winners:
■ $50 Gift Card
■ Marketing/Branding Consultation
■ Private group wellness session (courtesy of Shading the Limelight)
■ One Music Publishing expert mentoring session with Mandy Aubry for each of
the four winners.
■ Feature is Disrupción’s mood-based compilation EP
More information is available here.
