Songwriting Competition 

The Colorado High School Songwriting Competition returns for 2024! The competition is accepting video submissions through Sunday February 4th, 2024. Finalists will be selected from the video submissions and will been invited to the final live competition on Friday March 8th, 2024 at 3:30pm at the King Center Recital Hall on the Auraria Campus. Family, friends, and visitors are welcome to attend this event for free. Please see additional competition details below.

Who is eligible?

All Colorado high school students


Why does CU Denver host the high school songwriting competition?

To celebrate the musical talent of all the high school musicians in Colorado and to provide a platform for these young artists to demonstrate their music. We hope that this competition will provide inspiration to young, contemporary musicians! The event will also help the CU Denver Music & Entertainment Industry Studies (MEIS) Department to identify and connect with potential future students.

How to apply?

Just create a music video of yourself or your band playing a song that you wrote. We do require a video and not just an audio file. It is important to our judges to actually see you playing the music. Please note that you don't need a nice video camera to record your video. Even a phone camera should work. We do encourage you to do your best to maximize sound quality but, again, we emphasize that expensive sound equipment isn't needed. The 2024 Submission Form is live now!

Judging:

Once we have received all of video submissions by February 4th 2023, our judges will review the applicants and choose the finalists. All of the finalists will be invited to perform live at the King Center Recital Hall on the CU Denver campus on March 8th, 2024 at 3:30pm.

All applicants and finalists will be judged on both their song (lyrics, musicianship, etc.) and how the song is performed.

Questions? 

Just reach out to Dave Walter at david.walter@ucdenver.edu or 303-315-7487

Congratulations to the 2023 Colorado High School Music Competition Winners!

The musicians competed in-person on the Auraria Campus at the King Center Concert Hall on Friday March 10th, 2023. Prizes included Studio Time at Youth On Record, creative coaching from Owen Kortz, CU Denver Music & Entertainment Industry Studies (MEIS) merchandise, and scholarships to the  2023 LYNX Camp Music Industry Program


2023 Winners

1st Place - Hadessah Haggard - "Something I Used to Believe"

2nd Place - Isabella Fabiani - "Perfect in My Eyes"

3rd Place - Eiley Connell - "How Come"

2022 Winners

 

1st Place - Robot Tennis Club - "305"

  • Band Members: Laura Steadman - Guitar and Vocals; Eli Schulz - Bass; Nina Dorighi - Drums

2nd Place - Levi Randolph - "OST (Omicron Standard Time)"

3rd Place - AugustX - "Flurries"

  • Band Members: August Brassell - Vocals; Noah Sedarwall - Piano and Vocals

2024 Judges

We are happy announce our 2024 Competition judges. All are experts in their fields and work in the contemporary music industry.

 

 

Evan Reeves - CU Denver Singer/Songwriter Program Director. Evan is a songwriter, session musician, and record producer, as well as the founder of Broadway Music Studios in Boulder, CO.
Finn O'Sullivan - Current CU Denver Singer/Songwriter student. Finn is "committed to creating things that other people can relate to". She released her first EP in 2020. Finn's song  “When the Power Comes Back On” won the 2020 John Lennon Songwriting Contest "Song of the Year."  This was an international competition with thousands of entries and judged by music industry stars. Her newest EP, "Fine Things" is out now!
Verena Fuentes  - Current CU Denver Singer/Songwriter Student. Verena is a pop/R&B singer/songwriter from Mexico City with the goal of sharing her experiences as a woman, POC, and human. She recently opened for Devotchka at the Bluebird Theater. Her newest single, “Si Me Debilito” is out now!
Katie Yeager - Katie is a pop/folk singer-songwriter and describes her music as “if George Harrison and Harry Styles met in a coffee shop on a road trip." Katie also writes about pop music scholarship and is a part of the trio Children of Divorce. Her new single "Black Cravat" is out now!