Songwriting
Competition

The EK Spirit of Kindness Songwriting Competition is intended to engage young people in the promotion of kindness through the universal language of music. Whereas our other programs focus on visuals, this program focuses on capturing the spirit of kindness and compassion through music and lyrics. In this friendly competition, songwriters from across the world will be challenged to write original songs that:

• Tell a story of kindness, compassion, or love for all (narrative lyrical style)

or

• Center on the themes of kindness and/or compassion (allegory, conceptual style)

Participants can work in teams (or bands, as we say in the biz) or as individuals, and may submit one (1) entry per group/person. If you are part of a band and also wish to write your own song, you may submit an individual entry in addition to a band entry.

• This program is open to amateur songwriters of any skill or experience level. All aspiring or experienced songwriters are encouraged to participate. Professionals (or anyone earning income through songwriting) are not eligible to participate
• Songs must be no less than 2:00 (two minutes) and no more than 4:30 (four minutes and thirty seconds) in length.
• All music and lyrics should convey/describe/center on themes of kindness, compassion and love (for all)
• All music and lyrics must be entirely original and not violate copyright law
• Music and lyrics can be in any style or musical genre. Lyrics must be comprehendible
• Content must be appropriate for all audiences, and be devoid of:
  • Vulgarity (curse words)
  • Adult themes or content
  • Violent/aggressive language
• Submissions must be uploaded through appropriate mechanisms, as outlined in official contest rules, and received by established deadlines (TBD)
• Participation in the program is entirely voluntary

All submissions will be reviewed for adherence to the rules above. If, for any reason, submissions should fail to adhere to these rules, those entries will not be eligible for judging or to receive prizes.

What does a song about kindness sound like? Here are some examples we love (all rights reserved by artists):

Rick Springfield – “Pay It Forward”

Brett Dennen – “Don’t Mess with Karma”

Trevor Hall – “Where’s the Love?”

There are a lot more out there, and the next great one could be yours! More information, including how to participate, will be announced soon–stay tuned!