There's no doubting the musical talents of students at Millikin University, and the local community has the opportunity to see those talents during the University Center Board's (UCB) annual Songwriters Contest on Friday, Aug. 26, at the Decatur Civic Center starting at 7:30 p.m.
The 4th annual event titled "Songwriters @ the Civic" features 10 contestants performing their own original music. Students will perform a song competing for the Best Original Songwriter.
Millikin senior Valina Hoang, a marketing major from Chicago and event co-chair, says the competition is an opportunity for people who are passionate about songwriting. "There are some outlets on campus to showcase their material, but a lot are just open-mic nights, and the songs are covers," Hoang said. "This one is designated to original music."
The songs are judged on various criteria including originality, appeal and melody. The winner will receive a free recording session at Millikin's Millitrax Recording Studio.
"They get to actually record their songs in a studio setting and do whatever they want with it," Hoang said. "They can share it or have it played on the Millikin radio station."
During the competition, the songwriter is allowed to hire an accompanist. However, the song must be ready to be recorded and produced. The panel of judges consists of two Millikin University School of Music faculty and one community member guest judge.
The UCB received the Low Cost Program Award at the Mid America Regional Conference of the National Association for Campus Activities (NACA) last fall for the Songwriting Competition.
Click here to read more about the event in an article from the Herald & Review.