‘SG:SW I Write The Songs’ Songwriting Festival Returns in 2021 With Mentorship From International Music Producer
The popular ‘SG:SW I Write The Songs’ returns in 2021! The Mandopop songwriting festival seeks to discover and develop the next generation of local music talents, by providing a platform to showcase their talents and giving access to mentorship from experienced and acclaimed songwriters and producers.
Having successfully transitioned to an online edition in 2020, the new format of SG:SW I Write The Songs festival has not only paved the way for international producers such as Rachel Ding from Taiwan to be a part of this festival, but also drew attention and awareness to local music through the increased accessibility afforded by digital platforms.
Rachel Ding brings her wealth of experience in songwriting as a mentor for this year’s ‘SG:SW I Write The Songs’, having written over 400 songs and worked with the likes of Sandy Lam, Jacky Cheung, Sammi Cheng, Wang Leehom, Selina Jen, and Na Ying. Joining her as a mentor is local singer-songwriter and producer Roy Li, who has collaborated with A-listers such as Jacky Cheung, Andy Lau, Eric Moo, Jason Zhang, Jeff Chang, and Elva Hsiao. Both mentors would be tapping on their broad expertise to critique the entries and provide tips to the participants in various masterclasses.
As the online ambassador this year, singer of the iTunes chart topper ‘Dumbfounded’ 《目瞪口呆》, Ling Kai, would be participating in many of the festival’s activities. Audiences can catch her in weekly Facebook Live Streams ‘SG:SW Live” in June and July, where she will be chatting with other local singer-songwriters on the show.
The entire festival would be held online, including the selection, masterclasses, showcases, and performances. The top 10 songs would be given the stage to perform in the Online Finale Concert, and a panel of judges will be selecting seven winners for the night. Six of the winning songs would also be professionally recorded and produced as an EP, with an accompanying music video.
Singers and songwriters of other ethnicities and language backgrounds (e.g. Malay, Indian etc) are welcome to take part in this festival. Outstanding compositions incorporating multi-cultural elements can qualify for the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC)’s Xchange Award. Cross-cultural elements may be in the form of lyrics, melody, or arrangement. For instance (non-exhaustive list of examples):
Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents, or foreigners living in Singapore with a valid student, work visa, or long-term visiting pass, aged 15 years old and above, are eligible to participate in this festival.
All entries must be original songs written by individuals or as a group (with consent from all songwriters involved). Entrants may submit multiple songs, with a maximum of three sets of lyrics and three sets of melody composition associated with each songwriter, regardless if the songs were submitted by themselves or other entrants.
The Open Call for submissions will start on 7 June 2021 and ends on 18 July 2021, 11:59PM.
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About SG:SW I Write The Songs
Organised by Composers & Authors Society of Singapore (COMPASS), Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC), and Ocean Butterflies Music, ‘SG:SW I Write The Songs’ is a nationwide Mandopop songwriting festival, which provides a platform to uncover and cultivate the next generation of original local music talent. Since the first instalment in 2017, the festival has received nearly 1,500 compositions, setting off a local songwriting craze that has not been seen for many years. The festival aims to build a supportive community of home-grown talents and provide a prominent and iconic platform to discover outstanding original songs written by locals.
