The NSAI Washington, DC Metro Chapter Challenge will take place on Saturday, April 8, 2023 (10:30 AM* to 2:00 PM EDT) at the following location:
Dolley Madison Library
Meeting Room 1
1244 Oak Ridge Ave
McLean, VA 22101
* Note the 10:30 AM start time, which is 30 minutes later than our meetings typically start.
HYBRID MEETING: This will be a HYBRID meeting event, meaning that we ask all of our chapter members residing in MD, DC or VA to please attend IN-PERSON, and we ask our members outside of those states to please attend via a ZOOM link that will be provided to chapter members in a separate electronic communication.
BRING DIGITAL DEVICE TO MEETING FOR ELECTRONIC VOTING: Irrespective of whether you attend in-person or by Zoom, be sure to bring your laptop or other digital device (cell phone or tablet) to the meeting so that you can vote electronically in the Chapter Challenge contest. ALSO, BRING HEADPHONES / EARBUDS to minimize acoustic feedback during Zoom session.
SONG SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Thursday, April 6, 2023 at 5:00 PM EDT (LATE SUBMISSIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED)
ALL SONGS MUST BE SUBMITTED VIA ELECTRONIC PORTAL: All songs entered into the Chapter Challenge must be submitted via our Chapter's electronic portal at this link: SUBMIT SONG HERE
CHAPTER CHALLENGE INSTRUCTIONS
OVERVIEW
Every April the Nashville Songwriters Association International hosts our “NSAI Chapter Challenge.” NSAI members in Local Chapters across the globe have an opportunity to submit one pre-recorded song at their local Chapter meeting. (It does not have to be a full demo. Simple work tapes with guitar or piano and vocals are fine.)
- Participants must be a current NSAI member and “affiliated” with the Chapter where they wish to attend and submit their entry, in advance, for the Chapter’s April meeting. (“Affiliated” means you have joined a Local NSAI Chapter and receive information and participate in that Chapter’s activities.)
- Members must be present for the entire April meeting to play their song and to vote.
- Each member can submit one song.
- If you are affiliated with multiple Chapters, you may only submit one song to one Chapter. Multiple entries will immediately be disqualified.
- If a member chooses NOT to play a song- they are still permitted to vote (privately, via StrawPoll) on the songs submitted.
- Members cannot vote for their own song.
- Non-members cannot vote or submit a song in the competition.
- Songs will be played at least through the first verse & chorus. However, if there are less than ten people in attendance, Coordinators may elect, in their discretion, to play each song in full (provided that all songs are played in full).
- After the last song is played, fellow Chapter members will vote electronically (via StrawPoll) on the song they think should make it to Round 2 of the Chapter Challenge.
- No live performances are permitted.
- Voting must happen at the Chapter meeting -- NO EXCEPTIONS.
- Late submissions will not be accepted.
- Songs cannot be co-written with a professional songwriter.
- Songs under/pending contract are not eligible for submission.
- In the event of a tie, both songs will be submitted to the Chapter Director and the NSAI team will vote to break the tie and determine the song going to the next round.
- Coordinators are there to facilitate the voting process and do not vote on member songs.
- Each Coordinator will receive an automatic song submission into the next round as a "thank you" for their dedication and time as a volunteer Chapter Coordinator.
- Coordinators songs are not in competition with member songs as two identical top prizes are offered for both finalists.
ROUND 2
NSAI has an appointed committee that will listen to all song submissions from Members who were selected by their Chapter, along with each Coordinator entry. The committee will choose the top 20 submissions.
PRIZES INCLUDE:
TOP FINALISTS
The (One) NSAI Member and (One) NSAI Coordinator whose songs were chosen as the winner, will receive:
- An all-inclusive trip to Nashville including:
- Roundtrip flight
- 2-night hotel stay (exclusions for dates of travel apply)
- Travel is for two days and two nights (exclusions for dates of travel apply)
- Must be booked at least two months in advance and scheduled between Monday – Thursday.
- A curated Nashville, Music Row, experience - exclusively customized for each writer, specific to their individual talent, inspirations, and goals:
- Lunch with NSAI Staff
- Meet with PRO writer is affiliated with
- Meet with Publisher that’s in the vein of writer’s style
- Featured spot for on a local writer’s round - “Smokin’ on the Row” at Bobby’s Idle Hour
- These two finalists will also be honored on NSAI socials, as well as the 2024 NSAI Membership Awards
TOP 20
- In depth Song Feedback by Pro Writer & NSAI Team
- Exclusive Pitch event with a Music Row Publisher
- Recognition on NSAI Socials and website