MELODIES OF INCLUSION – Submission date extended to November 1st!

Songwriting Competition Celebrates Gender Diversity

EXTENDED: Womansong is excited to share that we are extending the songwriter submission deadline to November 1st. Womansong recognizes that in light of Helene impacting so many events, we wanted to ensure that songwriters have ample opportunity to submit songs for consideration. Womansong is dedicated to supporting a musician and/or artist in our community during this hard time.

[Asheville, NC] – Womansong of Asheville has announced their first songwriting contest, “Melodies of Inclusion.” The winning original song will celebrate gender expansiveness and be performed by Womansong, a social justice-oriented treble-voice chorus. Assistant Director Claire Lemke says, “Our goal is to support songwriters in our region, as well as to increase the repertoire of choral music that speaks to the topic of gender diversity. We are excited to offer this contest opportunity to all songwriters based in Western North Carolina.”

The contest will award the winner a stipend of $1,000 and the opportunity to perform the song with Womansong at their May 2025 concert, “A Room Of Our Own.”

This songwriting contest is part of a 3-concert series project entitled “Women – Together We Can Change the World,” focusing on the legacy of powerful women (May 2024), to the changing conception of what a woman is and can be (November 2024), to the powerful messages and voices women have with woman-composed songs (May 2025). 

In this context, Womansong chooses to use the word woman in a gender-expansive way, including those who identify as gender-nonconforming, non-binary, and/or transgender. Lemke says, “This fall we will also celebrate inclusiveness by co-hosting a forum about embracing all conceptions of gender in artistic spaces. We want to share our process of adopting this statement of diversity and inclusion: ‘Womansong welcomes all who identify within the women’s experience and sing in the treble range. We affirm and support diversity of race, color, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, age, physical ability, socioeconomic background, national origin, immigration status, and spiritual beliefs.’ ”There is no fee for submissions, which must be received by October 15, 2024. Knowledge of music theory, notation, or arranging is not required. Songs will be selected on various criteria, but especially on how well it expresses inclusiveness, diversity, and gender expansiveness.  For full details, visit womansong.org/songwritingcontest.”