Kathy Briggs and Jason Rodgers, Co-Chairs
Submission Deadline: November 1, 2025
Enter your submission here.
Student Composition Contest rubric.
The OMEA Student Composition Contest was created to promote music literacy, music theory, and creative composition for students at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.
Students are encouraged to submit original compositions written in any style, genre, or format, whether traditional, contemporary, or experimental. Works may be created for any combination of instruments, voices, and sounds, and may include traditional, electronic, songwriting, and loop-based approaches.
Students can submit in two categories:
- Traditional Notation. A PDF file of the music written in traditional music notation is required (handwritten and converted to PDF, or generated with software such as Sibelius, Noteflight, MuseScore, Dorico, etc.). An MP3 recording is required (live or MIDI generated). A short description (up to 250 words) must accompany the piece, describing the creative process, tools used, and musical inspiration.
- Electronic, Songwriting, and Loop-based Music. A lead sheet, lyric/chord sheet, or a screenshot/video of the DAW project is required. An MP3 recording/export of the music is required. A short description (up to 250 words) must accompany the piece, describing the creative process, tools used, and musical inspiration.
In either case, submissions must be original (no copyrighted loops, samples, or melodies unless cleared/licensed proof is provided).
Other contest requirements:
- Minimum Length of Composition:
- Elementary Composers (grades K–5): 1 minute
- Middle School Composers (grades 6–8): 2 minutes
- High School Composers (grades 9–12): 3 minutes
- To submit:
- Compositions must be submitted electronically by an OMEA member teacher on behalf of the student through a Google Form (link at top of page).
- The deadline for submissions is November 1, 2025.
Judging and awards:
- Compositions will be assessed based on the following rubrics and ranked by three (3) individual judges. Rankings will be compiled to determine the winners in each category.
- Results will be announced mid-December.
- Winning students and their parents will be invited to attend the OMEA State conference banquet in January to be celebrated in person and to receive their trophy. Winning students, an audio file of their composition, and their teachers will be recognized online (OMEA website).
2026 Composers’ Symposium (High School Only)
Up to ten (10) high school OMEA Composition Contest Finalists in the Traditional Composition category will be selected to participate in the Composer’s Symposium sponsored by the Oregon Coast Youth Symphony Festival at Newport in April. Selected students will receive individual instruction (in-person & via Skype/Zoom) from December through April from a professional composer at OSU. Each student participating in the Symposium will receive a $250 scholarship from the Festival and have all expenses paid (motel, food, etc.) during the Symposium. More information about the OCYS Festival and Composers’ Symposium is available by contacting Dr. Michael Dalton at dr.michael.dalton@gmail.com .
Front Page
Questions about the OMEA Student Composition Contest? Contact contest co-chairs:
Kathy Briggs at kathy.briggs@smapdx.org (Traditional Composition)
Jason Rodgers at jrodgers@woodburnsd.org (Electronic, Songwriting, and Loop-based Music).
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