March 26 is the application deadline for Songbook Academy 2023, where high school singers from across the nation can spend a week learning from Broadway performers and other arts and entertainment professionals.
The Great American Songbook Foundation’s 14th annual summer music intensive will take place July 15 to 22 at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. Only 40 students nationwide are selected each year to participate, and this year’s callout already has drawn applications from talented students in 12 states, stretching from New York to Texas to California.
The Songbook Academy focuses on the pop, jazz, Broadway, and Hollywood standards that have come to be known as the Great American Songbook, but the experience can be life-changing for any young person who wants to gain experience and expertise as a singer in professional or academic settings. Alumni have gone on to perform on NBC’s The Voice, on Broadway, and at Carnegie Hall and other prestigious venues.
Through a rigorous but fun schedule of workshops, masterclasses, and performances, the 40 students have opportunities to:
- Learn from award-winning artists, music directors and educators from top college performing arts programs about topics such as vocal technique, song interpretation, stage presence, music history, auditioning for college arts programs, and life as a working professional.
- Gain personal insights from professional performers including Songbook Foundation Founder Michael Feinstein, the five-time Grammy-nominated “Ambassador of the Great American Songbook.”
- Perform in solo and group formats in state-of-the-art venues for public audiences of a thousand or more, as well as online viewers.
- Connect and make friends with other young artists from across the country, joining an alumni network that provides support and shares information on scholarships, performance opportunities and academic and professional experiences.
How to apply
To be considered for the Songbook Academy, active high school students as of Jan. 1, 2023, who live in the United States are invited to submit videos with performances of two contrasting songs. Students are encouraged to select songs from the Broadway stage and the Hollywood screen as well as 20th century jazz standards. Submissions are evaluated by a national panel of music educators and industry professionals who provide written feedback to every applicant.
Candidates may apply at app.getacceptd.com/songbookacademy by March 26. Need-based scholarships, fee waivers, and other financial-aid opportunities are available. More details and application information are available at TheSongbook.org/SongbookAcademy or by email at SongbookAcademy@TheSongbook.org.
About the Great American Songbook Foundation
The mission of the Great American Songbook Foundation, founded in 2007 by five-time Grammy Award nominee Michael Feinstein, is to inspire and educate by celebrating the timeless standards of pop, jazz, Broadway and Hollywood. Headquartered at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, the Foundation advances this rich musical legacy by curating a vast Library & Archives of items representing its creators, performers and publishers; operating a multimedia exhibit gallery; overseeing the Songbook Hall of Fame; offering programs for the public and research opportunities for scholars and artists; and providing educational opportunities for student musicians, including the annual Songbook Academy summer intensive. The Foundation is a Cultural Affiliate of the Los Angeles-based Grammy Museum. More information is available at TheSongbook.org.