Congratulations to the 2021 Shirley Martin Scholarship for Young Songwriters Award Winners!

This year's Scholarship winner is Alice Lin, 18, with her song, "Wanna Be A Kid,"  She'll receive $500.

 

Alec Swank, 18, is First Runner Up with his song, "Don't Gotta Man." He'll receive $300.

 

Jackie Wiley, 16, is 2nd Runner Up with her song, "Flowers for Another."  She'll receive $200.

 

Corbin Stanchfield, 14, was named this year's Mike Lane Horizon Award winner with his song, “Hole Underground.”  He'll receive $100. 

 

Jessi Chase, 17, has been given an Honorable Mention with her song, “How We’re Taught,” and will receive a special gift that has been donated to SAMI by Mike Byers.

 

This year’s award night will be held in-person on June 4^th at the Tippecanoe Arts Federation at 6-7pm.  Each winner has been invited to perform their song on stage.  The start time is a change from previous years to accommodate the additional music of Lafayette’s First Friday that same night.  Come join us to celebrate these bright young songwriters!

Best of Both Worlds!

Join us for the First IN-PERSON Songwriting Gathering of 2021!

Upstairs on the main floor of the Tippecanoe Arts Federation (638 North Street, Lafayette, IN) starting at 7:30 pm, Tuesday, May 18th.  Bring 10+ copies of your lyrics and a song to share!  If you can't be there for any reason, be sure to check out the Zoom info that was sent out in the newest newsletter.  If you need the new and temporary May link, contact: secretary@samisong.com for the Zoom credentials.  

SAMI's President, Scott Greeson,  will be out of town for our monthly gathering and Cheryl Fletcher will host this hybrid meeting (In-person and online) via a Zoom account that only has a 40 minute time limit.  This Zoom room will only be open from 7:30pm - 8:10pm.  If you would like to share a song to the group in person, we will have that option upstairs in the main room at TAF.  If you would like to join us via zoom, plan on being timely so as to be present for that 40 minute time frame 

 

Hope to see you all there!

Scholarship Awards Night Moved to June 4th!

 

The deadline/application window for the Shirley Martin Scholarship for Young Songwriters officially closed on April 16th as scheduled, but the awards night has been moved to June 4th to coincide with the First Fridays in Downtown Lafayette.  The awards will be held at TAF (Tippecanoe Arts Federation) located at 638 North Street, Lafayette, IN 47901.  Judging will take place prior to this time and the winners will be notified on or before May 28, 2021.

What's Happening

 The 2021 Shirley Martin Scholarship for Young Songwriters will be held this year.  Applications being accepted now through April 16, 2021!

SAMI will have our monthly gathering of songwriters, Tuesday March 16, 2021 at 7:30pm. This month we are offering a Zoom option only.


  Please join us by clicking on the Zoom link shared in our recent newsletter.  (Contact secretary@samisong.com for additional info)

 

 

A big thank you to Mike Byers for his donation to SAMI and TAF to display his amazing glass piece called “Silk Road”. It is for sale and when it sells the proceeds will go to SAMI. Mike & Pam are incredible friends of artists and we love and appreciate them! Please send Mike and e-mail or contact him on Facebook to express your gratitude.

 

A SPECIAL THANK YOU

REC Room Recording is taking part in some amazing community projects to include streaming of virtual events.  This month, Ethan and Kelsey Bates, Hans and Brittany Rees, Gibson Wells and Neil McTavish assisted the Greater Lafayette Commerce in streaming the virtual 2021 Golden Apple Awards.  The Golden Apple Awards recognize excellence in area teachers who make a positive impact on many of the same students that apply for the Shirley Martin Scholarship for Young Songwriters.  The flawless work of our SAMI engineers helped make this ceremony flow without a hitch and was highly appreciated in regards to our community outreach and relations. REC Room (Recording, Educational, and Community) Great job all around!

 

 

SAMI Insignia Masks: Scott Greeson and Vickie Maris have designed SAMI / REC Room masks in cooperation with Freckles Graphics. This will be a unique way to stay safe while showing your SAMI pride. Talk to Scott or Vickie to get your mask today.  (suggested donation of $8 to cover costs of printing.)

SAMI's Celebrating in September!

 

The Songwriters Association of Mid-North Indiana (SAMI) is celebrating several things in the month of September. On September 18^th from 6:00PM until 9:00PM, SAMI will be a part of the Tippecanoe Arts Federation, Gallery Walk. SAMI’s part in this event will be very special for two reasons, the first being an open house/grand opening celebration of our new recording studio located within the TAF facility at 638 North Street, Lafayette, IN 47901. This facility called, Rec Room Recording, was made possible through a grant from NCHS and was designed and constructed by local contractors in conjunction with a very dedicated group of SAMI members. The public can stop by and tour the facility, learn about the recording process and meet the SAMI folks that made it all happen. You can visit the website at: www.recroomrecording.com

 

That same evening, there will be music featuring SAMI members in conjunction with several of the 2020 Shirley Martin Scholarship Winners. The scholarship winners will kick things off at 6:00PM featuring Lauren Grace, Alicia Weise, Margot Hawthorne and Alec Swank. The featured SAMI artists for that night include: Justice Fuller, Frank Muffin-Acoustic, Scott Greeson, Vickie Maris and Lee Anna Atwell. There is plenty of room for social distancing and masks are required while in the TAF Building.

Check out the very cool lessons about PRO’s (professional rights organizations) and what they mean to songwriters as well as other great songwriting tips. Stay tuned on the social media channels for www.recroomrecording.com to see the videos. 

 

A special thank you to June IND for donating their proceeds for music sales in the month of August to SAMI. Chris and Emily are true servants to the artist community. Check out their music at: https://juneind.com/ and tune in on September 24^th @7:30pm to watch their livestream to benefit Food Finders  Juneindphilanthrocky

 

We will have our monthly SAMI Gathering via Zoom AND in person on Tuesday, September 15th.   We will meet on the front steps of TAF (638 North Street, Lafayette, IN 47901) at 7:30pm so bring a chair and a song to share.  If you are not ready for small groups, please join us at 7:30pm and our host will add you to the video meeting. If you don't have the link that was sent in the newsletter, contact secretary@samisong.com to get the meeting link and ID.

 

 

We have been meeting and sharing songs for a few months now, and I have to tell you, it is wonderful seeing our SAMI members again.  It is really easy to join via Zoom but we have now added the in-person option.  All are welcome in whichever way you are most comfortable.

Please give this a try, we'd love to see you again, and best of all, we can share some songs!

2020 Winners in the Shirley Martin Scholarship for Young Songwriters

Congratulations to the 2020

FIRST PLACE WINNER:

 Abigail Bannon –

 "Thank God for the Gold and Blue"

1ST RUNNER-UP
Alicia Weise - "Ethereal"

2ND RUNNER-UP
Margot Hawthorne- "Same Game"

CO-WINNERS OF THE MIKE LANE HORIZON AWARD
John Waterworth- "GoodbyeRosey"

Jackie Marie Wiley- "Way Too Good at Frowning"

HONORABLE MENTIONS

 Alec Swank- "Sixteen"

Alice Lin- "Cold" 

Click this link to the Virtual Awards Ceremony with videos from our award winners!

Deadline has been EXTENDED to MAY 31, 2020

 

Check out our scholarship application for our 20th annual Shirley Martin Scholarship for Young Songwriters.

The Shirley Martin Scholarship for Young Songwriters is open to

songwriters ages 14 through 19 that are a permanent resident of

the State of Indiana and live in any of these Indiana counties:

Benton, Carroll, Cass, Clinton, Fountain, Howard, Jasper,

Montgomery, Newton, Pulaski, Tippecanoe, Tipton, Warren

or White.

MP3's of Original Songs (No Co-writes)

Cash Scholarships Awarded ($500 for First Place)

Additional Prizes Will be Awarded Based on Merit.

For more info visit:  www.samisong.com

The deadline has been extended due to the impact of the Covid 19 Virus. Deadline for Submission is now May 31, 2020

SAMI To Host Workshop
With Entertainment Attorney
Peter Strand

On January 21, 2020 at 7:30pm, The Songwriters Association of Mid-North Indiana (SAMI) will host world-renowned entertainment attorney, musician and songwriter, Peter Stand, UPSTAIRS at the Tippecanoe Arts Federation. This event will provide an open forum to ask questions related to entertainment, copyright and intellectual property law. If you have specific questions to pose to Peter, please let us know in advance so that those questions may be properly addressed.

Peter’s extensive career includes client contract negotiation for film, TV, recording, songwriting and publishing. A partner in the entertainment, media and intellectual law firm of Mendell Menkes LLC in Chicago, Peter represents content creators and providers in all facets of the entertainment industry. Peter has taught entertainment law and music law as an adjunct professor at Northwestern University School Of Law, Chicago Kent College of Law and Marquette University School of Law.

As an accomplished songwriter, entertainer and musician Peter and his band “Yipes” achieved national success on the Millennium/RCA label with recordings produced by Grammy Award winning producer, Jimmy Ienner. “Yipes” success yielded well deserved performance dates with acts such as Kanas, Foreigner, Cheap Trick and countless others. “Yipes” latest release was in 2018, which has resulted in continued touring opportunities and amazing reviews. For more information about Peter Strand: https://mandellmenkes.com/lawyers/peter-strand/

Come join SAMI and Peter for a very informative and entertaining evening. Suggested donation is $5 at the door with all proceeds going to the Shirley Martin Scholarship for young songwriters. Please RSVP by responding to this email to help us know how many people to expect.

December Holiday Party!

We are having our annual holiday gathering this Tuesday, December 17th. We will meet at 7:30 pm at TAF. We will kick off the first 15 minutes with our SAMI Featured Artist of the Month: Mike Byers.
 

You are encouraged to bring a finger food or beverage, and of course, a song to share (holiday themed or otherwise.) This will also be a time for the annual White Elephant Gift Exchange. This fun little activity involves wrapping up some kind of unwanted, possibly re-gifted, or ridiculously useless item, and playing a game of gift exchange. This item should be of the low-cost or no-cost variety. Each person wanting to participate should bring 1 wrapped item. Fun, food and song, this is gonna be fun, so bring a friend!

A Message From the President

Scott Greeson: 2019 SAMI President

For twenty seven years, SAMI has served the songwriting community through mentoring, education and commitment to each other. SAMI’s unequivocal success can largely be attributed to the unselfish and giving nature of its members. Members have learned that through community growth, comes personal growth. When you consider the areas of the United States that are leaders in the music industry, you will always find a solid group of people like SAMI, committed to the continuous improvement of the artistic community in which they exist. Do I believe that Lafayette could become the next Nashville, Asheville or Austin, with a world class music scene that people come to be a part? The answer is ‘yes!’ You might ask how that could happen; well my friends, the seeds have been planted. With an increasing number of quality venues, theaters, festivals and artists, we are primed for exponential growth.  

While I firmly believe that SAMI is on the cusp of exponential growth, I think it’s critical to never forget what has gotten us to this point as a group. Simply put, it is our practice to foster an environment at events, meetings and performances where people are safe, comfortable and welcome. These elements are the foundation of our organization without exception. 

 

With this said I am reaffirming our expectation that SAMI members and leaders are, at all times, to conduct themselves professionally and with respect towards each other.

• The SAMi organization will not accept discrimination of others at sponsored events or meetings.
• The SAMI organization will not accept harassment of any kind, by one member to another via email, phone, text or social media. Behaviors of this kind are strictly prohibited.
• An authenticated violation of these policies by any individual will result in disaffiliation from the SAMI organization. 

If you see or are concerned for someone, feel you are experiencing, or have witnessed this type of behavior within our organization, I would ask that you reach out to a SAMI leader immediately. 

 

Yes, these are tough topics to address, but if we are to see our full potential we must maintain a safe environment at all times. If you have questions please reach out to me.

 

Now let’s go write some songs!

Sincerely,

Scott Greeson
Co-Founder of SAMI, SAMI President

2019 Award Winners

Front row L to R: Alexis Howell, (1st Runner-up) Autumn Culver, (Horizon Award), Lauren Grace Mills, (Shirley Martin Scholarship for Young Songwriters Winner)

Second row L to R: Gibson Wells (2nd Runner-up) Jessi Chase (Honorable Mention)

This Year's

FIRST PLACE WINNER LAUREN MILLS – “TIME MACHINE”

1ST RUNNER-UP
ALEXIS HOWELL – “SEA OF LIES”

2ND RUNNER-UP
GIBSON WELLS – “YOU CAN’T BUY HER”

THE MIKE LANE HORIZON AWARD
AUTUMN CULVER – “I’LL HELLP YOU”

HONORABLE MENTIONS
JESSI CHASE – “THE NEWBORN KING”
SARAH BREDEMEYER – “RESTLESS IN ROME”

19th Annual Shirley Martin Scholarship for Young Songwriters Awards Night

Pictured above: SAMI members Amanda Parker, Chase Cotton, Michael Longcor, Linda Hicks, and Joe Peters

Come Celebrate With Us!

All are welcome to celebrate our 2019 winners on April 30th at 7pm at the newly renovated Tippecanoe Arts Federation building: 638 North Street, Lafayette, IN.

This Year's

FIRST PLACE WINNER LAUREN MILLS – “TIME MACHINE”

1ST RUNNER-UP
ALEXIS HOWELL – “SEA OF LIES”

2ND RUNNER-UP
GIBSON WELLS – “YOU CAN’T BUY HER”

THE MIKE LANE HORIZON AWARD
AUTUMN CULVER – “I’LL HELLP YOU”

HONORABLE MENTIONS
JESSI CHASE – “THE NEWBORN KING”
SARAH BREDEMEYER – “RESTLESS IN ROME”

We will have live performances by our young songwriters and cash prizes awarded.  Refreshments Served.

Application Window is Now Open!

CLICK HERE to take you to the application

Congratulations to the 2018 Winners!

Left to Right: Jessi Chase, the Mike Lane Horizon Award, Mitchell Calderon, 2nd Runner-up, Lauren Mills, 1st Runner-up, Jay Thoennes, winner of the 2018 Shirley Martin Scholarship for Young Songwriters. 

In This Issue: Shirley Martin Awards July Gathering RiverFest Photos Keep Up With Us Facebook Twitter 18th Annual Shirley Martin Scholarship for Young Songwriters Award Night Will Be July 24th at 7:00 PM (Click the song titles below to hear the award winning songs!) We are thrilled to announce the 2018 Shirley Martin Scholarship for Young Songwriters winner: Jay Theonnes from West Lafayette for his entry, "Cold." Additional Awardees are: 1st Runner-Up: "Another Chapter" by Lauren Mills 2nd Runner-Up: "Soon" by Mitchell Calderone The Mike Lane Horizon Award: "Life Will Pass Right By" by Jessi Chase Honorable Mention: "Other Side Of Your Mind" by Gibson Wells We invite everyone to come celebrate these talented kids in our scholarship ceremony at 7:00 pm on July 24th at The Tippecanoe County Historical Association (TCHA) Center in Lafayette, IN. (522 Columbia St.) Congratulations! All of us at SAMI are so proud of you! Song Sharing Gathering Tuesday, July 17th We will have our regular song sharing gathering tomorrow, July 17th, at The Imagination Station at 7:30 pm. Be sure to come, bring a friend, share a song, and be inspired to write again! (Bring 10-15 copies of lyrics if you'd like constructive critique.) See you at Imagination Station Address: 600 N 4th St, Lafayette, IN 47901 at 7:30 pm Tomorrow! Wabash RiverFest Was Bigger Than Ever!