Happy New Year! As we step into 2025, it’s the perfect time to celebrate the journey of the past year and look ahead with excitement. Whether 2024 was full of surprises, challenges, or milestones, this challenge invites you to turn those moments into music.

Create a musical journey that captures the essence of saying goodbye to one chapter and welcoming the next. Your composition should tell a story—highlighting the ups and downs of the year while transitioning into melodies that symbolize letting go and embracing the promise of new beginnings.

Instructions

  1. New Composition: This must be an original piece crafted specifically for the challenge—no reusing older scores!
  2. Theme Description: Share a brief description of your musical story and highlight how you express emotions like reflection, release, and hope through your composition.
  3. Time Limit: Keep it between 1-4 minutes.
  4. Entries: One entry per participant (no collabs. this time).


📬 Submit your score 👉🏽 here.

Scoring Criteria

  1. Emotional Impact (30 points):

    How well does the music capture the journey of reflection, release, and renewal?
  2. Creativity (30 points):

    Are the melodies, harmonies, and instrumental choices original and engaging?
  3. Engagement & Flow (20 points):


Does the piece maintain listener interest while smoothly transitioning between emotional stages?

  1. Inspirational Climax (15 points):


Does the final section evoke hope and optimism for what’s to come?

  1. Founders’ Enjoyment (5 points):


The Flat founders’ overall enjoyment and appreciation.

Bonus Points

🌟 Lyrics (5 points): Add lyrics to your song that complement the story.

🌟 Symbolic Instrumentation (5 points): Use instruments creatively to represent the passage of time.

🌟 Hopeful Motif (5 points): Include a recurring motif that evolves throughout the piece—beginning with a reflective tone and ending on an uplifting note.

Prize

🏆 Win a one-year Premium subscription, featured spots on our blog and social media, and a special badge for a year!

Deadline

Submit your score by January 31, 2025. Late entries won’t be reviewed.

Let’s craft an emotional farewell to the year gone by and embrace the new one through music! 🌟