fellowship 2024

To create, release and market one original song:

• 2 AWARDS THIS YEAR ($1,000+ value / each)

  🎵 Music Production
  🎛 Mixing
  💿 Mastering
  📱 Social Media Consulting
  🎥 Studio & Visuals Stipend
  💡 5x Mentorship Sessions
  🎤 Performance Opportunity in NYC

The applicant must be:

• Between the ages of 18 and 35, inclusive.

• A resident of the domestic United States.

• Identify as South Asian-American.

• If you have released music before, have a catalog of no more than 10 original songs.

The applicant must provide:

• Application Form (link above).

• Song Demo (up to 75-seconds, see FAQ below for more details).

In addition to the application form and song demo, the following will be considered:

• This is not a lump sum award but rather a full-fledged program that will both fund and guide you through your song release. You must be able to see through the commitments of this project (1-5 hrs/week depending) from SEP '24 - JAN '25.

• The ideal candidate is self-motivated and will drive their project forward.

• If selected as a winner, you will need to:

  • Record and provide final vocals (no iPhone audio).

  • Film, edit and post social media content (in-app like TikTok is okay).

  • Prep for and attend Zoom meetings with the project team + mentors.

  • Find and hire folks to help you with visuals (funded by this award).

• Finalists may be asked to participate in a short online interview.

This is the anticipated timeline:

JULY 2024

• July 1st, 2024 — applications open.

• July 31st, 2024 — applications close.

AUGUST 2024

• August 16th, 2024 — winner is announced.

SEPTEMBER 2024

• Work with the music producer to create the song.

• Record your final vocals if needed (studio stipend provided).

OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2024

• Song is delivered to post-production. During this time, you will:

  • Work with the social media consultant to build a marketing campaign.

  • Find and work with photographers, videographers, graphic designers, etc to generate any visuals you’d like for your release.

  • Meet with the artist mentors.

JANUARY 2025

• Release the song.

• Support the song with your marketing content and ads throughout the release.

• Submit a demo that’s original (no covers), unreleased, and early in development.

• Max length of 75-seconds.

• Submit an MP3 demo, and a PDF lyric sheet.

• Vocals and lyrics are not required, but they are preferred.

• The production DOESN’T need to be complex! Just piano or guitar chords + vocals works.

• We recommend including a verse and chorus.

• You must have clearance for or ownership of any samples or beats used.

• Non-English lyrics are welcome. Please include a translation with your application.

• Yes, but not large groups (e.g. acapella teams, choirs, etc).

• This is not a cash award but rather a guided program.

• The program funds are directly used to pay for the services provided to you.

• The song creation team is fixed and we will help match you with a music producer.

• That said, you will choose your collaborators for the visuals (photographer, videographer, graphic designer, etc), as well as a recording studio to work at, for which a stipend is provided.

• No, but you may elect to work with the project partners in person (subject to their willingness/availability).

• You are responsible for any and all travel costs.

• No, the goal of this fellowship is to help someone early in their music career.

• An RRA team member (who is not on the judging panel) will blind the applications.

• 4 members of the judging panel will review the blinded applications and assign a score for the written portion and the song demo. Each are weighted equally at 50%.

• The top 10 applications will move to round 2. Here, we'll bring in two additional judges, one of whom is our celebrity judge.

• The full panel will re-review the finalists together and select the winning Fellows.

• All applicants will receive a customized email with feedback on their song demo.

• Check out the previous winners and their demos here.

• Follow all the song demo guidelines (see the first FAQ question).

• Build your song demo around a strong concept (more important than the production).

• It’s VERY important to us that the winner is self-motivated and will drive their project forward. The program will guide you, but not hold your hand.

• In other words, the fellowship will give you the tools but we want to know that you’ll use them. "Bonus points" if you can express this in your written application.