15th Annual Johnny Mercer Songwriters Project Seeks Submissions For 2020

The Johnny Mercer Foundation (JMF) and the American Music Theatre Project (AMTP) at Northwestern University are seeking the nation's most talented young songwriters and writing teams for the 15th annual Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriters Project. The free, weeklong songwriting workshop will take place June 21 to 27 on Northwestern's Evanston campus.

The program will accept applications through March 1 from aspiring songwriters, between the ages of 18 and 30, working in any popular music style. The application form, guidelines and full details are available online at mercersongwriters.com.

Master teachers Stephen Bray, Craig Carnelia, Andrew Lippa and Lindy Robbins return to lead the project this summer, which culminates with the Songwriters in Concert event June 27, a performance showcase celebrating Johnny Mercer's life and legacy and featuring the talents of program participants and the master teachers.

The program is free of charge to the accepted songwriters through the generosity of the Johnny Mercer Foundation. Participants are housed on Northwestern's Evanston campus and receive a stipend for travel expenses and meals.

Last year, nearly 160 applicants applied for the 12 spots in the prestigious program, which has been a catalyst to the careers of many artists. Among the program alumni are Tony, Oscar and Golden Globe Award winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul; Fred Ebb Award winners Sam Willmott and Shaina Taub; Latin Grammy Award winners Obed Bermudez and singer/actress Jennifer Peña; and 14 Jonathan Larson Award winners, including Nikko Benson, Emily Gardner Xu Hall, Michael Kooman and Christopher Dimond.

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