What is a songSLAM?

The Sparks & Wiry Cries songSLAM is a unique and energizing community event for composer/performer teams to premiere new art songs and compete for cash prizes.

Each team presents a new song of no more than 5 minutes for voice and piano, in any language, for the voting audience, who—in the poetry slam tradition—will then vote on their favorites and award prize money to the winning competitors!

First premiered in NYC in 2015, the songSLAM has now been or will be co-presented with regional partners in four countries and 10 different cities around the globe: NYC, Toronto, Vancouver, London, Ljubljana, Ann Arbor, Cincinnati, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Waco, with even more growth on the horizon.

We are excited to announce the publication of the songSLAM Songbook, vol. 1, now available from New Music Shelf. The anthology contains sixteen pieces debuted at seven of our songSLAM competitions. The songbook, curated by Erika Switzer and Martha Guth, is a selection of the most promising songs premiered since its inception. Many of them were prize winners, though not all.

NYC songSLAM 2024

Building on the success of the last four years’ added virtual component, we have incorporated both recorded and live elements into the 2024 NYC songSLAM. For this hybrid format, all teams had their entry professionally recorded at the Blue Building in NYC, AND all teams performed in the live songSLAM event at National Sawdust.

On January 19th, 2024 each team premiered a song for the LIVE voting audience, who voted on their favorite and awarded $2,000 in prize money.

Teams have more chances to win with the 2024 songSLAM Commission Prize yet to be awarded and the 50/50 Virtual Voting still underway!

More details about virtual voting and prizes at the button below!