EARLVILLE SHUFFLE APPLICATION

 APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY EMAIL NO LATER THAN MIDNIGHT, JANUARY 6th, 2025 

 

Please read the “THE BASICS”, “DETAILS OF EACH DAY”, “THE DISTINGUISHED FACULTY”, “EARLVILLE SHUFFLE GLOSSARY”, and “TERMS AND CONDITIONS” sections before you apply.

 APPLICATION PROCESS

Earlville Shuffle Song Development Weekend can accommodate twelve (12) Songwriter/Players. Our application process will select twelve (12) Songwriter/Players and four (4) Alternates. Alternates will be invited if one or more of the selected Songwriter/Players decides not to attend or cannot attend.

All Songwriter/Players must have reached eighteen (18) years of age prior to April 4th, 2025. 

Each Songwriter/Player and Alternate will be selected based on: 

  1. Whether both the Songwriter/Player and the Song they submit are at a stage appropriate to the experience of Earlville Shuffle. Simply stated: showing promise and ready to benefit from the talents and ideas of a diverse group of creative people 

  2. Their ability to lend instrumental and vocal ideas and parts to the development of Songs brought by the other Songwriter/Players 

  3. Whether the character and genre of the song can benefit from the experience of our Distinguished Faculty 

Each Ephemeral Band needs a minimum of four (4) members, and the Songwriter/Player of the Song being developed in the Session will be one of the four (4). We need a diversity of sound sources in each band, ideally including low end, percussion, melodic lead, lead vocal and backing vocals. Therefore, our selection of a mix of Songwriter/Players will be weighted towards finding Songwriter/Players who can support other Songwriter/Players with a mix of accompanying instruments and vocal skills. 

It is important to emphasize that we are not looking for the most advanced or established songwriters, nor are we looking for the most virtuoso players of accompanying instruments. We are rather looking for Songwriter/Players who are in a stage of growth with their work; who are interested in discovering or enhancing their collaborative creation skills; and who can bring at least a modest-to-moderate level of ability to the experience. 

 

The application process is very simple and requires that you submit four (4) things via email to [email protected]: 

 

  1. CONTACT INFORMATION: Your name, postal address, email and phone. 

  2. SONG SUBMITTAL: An audio or video recording of at least one song, but not more than two songs.

    • You must be the writer of the song and be eligible to be the copyright holder.

    • We will be listening only for the core structure of the song: lyrics, changes and rhythmic character. A handheld audio or video recording of just the words and one accompanying instrument is a sufficient level of production.

    • The recording part of your submission can be as simple as a link to a YouTube, Bandcamp, SoundCloud or Spotify track or video, or an *.mp3, *.mp4, or *.wav file attached to the email. If an attachment is used instead of a link, the track or video must be a small enough file to be accepted by the email server. 

    • A lyric sheet of the song or songs, with significant chord changes indicated. Tablature or formal musical notation are not required. 

  3. OTHER INSTRUMENTAL OR VOCAL CAPABILITIES: If you wish us to consider your abilities on an instrument other than the one you typically use for songwriting, please submit an additional audio or video recording of you playing this instrument. This may be either solo or with other players. You can also submit an audio or video recording of you performing as a backup or harmony singer. The same methods of submittal described in item 2, above, apply to this additional audio or video recording. 

  4. DESCRIPTION OF YOU AT THIS MOMENT: Write a description (try to keep it to 300 words or less) of your current musical life. Organize the description in your own style and format, but include answers to this list of questions: 

    • How are you engaged in music at this point in your life? Playing in a band? Playing solo at open mics? Creating in a home studio and submitting to song contests? 

    • What instrument or instruments do you typically use when you create a song? 

    • Can you describe your approach to playing your main instrument in terms of a genre or technique (hard slammed cowboy chord guitar, Professor Longhair inspired piano, …)? 

    • What other instruments do you play, and how would you describe your level of playing? 

    • In your dreams, what other musicians are in the band playing your song, where are they playing it, and what is the audience like?

    • Is there anything else you want to say about yourself or your song? 

NOTIFICATIONS OF ACCEPTANCE, ALTERNATE STATUS, OR REJECTION WILL BE SENT TO APPLICANTS BY EMAIL BEFORE MIDNIGHT ON FEBRUARY 1, 2025 

Terms & Conditions:

Terms and Conditions for Songwriter/Players attending Earlville Shuffle. By accepting an invitation to attend Earlville Shuffle as a Songwriter/Player, the Songwriter/Player agrees to the following: 

  1. That copyright for songs brought to Earlville Shuffle by attending Songwriter/Players will remain exclusively with the Songwriter/Player who brought the song, regardless of enhancements, lyrics, musical phrases, alterations or additions suggested or demonstrated by Faculty, Side Persons, or other attending Songwriter/Players. This provision does not prevent the original songwriter from, at their sole discretion, entering into a cowriting agreement with Faculty, Side Persons, or other Songwriter/Players if they desire.

  2. To pay the four-hundred-dollar ($400) registration fee to the Earlville Opera House (EOH) as soon as possible after notice of acceptance of the invitation; to be received by EOH no later than March 4, 2025. PAYMENT CAN BE BY MAIL TO EARLVILLE OPERA HOUSE, 18 EAST MAIN STREET, EARLVILLE, NY 13332 OR BY CREDIT CARD OVER THE TELEPHONE DURING REGULAR EOH BUSINESS HOURS AT (315) 691-3550.

  3. To provide the Earlville Opera House with notice of any dietary restrictions, and with notice of any differences of physical abilities that may require accommodations, no later than March 4, 2025.

  4. To allow the Earlville Opera House to capture images, audio recordings, and video recordings during Earlville Shuffle, and to judiciously use selected portions of said media, which may feature the attending Songwriter/Players and their works, for promotion of the EOH and its programs.

  5. That the Earlville Opera House is not responsible for loss or damage to the attending Songwriter/Player’s personal property.

  6. That the attending Songwriter/Player agrees to the standard terms established by the Earlville Opera House for activities on its premises, which are:

In consideration for the use of the premises under the terms and conditions agreed upon, the attending Singer/Songwriter, hereby intending to be legally bound, expressly waives and assigns for ourselves, our executors, administrators and legal representatives, any and all rights and claims for damages, demands and any other actions whatsoever resulting from such use which we may have or which may accrue in its future against the Earlville Opera House.  The attending Singer/Songwriter agrees to save, hold harmless and indemnify the Earlville Opera House and its’ affiliates from any and all claims or liability arising out of the use and occupation of the premises.  This waiver shall also exempt the Earlville Opera House from liability to participants in Earlville Shuffle.

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