Winner

"Runaway Girl"

When did you first discover theater/what was your first experience?

VERONICA: I started doing community theatre when I was 8, playing Marcie in "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" and I caught the theatre bug from there! abs: My first named role was "Beggar #2" in a Bible fan fiction play about the apostle Luke's turbulent love life and I've never peaked so high since.

When/how did you become a writer? Is there a writer, show, or text that particularly inspired you?

VERONICA:  I remember loving to write pop songs for my friends when they had crushes in middle school, channeling my inner Taylor Swift and wanting to help them through! abs: In kindergarten, I wrote a plagiarized version of "The Giving Tree" except all of the humans were mice— you can pretty much only go up from there!

How do you describe your style/work?

We're passionate about female-driven narratives and having our work create space for people to feel seen in a new way.  We love using different musical styles such as pop, country, punk, etc. to help make big ideas feel a little more approachable and personal.

What is most rewarding to you about writing music?

When you create something, it can reveal that we're all just reflections of each other and we're not alone and there's community in that, which is super rewarding. When we're able to move people with our songs...that's what it's all about!

Winner

"Stone Cold Killer"

When did you first discover theater/what was your first experience?

KATHLEEN: When I was little my mom took me to see Wicked for the first time, I spent the whole show mesmerized and guessing the next lyric that they would sing, celebrating whenever I guessed correctly. DELANEY: My first experience with theatre was seeing my cousin in a high school production of Into the Woods. I was glued to my seat from the start, entranced. I turned to my mom at intermission and said “I want to do that”. KENNY: One evening when I was 8 years old my mom threw me to the wolves when she nudged me through a door and told me to sing Happy Birthday and recite a poem learned at school to a panel of 3 women. This was my audition for ’Twas The Night — a Christmas musical at a youth theater in Seattle called Studio East that catapulted me into a life of theatrical pursuits.

When/how did you become a writer? Is there a writer, show, or text that particularly inspired you?

KATHLEEN: Since I was a kid, writing has always found me when I didn’t have the words to say. It wasn't until I suffered a life changing spinal injury at the age of 20 that I truly understood the importance of pursuing my passion, leading me to embrace the path of being a writer. I find constant inspiration in Lin-Manuel Miranda's unwavering commitment and perseverance in bringing Hamilton to life, as his example encourages bravery and endurance. DELANEY: I decided to start writing after graduating into a global pandemic with a degree in musical theatre. I decided to take matters into my own hands instead of waiting for permission to do what I love. KENNY: I could not pinpoint an isolated moment, writer, show, or work that inspired me to bind words with music. What I can say is that an improbable majority of my close friends are published and lauded songwriters who make me so damn jealous of their work that I had to do it too.

How do you describe your style/work?

KATHLEEN: When I write, it is to capture a moment, a feeling, before it leaves. My work is authentic to experience and is meant to make those feeling the same, feel understood. DELANEY: In my work I strive to create clever, entertaining, larger than life worlds in order to explore difficult topics on a human level. To start conversations for people without knowing they have been started. KENNY: My work overall can be described as equal parts pop, rock, jazz, cinema, and theater with a heavy emphasis on traditional popular song structure so all songs can be enjoyed passively or analyzed with a fine tooth comb. What sets my work apart is that as the song is being born I’m obviously thinking about the marriage of music and lyrics, but beyond that I’m thinking of how things like orchestration, vocal production, vocal performance, harmonic structure, rhythmic and textural diversity, natural build, callback to other works, featured instruments, production effects (EQ/reverb/delay etc.), and wordplay might play equally significant roles in the telling of the story.

What is most rewarding to you about writing music?

KATHLEEN: Writing has brought me a community of creatives that I feel incredibly lucky to work with. It is so rewarding to learn from them, express with them, and to pursue what fuels our souls together. DELANEY: The most rewarding thing about writing music for me is working with my team. To have people to share ideas, achievements, and milestones with. I am so thankful to get to create with people I love. KENNY: I find two things equally rewarding in the process of writing music. As someone who finds solo writing very difficult, I cherish the reward of collaboration and the memories associated with the songwriting process. I also feel incredibly rewarded seeing peoples’ emotional responses to the music I’ve written and getting feedback as to how it relates to their lives.

Winner

"It'll Find Me"

When did you first discover theater/what was your first experience?

It was a school production of Santa Sings the Blues. I played the Italian vocal coach “Victorio Vivacci”. Not to mention my Italian accent wasn’t half bad… according to my mother anyway.

When/how did you become a writer? Is there a writer, show, or text that particularly inspired you?

l have always written music, though in 2019 I started “Avalon” from which this song is from, following the life of King Arthur. My biggest influences are Simon & Garfunkel and Fleetwood Mac.

How do you describe your style/work?

My work is a crossover between current pop music and traditional Irish music. My heritage inspires a unique perspective that is warm and homely, with an undertone of mystery.

What is most rewarding to you about writing music?

If anyone can relate any of my songs to a part of their own lives, or feel uplifted, that’s worth more than anything. Music can transport you into another reality. If I can achieve that, it’s a win.