Revolutionary War drum

Revolutionary War drum

Sarah Nell Blackwell

The Music and the American Revolution Competition

The American Battlefield Trust and the Ray and Vera Conniff Foundation challenge young musicians to unleash their creativity and forge powerful connections between the past and present.

Welcome to the Music and the American Revolution Competition, sponsored by the American Battlefield Trust and the Ray and Vera Conniff Foundation.

Can you craft a song that bridges generations, captures the diverse spirit of the Revolutionary era (1760-1788) and connects us to the nation’s founding stories? We want to hear from you if you are a high school musician, a college age student, or an independent musician under the age of 30. The contest winner will gain the attention of music industry professionals, be featured in promotional materials highlighting young voices in the upcoming 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution and take home one of our $3,500 cash prizes.

Whether you are reinterpreting historic tunes or composing something entirely new,  your music can provide fresh perspectives on the past and inspire a new love for history.

Learn more about what we are looking for below, meet our judges and find answers to your burning questions.

A still from the video Fife and Drum: Instruments of the Revolution
Yorktown Day Musicians
Liberty Tree Guitar
Boston Revolutionary War

The Challenge

Ignite the Revolutionary Spirit Through Music

Our challenge to you is simple and exciting: Create a song that bridges generations, capturing the vibrant spirit of the many voices of the American Revolution, and you could win the attention of music industry professionals, as well as one of our $3,500 prizes.

Craft a melody that resonates with us today, connecting us to the nation’s founding generation—men and women, Black and white, native-born and immigrant alike. Whether it's a song of hope, yearning, unrealized opportunities or fresh perspectives, let your music illuminate the past and inspire a brighter future!

Put your own modern spin on a song from the era (1760-1788), or compose an entirely new piece that connects us to that time. Either way, make it yours and make it for today. Let us hear new things about our shared pasts, tease new meaning out of songs sung by the Revolutionary generation and make the past relevant as you help us hear the past while singing for the future.

This competition is open to high school and college-age musicians, as well as young independent artists who are under the age of 30. We want to hear what you can do and to give you a platform to do something fresh, new and exciting. Can you breathe new life into stories that all too often come across as dry and irrelevant to the present day? Let’s find out!

Colonial Williamsburg Duke of Gloucester St. music musicians
Reenactors portray Black soldiers during the Revolutionary War
The Beggar's Opera
Revolutionary Combat

The Rules

Chart Your Creative Course

First, decide your path. Will it be a new composition or a reinterpretation of historic music? Either way, think about what you want to say about why the American Revolution matters.

Once you are happy with your music selection, record it and mix your most polished and professional-sounding audio track. Your entry can only be 60-90 seconds long, so choose the best part of your composition or reinterpretation carefully. There is a short form to fill out on the submission page—be sure to respond to each prompt or question and then upload it to our competition portal beginning October 15, 2024.

Each entry must conform to the following technical specifications:

  • Each participant is allowed only one submission. Submit your best work, as additional entries will not be considered.
  • Audio submissions should be between 60 and 90 seconds in length. 
  • Make sure your file is in one of the accepted formats (e.g., MP3, WAV or OGG) to ensure compatibility with our system.
  • File must not exceed 10 MB in size.
  • Do not submit images or videos. Submissions that include images or videos will be rejected without review.

It's that simple. Our judges will take it from there. Winners will be notified in January 2025 and announced on February 22, 2025. 

Have questions about the competition? Visit our Frequently Asked Questions page and see our Official Rules too.

Muskets in a row
Philadelphia
Drummer at Camden Generations event

Partners & Judges

Our Partners in Creativity

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Ray and Vera Conniff Foundation for their generous support of the Music and the American Revolution Competition. Ray Conniff, a Grammy-winning musician with a career spanning 65 years and over 100 studio albums, revolutionized music with his unique sound. Best known for his work as The Ray Conniff Orchestra and Singers, Ray Conniff was one of America’s most commercially successful musical icons.

His legacy lives on through the Ray and Vera Conniff Foundation, which continues to support music and education worldwide. Their commitment helps us offer young musicians a platform to explore and reimagine the history of the American Revolution.

Special Thanks

Many thanks to the following organizations for preserving and making available resources available: The Library of Congress, Boston Athenaeum, Massachusetts Historical Society and the Museum of the American Revolution.

Our Esteemed Judges

We also want to express our deep appreciation to our distinguished panel of judges, whose expertise and passion for music will guide the selection process. Please meet our competition judges:

Ray Conniff in 1958
Ray Conniff in 1958 TheMgmtCo (CC BY-SA 4.0)
A statue of statesman and Founding Father Samuel Adams against an American flag.
Philadelphia
A photograph of a woman in Revolutionary War-era garb posing in front of a tree

How to Enter

Contest opens on October 15, 2024 – Come back to enter!

Bookmark this page and set a reminder to come back to this page to upload your submission. The window for submissions opens on October 15, 2024, and closes at midnight Pacific Time on December 31, 2024. Winners will be notified on February 22, 2025.

Subscribe to The Powder Horn – our quarterly roundup of Revolutionary happenings – for the latest news on this contest.