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Med City Beat is a Rochester-based news project rooted in fairness, transparency and civic responsibility.
Est. 2014
In partnership with Olmsted County Public Health, Med City Beat wants to hear local musicians get creative in quarantine on how to celebrate the holidays safely.
Whether you reach for an acoustic guitar, jam with a band, or fly solo by making your own beats, we want to hear your take on what people can do to stay safe around the holidays. The theme is ‘Celebrate Safely.’ From there, the inspiration is yours — just make sure lyrics are backed by science and consistent with public health guidelines.
In addition to having their song featured on our social media pages, selected artist(s) will share in $750 in prize money, courtesy Olmsted Medical Center and Mayo Clinic.
From now until December 13 at 11:59 p.m., Med City Beat will accept song demos from local musicians. Just make sure the demo is between 30 and 60 seconds long and includes at least one verse and the hook. Demos do not need to be professionally recorded (a smartphone works just fine). Once jurors have selected the winner(s), we will begin working with the artist(s) to produce a final recording.
All genres accepted.
Artists must live and/or primarily perform in Olmsted County.
Lyrics must be original. Music may also be original, though songs may parody an existing holiday song that is in the public domain (such as one of these).
Collaborations with other artists are encouraged (while adhering to Covid safety measures), but not required.
Lyrics related to Covid-19 must be consistent with public health guidelines issued by local, state and federal agencies.
Artists will retain ownership of their work so long as permission is granted to Med City Beat and Olmsted County Public Health to publish and share the material.
Finally — remember to have fun with this. Even during this challenging time, music has the power to bring us together and spread holiday cheer! If you have any questions at all related to the contest criteria, please message us through our contact form.
