Applications open for 2026 Songbook Academy
9/30/2025 12AM
Great American Songbook Foundation Founder Michael Feinstein and student singers perform during the 2025 Songbook Academy at the Payne & Mencias Palladium in Carmel, Indiana | photo by Wayne Images.
High school performers can apply earlier
than ever for national music intensive
CARMEL, Ind. – High school students can apply earlier than ever this year for the transformative Songbook Academy® summer music intensive, a chance to hone their singing and performance skills under the guidance of Broadway stars, university educators and other arts and entertainment professionals.
Now in its 17th year, the Songbook Academy selects 40 talented teen vocalists from across the country for an exciting week of workshops, masterclasses, and performance opportunities on the Payne & Mencias Palladium stage at Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. Presented by the Great American Songbook Foundation and its founder, five-time GRAMMY-nominated performer and preservationist Michael Feinstein, the 2026 Songbook Academy will take place July 11-18.
Applications will be accepted through March 22, 2026, and the 40 selected participants will be notified in mid-April. Every applicant, regardless of acceptance status, will receive feedback from a national screening panel of music educators and entertainment industry professionals.
This year students can enjoy exciting benefits by applying to the program early:
- Exclusive Bonus Video – Every student who opens an application will receive a special video message from an award-winning Songbook Academy screener with tips on navigating the application process.
- Discounted Application Fee – The fee will remain just $50 through Feb. 28, 2026, before increasing to $80.
Benefits for participants include:
- Personalized mentorship from industry professionals
- Performing in state-of-the-art concert facilities
- Developing a strong knowledge base in American popular music
- Building lifelong connections in an inclusive musical environment
- Gaining confidence as singers and storytellers
The Songbook Academy is widely known for its top-notch faculty of coaches and mentors from prestigious university music programs and every corner of the performance industry. Guest Mentors in previous years have included stage and screen stars Ashley Park (Only Murders in the Building, Emily in Paris, Mean Girls) and Ali Stroker (Oklahoma!, Ozark, Echoes); Broadway standouts Jessie Mueller (Tony Award winner for Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), Nikki Renée Daniels (Once Upon a Mattress, Company), Joshua Henry (Carousel, The Scottsboro Boys, Hamilton), Kate Baldwin (Big Fish, Finian’s Rainbow, Hello, Dolly!), Telly Leung (Aladdin, Godspell, Glee), Lorna Courtney (Dear Evan Hansen, Tony winner for & Juliet) and Nasia Thomas (Six, Ain't Too Proud); Postmodern Jukebox founder Scott Bradlee; Cheryl Bentyne, Janis Siegel and Trist Curless of The Manhattan Transfer; and GRAMMY Award-winning artists Nicole Zuraitis, Melissa Manchester, Catherine Russell.
The young vocalists selected for the 2026 Songbook Academy will join a thriving alumni community whose members are making their mark across the world of music and theater. Alumni have gone on to Broadway and national tours, including Nina White (Kimberly Akimbo, The Queen of Versailles), Kyrie Courter (Sweeney Todd), Adriana Scalice (Six, Mean Girls), Jack Ducat (Buddy in the upcoming national tour of Elf) and Eleri Ward (opener for Josh Groban’s Harmony Tour), while others like Maddie Baillio (NBC’s Hairspray Live!, Netflix’s Dumplin’) have built careers in television and film. Alumni have also appeared on The Voice and American Idol, launched careers in opera and recording, and toured the country with groups like Postmodern Jukebox. Many continue their training at top programs such as University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and NYU Tisch School of the Arts.
“For any young people who are searching for a fabulous environment in which to learn the history, learn great songwriting, learn song interpretation and learn performance and music skills, the Songbook Academy would be the place,” said Russell, the celebrated jazz/blues vocalist.
How to apply
The Songbook Academy is open to active students in grades 9-12 as of Sept. 22, 2025, who live in the United States. Applications must be submitted online by March 22, 2026, at app.getacceptd.com/songbookacademy. Applicants must submit videos of themselves performing two contrasting songs, preferably American popular songs written from the 1920s to the 1960s, a foundational era that produced some of the most influential jazz standards and Broadway and Hollywood hits of all time.
For those accepted to attend, the $1,000 program fee includes housing at Butler University, meals, and ground transportation throughout the week. Fee waivers and financial aid, including full scholarships, are available.
More details and application information are available at TheSongbook.org/SongbookAcademy or by email at SongbookAcademy@TheSongbook.org.
About the Great American Songbook Foundation
The mission of the Great American Songbook Foundation, founded in 2007 by five-time Grammy® Award nominee Michael Feinstein, is to inspire and educate by celebrating the foundational era of American popular music. Headquartered at Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, Indiana, the Foundation advances this rich legacy by curating physical artifacts of its creators, performers and publishers in the Songbook Library & Archives; operating a multimedia exhibit gallery; overseeing the Songbook Hall of Fame; offering programs for the public and research opportunities for scholars and artists; and providing educational opportunities for student musicians, including the annual Songbook Academy® summer intensive. The Foundation is a Cultural Affiliate of the Los Angeles-based Grammy Museum®. More information is available at TheSongbook.org.
