Application Requirements

The Songbook Academy selects 40 singers to attend the intensive week in Carmel, Indiana, through a national application process open September 22, 2025, through March 29, 2026. What sets this process apart from our peers is that every student, regardless of acceptance status, receives high-quality written feedback from a national panel of screeners to support their growth and future musical development.

We can’t wait to experience your story!

Eligibility

Age/Grade range: This program is open to high school students who are enrolled in grades 9 through 12 on September 22, 2025. Students must be U.S. residents to apply.

Application Process

Apply Online: All applications for the Songbook Academy are submitted online the Acceptd platform. In addition to filling out the application form, this program requires two recorded audition videos.

Step 1: Create an Acceptd profile (if you don’t have one already) and open a Songbook Academy application. This will help us stay in touch with updates and important reminders. You can save your progress and exit at any time.

Step 2: Our application asks for basic student and family demographic and contact information.

Step 3: Upload a recent color photo (or headshot) and your audition videos.

Step 4: If eligible, request a fee waiver or financial aid. Learn more.

Step 5: Review your application, pay the application fee, and submit.

Acceptance Notifications: All applications are reviewed by the panel of national screeners after the application closes. Acceptance notifications will be sent on or before April 19, 2026, followed closely by feedback provided by the screeners. We are unable to share an applicant's acceptance status before the screening period has ended.

Audition Requirements

Audition Materials: Applicants should submit two contrasting songs (i.e. one up-tempo and one ballad) from the era of the Great American Songbook written between the 1920s and 1960s. Explore the Songbook if you are unfamiliar with this genre or you are searching for repertoire resources.

Repertoire:

• We prefer songs to be written pre-1970. While submitting repertoire outside of the recommended date range (1920s-1960s) will not necessarily disqualify your application, we highly recommend singing the type of repertoire that you will focus on if accepted into the program.
• If you are new to the Songbook and have limited repertoire prepared, submit what will best demonstrate your vocal abilities and storytelling capacity.

Recording Tips:

• Full songs performances are recommended to best showcase vocal, physical and/or emotional range. Our screeners focus on musicality and interpretation, so an excerpt of a song may not provide enough information for their assessment.
• We strongly encourage live piano or recorded audio accompaniment. Please pay close attention to your sound balance, so that our screeners can hear both you and your accompaniment. If you do not have access to accompaniment, we will accept unaccompanied (a cappella) auditions.
• Recordings of past performances are acceptable if they meet our repertoire requirements.
• Audio enhancement tools to modify your recordings are not accepted.
• Be aware of lighting – make sure your face is well lit. We recommend positioning yourself to be fully visible in the frame so screeners can clearly see your facial and physical expression.
• We have no preference on “slating” – introducing yourself and the song before you sing. Do what works best for you!

Screening Criteria: Applications are assessed by a panel of qualified screeners composed of music industry professionals and educators who review applicants based upon the following equally weighted criteria: (1) intonation; (2) tone quality; (3) rhythm; (4) song interpretation; and (5) presentation. ALL applicants will receive written feedback on their submissions from the screeners.

Music is a universal language.

The Great American Songbook Foundation strives to be a model and leader in its field by providing a welcoming environment in which all visitors, audiences, students, and employees feel safe, supported, respected, and valued. The Songbook Foundation’s programming celebrates the richness and diversity of American culture through the lens of popular music, finding lessons for the future in an unbiased exploration of the past.

Our mission to inspire and educate leaves no room for exclusion or discrimination of any kind, whether based on race, color, age, sex, religion, ethnicity, national origin, disability, socioeconomic status, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity and expression. Equity, inclusion, and empowerment are essential principles that guide our decisions as an employer and as proponents of the humanizing power of music.

Ready to apply?

Start your application now at songbookacademy.getacceptd.com.

For additional questions, please contact us at SongbookAcademy@TheSongbook.org or 317.844.2251.