DEYA Launch Awards
Contest & Application
The DEYA Launch Awards of up to $250 are given to promising Detroit young people ages 14-19 to cover expenses needed for them to continue their artistic development in the pursuit of artistic excellence. DEYA Launch Awards can be used to cover expenses that scholarships often cannot, such as application fees, instrument repair, required specialized clothes and uniforms, travel and lodging, online courses, training manuals, transportation, etc. The goal of the DEYA Launch Award is to remove all modest economic barriers to promising Detroit young artists — in all artforms including dance, instrumental music, drama, visual art, and vocal music — allowing them to continue their “launch” into higher education and career success.
In honor of DEYA’s partnership with the Concert of Colors, the first DEYA Launch Awards will be given through an online Solo Music Performance competition, with the winner and runner-up performing on the Concert of Colors DEYA Youth Stage.
Winner receives:
- -$250 DEYA Launch Award to further the winner’s musical studies
- -Tour of the Motown Musuem’s new Hitsville Next with two guests
- -Two-hour recording session at Hitsville Next with professional recording engineer.
- -Opportunity to perform at the Concert of Colors DEYA Youth Stage at the DSO on Thursday, August 5 where the winner will receive their award.
Runner-up receives:
- -$150 DEYA Launch Award to further the runner-up’s musical studies
- -Opportunity to perform at the Concert of Colors DEYA Youth State at the DSO on Thursday, August 5 where the runner-up will receive their award.
Requirements:
- -Be 14-19 years old as of August 5, 2021
- -Be either a resident of Detroit, attend school full-time in Detroit or spend 6+ hours a week working with a Detroit-based organization
- -Apply online by July 16, 2021
- -Submit a 2-3 minute video of your solo musical performance
- -No recorded music is allowed in performance.
- -If singing, you must either sing acapella or accompany yourself on an instrument
- -If playing a musical instrument, you must perform unaccompanied.
- -Music Samples are allowed if the student is manually activating them live as a part of the performance.
The winner and runner-up will be selected by a Community Panel of Music educators and teaching artists
