And it was not an easy task. Even though film is a visual medium, sound (and music in particular) plays an important part in conveying emotion, setting mood, pacing, character development and so on and so forth. With a story like The Storyteller the music plays an even more integral part, as it serves as the glue that brings all of the main characters together. The story follows several people who have lost or repressed parts of themselves, and explores how they find their way back into authentic relationships with themselves and each other through music. The music in the film parallels the journey of the characters, and as such it builds and grows along with the relationships. Needless to say, choosing the right composer or songwriter for a project like this, is not a task to be taken lightly.

And so with that said, here’s who the producers have selected for ROUND 2. These six artists will now write and record a rough demo of an original song, specifically for The Storyteller:

Billy Bouchard

Frank Cogliano

Quinn D’Andrea

Anielle Reid - read her Artist Spotlight and watch the video for her song, Morality.

Rachel VanSlyke

Jesse Walton

These were all chosen based on their strengths in the use of strong and (for lack of a better word) complex guitar parts, haunting and unusual arrangements, emotional melody lines and powerful lyrics. These are the qualities the producers would like to hear on the original songs for the film.

To give you a better sense of the selection process, we will – with permission of the artists – post their submissions in subsequent posts. Links will be added to the artists’ names above, as the songs are posted. Please enjoy – and support the artists in whichever way you can. Follow the production of The Storyteller here.

*** THE PRODUCERS ARE CURRENTLY GOING ALL THE SUBMISSIONS – WE WILL BE ANNOUNCING ROUND 2 AS SOON AS POSSIBLE ***

The Storyteller logline: A young girl claiming to be immortal unites an unlikely family as she explores a world teeming with magic to escape the traumas of a dark past.

For inspiration, think of this film as Finding Neverland meets Once, and give these two songs a listen, so you know what we’re going for:

Bastion – Build that Wall

Scott Ainslie – Wayfaring Stranger

The music in this film serves as the glue that brings all of our main characters together. The story follows several people who have lost or repressed parts of themselves, and explores how they find their way back into authentic relationships with themselves and each other through music. The music in the film parallels the journey of the characters. It builds and grows as the relationships do, and we want it to be a simple acoustic arrangement that builds as the film progresses. A melody line that will pluck at the audiences heart strings, and speak to the softening and opening up of each character. The majority of the music will be sung by a 17 year old girl, accompanied by her music teacher on harmonies and acoustic guitar.

Now, this is what we need from you:

Send us one or two of your original songs in the bluegrass/folk style that you think best show off your songwriting abilities and musicianship. Songs you could see fitting into this film’s soundtrack based on the description and references above. These can be songs you’ve already written and recorded – no need to write anything specifically for us just yet.

We are especially interested in hearing songs with strong and (for lack of a better word) complex guitar parts, haunting and unusual arrangements, emotional melody lines and powerful lyrics.

Upload your submission via the form below.

And this is how we’ll be searching for the perfect song:

After we have reviewed all of the Round 1 submissions, we will announce a list of Round 2 selections on the site.

The Round 2 selections will each be granted a $50 stipend to submit a new demo of an original song incorporating lyrics and themes from the script. The producers will email all Round 2 selections with detailed instructions for submitting an original demo, to be written, recorded and submitted within one month.

After reviewing all of the Round 2 submissions, production will select and meet with one or two songwriters to discuss collaboration on the music for the film. Song contributions that end up in the film will be compensated accordingly and as agreed upon before a finished recording is submitted.

Even if your songs are not chosen as a Round 1 or Round 2 selection, we may – with your permission, of course – post your entry on the site and are happy to facilitate any contact between you and readers who may want to employ your songwriting services for their own projects.

*** THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING YOUR ROUND 1 ENTRY WAS OCTOBER 1st AT MIDNIGHT (PST) ***

Be sure to visit our media partner Ear To The Ground – keeping you in the know of all things folk, americana, bluegrass, indie rock and more. Inspiration is out there!

Good luck!