KNMC opens Quarantunes contest for musicians

With Havre-area musicians left without an artistic outlet due to COVID-19 restrictions, KNMC 90.1, Montana State University-Northern’s radio station, has come up with a way to keep them making music.

With their tribute concert scheduled for May 2 postponed, the station started a songwriting contest. KNMC 90.1’s contest “Quarantunes” is a four-month long contest starting today, with different songwriting challenges announced each month.

This month’s songwriting challenge is a two-part submission.

The first part is “a short original radio jingle that encourages people to stay home and listen to ‘KNMC 90.1 FM,” ‘KNMC,’ ‘90.1’ or ‘90.1 FM.”

The second submission is entitled “Weird Al YanCovid-19” and asks local musicians to rewrite a well-known song to be about life in quarantine.

Submissions for both of these pieces are due Saturday, May 30.

Information about where to submit will be available on the KNMC 90.1 Facebook page in coming weeks. A group of judges will decide on a winner for each challenge and the winner will receive a to-be-announced prize.

KNMC 90.1 puts a heavy emphasis on the creation of new works for the contest.

More information about the event can be found on KNMC 90.1’s Facebook page.