Student Melody Composition Competition

Sponsored by Conn Selmer and the Texas Bandmasters Association (TBA)

A hand that is writing music

About the Student Melody Composition Competition

The Annual Student Melody Composition Competition, sponsored by Conn Selmer and the Texas Bandmasters Association (TBA), invites students in grades 6–12 from the state of Texas to submit original melodies. The winning melody will be used as thematic material for a wind ensemble piece and premiered during the Texas Bandmasters Association Annual Convention by the United States Air Force Band of the West.

Entries are evaluated by a committee of professional composers and music educators based on originality, creativity, phrasing, and overall appeal. The winning composer, along with their parent/guardian and school band director, will receive an all-expenses trip to attend the TBA Convention and hear the premiere performance.

Download Submission Form
Andre Schiemenz accepting the 2024 award

Composition Guidelines

  • Entries must be original melodies that do not infringe upon any copyrights or third party rights.
  • Submissions featuring two or more voices will not be accepted.
  • Melody must be 16 measures long.
  • Score must include tempo marking, time signature, and key signature (if needed).
  • The score must include a title, the composer's name, and contact information.
  • Score may be either handwritten or from notation software.
  • Only one composition entry per person will be accepted.

See the official rules for more details.

View Official Rules
Abstract image of sheet music
Melissa Green giving a thumbs up

Congratulations to the 2026 Student Melody Composition Winner: Melissa Green

Congratulations to Melissa Green from Leander, TX, for being selected as the winner of the 2026 Student Melody Composition Competition. Melissa’s original work, Longing, explores the feeling of searching for something seemingly beyond reach, only to discover the beauty and fulfillment that already exist in one's life. Through the piece, she reflects on the importance of appreciating the present and finding joy in the world around us. As her parents describe it, "Melissa's passion isn't simply writing new music, it's finding the beauty in the world around her and sharing that beauty by translating it through music."

A seventh-grade clarinetist at Running Brushy Middle School, Melissa began playing only two years ago and has since expanded her musical interests by learning the E-flat clarinet and studying music theory. Her success reflects not only her hard work, but also the positive impact of a supportive school music program and the mentorship of her band directors, Van Robinson, Nathan Snyder, Mark Urbina, and Stephanie Grubbs.