Lakeland holds contest for its first fight song, deadline to enter is Oct. 1
Posted: September 1, 2017 | Updated: October 2, 2017
Lakeland Community College is holding a contest to compose its first fight song, as part of the college’s 50th anniversary celebration.
Established in 1967, Lakeland seeks a 21st century fight song to celebrate its mission, vision and athletic teams for the next 50 years and beyond.
The contest is open to all musicians, including Lakeland students, alumni, faculty and staff.
Works should be suitable for public performance at all Lakeland sporting events. Songs must be between 30 and 60 seconds in length - the span of a basketball media timeout.
All proposals must be submitted electronically to www.musicavatar.org by Oct. 1, 2017. Details for submission are available on that website.
Lakeland’s 50th Anniversary Committee will select one composer or producer who will receive a $400 commission to create the proposed fight song. The selected composer or producer will be notified by Nov. 1 and will then create the piece by Feb. 1, 2018, for a premiere at Lakers home basketball game that month, pending final approval by the college.
“Fight songs at older institutions often reflect 19th-century style,” said Matthew Saunders, Ph.D., music department chair and professor at Lakeland. “They are often performed by pep bands that have their roots in marching and military bands, and feature brass, woodwinds and percussion instruments.”
Lakeland envisions a 21st century fight song that reflects the massive changes in music since 1900 which Saunders describes as the shift from acoustic to electronic, from live performance to recording, and to a popular musical style centered on lyrics, the use of sampling and other approaches.
“It is completely possible that this fight song will exist only as a recording of electronic or electronically-manipulated sounds, but it may also be notated traditionally and arranged for traditional instruments,” said Saunders.
The Lakeland Lakers participate in the Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC) of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). Current sports include baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s golf, men’s soccer, softball, and women’s volleyball. Other sports, including a championship wrestling team and a bowling team, were a part of the athletic department in the past.