Piano Inspires Kids

A Magazine for Pianists 8-14

Announcing: 2025 Movie Soundtrack Composition Contest

Become a Movie Soundtrack Composer with the Piano Inspires Kids 2025 Composition Contest

Have your students ever dreamed of composing music for movies? Now’s your chance! With our 2025 Piano Inspires Kids Composition Contest, young pianists can take on the exciting role of a movie soundtrack composer.

The Piano Inspires Kids YouTube channel has tips for improvising and composition contests.

Choose one of the four video shorts found on our YouTube channel @pianoinspireskids. Create your own music that captures the emotions and tells the story behind the scenes. Let your imagination run wild—whether it’s an exciting adventure, peaceful landscape, or a fun-filled carnival, your music sets the tone!

This is a fantastic opportunity for students to tap into their creativity and see how music brings stories to life. Ready to compose your own soundtrack? Get started today and share your unique masterpiece with us!

Submission Deadline: March 15, 2025.

Go to kids.pianoinspires.com/submit for more information.

  • The competition is open for any student pianist age 18 or younger at the time of the deadline. 
  • Compositions must be the length of the video short selected.
  • The composition must be for solo piano, at any level of difficulty.
  • A video performance of the work, performed by the composer, must be included.
  • Watch the video shorts and select your favorite. Use the imagery and storyline to determine the character, mood, and musical form.
  • Decide on the meter and specify a time signature. 
  • Have clear musical ideas (themes or motifs) that use a rhythm, melody, or harmony that repeats or varies.
  • Have parts that repeat and parts that contrast.
  • Keep it simple – less is more!
  • Score must be computer generated using music-notation software. 
  • The quality of notation does factor into adjudication. 
  • Score must be submitted as a PDF, sized for 8.5 x 11-inch paper.
  • Scores must include a title and composer first name. 
  • Entrants are encouraged to include the following in the score: tempo markings, dynamics and articulation, other expressive marks, and fingerings.
  • Submitters must subscribe to Piano Inspires Kids.
  • The composer may receive help in notating their work.
  • Compositions must not be created with the use of artificial intelligence. 
  • No change may be made to the score and video once it has been submitted.
  • Students will be divided into 4 divisions: ages 7-9, 10-12, 13-15, and 16-18. The magazine reserves the right to elect one winner, more than one winner, or no winner.
  • Decisions of competition judges are final.
  • There are no monetary awards given to winners. Winning compositions will be printed in Piano Inspires Kids and posted at kids.pianoinspires.com.

Go to youtube.com/@pianoinspireskids

  • 0:13 – 0:23 : In a haunted village, there was a hungry ragdoll cat wandering around looking for food.
  • 0:24 – 0:31 : One day, it stumbled upon a long stair leading to a hidden room.
  • 0:32 – 0:39 : Inside, it found a secret map that was hidden under a dusty book.
  • 0:40 – 0:50 : Following the map, the cat was delighted when food appeared wherever and whenever it wished for.
  • 0:51 – 1:01 : Little did the cat know, a scary crow was stealthily trailing it, eyeing the magical map.
  • 1:02 – 1:07 : With a fierce swoop, the crow snatched the map from the cat’s paws.
  • 1:08 – 1:19 : However, as it tried to use the map, it realized the magic was gone, leaving the crow bewildered and furious.
  • 1:20 – 1:29 : With the thwarted crow soaring off without a prize, the cat watched from afar, relieved and satisfied,
  • 1:30 – 1:36 : knowing the magic would only work for the rightful owner.
  • 0:14 – 0:17 : The Story of Snowy Mountain Friends
  • 0:18 – 0:23 : On a breathtaking snowy mountain, tiny rabbits, squirrels, and hedgehogs had a frosty fun time.
  • 0:24 – 0:32 : The crisp air was filled with the sound of their playful chatter and the crunch of snow under their tiny feet.
  • 0:33 – 0:40 : On the other side, a sleeping fox woke up to a dazzling sunrise, yawning and stretching his paws.
  • 0:41 – 0:47 : The fox then found a basketball and began bouncing it around with excitement.
  • 0:48 – 0:50 : While playing, the fox spotted a curious panda watching him from behind a tree.
  • 0:51 – 0:56 : The fox bounced the ball over to the panda, who caught it with a big, fuzzy paw.
  • 0:57 – 1:02 : They both laughed and started playing together, their joy echoing through the snowy mountains.
  • 1:03 – 1:11 : From that day on, the fox and the panda shared many adventures.
  • 1:12 – 1:23 : They become forever best friends in their snowy mountain home.

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