WATCH: Original student compositions take center stage in USA 250-OC songwriting showcase

Quick look: Orange County students performed original songs inspired by America’s upcoming 250th anniversary during a June 6 showcase and awards ceremony at OCDE. Ella Wu of JSerra Catholic High School earned the grand prize and an invitation to perform at the Pacific Symphony’s July 4 Spectacular.

Original songs celebrating freedom, unity and the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary took center stage over the weekend as Orange County students gathered for the culminating showcase and awards ceremony of the USA 250-OC Theme Song Competition.

The June 6 event combined a songwriting workshop, student showcase and awards ceremony, giving young musicians an opportunity to perform original works inspired by America’s semiquincentennial — say that five times fast — while receiving feedback from educators and music industry professionals.

Co-hosted by OC Music & Dance, USA 250 Orange County and the Orange County Department of Education, the competition launched last fall, inviting high schoolers to compose original songs reflecting on the nation’s founding and the enduring principles that continue to shape the American experience.

JSerra Catholic High School student Ella Wu earned the competition’s grand prize for her song, “A Country for Us All.” In addition to a $1,000 award, she received a Fender Acoustasonic Player Jazzmaster guitar and an invitation to perform at the Pacific Symphony’s July 4 Spectacular at Great Park Live in Irvine.

Wu just completed her sophomore year at JSerra. According to her family, she has performed the national anthem at public events since she was 8 years old. When she learned about the competition, she was inspired to write a patriotic song that could have a similarly lasting emotional impact.

Elevating student voice

Student songwriters spent part of the day workshopping their compositions with clinicians before taking the stage for the public showcase and awards ceremony. Scott Fitzpatrick, OCDE’s arts coordinator, said the workshop gave students an opportunity to receive encouragement and feedback from experienced musicians while refining their original compositions.

“It is a wonderful time for us to elevate student voice through songwriting,” Fitzpatrick said. “Creating in all art forms, including songwriting, supports student self-expression and connectedness. I loved hearing the great ideas students developed and shared. The workshop provided a great time for adults to encourage these young composers, and you could hear great songs getting better and better through that interactive process.”

Judging took place in advance of the showcase and included university faculty members, music educators and industry professionals. Entries were evaluated on how effectively they reflected themes connected to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, alignment with the selected genre and overall songwriting structure.

Other winning songs

Students from public, charter and private schools across Orange County participated, representing the Anaheim and Fullerton Joint union high school districts and the Capistrano, Irvine, Los Alamitos and Tustin unified school districts, along with Orange County School of the Arts and JSerra Catholic High School.

The other award winners, who each received $500, included Emma Refael of Arnold O. Beckman High School (“America”), Ben Sriprapundh of Northwood High School (“Fantasia on a Theme by Francis Scott Key”), Sydney Gordon of Tesoro High School (“Red, White and Blue”), Christopher Rodriguez, Athan Smith and Destiny Delgado of Gilbert High School (“The Moment”), and Victor Noh and Devan Rosete of Sunny Hills High School (“Land of the Free”).

All honorees have also been invited to participate in a concert this fall at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum.