Performers on the Go, LLC organized its first original song lyric competition for its artists in 2021. There were 25 submissions from a great mix of genres including pop, rock, rap, heavy metal and indie. A team of four judges unanimously selected teen singer-songwriter Maya Salafia's pop song, ‘In the fall’, as the top winner of the 2021 lyric competition with a perfect score of '10' being submitted from each judge. The judging panel commented on how they loved the ease of flow, poeticism, song structure and imagery the song presented. All the judges felt it was a beautiful song that was real on love's hesitation, and they all enjoyed the song's beautiful alignment with nature. Maya submitted a group of songs for the competition, and also placed 2nd with ‘First Grade’ and tied for 3rd place with 'Everlasting' with R&B/Rap artist M'Zariah Starr's rap song 'A soul in a body'.
Maya’s love for song writing shines through in her performances and honest lyrics. You visualize the story behind the lyrics, and want to hear more, forgetting her young age. Her music is alive with joy and hope and is full of melodic hooks and poetic beauty that stays with you. -Performers on the Go, LLC
The winning song doesn't have one standout lyric, as it is perfectly balanced from start to finish weaving through the fall with imagery so pure on a love story you want to believe in.
The lyrics of the 2nd place song ,“First Grade”, create a visual of that precious first love feeling, along with igniting memories that are pure, candid and heartfelt. The song beautifully straddles the line between the personal and the universal, with imagery and emotion relatable to all.
I want people to hear, feel and experience the real, authentic me, and I hope that comes through in my music. I love to use imagery to tell a story in my songs, and to share my true self and a piece of my heart and mind with my audience. Also, even though I am only sixteen, which some might consider young, I strive to be taken seriously as a prolific songwriter and performer.-Maya Salafia, singer-songwriter
In all of Maya’s original songs, whether it’s a ballad or an upbeat tune that you can dance to, she likes to use imagery in her lyrics to tell a story and share her inner world and experiences with her listeners. She employs the practice of “show, don’t tell” with her lyrics, so the songs have a lasting impact on listeners and brings them deeper into the stories. A great example of Maya's powerful imagery in 'In the fall' follows.
When the sky pours down and soaks our scarves
I could dry them up with my warmed up heart
But not today you're too far away
The second line beautifully confirms the strength of the love that exists. Imagery floats through each line capturing the love story.
Maya has been writing pop since she was nine years old, and she released her debut EP of six original songs, Trapped in a Daydream, at age thirteen. She has many additional songs written and begins recording new songs in February 2022 with Brad Young of BKY Studios and Owen Korzec, Performers on the Go Production Manager and owner of Double Rainbow Studio. Her most recent song, ‘First Grade’, was placed on over 55 playlists and registered over 28.000 streams. On February 25, 2022, Maya learned 'First Grade' was selected as a semi-finalist in the 2021 International Songwriting Competition in the Teen Category. The competition received over 21,000 submissions.
Maya started playing piano at age five and wrote her first original song at nine years old. Her piano teacher, Paul Jacobs, saw how much she loved writing songs, and encouraged her to step into the recording studio. Maya hopes to focus seriously on songwriting in her career, and plans to release several new songs in 2022 with 'In the fall' on that list. Her song "Everlasting" is currently being recorded with Owen Korzec of Double Rainbow Studio and Brad Young of BKY Music, and its release is planned for April 2022.
You may listen to Maya's music on Spotify and all streaming platforms.
Written by Patricia Duffey, CEO, Performers on the Go, LLC
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