1^st Purple Ribbon Composition Award

Join the activity to eliminate violence against women with the great power of music !


■The Aim of Creating the Award
The Purple Ribbon is a symbol of a campaign for the prevention of violence against women*, for instance, sexual harassment, domestic violence, rape, etc.**  People want to create a good relationship between men and women, and essentially, nobody likes violence. Therefore, now, we have established “Purple Ribbon Composition Award, which can cultivate the treasure of music that will bring the culture of non-violence to our society. We widely invite entries for music possessing this concept. “The aesthetic experience of music” is one that can compete against violence.

Furthermore, we hope this composition award activity is an opportunity for professional musicians and fans of music to meet with music pieces aiming to put an end to sexual harassment, DV, rape, etc., and hope they adopt these pieces to their repertory.

Through these processes, we hope that the idea of Purple Ribbon spreads widely. Let’s make our society safer and more comfortable with music.


* November 25 is International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women. In Japan, the campaign of nonviolence against women is set up by Gender Equality Bureau Cabinet Office, which is held on November 12-25. So, we have scheduled the Purple Ribbon Concert during this time.

**Sexual harassment, domestic violence, sexual violence include not only against women but men or LGBT, or which there are various cases. We intend to eliminate all kinds of violence.
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■About Purple Ribbon Composition Award

Submission of Works 　Piano pieces will be accepted.  (Next time we are planning a genre of songs.)

Prize Fund
　　　l  Purple Ribbon Composition Award 80,000 yen

　　　l  Sunflower Award
　　　　We will select up to 3 pieces for this award, and each award is a 10,000 yen prize. 


Detail of each award
　　　l  Purple Ribbon Composition Award is an original of this competition.

　　　l  Sunflower Award is a special award this year.

　　

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■About Sunflower Award

Why we established the Sunflower Award
Tomomi Shimizu, one of judges of this competition, whose profile is in the profiles of judges, has been concerned in the performance of a recitation play called “Sunflower ~ getting over DV”, and has been acting in this play. Nowadays because of the coronavirus pandemic, their performances have begun to be distributed by using the internet, and Shimizu has taken charge of composing music in the play, whose copyright is free. Hence, we have decided to connect her activity to our composition award, to select proper pieces for the recitation plays and to give this award. 

Information of the Sunflower Award
l  When applying for Purple Ribbon Composition Award, a work which is not composed for the recitation play will be accepted. Also, it is possible to compose a work for the recitation play.

l  As there are several scenes in the recitation play, we have a possibility to select some pieces of different kinds of music. If we meet suitable pieces, Shimizu will perform and record them, and will use them in the plays.

l  Below is a YouTube link of her recitation play as reference.
　Recitation play:  Sunflower ~ getting over DV →→　 https://youtu.be/7gfjTLtSwlo

         If you intend to write music for Sunflower, this YouTube link will　be helpful in creating a piece. (The music which is used in YouTube  is copyright free and is not used in live performances at all.)


About the Company of the recitation play named “Only one”  (a citizen -participant company)
     Since 2004 this company has performed a recitation play “Sunflower~getting over DV”, which is based on the memorandums of   DV survivors. A host organization of this performance is　Yokohama city’s association of promotion of Gender Equality. The performance has been requested from many places nationwide and has been done over 70 times. The company has played recitation plays themed dating violence for young generations, and has run many workshops.


Additional Information about the Sunflower Award
l  Awarded pieces will be performed in the recitation play and be delivered on the internet, so copyrights of the pieces should be free when the pieces are played on Only One’s stage. We require a　composer to exchange memorandums related to the copyright-free agreement with Only One company. 
This will bring a composer a merit that the piece will be listened　by many people whenever the recitation play is performed or is delivered on the internet.

l  If a piece aimed for the Sunflower Award is brilliant, there is a chance to win Purple Ribbon Competition award. This case will also require a copyright-free agreement between a composer and the company.

l  Regarding the Sunflower award, Purple Ribbon Composition Award will be decided by mutual consent, but regarding the decision of Sunflower Award, Shimizu shall decide an awarded piece or pieces in the end.

l  When performing a recitation play with awarded music, the title of the music, the composer’s name, and the note that this work is awarded the Sunflower Prize will be put in the program.

l  We have booklets in which survivors of domestic violence related their experiences. If necessary when composing, please contact the following email address.
            Email address of this booklet:  himawari.onlyone@gmail.com
　         This email address is of Only One Company, not of the Purple  Ribbon Composition Award.
　　　　　Price of the booklet is 200 yen including shipping fee.  The price is cheaper than usual

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■Regulations

Instrumentation　Composition works for piano

Application rules
l  A composition must be no more than 10 minutes long.  There is no minimum length requirement.

l  Both a work composed for this competition and a work previously composed are acceptable.

l  A work revised or arranged which was previously composed by the applicant is acceptable

l  A piano work composed for four or six hands using one piano is acceptable.

l  Use of electronics is acceptable. In this case, at the final selection concert the composer must bring the instruments to the venue.

l  A work composed for a prepared piano is not allowed.

l  A work composed for percussive use of different parts of the piano is acceptable unless the piano will not be damaged.

l  A work composed for a piano in which body percussion, a percussion instrument or a harmonica are used is acceptable.

l  Graphic notation is acceptable.

l  Applicants can submit more than one piece.

l  At the final selection concert, applicants can choose a performance style, which is to perform by the applicant, or to perform by the performer the organizer has arranged.


Entry fee　
l  Submit 3,500 yen for one piece. 

l  Send the entry fee by bank transfer. Transfer fee must be paid by the applicant.

l  Bank transfer information 
The bank of Mizuho (MHCBJPJT)
Sakuradai Branch, Tokyo, Japan
Account name:  Mental Service Center Kusayanagi Kazuyuki
Account number: 1438903


Eligibility
There is no age limit or nationality restriction.  Anyone can apply for this award.


Deadline　31 August 2022  (postmarked effective on the day）


Submission of works
l  Email a score in PDF format or mail a score (4 copies) before the deadline.

l  Each must be accompanied by the application form which has been filled out completely.

l  A copy of the entry fee payment document must be enclosed when submitting a work.


Further remarks
l  Performance fee will not be paid to the finalists when performed by themselves.

l  Finalists must pay any commuting expenses for the final concert.

l  Scores must be hand-written ones which are clearly copied, or ones using notation software.

l  After submission, scores shall not be allowed being changed or being added.

l  Applicants must retain the original score by themselves.

l  All the items that applicants have submitted are never returned.

l  Performance fee is non-refundable.

　　

■Judgment
l  Judges consider pieces should be premiered as many as possible and through listening to the sound of the piece the awards should be decided.

l  Up to 8 pieces will be premiered in the final selection concert.

l  In case more than 9 pieces are submitted, 8 pieces will be shortlisted by screening scores. After scores are screened, the result will be provided to applicants by an email.

l  Awarded pieces will be performed in the next Purple Ribbon Concert, and the 2^nd Purple Ribbon Composition Competition Award Final Selection Concert.


■Final Selection Concert of 1st Purple Ribbon Composition Award
    Date:  25 November 2022　Fri. 18:50〜20:30

     Venue:  Studio Virtuosi   https://www.s-virtuosi.jp/     5-minute walk from Shinokubo station
                    Zip Code 169-0073   A studio B1(AVANTI-21) 2-16-17 Hyakunintyo, Shinjuku-ward Tokyo, Japan 

      Entrance Fee:  500 yen (600 yen: same day ticket)


Further remarks

l  Judgment will be held in private. The result of judgment will be announced to all the applicants, and also provided on the web site.

l  Awarded pieces will be announced to the applicants by an email after the final selection. It will be a few days after the final selection.

l  The overall review of the works and the comments of awarded pieces will be provided to all the participants. These will be carried on the web site.

l  Personal information of the applicants shall be used only for the matters concerning to this competition and may not be provided to a third party without personal consent.

　　


■Application Form

l  The application form can be downloaded from
⇒⇒ 作曲賞応募用紙

l  If it cannot be downloaded, contact　 kusayanagi-k@msj.biglobe.ne.jp

l  Send the application form to the email of the award office.

l  Items of the application form should be included below.
・Name

・Gender Identity

・Date of birth

・Nationality

・Brief personal/musical history

・Title of applying piece

・Date of composition

・Motivation of your application, and your awareness of what the purple ribbon signifies

・Explanation of the piece
(Be sure to refer to the reflection of your motivation and awareness)

・Instrumentation

・Duration

・Home address, Telephone number, Fax number, E-mail address

・Performance in the final selection (If you reach the final, will you perform by yourself or will you need a performer who is arranged by the organizer?)

　　

■Profiles of Judges

Makoto Nomura　 (photo by Alexandra Mleczko)
The director of creative participation for Japan Century Symphony Orchestra, a composer, and a pianist. He was a Visitig Professor/Lecturer in Indonesia National University of Arts and Music, Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music, etc. He won the prize of 1^st Art Awrad of Asahi Group Arts Foundation in 2003, and other prizes. He wrote a book, “Compose future of music” and a lot.
  In 2018, he was invited in Cornwall Residency of Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra as a guest composer. He also participated in MITO Settembre Musica 2019 in Italy, Solo International Performing Arts 2021in Indonesia, and other many music festivals. His pieces were featured by BBC Radio 3(England), Polskie Radio(Poland) and other radio stations. His pieces have been performed in over twenty countries. A judge of Purple Ribbon Composition Award. https://makotonomura.hatenablog.com/

Tomomi Shimizu
A pianist, a composer, an arranger, a dancer, a singer, and an actor. She graduated from the department of piano in Musashino Music College. She won the 3^rd prize at Contemporary Music Competition and other many prizes. She debuted as a solo piano performer after she won the 1^st prize as a pianist who plays pieces of Luc Ferrari in 2002. Many composers create musics for her under the inspiration of her performance. She has premiered many of the pieces, and she does a recital tour every year. She performs in the recitation play “Sunflower” based on the memorandums of DV survivors as an actor and a dancer. She has been  commissioned to compose music pieces mainly for dramas and dances. She is a representative of the residents’ organization called “Shonan Show Ten”, which aims to pump up her local region Shonan. She is a radiocaster in the program “Love Shonan presented by Tomomi Shimizu” broadcast by FM Shonan 783 at 20:30 every Saturday. A judge of Purple Ribbon Composition Award. https://ameblo.jp/tomomi-shimizu/

Kazuyu ki Kusayanagi　　
He was a lecturer of Tohogakuen Music School and Waseda University, and now is a part -time lecturer in Daito University. Mental Service Centre Representative, Counselor. He is a trustee of Tokyo Branch of The Japanese Association of Counseling Science, a certificated counselor of The Japanese Association of Counseling Science, and a member of Japanese Music Therapy Association. He is a leading expert of the DV victimizers’ recovery and the pioneer of the practice of DV abusers’ treatment program, which was established for the first time in Japan by him, of the development of this program’s method, and of the training provider to the experts. His practice has been introduced through media such as newspapers, TV, and magazines. He wrote “Domestic Violence” (Iwanami Shoten), collectively written, “Standard Introduction to music therapy Vol.2”(Shunjusha) and many other books.
He was awarded the prize for the Social Contributor in 2015 presented by the Nippon Shakaikouken Foundation, which had appreciated his pioneering practice for DV issues. It has been 20 years since he requested Makoto Nomura to compose a piano piece for a campaign against DV with introducing music. He has been performing the piece both at home and abroad. The piece has been performed at various opportunities, such as at the concerts for praying peace, at mini-concerts held by a colloquium, at public-private collaborative events, at symposia of DV issues, and so on. He advocates that peace in each family will lead peace in the society. The founder of Purple Ribbon Composition Award and a judge of this award.
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■Support Us
Purple Ribbon Composition Award is wholly financed by a counselor Kazuyuki Kusayanagi who has devoted all his energies to the campaign of ending DV and sexual violence, as the development of his social contribution. It might be an unparalleled project in the world, which is established by a counselor to enhance the motivation of people to cope with difficult problems of mental health, such as traumatic symptoms.

Naturally, we are short of fund. We would like to ask for donations from the people who support this composition award activity for eliminating violence against women. Thank you for your cooperation and attention.

Transfer Destination for the donation
Account name   Mental Service Center Kusayanagi Kazuyuki
Account number 1438903
The bank of Mizuho (MHCBJPJT)  
Sakuradai Branch, Tokyo, Japan

　　


■Purple Ribbon Composition Award Office
   Address:  Mental Service center
　　            c/o Nerima Postal Office, Tokyo, Japan, 176-8799(Zip Code)
   Phone:  03-3993-6147  070-5016-1871
   URL:   http://www5e.biglobe.ne.jp/~m-s-c/　(Japanese)
   Email address:   kusayanagi -k@msj.biglobe.ne.jp

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