FEBRUARY COMMUNITY MINI CHALLENGE
Lyrics for Love
Explore songwriting as a real creative skill. Get practice finishing work, sharing it publicly, and getting feedback informed by music industry professionals.
FEBRUARY COMMUNITY MINI CHALLENGE
Lyrics for Love
Explore songwriting as a real creative skill. Get practice finishing work, sharing it publicly, and getting feedback informed by the music industry professionals.
The Challenge
Write original lyrics inspired by Love — in any form, any genre. This can mean romantic love, friendship, self-love, community, messy love, healing love — however you choose to explore it.
Who Can Participate?
Anyone in the Tallo Community
Deadline
February 28, 2026
Why This Challenge Matters
Creative careers don’t start with a perfect portfolio — they start with trying ideas, finishing work, and learning how it lands. This mini challenge gives you a low-pressure way to:
Explore Songwriting
Songwriting is more than music… it’s storytelling, structure, emotion, and voice. Practicing lyrics helps you build creative skills used across storytelling-driven fields like writing, theater, film, marketing, and experience design.
Build Confidence
Creative confidence grows by finishing things and sharing them, not waiting until they’re perfect.
This challenge helps you practice showing up, meeting a deadline, and being proud of what you made.
Collaborate
You’ll share your work in the Music Group alongside others with similar interests. Swap ideas, ask questions, give feedback, and see how different people approach the same prompt.
Connect & Learn
A small group of musicians, working creatives, and music-adjacent professionals will review selected submissions.
You’ll also hear their real career stories through Real Careers, Real Journeys™ — how they got started, what their work looks like now, and how they think about early creative work.
How to Submit
Get early access to challenges that help you build real projects, explore careers, and connect with people who actually finish what they start.
Create a Tallo account
Join the Music group after being logged in
Create your lyrics + art
Create an album cover for your lyrics. It can be original art, collage, or a simple graphic.
Package it Up and Submit!
Drop in your lyrics with 1-3 sentences about the mood, genre and story behind the song.
How Submissions Are Reviewed
A mix of creative perspective, industry experience, and thoughtful feedback.
We’re not looking for perfection or polish — we’re interested in creative intent, honesty, and growth. Selected submissions will be reviewed by a small panel of musicians and creative professionals, with an eye toward:
Creative Voice
Does the work feel personal, intentional, and uniquely yours?
Emotional Impact
What does the listener feel? What story or moment comes through?
Overall Presentation
Do the lyrics, album cover, genre, and description work together as a complete idea?
Content Guidelines
We want this challenge to be safe and inclusive for everyone in the Tallo community.
- Submissions that promote or glorify violence or self-harm won’t be considered.
- If your lyrics explore heavy or sensitive topics, please include a short content note at the top of your post
(for example: “Content note: grief” or “Content note: emotional distress”).
This helps others engage with your work thoughtfully and respectfully.
Meet the Reviewers
Submissions will be reviewed by a small group of musicians and creative professionals with real-world experience across music and related industries. They know that early work is about exploration, not perfection.
Through Real Careers, Real Journeys™, you’ll also get a look at how they built their careers, what they’ve learned along the way, and how they approach creative feedback.
Anthony Cardenas
Executive Consultant at VNUE
Anthony is a musician and tech entrepreneur whose career spans touring, songwriting, and building successful music-technology companies. His work bridges creative practice and innovation across the music industry.
Ignacio Izquierdo
Musician and Mixed-media Artist
Ignacio is an an Ecuadorian-American musician and mixed-media artist whose project San Igna blends introspective indie rock with emotional depth. Rooted in Latin American heritage, his work explores themes of renewal, loss, and creative endurance.
Allan Rich
Award-Nominated Songwriter
Two-time Oscar, Grammy, Golden Globe, and Emmy–nominated songwriter behind Whitney Houston’s “Run To You” and other global hits. His songs have sold over 65 million copies worldwide.
Eric Meadows
Marketing Executive at Tallo
Eric is a marketing technology and analytics leader with 25+ years of experience helping digital products grow through data and experimentation. He’s led and built large-scale eCommerce platforms for brands like Guitar Center and Musician’s Friend.
Recognition Beyond the Challenge
Selected participants will be invited to join Tallo Challenge Champions — an exclusive community for people who finish what they start.
Challenge Champions get:
- Early access to exclusive challenges that help build real projects and explore careers
- Pro tips and resources for turning creative work into meaningful opportunities
- A tight-knit community of doers who share feedback, swap ideas, and build together
- Priority access to future prizes, opportunities, and Tallo initiatives
Once you’re in, you’re in — no expiration, no strings attached.
Invitations are limited and based on engagement, effort, and creative intent — not perfection.
Ready to try a creative challenge that you can build on?
Submissions close February 28, 2026