Telegraph Staff Writer
Emily O’Neal, a 2019 Union County High School graduate who’s currently studying songwriting at Middle Tennessee State University student, has been announced as one of four winners of the BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) Foundation’s 24th annual John Lennon Scholarships.
Winners are considered among the best and brightest songwriters between the ages of 17 and 24.
“It’s so rewarding to be recognized for my passion,” O’Neal wrote on her “Emily O’Neal Music” Facebook page.
O’Neal, the daughter of Starke Realtor Susan O’Neal and former New River Solid Waste Executive Director Darrell O’Neal, was awarded second place for her song “Paint Me.” On her Facebook page, she wrote that the award is “the greatest honor,” especially considering which song helped her earn it.
“I wrote that song to show people that we all struggle with insecurity at some point in our lives,” O’Neal wrote about “Paint Me.”
First place was awarded to Connor Kauffman, a 19-year-old from North Haven, Connecticut, who now resides in Los Angeles. Third place was shared by Mollie Beaver, an 18-year-old from the Midwest, and Trinity Rose, an award-winning singer-songwriter from Los Angeles.
Yoko Ono, in conjunction with the BMI Foundation, established the John Lennon Scholarships in 1997 to honor her late husband, who’s known for being in The Beatles and for such songs (in The Beatles and as a solo artist) as “Strawberry Fields Forever” and “Imagine.” The program has been made possible through generous donations from Ono in cooperation with Gibson Musical Instruments.
The John Lennon Scholarships competition annually awards up to $20,000 to the three best original song submissions. More than $400,000 has been awarded over the last 20 years to students from colleges and universities throughout the United States.
More than 500 students entered this year’s competition and were judged by Rich Christina (senior vice president and head of East Coast A&R at Sony ATV Music Publishing), Matt Maschi (director of A&R at Universal), Evan Lipschutz) (senior vice president of A&R at Arista Records) and David Silberstein of Megahouse.
The BMI Foundation is a nonprofit organization that was created in 1985 to support the creation of music through scholarships, awards, grants and commissions.
O’Neal, who began taking voice lessons at the age of 10, said she began thinking of music as a possible career when she was 13, citing Ariana Grande as an inspiration.
Her participation in events such as Bradford Fest Talent Showdown, Miss Bradford Fest and Miss Union County High School gave her opportunities to sing publicly, while also receiving opportunities to do so through her voice coach at the time (Chrys Rowe) and her parents.
“Mom has a lot of connections in the community, so she would just ask people, or my dad would ask at Rotary, ‘Can she sing at the Beast Feast,’ and stuff like that,” O’Neal said in a June 4, 2020, Telegraph-Times-Monitor story, adding, “I don’t think I would’ve been given those opportunities if I had been in a big city. I just really thank everybody I the community who let me sing at their little event they had to build my own confidence.”
O’Neal released her first single, “Revolve Around You,” on April 17, 2020. The year also saw the release of singles “Catch Feelings” and “Leo Energy.”
This year, O’Neal has released the singles “Paint Me,” “Two Little Fairies,” “Villain” and “Otherworldly.”
Her debut EP, “Otherworldly,” will be released on Friday, Nov. 5.
In a video for “Paint Me,” O’Neal appears before a mirror, upon which are written words such as “beautiful,” “kind,” “intelligent,” “worthy,” “brave,” “strong” and “unique.” The words bring a smile to her face, but her smile disappears when she reaches out to touch the mirror. The words are replaced with those that mean the opposite, such as “ugly,” “worthless,” “weak” and “ordinary.”
The song’s lyrics have O’Neal singing about how she’s trying to figure out who she’s supposed to be and how all she wants is for society to “accept me.” She paints her face in the video, hiding her insecurities and trying to fit into society’s mold, singing such lyrics as: “Pick up your brush, and put it in the paint; ‘cause I don’t know how much more I can take; make me pretty, put me in a frame.”
The song ends with the following lyrics: “Make me your artwork; make me who you want me to be; make me your artwork; and paint me.”
“Paint Me” is a perfect example of one of O’Neal’s goals. She wants to use music to positively impact the lives of teenage girls, especially in this world where social media exists.
“There’s a lot of comparison and self-doubt, especially with girls,” O’Neal said in the June 4, 2020, Telegraph-Times-Monitor story. “I think just trying to teach self-confidence and just love for yourself is a thing I really want to show young girls.”
As for professional goals, O’Neal, in that same Telegraph-Times-Monitor story, said, “I think my ultimate, ultimate goal is just to be able to live off of making music. I don’t have unrealistic expectations, but it would be my dream to just have enough supporters where I could just live off of music. That’s my personal career goal.”
If you’d like to follow O’Neal and her career, please visit emilyonealmusic.com. You can also follow her on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (@emilyonealmusic). Her videos can be found on YouTube.
