A SUNY-wide contest has students composing like mad and trying to hit all the right notes.

This year marks the launch of the SUNY System Administration Office of New Media’s very first music competition, SUNY Music Madness.

The competition is open to undergraduate and graduate-level students from all 64 SUNY campuses and is geared primarily toward giving students the opportunity to showcase their musical talents.

Music Madness is the first competition of its kind to be brought to the entire SUNY school system, and is being offered to nearly half a million students. The competition was designed by student interns from Hudson Valley Community College and the University at Albany.

“The contest is completely designed by students, for students,” wrote Maxwell Morgan, the coordinator of digital engagement at the Office of New Media, in an email. “Voting will be conducted on the Generation SUNY blog (blog.SUNY.edu) and anybody can vote—students, alumni, friends, family members, whoever.”

Participants are required to submit a video of their musical performance, limited only in that they must submit an original work. The deadline for these submissions is Wednesday, Nov. 13.

“The contest is wide open; we’re accepting submissions of soloists, duets, bands and even choirs—all of which can even consist, in part, of students that don’t attend a SUNY school,” Morgan wrote.

Though it is open to alumni, friends and family members, the main focus of the SUNY online voting system is for students to witness and judge the musical talents of their peers. The voting process spans three rounds, beginning on Nov. 18 and ending on Dec. 18.

The competition is aimed not only at showcasing student’s musical talents across the SUNY college population, but also at giving those students exposure through social media. Morgan expressed hope that through Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, the competition will bring students’ musical talents to the attention of the entire networking world.

“An exciting aspect of Music Madness is that we leverage our existing social media network—about a quarter-million users reached every week—to illuminate students’ talent,” Morgan said.

The winner of the final round will be crowned SUNY Music Madness 2013 Champion and receive a permanent spot on the SUNY website as the winner of the first ever music competition. In addition to this title, the winner will be given recognition across the SUNY system and on several social media networks.

Students have voiced support for this competition, specifically regarding the exposure it could give students who wish to showcase their talents to a large audience.

“I really like the idea, and I would totally participate if I had the musical talent,” said Courtney Cordero, an undeclared sophomore. “I’ll just vote for people I like.”

Students such as George Deutsch-Kirkup, a sophomore majoring in Arabic, said the original music rule was interesting and necessary.

“It’s important that schools focus on funding the arts, on emphasizing the importance of artwork and creativity,” Kirkup said.

Morgan said he hoped SUNY Music Madness will continue in the future as a fun and interactive way for students to escape from their studies and simultaneously get their music out there for the world and SUNY community to hear. He said that he hoped music would be able to connect members of the diverse SUNY student body.