A new award at Boise State University is putting real resources behind student songwriters in Ada County, pairing a $1,000 cash prize with four hours of professional studio recording time. The Love Missa Music Award, launched in 2025, made its mark this year when Arie VanDenBerg claimed first place among ten finalists who took the stage at the Centennial Amphitheatre.
A Personal Tribute Behind the Prize
Duane Paris founded the Love Missa Music Award in 2025 to keep the memory of Melissa Brodt alive. Brodt, who was Paris’s late partner, had deep roots in Idaho’s music community as both an enthusiastic listener and a longtime backer of the Idaho Songwriters Association. The award carries her name as a tribute to those contributions and her affection for original songwriting.
Beyond the $1,000 monetary component, the prize gives its winner a four-hour session with producer Steve Fulton — studio time that would otherwise represent a significant out-of-pocket cost for most student musicians. Together, the financial award and the recording opportunity provide practical tools that can accelerate a young artist’s development in ways classroom instruction alone cannot.
Competition Takes Place During Treefort Week
The award is tied directly to the Side B: Bronco Songwriting Collective, a two-day workshop presented by Boise State’s School of the Arts and its Department of Music. The event runs during Treefort week, placing student performers alongside one of Boise’s most recognized annual music events on the cultural calendar.
Ten student finalists competed this year, performing original compositions at the Centennial Amphitheatre. VanDenBerg emerged from the field to claim the top prize, earning both the cash award and the studio session with Fulton.
What the Program Means for Ada County’s Young Artists
For families in Boise, Meridian, Eagle, and across Ada County who have young musicians in their households, programs like the Bronco Songwriting Collective offer something valuable: structured, professionally connected opportunities that don’t require students to seek out industry resources entirely on their own. The workshop model combines peer collaboration, mentorship, and live performance experience in a concentrated format.
The Idaho Songwriters Association’s role in Brodt’s story also points to how much local nonprofit arts organizations contribute to maintaining Idaho’s original music culture. Through the Love Missa Music Award, that community connection is now formalized into a recurring prize that student artists can compete for each year.
Organizers are working toward establishing a fully endowed scholarship to support the program on a permanent basis, though that process is expected to take approximately a year to complete. In the meantime, the award is funded and active, with VanDenBerg as its first recognized recipient.
What Comes Next
Students interested in competing for the Love Missa Music Award in future cycles can reach out to Boise State’s School of the Arts or the Department of Music for details on eligibility and workshop participation. Because the Bronco Songwriting Collective is timed to Treefort week, prospective competitors should watch for announcements in the months leading up to the festival.
Families and community members who want to support the endowed scholarship effort can also contact Boise State’s arts programs for information on how to contribute to the fund’s long-term sustainability. The goal of converting the prize into a fully endowed scholarship would provide student songwriters in Ada County and across Idaho with a reliable, permanent resource for years to come.