Musicians, singers and emcees in the 85283 and 85284 zip codes are invited to submit their songs for a chance to be included on the next edition of Tempe Playlist: Saturn Sessions. This is a locally-inspired collection of songs that captures the talents and the vibe of south Tempe musicians.

Selected songs will be compiled into a digital playlist that will be available online and marketed throughout the city, including on Tempe’s Orbit neighborhood shuttles. Musicians can submit up to three songs for consideration and must live, work, attend school or have a strong tie to south Tempe. Musicians whose songs are selected will receive a small stipend. The deadline is Friday, April. 3. A link to the submission form can be found at tempe.gov/TempePlaylist.

In 2017, Tempe received a grant to assemble a team of arts experts, community stakeholders, city representatives, education professionals and local business owners to develop a creative way to mobilize the arts in the city. Orbit Saturn, a free neighborhood circulator in Tempe, was chosen as a creative connector because it travels within the two zip codes and because it is a free service accessible to all Tempeans. A partnership between the arts and public transit teams was created, and as a result, Tempe Playlist: Saturn Sessions was born.

For the first time this year, Tempe Playlist will be funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. The program was originally supported through the Arizona Creative Communities Institute, funded by the Arizona Commission on the Arts, and ASU Herberger Institute of Design and the Arts. Tempe Playlist is done in partnership with the City of Tempe, AZ Beat Lab, KJZZ’s Spot 127 Youth Media Center, TopKat Studios and Tempe Union High School District.                    

Visit the Tempe Playlist webpage for more information.

Visit the Orbit webpage for more information about Tempe transit services.