Entries sought for Battle of the Bands

Sparta — The Sparta Cultural Affairs Committee (SCAC) is calling for entries for the 2010 Battle of the Bands competition. The competition will be held on Friday, July 9 at the Nicholson Pavilion in Sparta from 6 to 9 p.m., and will feature five local teen bands. All musical styles and genres are welcome. The Battle of the Bands is designed to give young musicians a venue in which to perform for their peers and the community, as well as receive prizes and recognition for their performances. Application packages are available for download at www.spartaarts.org. Information for potential sponsors is also available online. Instructions as well as rules and conditions are on the Web site. The registration fee is $25 per band (non-refundable even if band is not selected). Deadline for entries is May 30. Prizes for the 2010 Sparta Battle of the Bands have not yet been secured for the competition but will be secured and announced by July 1. The winning band will have the opportunity to play as the opening act for another of the Summer Concert Series. Admission to watch the competition on July 9 is free and open to all ages. Spectators are welcome to bring their own chairs and/or food and beverages. The Nicholson Pavilion is located behind the Sparta Public Library on Woodport Road in Sparta.

Rules to apply
1. This is a contest for amateur teen bands ONLY. A majority of band members must be between the ages of 13 and 19, and no band members can be above the age of 20.
2. There must be three or more members in a band. At least one band member must be a resident of Sparta.
3. Applications require submission of an audition in one of three forms: a) link to songs on band Web site or the like; b) digital music or video files sent by email; or c) CD or DVD sent by mail to address shown on application. Submissions will NOT be returned.
4. SCAC will choose the five bands for competition from audition submissions in a preliminary selection round.
5. Each band will have 15 minutes or three songs to perform. Rules for changeover between bands are to be announced.
6. Winning band will be chosen by an independent jury panel and their decision will be FINAL. SCAC reserves the right to also include an audience voting feature as part of the preliminary and/or winner selection.
Visit www.spartaarts.org for more rules and information.
E-mail any questions to audrey.herbst@spartaarts.org.