Youth Fiddle, Banjo & Open Talent Contests Posted on March 7, 2010 at 10:46:23 PM by Chris
The March Festival at the Holiday Inn Six Flags will feature three youth contests on Friday night, March 19, 2010. The contests will be Youth Fiddle, Youth Banjo, and Youth Open Talent. Three cash prizes plus medals will be awarded in each contest: 1st-$50; 2nd-$25; 3rd-$10. You must be age 16 or younger to participate. You must not be booked by MABC in a band playing either March 20th or 21th.
Additional rules as follow:
1. Registration opens at 5:30 Friday night. All contestants should be registered by 7:00 p.m. If you cannot be registered by 7:00 p.m., you may not be allowed to enter the contest.
2. Contestants age 16 & under are admitted free with paying adult.
3. Fiddle contestants must play a waltz and a hoedown.
a. No trick fiddling allowed (i.e., no Listen to the Mockingbird, Orange Blossom Special, etc.)
b. Hokum bowing is acceptable
c. No cross tuning allowed
d. No medleys allowed
e. If you are unsure of suitability of your song, please ask BEFORE contest to get judges’ approval
4. Banjo contestants must play two tunes of choice.
a. No D-tuner songs allowed
b. No medleys allowed
c. If you are unsure of suitability of your song, please ask BEFORE contest to get judges’ approval
5. Open talent contest for youth can be any bluegrass oriented talent (e.g., singing, picking guitar or mandolin, a youth band, etc. You will perform only one song of choice.
a. Talent contest will NOT be blind judging
b. Entertainment value, showmanship and some audience appeal will be considered in determining winners in the Talent contest
6. Up to two backup musicians allowed.
a. Backup musicians must not play the same instrument as contestant
b. Backup musicians must play accompaniment and not melody or close harmony
c. No amplified or electric instruments allowed
d. Open Talent: Since this is a youth talent contest, we wanted to make sure that the youth are what we are featuring. If you are having adults (in this case, 17 or over) as backup musicians, then you may only have two backups and they cannot sing harmony or take lead breaks. If your backups are 16 & under, then they can sing or play harmony and take breaks. If you are having a youth band, then there is no limit on the number of musicians in your group as long as they are 16 & under.
d. No karaoke.
7. Contestants and their backup should not speak into the mic while on stage, except in the open talent contest.
8. Contestants in the fiddle & banjo contest will be called by number only. Open talent will be called by name.
a. When your contest division is starting, please be ready and waiting for your number or name to be called.
b. If you are not “on deck” when your number is called to perform, your number will be skipped and you will not be allowed to compete.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me directly so that you will receive the correct information. Replies: