The Santa Barbara Youth Music Academy will present its first Youth Battle of the Bands in October at the Marjorie Luke Theatre on the Santa Barbara Junior High School campus, 721 E. Cota St.
The Youth Battle of the Bands is a competition of bands for young musicians 18 years or younger. It is divided into a senior and a junior age division, and will be held over two days, with open auditions on Oct. 2 and the finals on Oct. 24.
The competition is limited to 20 bands. The entrance fee is $75 per band until Aug. 22, and $100 per band after Aug. 22.
Audition judges will select 10 bands from the preliminary competition to participate in the finals. In addition to receiving feedback from music industry professionals and celebrities such as Alan Bailey, treasurer of Paramount Pictures, and Nick Gunn, a multiplatinum world recording artist, finalists and their crews will receive expert event mentoring and management, cash prizes, and studio time with professional engineers.
“We believe all kids have innate musical ability,” said William Fiedtkou, music director of the Santa Barbara Youth Music Academy. “If they get a chance to experience music in the proper environment and with the proper encouragement, all kids can learn music. This event will let them see what other kids their age can do, and motivate them to get better. This is a great way to get a taste of what it’s like to be a rock star.”
Fiedtkou said he is most excited about seeing other youth bands from Santa Barbara County. SBYMA already works with 13 youth bands.
The Youth Battle of the Bands has received community support from some notable Santa Barbara organizations, including the Wood-Claeyssens Foundation, Montecito Bank & Trust and Marborg Industries.
The Oct. 2 auditions are open to the public and free of charge. The finals occur on Oct. 24, with general admission $10, or $5 with a valid student ID. Children age 12 or younger are admitted free. Tickets can be purchased by calling 805.895.4327.
To sign up a youth band, inquire about sponsoring or for more event information, click here, or contact Ed Seaman or William Fiedtkou at 805.845.4949 or 805.452.2768 or info@sbyma.org.
All proceeds go to funding the event or to the SBYMA young musician’s scholarship fund.
— Jennifer Guess is a publicist.