Win a chance to be a rock star: Entries being accepted now for the North Texas Battle of the Bands at UNT

Win a chance to be a rock star at the North Texas Battle of the Bands, presented by the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus and sponsored by UNT, the Denton Record-Chronicle, the Texas Music Project and Lone Star Attitude, Inc.

Bands must consist of between three and eight members, and all members must be between ages 13 to 20. At least 75 percent of the band members must be enrolled in high school.

 

Earn a recording session and more

The winning band earns a day-long professional recording session to make an audio recording and a music video aboard the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus, a nonprofit mobile recording studio.

In addition to winning a recording session, each member of the top band receives an Apple iPod Shuffle and free entry into the John Lennon Songwriting Contest with the opportunity to win the songwriting contest grand prize of $20,000.

The North Texas Battle of the Bands winner will also compete in the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus National Battle of the Bands, in which the band could win a spot performing on its local Warped Tour stage.

 

Chance of a lifetime

"This is a wonderful opportunity for the winning band to obtain a professionally produced music video and to gain valuable exposure," says Darhyl Ramsey, UNT professor of music.

 

How to enter and rules to follow

Band members can submit the best MP3 recordings of their band's performance from Feb. 5 through Feb. 19 on the Denton Record-Chronicle web site. There is no fee for band members to submit a contest entry. Visit the DRC web site for complete rules, entry forms and details.

Bands must consist of between three and eight members, and all members must be between ages 13 to 20. At least 75 percent of the band members must be enrolled in high school.

The top six finalists will be invited to perform at 7 p.m. Feb. 29 at UNT's Murchison Performing Arts Center, on the UNT campus.

 

You be the judge

Five of the six finalists are chosen by judges, and one will be chosen by popular vote through the Denton Record-Chronicle web site.

All six finalists are eligible to perform at Taste Addison, a festival held May 9-11.

 

 

 

 

Buy tickets to see the Battle

Tickets for Battle of the Bands audience members are $10 and can be purchased through the Murchison box office at (940) 369-7802.

On Battle of the Bands night, fans can attend to cheer for their favorite performers. The band with the loudest fan base - as perceived by the four contest judges - will earn an extra vote, which will be tallied with the judges' votes.

 

And now a word from the sponsors

The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus is a nonprofit mobile recording studio outfitted with traditional instruments and advanced technological recording equipment, allowing students to play music, write songs, engineer recording sessions and produce music videos. The bus will be in Denton Feb. 26 through March 1.

Lone Star Attitude Inc. is a Denton-based entertainment production company focusing on all the unique aspects of Texas – ranging from music, food and culture. LSA will open its first store at DFW Airport in late February 2008.

The Texas Music Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to music education.

"The Texas Music Project's partnership with others that understand the importance of music education, such as the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus and UNT, is a perfect example of how to bring organizations together for a worthy cause," says Michael Clay, executive director and co-founder of the Texas Music Project.

"The North Texas Battle of the Bands is a fundraiser and a competition rolled into one. It will give high school-age musicians an opportunity to win great prizes, meet new friends and learn about the business of music and the amazing technology available today."

Net proceeds from the Battle of the Bands benefit music education.

* All images used in this piece are trademarked: "Lennon" and "John Lennon" are trademarks of Yoko Ono Lennon. All artwork © Yoko Ono Lennon. Licensed exclusively through Bag One Arts, Inc.