RANDOLPH — Starting Jan. 1, bands throughout New England will have the opportunity to enter Chandler Music Hall’s second annual Beat the Band contest. In celebration of the diversity and originality of music being produced across the region, Chandler is inviting both amateur and professional bands from all genres to compete for the opportunity to perform original music at Chandler on April 25.
Bands can enter the contest on the Facebook page created especially for this event starting Jan. 1. Videos can be submitted through midnight on March 4. Voting begins March 9 and ends March 24. The five bands receiving the most electronic votes on the Facebook page will be invited to bring their best stuff to Chandler. At the end of the night, audience members can vote for their favorite, and the first- and second-place bands win the opportunity to play their own concert at Chandler next year, with the runner-up opening for the winner. The two bands will share a portion of the proceeds from this event next season.
Chandler held their first Beat the Band contest last spring. About 20 Vermont and New Hampshire bands submitted videos, and an enthusiastic audience came out to vote at the finals in April.
The idea for this contest came about in early 2013 as a way to offer performance opportunities for the community, and was supported in large part by volunteers. Chandler hopes to continue offering ways for people to get involved both onstage and behind the scenes.
All forms of video are welcome, whether it’s shot with a cell phone or a high-end video camera. The most important aspect is the sound quality. After you’ve created the video, it should be uploaded to your own YouTube channel and the link provided in the Facebook form.
The minimum age to enter is 16 and entries may not exceed five minutes in length.
More information about the submission process and contest rules can be found at facebook.com/beattheband. Beat the Band is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.
Chandler Music Hall is located at 71-73 Main St., Randolph. For more info, call 802-728-9878.
