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With the goal of uncovering Lexington's next biggest music act, on Thursday, July 20 Windstream hosted the first of a three-part audition for a first-of-its-kind competition geared toward helping singers, songwriters and solo musicians of various genres make their way to a bigger stage. Lexington is the first market for the competition, which called Lexington Untapped and is open to Kentucky residents aged 13 and older. The competition is organized by Windstream and made possible with the cooperation of several local residents, businesses and organizations, including members of the Downtown Lexington Corporation.
Organizers from Windstream said they chose Lexington as the pilot location of this program in part because of the city's rich musical heritage.
"There is no denying that music and entertainment are the backbone of Lexington’s vibrant culture," said Barry Bishop, Windstream's regional VP of operations.
Songwriters who are interested are asked to submit an original song that is two minutes or less in length. All submissions must be clean, without any profanity, and contest rules ask that songs don’t include politics or partisan content.
More than a dozen songwriters auditioned in the competition’s recording booth at Thursday Night Live on July 20, and more are encouraged to sign up for a spot in the booth for Round Two, taking place Thursday, July 27. Participants are then asked share their submissions with friends and family via social media, and submissions with the most "likes" and "shares" will make it to the competition’s final round, where they will be judged by a panel of Lexington professionals from the music and media industry.
"By encouraging participants to share their auditions on social media platforms and with the help of our online voting system, we are able to raise awareness for inspiring Lexington artists and encourage members of the community to join in on the fun," said Bishop.
Contestants who make it to the competition’s final round will have their song submission reviewed by a panel of judges that includes Donald Mason, executive director at The Lyric Theatre; Saraya Brewer, music and production manager for Crave Food + Music Festival and an editor for Smiley Pete Publishing; and Rich Copley, arts and entertainment editor for The Lexington Herald-Leader and Lexgo.com.
Finalists will be awarded grand prizes ranging from performance opportunities at the Lyric Theatre as well as Crave Lexington Food and Music Festival, to a private recording session at Nitrosonic studio and a Tunecore licensing and distribution sponsorship. The "fan favorite" submission – i.e., the one with the most Facebook votes – will win a trip for two to Kaaboo Festival in San Diego, complete with roundtrip airfare, hotel and festival passes.
People who are not actively participating in the competition are welcome to hang out at the booth at Thursday Night Live on July 27 and Aug. 3, and listen to the musicians as they audition. The public is also encouraged to vote for their favorite artists here.
The contest is still seeking submissions and audition sign-ups. For more information about the unique program, or to sign up for a 30-minute recording slot on July 20 or 27, visit www.LexingtonUntapped.com.