Los Medanos College will be hosting the Celebration Vocal Artist Awards in the Recital Hall of the Pittsburg campus May 2, 2020. Professor Silvester Henderson, the LMC Director of Choral and Vocal Activities, hopes to make the vocal competition the largest of its kind in California and wants to promote higher education through the vocal performing arts.

While the competition is being held at LMC, hopeful vocalists do not have to be enrolled. According to competition rules auditions are open to all U.S citizens aged 16 years and older, community college students, and university students in the San Francisco Bay Area. First place will win $1,200, second place will receive $600 and third place will win $300.

LMC’s Twitter and Instagram accounts released similar headlines to gather singers and alert the student body to the news Feb. 13, “Do you have what it takes to belt it out on stage? Now is your chance to show us what you got and win some cash too.” each headline read.

It is expected that potential participants will send in a solo performance through email by either having a link to a youtube video in the message contents or through google drive.  Eight semifinalists will be selected by the first round of judging by the panel. The deadline for sending in auditions is March 9.

  For audience members, there will be speakers such as filmmaker Dr. Daniel Walker, who will be presenting a message to those passionate members of society driven by music, specifically in urban music.

When student Kezia Hamilton was made aware of the competition, she expressed interest in the event.

“I think that it’s cool that they have a singing competition, it’s not very common for this area.”

Initial thoughts of the announcement tended to vary, as well as the conditions under which people would attend.

Some students reported that they were either busy or their attendance to the event would depend on certain factors.  For student Ann Cabero everything, “depends on the day.” 

For Cabero’s friend David Celedra his thoughts revolved around, “What kind of music will be played?”

Music students at LMC were the most likely to know about the event before others in the community, but it is open to the public and anyone with an interest in music is encouraged to audition.

“I know a couple of people who would be good at it, but I don’t think they know about it,” said student Sami Sullivan.

Dustin Moody suggested a new way of bringing awareness to the competition, “I think something like this [would be better], word to mouth.”

“I think it brings out the best in people, to use what they learned or can learn,” said student Joel Tejeda.

The judges of this event are, Isabella Bishop, and LMC Alumni Student Assistant Richard Hayes. The two of them will select two more judges of their choosing out of vocalists and alumni.

For more information on audition requirements and further application instructions, please visit https://www.losmedanos.edu/music/contest.aspx