SINGSATION TOURNAMENT RULES & INFO
OVER 2496 AMAZING SINGERS WILL BE INVITED FROM ACROSS NORTH AMERICA & BEYOND. TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS HUGE SINGING tournament, FOR HUGE PRIZES! THEY WILL NEED A VIP CARD TO PARTICIPATE IN THE COMPETITION. (See the Special Vip Sponsorship Package)
Male, Females & Seniors Welcome!
All participants in this competition must be 18 age and over. However, special arrangements can be made for those under 18, with notice.
The contestants
Over 2496 Singers from across Canada, The United States and beyond will be invited to participate in this huge, one-of-a-kind Singing Tournament.
All singers from all the groups that are performing for us, are encouraged to participate in this competition. All rules and regulation will apply to them, as well.
This competition will run every day, beginning on opening night for 312 days.
This competition will be held at the Music City Manitoba Event Centre in Manitoba, Canada.
A Two Song Guaranteed Format simply means that every singer is guaranteed to sing a minimum of 2 songs on the day of their performance.
Tell us the version of the tune you will be doing, and we will have all the music ready for you, when it is your time to perform.
Do this as quickly as you can, as it takes time to arrange this.
We can also supply you with the music beforehand, for you to rehearse with.
Your choice of tunes can be changed up to 90 days prior to your performance without penalty.
Your own music may be used, but you must provide us with the backing tracks for each tune.
There will be 5 adjudicators selected at random from a pool of 9 judges for each night of adjudication. All of whom have extensive background in music and the entertainment industry.
All rules and schedules will be posted on this website.
theAdjudicators
UP TO $60,000.00 IN PRIZES, TRIPS & TROPHIES WILL BE AWARDED
THE TOP 3 FINALISTS WILL BE HIRED ON A YEARLY SALARY BASIS, BEGINNING ON OPENING NIGHT OF OUR VENUE, IF THEY SO DESIRE, TO PERFORM ON A SCHEDULED ROUTINE, THROUGHOUT THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
1st prize
1ST PLACE
$10,000.00 Prepaid Visa Card + Championship Trophy + Mississippi Golf Coast trip for 2 people
Trips are valued at $3,249.00 per person x 2 people = $6,498.00
Plus an 18 Song CD with 500 CDs for yourself. Produced by the team at the Music City Manitoba Corporation
Plus your choice of one of our Legendary MCM Guitar
Plus a Music City Manitoba Jacket & Hat
Value: $18,500.00
2ND PRIZE
$5,000,00 Prepaid Visa Card – 2nd Place Championship Trophy + Mississippi Gulf Coast trip for 2 people:
Trips are valued at $3,249.00 per person x 2 people = $6,498.00
Plus a 12 Song CD with 200 CDs for yourself. Produced by the team at the Music City Manitoba Corporation
Plus a Music City Manitoba Jacket & Hat
Value: $13,500.00
3RD PRIZE
$5,000,00 Prepaid Visa Card – 3rd Place Championship Trophy + Mississippi Gulf Coast trip for 2 people:
Trips are valued at $3,249.00 per person x 2 people = $6,498.00
Plus an 8 Song CD with 200 Cds for yourself. Produced by the team at the Music City Manitoba Corporation
Plus a Music City Manitoba Jacket & Hat
Value: $13,500.00
4TH PRIZE
$2,000,00 Prepaid Visa Card – 4th Place Championship Trophy + Mississippi Gulf Coast trip for 2 people:
Trips are valued at $3,249.00 per person x 2 people = $6,498.00
Plus a 6 Song CD with 100 Cds for yourself. Produced by the team at the Music City Manitoba Corporation
Value: $10,500.00
5TH PRIZE
$2,000,00 Prepaid Visa Card – 5th Place Championship Trophy + Mississippi Gulf Coast trip for 2 people:
Trips are valued at $3,249.00 per person x 2 people = $6,498.00
Plus a 4 Song CD with 100 Cds for yourself. Produced by the team at the Music City Manitoba Corporation
Value: $10,500.00
6TH - 10TH PRIZE
$1,000,00 Prepaid Visa Card – 6 – 10 Championship Trophy
Value: $6,000.00
Individual Awards
Best Singer of the Competition Trophy
Most Charismatic Singer of the Competition – Trophy
Most Popular (Crowd Favourite) – Trophy
Best Stage Presence – Trophy
Most Dynamic – TBD – Trophy
The Prize Structure is under construction and subject to change
Total Value of Prizes: Over $60,000.00
the actual prize pool is subject to change and is directly proportional to the number of entries in the tournament.
If any contestant misses their scheduled date and time, they will be eliminated from the competition but we will still display their 16″ x 16″ wall/floor poster.
The championship round, will place according to the points that the contestant has accumilated in the preliminary and final rounds.
In the final round, the singers with the most accumulated points will place accordingly in the top ten.
REGISTRATION
IS SIMPLY THE COST OF A VERY SPECIAL SPONSORSHIP
$100.00 + $9.00 BCMF + GST = $114.45
There will 5 Adjudicators selected at random from a pool of nine judges,
for each day of adjudication.
All of whom have extensive backgrounds in music and the entertainment industry.
These are the seven categories or criteria that will be used to evaluate the vocal performances. These may vary by situation, but the beauty of these categories is that they can be applied to any style of music, in any live performance setting.
Seven Categories to Evaluate Your Performance:
- Stage Presence/Audience Communication
- Diction
- Intonation
- Vocal Quality
- Rhythmic Interpretation
- Dynamics
- Song Choice/Song Prep
1. Stage Presence/Audience Communication
This category is based on how the singer dresses, uses the stage, moves, interacts with the live musicians (if any), and communicates with the audience. Proper attire should be based on the musical style and setting. For example, a heavy metal singer would likely dress differently than a classical or opera singer. A country singer might dress differently from a jazz singer.
The use of proper makeup for the stage can enhance facial expressions and features. During the performance, the judges will try to imagine the singer in a concert, and make a judgment based on whether the overall “look” of the singer seems appropriate for the song and the style of music.
Movement is also an important part of stage presence. It may or may not be appropriate to stand perfectly still while singing, while excessive or unnatural movements could detract from the overall effect of the performance.
Ideally, a singer should move naturally and appropriately to enhance their delivery. They might choose to use the entire stage, perhaps walking slowly at a dramatic moment, standing at the lip of the stage close to the audience, and above all, appearing comfortable on the stage throughout the performance.
Some people freeze when under the lights, like a deer in the headlights. This is from a lack of experience, so once you’ve been through that as a singer you hopefully won’t allow it to happen again. You should always strive to make the stage your own, be natural, and be yourself.
Don’t overdo anything, unless the song really calls for it. Movements should always be appropriate to the song and style of singing.
2. Diction
Can we understand the words? If we have trouble understanding the lyric of the song, there may be something wrong with the diction.
This can happen due to poor vocal technique, or perhaps the singer is singing in a language other than their native tongue. A singer might also be a victim of poor microphone technique or have difficulty with getting the lyrics out clearly because the tempo is too fast.
It’s possible to rate diction even when the evaluator doesn’t speak the language sung. This is because every language has its recognizable characteristic sound, based on how the vowels and consonants are articulated, their natural phrasing, and the cadences typically used. It’s not too difficult for a judge who doesn’t speak Spanish, French, or Italian, for example, to understand if the words are being enunciated clearly.
This might be more challenging with a completely unfamiliar language, but we encounter such a situation very rarely. Diction is a very important part of singing and the judges will listen carefully to how well you sing the words, whether the lyric is sung in a stylistically appropriate way, and whether they can easily understand your lyrics.
3. Intonation
This seems simple at first glance: are you singing in tune? In reality, it isn’t always that easy to tell. For example, you might sing perfectly in tune 99% of the time but go slightly out of tune for just one high or low note. This happens commonly. If just one note was slightly out of tune, how much should that affect the score for intonation?
These are the nuances and quandaries faced by the judges in deciding scores. One judge might decide to drop the score a point for this, while another will not because they see it as so minor an error that it doesn’t detract from the performance. A single point on a score can often make a difference in whether a singer passes the audition or not, so the decision can be an important one.
There is no right or wrong when it comes to scoring, it is always at the discretion of the judges. This is where judging can get complicated because a judge might also consider other aspects of your performance when deciding a score for a single category.
For example, maybe they really like your appearance, so they decide not to drop your score on intonation for one sour note. These things do happen, and it’s very difficult for a judge to be totally impartial when deciding the final score to award a singer for each category. That is just one of the many challenges judges face.
Another issue with judging intonation is that people tend to hear music differently. When a group of judges scores a singer, the numbers will almost never match up perfectly. One person might hear something they think sounds out of tune, but another will not notice or disagree strongly about it.
This is one of the fascinating aspects of judging competitions; two people never seem to hear anything exactly the same way.
4. Vocal Quality
Judging vocal quality is perhaps one of the most difficult aspects for judges to remain objective. Naturally, whether a voice has a pleasing quality or not can be a matter of taste. However, judges will also consider singing techniques affecting the sound quality, such as breath support, projection, singing posture, and whether the voice sounds strained.
Beginning singers can develop all sorts of bad habits that can impact the way their voice sounds. For example, jutting the chin forward can constrict the airflow through the larynx. The position of the upper palate can impact the airflow to create breathy effects. Sometimes a slight adjustment to posture can affect the sound of the voice dramatically.
Assuming they’re not looking for a particular type of voice, and just want the best singers, judges should be able to recognize and appreciate different vocal qualities. Some singers produce a remarkably clear and smooth tone.
There are singers with raspy voices that have quite a pleasing quality and are stylistically appropriate, for example when singing blues or hard rock. Some voices have a greater sensitivity than others. A voice can also sound different throughout its range, for example when a singer belts out a high note.
It’s also easy to hear if someone’s having issues with vocal health. This is one of the scarier aspects of judging and singing.
The voice is the only instrument which lives inside the body. It’s important to know how to use the voice effectively to sing without physically hurting yourself. There are techniques for hitting high notes, or screaming, that are specifically designed to protect singers from straining or otherwise damaging their vocal cords or larynx.
There are lots of very small muscles and delicate tissues involved with singing, and singers need to be careful not to overexert themselves while singing. It’s not uncommon for professional singers to grapple with physical issues, and their doctors may prescribe extreme vocal rest, and even surgeries in extreme cases (e.g. for vocal nodes).
Students and others learning to sing must take caution, not to over sing or hurt themselves due to a lack of proper technique and awareness. Singers have been known to sing in a way that was clearly damaging to their voice, and as a judge, it’s very difficult to ignore.
Having said all of that, when listening to a singer and evaluating vocal quality, the judges will listen for tone, richness, consistency throughout the range (low notes sound even with high notes), and that certain “something” that the layperson would just call a “great voice.” Most people know it when they hear it. But again, not every judge will hear the same thing.
One judge may look for a strong powerful voice, while another might consider a smaller-sounding voice (a more sensitive sounding instrument) with a nice vibrato to have wonderful quality and be full of charm. It’s not always about power. As judges, we must always call them as we hear them.
5. Rhythmic Interpretation
This category may be elusive to some. With long experience and a deep understanding of dozens of contemporary musical styles, the judges will come to realize that the rhythmic “feel” is perhaps one of the most important factors contributing to the quality of performance.
After all, there are only 12 notes in the western musical scale, and all popular styles use those same 12 notes. While there are certainly harmonic and melodic traditions for every style, the rhythmic placement of notes is what makes music swing. Some musicians call it the “groove.”
There are two things to consider when judging rhythmic interpretation. First, does the music groove naturally? If it feels unintentionally halting, stumbling, forced, rushed, dragging, jagged, or rough, it might be a sign that something is not quite right rhythmically. Singing should always flow naturally and smoothly.
The second question has to do with the appropriateness of the style. Latin music has a very different rhythmic feel than rock, and jazz and country also move at different paces, sometimes even within a single bar. Use (or overuse) of vibrato or slurs might also be a consideration if it’s appropriate to the style.
The judges will listen carefully to the phrasing and articulations, and then carefully consider whether it is a convincing approach to the rhythm of the musical style.
6. Dynamics
In music, the concept of dynamics traditionally refers to intensity or gradations of volume from loud to soft. Here, we will use dynamics as criteria with a slightly different and more nebulous purpose. Every performance has some intangibles; there are some things it’s just hard to put your finger on.
What makes a performance memorable, interesting, or great? What specifically makes a performance dull or boring? We might not be able to put a name on it, but we recognize it when we hear it.
The dynamics category is where all the other categories interact in a holistic way to create and maintain interest. It can be a kind of catch-all for anything which might not seem to fit into the other categories. For the judges, it will come down to whether the singer was able to maintain their attention and interest throughout the performance.
I’m looking for the consistencies, the inconsistencies, and sometimes the transitions between them. The judges will ask themselves if the performance entertained them in some way. If they were bored or easily distracted, that isn’t a good sign! If the judges are riveted by the emotion coming from the stage, they will have more likely been entertained by the performer.
For this category, the best advice we could give you is: to be interesting.
7. Song Choice/Song Prep
Did the singer forget the lyrics? Was the song in the right key for the singer’s range? Was there an arrangement of the song that worked favourably? Was the song a good choice for THIS singer and THIS performance? Did the singer choose the right tempo? Did the Accompanist make mistakes or play too loudly? Did the singer count off the song properly and start in the correct key?
These are all factors which would be judged under the song choice/song prep category.
There are some songs which are great to listen to in your living room or car, but not very exciting to perform on a big stage. Other songs might be great for a big stage but not work well in a small room.
Singers need to carefully choose the best song for each unique situation. They also should carefully consider what’s the very best song for them to sing. There are great songs that for any number of reasons might not work well for a particular singer.
If the song calls for a big voice with a bright presence and much belting, and the singer has a delicate voice with subtle nuances of tone and a lilting vibrato, that song may not be the best choice for them.
It’s not as easy as it seems to find a perfect song. It helps if you have someone familiar with your voice to bounce ideas off of. You should also follow your instincts when choosing the best song to perform.
Once you’ve decided on a song, preparing that song for performing also requires thoughtfulness and care. The goal of a competition is to showcase your voice in the best possible way. If the performance has a fixed time limit, you should be certain to sing the part of the song that will best show off your voice.
Time your performance in rehearsal and adjust your arrangement appropriately. Besides arranging your song to include the best part, it’s crucial to have the song in the best key for your voice.
You must prepare the arrangement of the song to fit the specific performance. It is never “one size fits all.” Think carefully about what you want to bring to each specific performance and how you will present yourself. You should practice for your audition enough in advance, but don’t over-prepare either. Whatever you do, don’t try to just wing it. The judges are watching carefully to see how well prepared you are.
As an aside, this category is so important because if we are judging you for great prizes, we are also looking for singers who know how to prepare for the stage. You might have a great voice, sing in tune, have a great stage presence, etc. But, if we see you are unprepared for the performance, that could cause us to choose someone else who seems easier to work with.
There is always stress in show business, and we want to see how well you handle that stress. That’s one reason why most competitions take place on a stage.
Your experience and knowledge of all aspects of vocal production will help you to guide yourself in choosing the best material for the audition, making sure it’s in the best key for your voice, and developing the strategies for success that work best for you.