National competition to jumpstart jazz careers

National competition to jumpstart jazz careers

Talented young musicians from around New Zealand are being invited to enter the ASB Queenstown JazzFest’s ‘JumpStart’ Jazz Competition to be held in October.

The AJ Hackett Bungy Youth Competition (12-17years) and NZONE Emerging Talent Competition (18-25 years) aim to give exposure to young musicians and help ‘jump start’ their musical careers.

Organiser Stephanie Percy says the Jump Start Jazz Competition, being held in association with The Edge FM and Creative Queenstown, welcomes any entry which demonstrates an understanding of the key elements of jazz.

“It’s a wide genre and we’re looking for attitude,” she says. “An entry can be a standard or a jazz interpretation of a non jazz piece, and in previous years we’ve been surprised and delighted by the talent that’s out there just waiting to be discovered.”

This year the competition has been extended for the first time to cover a wider age range, making it essentially two competitions in one.

The AJ Hackett Bungy Youth Competition invites anyone aged between 12 and 17 to take part in an open competition to be held on Saturday 24th October in Queenstown. Categories include solo vocal, solo instrumental and band, with the band section being open to all High School students, regardless of age. Entrants have until 4pm Friday October 16 to register online at www.asbjazzfest.co.nz. The winning soloist will receive $600 cash, runner up $200, and the top band $1500. All contestants will also receive a free bungy jump on Monday October 26.

For the NZONE Emerging Talent Competition, which is open to professionals and amateurs, the finalists will be selected from an initial audition round via DVD or web upload submissions. They will then be invited to compete in a live performance in front of a judging panel and audience in Queenstown on October 25 at the Millennium Hotel. Categories include solo vocal and solo instrumental. Entries must be submitted by 4pm on Friday October 2.

The Emerging Talent winner will receive $1000 cash, runner up $400, and the top three placegetters will all receive an NZONE skydive. All finalists will also be given free entry to a workshop, forum or master class of their choice from the festival Development Programme.

Ms Percy said the competitions were being held over the peak time of the festival to enable contestants to soak up the jazz music and atmosphere and take part in workshops.

“We’re also expecting that some of the many gig guide musicians coming to Queenstown for the festival will enter the Emerging Talent competition,” she said.

For all enquiries, registrations and submissions go to www.asbjazzfest.co.nz or e-mail competition@queenstownjazzfest.co.nz

The ASB Queenstown JazzFest is Queenstown’s major springtime event. It brings music to the masses in a 10-day live music celebration from 17 to 26 October which showcases a breadth of jazz styles from around New Zealand and the world.

The 31st annual jazz festival has a sensational line-up of more than 50 bands and 200 Kiwi and international performers in a four-pronged programme designed to involve, encourage, entertain and inspire all ages.

There are plenty of opportunities for the community to get involved in the festival, from attending free gigs and ticketed headline concerts to participating in musical development workshops or the JumpStart competition.

Festival tickets are now on sale and can be purchased online through www.asbjazzfest.co.nz, at Queenstown i-Site (corner of Shotover and Camp streets) or by calling TicketDirect on 0800 224 224 (03 450 9110).

For more festival information please visit www.asbjazzfest.co.nz.

ENDS

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