The California Bluegrass Association presents...

South State 48

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We are so excited to announce Bay Area Special as the featured band at South State 48 vol v! Located in the greater San Jose area, Bay Area Special consists of Ruby Davis (Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar), Elijah Chen (Lead Guitar), Phil Cornish (Mandolin, Harmony) Ryan Triolo (Upright Bass), and Danny Clark (Fiddle). The group is heavily influenced by classic bluegrass musicians such as J.D Crowe, Tony Rice, Hazel Dickens, and Alice Gerard. When you see Bay Area Special you’ll hear sweet singing, fiddle tunes, amazing instrument solos, and most importantly great bluegrass music! You can see Bay Area Special Saturday night, November 11th at the Windmill Foodhall adjacent to the hotel. This concert is FREE and open to everyone, not just guests of the hotel.
And who will open for Bay Area Special? It might be you! See our band contest page (this would be a tab) to find out how to enter our 2nd annual band contest.

So who’s opening for Bay Area Special?
That’s right: the winner of the band contest gets the open for Bay Area Special! To see how to sign up, read on for all the rules and details.

Five musicians stand outdoors with instruments including a fiddle, mandolin, guitar, upright bass, and another guitar, posing for a group photo in a grassy area with trees behind them.

Welcome to the 2nd Annual South State 48 Band Contest

The California Bluegrass Association is pleased to announce the 2nd Annual South State 48 Band Contest! Calling all pickers, rosin up your fiddle bow, sharpen up your G-Runs, dust off your metronome, rehearse those 3-part harmonies and enter the band contest! The contest will take place on Friday, November 7th from 6-8pm at the Carlsbad by the Sea Hotel in Carlsbad, CA. The winner of the band contest will receive $300 prize money and an opportunity to open for California based Bay Area Special on Saturday, November 8th! The winning band will also receive a mention in the Bluegrass Breakdown and CBA social media.

Bands must consist of 3-6 members and all ages are welcome to register. Depending on the quantity of entries, bands will be expected to perform 3-6 songs during the competition. Bands are expected to perform on the commonly accepted bluegrass instruments of banjo, guitar, fiddle, mandolin, bass and resophonic guitar. Bands are required to perform at least one instrumental and one vocal song. Bands will be provided with a small PA system that includes one Ear Trumpet Labs condenser microphone, SM57 and SM58 mics. Bands will be judged by a panel of musicians.

Band Contest Registration is open from August 1st – October 17th. To register for the contest please read all the rules and click on the button below to register.

 

REGISTER

Four musicians perform indoors; a woman plays the violin, two men sing into a shared microphone, and another man plays an acoustic guitar.

Hey Lonesome
Winner of Last Year’s Band Contest

Complete List of Rules:

The Basics

  • The band contest will take place on Friday, November 7th from 6-8 p.m. at the Carlsbad by the Sea Hotel in Carlsbad, CA.
  • The winner of the contest will receive $300 and perform a 45-minute set of music on the evening of Saturday, November 8th at the Windmill Food Hall adjacent to the Carlsbad by the Sea Hotel.
  • The deadline to apply is 11:59pm PT on Friday, October 17th.

The Details

  • Entry in the South State 48 Band Contest is on a first-come, first-served basis and will be limited to 8 contestant bands.
  • Registration will close at 11:59pm PT on Friday, October 17th OR when we receive eight applications, whichever comes first.
  • The winner of the contest from the previous year is not allowed to enter in the contest.
  • All bands must consist of 3-6 members.
  • All ages are welcome to enter the contest.
  • The band should perform in either a bluegrass, old time or newgrass/Americana style
  • Bands are expected to perform on the commonly accepted acoustic bluegrass instruments of banjo, guitar, fiddle, mandolin, bass and resophonic guitar.
  • Electrified instruments, drum sets, and amplifiers will not be allowed. If needed, standup bass may use a small amplifier.
  • Bands are required to perform at least one instrumental and one vocal song.
  • Bands entering the contest may have no common members.
  • Depending upon the quantity of bands that enter the contest, each band will have between 15 – 20 minutes to perform. This includes setup and soundcheck!
  • Bands will be provided with a small PA system that includes one Ear Trumpet Labs condenser microphone, SM57 and SM58 mics.
  • The contestant order will be randomly assigned prior to the start of the competition.

The Judging

Material Selection

  • Difficulty – A simple tune played well will score higher than a difficult tune played poorly
  • Taste
  • Authenticity – Selection qualifies as bluegrass, old-time or newgrass/Americana
  • Originality
  • Total Points in Material Selection = 25

Instrumental Musicianship – 25 points

  • Timing and Rhythm – Beginnings, endings and transitions
  • Intonation – Instruments are in tune including the banjo
  • Solos – Expressivity, able to convey the intention of the tune
  • Overall Instrumental Blend – Volume and dynamics are well balanced
  • Total Points in Material Selection = 25

Vocal Performance – 25 points

  • Intonation – Vocals are in tune and balanced
  • Clarity and Diction – Lyrics can be easily understood
  • Overall Quality – Harmony parts and dynamics are balanced, and harmony parts are in good taste

Stage Presence – 25 points

  • Audience Engagement
  • Confidence on Stage
  • Entertainment Value

TOTAL POINTS – 100