and Allen Music presents ...
Kentucky Opry Talent Search

OFFICIAL RULES

OVERVIEW

There is no entry fee, and no admission for the contestant, but you must pre-register. The Deadline is one week before you are to sing. Absolute latest: the Saturday before the next Thursday night's rehearsal. We give the band a copy of your song on Saturday night, that way they have five days to learn all the songs for next week's contestants. Rehearsals are 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm, Thursday evening, on a first come, first serve, basis.

Contestants that live several hours away can set up a rehearsal on the Saturday the evening of the show. This is just a quick run through of the song. The Thursday night rehearsal is for performers who want or need to practice with the band. The purpose is to find your key, get the correct tempo, and to get you comfortable performing with a live back-up band.

There is a very limited time for rehearsal, and that time is allotted for the band to learn your song. You must know your song very, very well; be able to sing it all the way through, and know when to come in and start singing. Any new song we learn will require a Nashville number chart for that song. You can bring one; or we can make it for you at a charge of $15. There is a 3:30 minute time limit on your song.

General information:

• The contest is 12 weeks for the open competition, and 3 weeks of elimination rounds 1 week semi-final round and 1 Grand Final competition where the $$ and Prizes will be awarded.

• If you win in the weekly round, you advance on to the Elimination round, and you'll need a different song to compete with.

• If you win in the eliminations, you will go on to the Semi - Finals, and you will need a different song.

• If you win in the Semi-Finals, and go on to the Grand finals you will do two songs.

one slow ballad type song, with a tempo range from 70- 80. (Example: Martina McBride's Anyway or Zac Brown's Colder Weather) The other must be a very up-tempo song in the 160 -190 range. (Example: Josh Turner's song Firecracker, or Terri Clark's Better Things to Do)

You must either sing with our band accompanying you, or accompany yourself with an instrument. No tracks allowed. You must pre-register, with your song choice at least one week before competing, (preferably two or three weeks ahead.) There is a 3:30 minute time limit per contestant. The band reads Nashville number charts, therefore, any new song we learn requires a Nashville number chart. You can bring one; or we can make it for you at a charge of $15.

To get in the contest, you must fill out the online entry form or you can fax it or mail it to: Kentucky Opry - 88 Chilton Road - Benton KY. 42025

FAX # (270) 527- 6553, or: email it to kentuckyopry@bellsouth.net 

More Rules

1. Make sure you contact Barbie Campbell prior to rehearsal time and confirm your song choice and any and all details of your performance. There are a limited number of contestants each week. (That is why you must pre-register). You need to make sure your song is within the 3:30 minute time limit.

You must have a 2nd and a 3rd choice song ready. You need to know these songs very very well- you may have to sing your 2nd or 3rd choice instead of your first choice. Be ready; just in case, someone else has chosen that song, or something does not seem work out with your first choice.

2. After we have received your form, we will email or call you, to confirm we have received your form. If you do not receive an email back, call us and make sure we received your form. If we are full that particular week, we will discuss an alternate week.

3. We have a list of over 500 songs that the band has played before (or plans to learn) that you can choose from on our website.

The band will not learn new songs at rehearsal, unless it is already pre-arranged to do so, a week prior.

Even if the song is on our song list, it may require more than the regular rehearsal time to work on it, so it is best to make sure your song choice is one the band can play. Country music is becoming more and more difficult to play. A song that may be easy for you to sing may be very difficult for the band to play.

4.There are 5 divisions: Beginner (12 and under) Junior (13 - 17) Young Adult (18 -39) Senior Adult (40 and up) Instrumental - all ages.

5. If you cannot attend the week you are to perform, you must call, or email us, so we can allow someone else to perform in your place. You may enter more than once in the weekly contest if you do not win. Priority will be given however, to people who have not yet been in the contest or have had high scores in previous weeks.

6. The audience will be judging too. The People's Choice winner will be given 5 extra points, so you may bring as many friends & family as you possibly can to cheer you on.

7. In the weekly contest, a winner will be chosen from each division to go on to the elimination round.

In the elimination round, the judges will choose 6 in each division to go onto the semi-final round. In the semi-finals round (you do one song), 3 contestants from each division will be chosen to compete in the grand finals. In the Grand Finals you will perform two songs; one fast, one slow. (See the above for slow and fast)

8. All contestants either perform with our band, or solo. No music tracks are allowed; everyone either sings with the band, or provides their own accompaniment

Each week we make a professional DVD of the show. You may want to order a DVD to watch your performance. DVD or VHS is $25

We have a special family admission price is for the contestant's immediate family...Parents, Spouse, or Siblings, that are adult age tickets are $10
Siblings that are student age: $8, siblings that are 12 & under: $5. Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, cousins etc. are not included in the special family rate.

Prize Information

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