Calling all talented vocalists to showcase their skills!
Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to showcase your talent at the BMM2024 Vocal Competition. Unleash your voice, impress the judges, and leave the audience in awe! Join us for an unforgettable experience filled with melodious performances and fierce competition.
Details
- The competition is open for all music students and/or singers across North America for solo performance
- Excellent opportunity to win exciting prizes and showcase your talent live at BMM2024
- Submit your entry form and video recording
- Submission deadline March 31, 2024
- Competitions Guidelines and FAQs see below
We are organizing this vocal music competition to select singers who will perform at the 2024 BMM Convention, which is scheduled to occur in San Jose, California, from June 27th to June 30th, 2024.
- The competition is open to all music students and singers across North America
- Solo performances only, no group performances allowed
- Participants will compete within their age group and chosen genre
- The competition consists of three rounds:
- Round one: Open to all participants
- Round two: Shortlisted participants from Round one
- Round three (Final): Five finalists will be performing live at the Convention
- 3 winners will be announced immediately after the Final round
- Record and submit performances for Rounds one and two online by the due date
- Individuals can participate in multiple categories
- Winners for each round will be determined by the Judge’s ranking, their decision is final
- All finalists who will be performing at the convention must register as attendees
- These General rules apply in addition to specific rules for each musical category
- If you have any issues/questions, please reach out to nacompetitions@bmm2024.org for further assistance
Classical Vocals | Performance Time (Minutes) |
| Sugam Sangeet | Performance Time (Minutes) |
9-14 Years | 6 |
| 9-14 Years | 5 |
15-18 Years | 6 |
| 15-18 Years | 5 |
19+ Years | 10 |
| 19+ Years | 5 |
Classical Music
- Present any one Hindustani Classical Raag as a Chota Khayal or Tarana
- Ensure your presentation stays within the allocated time for your age group’s video submission
- Participants are responsible for arranging their own accompaniment in Rounds one and two, Accompaniment will be provided for the third and Final round performances at the Convention
- For the performance, a minimum of a Tanpura (electronic or real) and a Tabla (electronic or real) must be used. Harmonium accompaniment is optional
- A different Raag should be presented for the advanced rounds, namely, Round two and Round three
Sugam Sangeet (Bhavgeet, Bhajan, Abhanga, Natyasangeet etc.)
- Presentation of any Marathi song
- Stay within your allotted time based on the age group
- Contestants can sing on karaoke tracks or live band for the submissions
- A Tanpura (electronic or real) AND a Tabla (electronic or real) must be used at a minimum, for a performance, Accompaniment will be provided for the third and Final round performances at the Convention
- Karaoke will not be allowed for Round three in the live performance at the Convention
- Submit your performance videos by the deadline. Late submissions will not be accepted
- Provide the URL link for your vocal video (e.g., YouTube or Google Drive link)
- Record the video using a smartphone, DSLR camera, or Handycam in landscape format or by holding a smartphone horizontally
- Ensure recording quality is 720p or higher
- Begin by stating only the name of the song or raag being performed: no additional information
- Ensure clear and audible sound quality without background noise. You may use a good quality external microphone
- Pay attention to the camera angle, with a well lit, plain and clean background
- Capture both the performer and instruments used in the video
- Audio tracks must be clearly audible in the recording
- The video should be unedited, with no cuts or enhancements – single, continuous recording only
- Videos with advertisements or logos/banners will not be accepted
- Submit one video per competition category. For multiple categories, use a separate form
- Only video submissions are valid; audio files alone will not be considered
- A panel of judges will evaluate the performances and select the winners from each Round in each category.
- The following are key criteria that will be used by the judges for evaluating the performances:
- Presentation: stage presence, audience connection, connection with accompanists, confidence
- Time limit adherence
- Fluency of singing
- Emotive content
- Adherence to Raag progression and Bandish presentation
- Repertoire: Use of various rendering styles such as vistaar, aalap, taan, use of akaar, sargam, etc.
- The degree of difficulty: Raag, Taal
- Clarity of articulation (as applicable)
- Correctness of sur, adherence to rhythm, laya
- Tonal quality and voice range
- In the Final Round, 3 winners will be selected for each category.
- The decision of the judges will be final.
- The competition is open to all music students and singers across North America
- Solo performances only, no group performances allowed
- Participants will compete within their age group and chosen genre
- The competition consists of three rounds:
- Round one: Open to all participants
- Round two: Shortlisted participants from Round one
- Round three (Final): Five finalists will be performing live at the Convention
- 3 winners will be announced immediately after the Final round
- Record and submit performances for Rounds one and two online by the due date
- Individuals can participate in multiple categories
- Winners for each round will be determined by the Judge’s ranking, their decision is final
- All finalists who will be performing at the convention must register as attendees
- These General rules apply in addition to specific rules for each musical category
- If you have any issues/questions, please reach out to nacompetitions@bmm2024.org for further assistance
Classical Vocals | Performance Time (Minutes) |
| Sugam Sangeet | Performance Time (Minutes) |
9-14 Years | 6 |
| 9-14 Years | 5 |
15-18 Years | 6 |
| 15-18 Years | 5 |
19+ Years | 10 |
| 19+ Years | 5 |
Classical Music
- Present any one Hindustani Classical Raag as a Chota Khayal or Tarana
- Ensure your presentation stays within the allocated time for your age group’s video submission
- Participants are responsible for arranging their own accompaniment in Rounds one and two, Accompaniment will be provided for the third and Final round performances at the Convention
- For the performance, a minimum of a Tanpura (electronic or real) and a Tabla (electronic or real) must be used. Harmonium accompaniment is optional
- A different Raag should be presented for the advanced rounds, namely, Round two and Round three
Sugam Sangeet (Bhavgeet, Bhajan, Abhanga, Natyasangeet etc.)
- Presentation of any Marathi song
- Stay within your allotted time based on the age group
- Contestants can sing on karaoke tracks or live band for the submissions
- A Tanpura (electronic or real) AND a Tabla (electronic or real) must be used at a minimum, for a performance, Accompaniment will be provided for the third and Final round performances at the Convention
- Karaoke will not be allowed for Round three in the live performance at the Convention
- Submit your performance videos by the deadline. Late submissions will not be accepted
- Provide the URL link for your vocal video (e.g., YouTube or Google Drive link)
- Record the video using a smartphone, DSLR camera, or Handycam in landscape format or by holding a smartphone horizontally
- Ensure recording quality is 720p or higher
- Begin by stating only the name of the song or raag being performed: no additional information
- Ensure clear and audible sound quality without background noise. You may use a good quality external microphone
- Pay attention to the camera angle, with a well lit, plain and clean background
- Capture both the performer and instruments used in the video
- Audio tracks must be clearly audible in the recording
- The video should be unedited, with no cuts or enhancements – single, continuous recording only
- Videos with advertisements or logos/banners will not be accepted
- Submit one video per competition category. For multiple categories, use a separate form
- Only video submissions are valid; audio files alone will not be considered
- A panel of judges will evaluate the performances and select the winners from each Round in each category.
- The following are key criteria that will be used by the judges for evaluating the performances:
- Presentation: stage presence, audience connection, connection with accompanists, confidence
- Time limit adherence
- Fluency of singing
- Emotive content
- Adherence to Raag progression and Bandish presentation
- Repertoire: Use of various rendering styles such as vistaar, aalap, taan, use of akaar, sargam, etc.
- The degree of difficulty: Raag, Taal
- Clarity of articulation (as applicable)
- Correctness of sur, adherence to rhythm, laya
- Tonal quality and voice range
- In the Final Round, 3 winners will be selected for each category.
- The decision of the judges will be final.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
For classical, the presentation has to be in Hindi.
For the Sugam sangeet category, the song must be in Marathi.
Any song forms such as Bhajan, Abhang, Bhakti Geet, Bhavgeet, Gazal, Lokgeet, Marathi movie songs, NatyaSangeet, etc., can be used.
Yes, Karaoke tracks are allowed for the Sugam Sangeet category in Round one and Round two only. For Classical music, accompaniment by a Tanpura and a Tabla are a must (actual or electronic). Use of a harmonium is optional.
Please stick to the required time limits per genre and age group.
You can choose your songs and may combine them. Just make sure you adhere to the time limit.
Yes, you can do raag vistaar – just keep overall performance within the time limit.
The email you receive from Google Form after submitting the form is your confirmation of submission. If the form is incomplete, BMM will reach out to you.
Yes, you can use your phone for recording. Please refer to rules for details about audio/video recording. However, the recording should be pristine and in its original form, unprocessed, and without enhancements.
Use horizontal frame as that gives a better view.
You can choose to do self-saath if you decide. But please make sure that you follow the guidelines for saath for the genre you are participating in.
Yes, another person can help control the instrument and, in that case, the person need not be included in the video.
As part of the evaluation, there is a specific focus on sur alignment and control as well as adherence to taal. Hence, both tabla AND tanpura are must.
Yes, you can use Swarmandal along with Tanpura and Tabla.
If you want to connect a Tanpura or a Tabla device to external speakers (like a Bluetooth device) so the performer can properly hear the instruments, that should be fine. However, no audio enhancements are allowed for the performer.
You can keep these devices near you during recording as per your convenience. You do not have to make the screen/controls explicitly visible in the video.
Yes, provide a valid/correct URL/Link for your vocal video.
The introduction is not counted towards the total time limit. However, please keep the introduction only to the name of the song or the raag you are presenting. The clock will start with the first musical note.