Young musicians invited to compete in Battle of the Bands at Henderson festival

If you are a high school musician who has ever dreamed of playing in front of 10,000 people, here is your chance.

The city of Henderson is inviting all Clark County high school students to participate in its inaugural Battle of the Bands competition. Nine bands will be selected to perform in the battle at the city's Fourth of July celebration, which is scheduled from 6 to 9 p.m. July 4 at Mission Hills Park, 551 E. Mission Drive.

Groups will be allowed to play for 15 minutes. The event will also feature arts and crafts, a three-on-three basketball tournament, concessions and fireworks.

Annette Mullins, cultural supervisor for the city of Henderson and the event's supervisor, said all kinds of bands and musical genres are welcome to apply. Bands must submit a CD or a link to their music online and have at least one original song to qualify. Applications will be accepted through Monday.

"We're anxious to see what kinds of bands we get and what the popular sound is with this generation," Mullins said. "We wanted families involved. We talked about having something for the teens."

The bands will be evaluated by a panel of judges yet to be determined, Mullins said. The winning band will receive a $1,000 gift card to Guitar Center and a three-song recording session at a local studio.

Matthew McDonald, 16, is a sophomore at Coronado High School, 1001 Coronado Center Drive, and a guitarist and singer for his band, Digg, which was the first to submit an application for the event.

He described his music as "kind of like Chevelle and Godsmack together."

"We're rock, but we're a more laid-back kind of rock," McDonald said. "I'm looking forward to showing off our own music, our originals.

"Music is one of the things that everybody likes. I think it's a great thing. Henderson needs something for rock music. There's just not enough in this town for rock. There are good places to go if you're 18 and over, but there's not enough all-ages shows. I think all-ages shows are awesome."

Creson Oakley, vice-chairwoman of the Commission for Cultural Arts and Tourism, an advisory board for the city's Department of Cultural Arts and Tourism, shared McDonald's appreciation for a family-friendly show.

"I've seen some of the different battle of the bands around the valley, and they're usually around the casinos, with age limits," Oakley said. "I really hope some of the younger people that don't usually get involved in Henderson come out. I hope it kind of unifies the city."

Oakley said the commission contacted some high school band directors to help spread the word about the competition. She said she would like to see it become a tradition.

"Because this is the starting one, we kind of wanted to throw it out there and see what happened," Oakley said. "We want to make it an annual thing and make it more than once a year."

For more information or to obtain an application, visit hendersonlive.com or call the Department of Cultural Arts and Tourism at 267-2171.

Contact View education reporter Jeff Mosier at jmosier@viewnews.com or 224-5524.