THE SEARCH If you love to sing … if you want to showcase your talent … if you can imagine yourself performing on stage under Playhouse Square lights … you’ll want to participate in the first-ever Shining Star CLE competition! This unique solo-singing competition gives high school students from Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Medina and Summit counties (including home-schooled high school students) the chance to compete for college scholarships and perform at the prestigious Ohio Theatre in downtown Cleveland. All participants must have a 2018–2021 graduation date. No entry fee required! All music genres welcome. THE SCHOLARSHIPS 1ST PLACE WINNER of Shining Star CLE receives a $10,000 college scholarship plus the opportunity to perform with the Cleveland Pops Orchestra at Severance Hall. 2ND PLACE WINNER receives a $5,000 college scholarship 3RD PLACE WINNER receives a $2,500 college scholarship 4TH PLACE WINNER receives a $1,000 college scholarship BONUS PRIZE: $2,500 to the high school music department of the 1st place winner THE AUDITIONS It’s easy! Just record yourself singing your favorite song and upload your video audition here. Three minutes max • Piano accompaniment, personal instrument usage or acapella are welcome. Round 1: Submit online video audition online between April 1 and July 1, 2017 Round 2: In-person auditions August 11–13, 2017 Round 3: Semifinals Sunday, September 10, 2017 FINAL COMPETITION/PERFORMANCE SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2017 • 7 PM IN THE RENOWNED OHIO THEATRE AT PLAYHOUSE SQUARE Contestants will be judged by independent, accomplished, music professionals and supervised by Shining Star CLE Artistic Director Jordan Cooper. THE AUDITION PROCESS Round 1 – Video Auditions: April 1 – July 1, 2017 Eligible students can upload their video audition, singing a song of their choice, to shiningstarcle.org. Students have three minutes max. Piano accompaniment, personal instrument usage or acapella are welcome. A group of recognized music professionals will judge the online submissions and select the top 300 students to advance to the next round. Round 2 – In-person Auditions: August 11, 12 & 13, 2017 Students will perform at one of three in-person auditions, in front of a panel of judges, that will be held at various locations in Northeast Ohio. The top 25 students will advance to the semifinals. Round 3 – Semifinals: Sunday, September 10, 2017 Judges will select the top 10 students, and two alternates, to perform in the final competition. Round 4 – Finals: Sunday, October 22, 2017 The top 10 students will perform at the Ohio Theatre at Playhouse Square! A multi-piece band will accompany the students in a group performance, as well as their solo numbers. The top four students selected by the judges will be asked to perform a final song. THE JUDGING PROCESS Contestants will be judged by independent, accomplished, music professionals representing the wonderful diversity of Northeast Ohio and who are qualified in a wide variety of musical genres including, but not limited to, pop, R&B, classical, jazz and musical theater. For the online audition screening, in-person auditions and semifinals, a panel of judges will choose the students who will advance to the next round. Finals judges will select the top four students following the initial performances that evening. The top four will perform a second time, then the audience, in conjunction with the judges, will select the order of the winners. THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Jordan Cooper is the artistic director for Shining Star CLE 2017 and will manage the entire production. His resume includes 20 years of classical piano training and musical directing throughout the East Coast and Northeast Ohio. Jordan’s love of theater and passion for the arts began at a young age and has flourished into a thriving theatrical career. Jordan is an accomplished director, conductor, music director and pianist who has worked at Dobama Theatre, Cleveland Play House, Playhouse Square, Lakeland Civic Theatre, Cain Park, The Florida Repertory Theatre Company, Near West Theatre and the Cassidy Theatre. His favorite Cleveland theater credits include: Next To Normal, The Light In the Piazza, Violet, Into the Woods (Lakeland); The Toxic Avenger, Godspell, The Frogs (Cain Park); The Little Foxes (Cleveland Play House); A Civil War Christmas, Peter & The Starcatcher (Dobama). WHAT YOU CAN DO Help spread the word! Encourage any eligible high school student who has a passion for singing to enter the competition in early spring 2017 by uploading their video auditions between April 1 and July 1, 2017 to shiningstarcle.org. Specific details will be promoted through emails to teachers and music coaches, directors and the Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) as well as directly to students via shiningstarcle.org, social media and television and radio partners. Sent from my iPhone. Please excuse typos!