APPLICATION IS ACTIVE!!!

We are excited to announce that the 2014 application is online and active. We have partnered this year with AuditionsPlus.com to host our application and are excited that the process will be much easier and more streamlined.

Click on 'Contestant Information' for detailed information on the application process including rules, dates and other helpful information. The deadline for applications is Tuesday, November 4th 2013.

We look forward to our 21st year and a wonderful group of contestants in Savannah at our new venues! The Quarterfinal Round (Feb 24 & 25) will be held at Skidaway Island United Methodist Church and the Semifinal (Feb 26) and Final (Feb 28) Rounds and other events will be held in downtown Savannah at the historic Savannah Theatre.

Best of luck!

Vale Rideout
Artistic Consultant
ATC 2014

The Latest Newsletter from Artistic Consultant, Vale Rideout

Watching the Academy of Country Music Awards last week, I was surprised to see Stevie Wonder singing some of his great songs for a largely 'Country' music-loving crowd. After all, Country music was the reason everyone was gathered in Las Vegas and at home around their television sets that Sunday night. Last year, I recall Lionel Ritchie being the 'Guest Artist' (if you will), for the same award presentation.

When I turned on the TV to begin watching the event, Kelly Clarkson was singing solo on that huge stage with no other headliner to back her up or share the spotlight. Lately, Ms. Clarkson has been reaching out to other artists who are not necessarily known to be in the mainstream of popular music and collaborating on stage and in the studio. But I was surprised to see her singing alone on this occasion - a Country Music awards show - and not accompanied by say, Vince Gill, or the like.

At first, being a country fan, among the many styles that I enjoy, I was annoyed that an artist other than those of the country persuasion was being featured on such a genre-specific event. But as I thought more about it, it is exactly the same multiplicity that we celebrate at the ATC. It is heartening to see different styles of music celebrated together in one place.

This experience reminded me of our outreach to Savannah schools in conjunction with the Friends of Johnny Mercer, Inc. this past year. We presented three programs to different junior high school and high school classes. After Presenting songs by Johnny Mercer and discussing his life story and what makes him unique with regard to American music, discussion lead to the parallels between older, historic American music and that of present-day popular music. I encouraged students to think about what makes their favorite music memorable and how songs are written. Each song has rhythm, melody, harmony, form and text, and breaking down the process of song-writing helped bring these young adults into the world of older, historic music - just as the ACM awards brought country fans into an appreciation of music outside their comfort zone.

I'm looking forward to 2014 and will be expanding our reach to the younger community of students in the Savannah area in hopes of getting more of them to come and enjoy the competition. It's an honor to be part of an organization that applauds and encourages this diversity of melody, rhythm and harmony. And tonight, I take my hat off to the Academy of Country Music for their broad view of what their audience appreciates, and for their faith in the wide swath of everything that is American Music.

Vale Rideout
ATC Artistic Constulant