ArtPrize singing new tune: Bands, songwriters vie for $10,000 in prizes

WEATHER NOTICE: Due to rainy conditions, outdoor performances may or may not take place as part of the St. Cecilia music showcase. In the event of rain, bands/performers will be offered the chance to play acoustically inside Royce Auditorium. Some performers may not be able to accommodate this, therefore the schedule of performances may be changed and adjusted for the weekend.

 

ArtPrize has gotten even more musical for 2012.

The international art competition that literally takes over Grand Rapids this week boasts significantly more song- and music-based entries this year and a “more robust” showcase of live performances by artists representing more genres, organizers say.

More than 50 solo artists and bands – out of 79 total musical ArtPrize entries – will play a musical showcase at St. Cecilia Music Center, 24 Ransom Ave. NE, over four days starting Thursday night, with organizers hoping to draw bigger audiences than last year’s first attempt at songs-as-ArtPrize entries.

“The staging and the way the parking lot is set up will also have more of a music festival feel to it this year,” says Cathy Holbrook, St. Cecilia’s executive director.

“Of course, a big addition to the overall musical portion of ArtPrize is that music has its own awards this year granted by St. Cecilia Music Center. The groups have a more vested interest in getting votes as it can relate to winning in their genre.”

Indeed, SCMC this year is awarding five cash prizes worth $2,000 each to the top musical artists. That’s in addition to ArtPrize’s $200,000 big kahuna (plus another $360,000 that ArtPrize will award to artists via public voting and juried competition that includes $20,000 for “time-based” performances).

It’s a move I endorsed during last year’s competition: Songs are art, of course, but they should be separated from the rest of the competition because there’s really no way voters can properly judge a song against a massive sculpture or colorful mosaic, or some over-the-top gigantoid installation smack dab in the middle of the Grand River.

Consequently, $2,000 will be awarded to the top vote-getters in five categories: pop/electronic, rock/blues, folk/country, jazz and classical. The winners will be based on popular votes as tallied on the ArtPrize website, announced on Sept. 30, the same day that ArtPrize reveals its Top 10 vote-getters.

Listen to a podcast here about the ArtPrize Musicians’ Showcase during a special ArtPrize edition of Local Spins Live on News Talk 1340 AM WJRW, with special guests Michael Crittenden and Cathy Holbrook. And watch a video of Crittenden performing his ArtPrize entry, “Enjoy the Moment,” below.

“The separate prize money we are offering should help to generate more interest from not only the musicians, but also their fans. We’ve got more acts, a bigger stage and extended hours this year,” offers musician, songwriter and producer Michael Crittenden, owner of Grand Rapids’ Mackinaw Harvest Music studio, which is co-sponsoring the showcase.

To be sure, the separate song competition amounts to pretty good odds for songwriters and bands who’ve entered ArtPrize this year: just 79 entries spread over five categories, with some categories sporting a limited number of entries.

So does that make it easier to pick a winner?

Just like ArtPrize’s visual arts array, there are some musical entries that clearly are more worthy and more serious than others.

Nevertheless, conscientious voters still face a considerable challenge: Even if they spend just five minutes listening to each musical entry (and several pieces are considerably longer than that, with bands like The Crane Wives submitting an entire album), that’s an investment of nearly seven hours. That’s simply not in the cards for the lion’s share of voters and ArtPrize visitors faced with evaluating more than 1,500 ArtPrize entries. That means it may come down to marketing, and the size of a particular band’s fan base.

“Much of it comes down to time and how much time is required to ingest the entire piece. It seems likely that most voters aren’t going to take the time to listen to a whole album during the voting process,” concedes Crittenden.

St. Cecilia, by the way, hosts listening stations where you can hear all the entries. But I’d suggest starting the process by going online at the ArtPrize website and searching for “performance” and “sound.” (You can also click on popular tags for “music,” “pop”, etc.) You’ll find sound files and even videos representing the entries in some cases. Check that out by clicking here.

Choosing winners aside, aiming the ArtPrize spotlight at songwriters and musicians has inestimable value, especially for West Michigan artists looking for broader public exposure. After all, they represent the overwhelming majority of entries, though there are some out-of-state artists, too.

The showcases add to that value, giving ArtPrize visitors and music fans in general a rare opportunity to experience dozens of live performances in a relatively short period of time.

Holbrook says St. Cecilia is spreading the word this year via social media and encouraging artists to heavily promote their showcase performances, which will be enhanced by a festival-style milieu.

“We have some beer and food,” she says. “Everyone seems so rushed through ArtPrize, and we hope that people will see this as a place to rest for a bit and take in some music and atmosphere.”

ArtPrize 2012 Musicians’ Showcase
Presented by St. Cecilia Music Center and Mackinaw Harvest Music

THURSDAY (Inside Royce Auditorium)
4 p.m. – Alan Carriero
5 p.m. – Lucas Wilson
5:30 p.m. – Jim Cooper
6 p.m.– Theo N’Dawillie
6:30 p.m. – Emily Brown
7 p.m. – Steve Talaga
7:30 pm – Roger MacNaughton

FRIDAY (St. Cecilia Parking lot, with cash bar/food booths courtesy Westside Beer and One Trick Pony)
3:30 p.m. – Otis Blueswell
4 p.m. – Absinthe
4:30 p.m. – Peter Weatherhead
5 p.m. – Tommy B and the Verk
5:30 p.m. – juxtaposed
6 p.m. – Kelsey Rottiers
6:30 p.m. – Tyler VanderMaas Sax Quartet
7 p.m. – Mid-Life Crisis
7:30 p.m. – The Strain
8 p.m. – The Outer Vibe
8:30 p.m. – The Long Count
9 p.m. – The Water Clocks
9:30 p.m. – Chasing the Sky

SATURDAY (St. Cecilia Parking Lot)
Noon – Elden Kelly
12:30 p.m. – AOK
1 p.m. – Brian Gerrity and Slow Log
1:30 p.m.– The Muteflutes
2 p.m. – John D. Lamb
2:30 p.m. – Lee Weemhof
3 p.m.– Dennie Middleton
3:30 p.m. – The Crane Wives
4 p.m. – Jack Lewis
4:30 p.m. – Nick Stevenson and the Crossroads
5 p.m. – Garner
5:30 p.m. – Michelle Held
6 p.m. – glendanles
6:30 p.m. – The Moonrays
7 p.m. – Karisa Wilson
7:30 p.m. – Sam Stryke
8 p.m. – Troll for Trout
8:30 p.m. – Ralston Bowles
9 p.m. – Simien the Whale
9:30 p.m. – Thirsty Perch Blues Band

SATURDAY (Inside Royce Auditorium)
1 p.m. – CutTime Simfonica
1:45 p.m. – Jukejoint Handmedowns
2:30 p.m. – Kayle Clements/Rockford Community Choir
3:15 p.m. – Hey Marco
4 p.m. – Chris Butler
4:45 p.m. – Dale Wicks

 

SUNDAY (St. Cecilia Parking Lot)
Noon – Downie
12:30 p.m. – Don Middlebrook
1 p.m. – AnDro
1:30 p.m. – Michelle Chenard
2 p.m. – Fauxgrass Quartet
2:30 p.m. – Chris Hansen and Jubal Brass
3 p.m. – Nicolas James Thomasma
3:30 p.m. – Susan Picking
4 p.m. – Neon Graffiti
4:30 p.m. – Michael Cohen Kirtan
5 p.m. – BriAnna Zwiep
5:30 p.m. – The Mines
6 p.m. – The Moxie Strings

Email: jsinkevics@gmail.com