LOWER MT. BETHEL TWP., Pa. — Like the man in Harry Chapin's song "Mr. Tanner," you could be a baritone who sings with your heart and soul.
The "Cats in the Cradle" singer's 1973 hit, written about a passionate singer's attempts at stardom, now is the inspiration for the Bell Tower Cultural Center's new singing competition.
Lehigh Valley Sing-Off will have a grand prize of $2,000.
Applications for the inaugural contest will be accepted until June 30.
"Mr. Tanner," part of Chapin's "Short Stories" album, was based on a real-life baritone, Martin Tubridy, who received harsh critiques from the New York Times.
Chapin's song explores an artist's balance between personal passion and public acceptance, as aptly written by Chapin: "Music was his life, not just his livelihood."
Sure, there may not be opera singers like Chapin's Tanner in the Lehigh Valley, but there are hundreds of artists waiting to be discovered.
"All genres are welcome to apply," said James Palmeri, vice chairman of the Bell Tower Cultural Center.
"It is encouraged because it just gives more exposure to the breadth of talent that is in the Lehigh Valley.
"The more exposure a musician has, the better, because you never know. That's the thing in music — you never know if an A&R or music scout will be in the audience."
Food drive, singer's legacy
Cultural center staff won't reveal the competition's judges (Palmeri says they consist of music producers and well-known performers based in the Lehigh Valley).
But there are rumors Chapin's daughter Jan Chapin will perform during the last night of the sing-off, when the winner is announced.
"In honor of Harry's activism, we're asking people to bring canned goods to the performances, which will be donated to our food bank."James Palmeri, vice chairman of the Bell Tower Cultural Center
Jan Chapin, a jazz and blues singer, also will take the stage at Godfrey Daniels in Bethlehem on July 23.
The Chapin family oversees the Harry Chapin Memorial Fund, established in 1981 to honor the legacy of Harry Chapin's efforts to combat world hunger.
"In honor of Harry's activism, we're asking people to bring canned goods to the performances, which will be donated to our food bank," Palmeri said.
Submission guidelines, 3 rounds
To apply to the sing-off, artists should submit a video clip of one complete song, not exceeding three minutes, through a link available on the Lehigh Valley Sing-Off website.
Artists must perform with a live musical accompaniment, including self-accompaniment.
Applications will be accepted until June 30, and entries will be reviewed as they are submitted for evaluation.
Entries will be closed once the preliminary video evaluations accept 15 Artists for the preliminary rounds.Lehigh Valley Sing-Off guidelines
Entries will be closed once the preliminary video evaluations accept 15 artists for the preliminary rounds.
Contestants must reside in Northampton, Lehigh or Monroe counties in Pennsylvania, or Warren County, New Jersey.
According to Palmeri, during the sing-off there will be three rounds of competition and performances, during which the judges and audience can vote.
Preliminary qualifying events will include 15-minute sets by five artists that will be judged each month based on a formula of audience voting and professional judges.
The winner of each preliminary competition will get a $100 prize and be invited for the final “Sing Off” at the end of the three weekly competitions.
The three finalists will compete in the same format and the grand prize winner will get $2,000.
The website says local music producers will be invited to the performances and to the finals for possible record collaborations for the artists.
"Our hope is that a major venue will allow the winning artist to perform at least once at their location and evaluate their talent for future work," the website says.
For more information on the competition, visit the competition's officialwebsite.
