Vocal Competition

National Vocal Competition

The top vocal finalists vie for the Grand Champion title during the 30th Annual Mariachi Extravaganza National Vocal Competition. Exceptionally talented vocalists compete in one of three categories: Elementary/Middle School, High School and College/University. Finalists adorn traditional trajes and elegant, Mexican-inspired dresses while demonstrating vocal talent and skills with traditional mariachi songs and live mariachi accompaniment. Excitement builds with one great performance after another where nearly 40 students showcase their skills in front of a discerning panel of judges and a live audience. Judges select first, second and third place winners in each category, but the thrill of the event, is the announcement of the Grand Champion Vocal winner! Mark your calendar and plan to attend the National Vocal Competition which is one of the highlights of the 30th Annual Mariachi Extravaganza.

Any student interested in participating in the vocal competition is invited to submit an audition video and upload it to YouTube for the preliminary phase of the competition. Videos are reviewed by a panel of judges made up of accomplished entertainment industry professionals.

Participants must register on mariachimusic.com and include the link for their YouTube submission at the time of registration. Please verify that the link works prior to adding it on the registration link. If you plan to register with a group, you must still complete the vocal registration link.

Most importantly, the deadline to register is October 1 by 11:59 p.m. NO LATE ENTRIES will be accepted. Plan ahead and make sure to submit your registration on time.

Click here to register!

Important Dates

September 1 Vocal registration opens

October 1 Vocal registration deadline

October 29 Semifinalist announced

December 5 Semifinals

December 7 Finals

Fee Information Vocal Competition Registration Rules and Regulations for All Participants Helpful Hints MVE National Vocal Competition Finalists

Rules and Regulations

Registration opens September 1^st
Competitors must be enrolled in an elementary school, middle school, high school, or college/university to participate.
College/university students must be currently enrolled in a minimum of 6 hours to compete.
Participants must be in good academic standing.
Competitors must be 25 years of age or younger.
Entries must be 4:00 minutes in length or less. Only complete songs are accepted. Popurrís or medleys are not permitted.
Submissions must be recorded using a live or pre-recorded guitar or mariachi group accompaniment. Entries submitted with keyboards, synthesized instruments, computer-generated music, or other non-traditional mariachi accompaniment will be disqualified.
Submit a YouTube video link on the vocal registration form on the line that reads “Insert YouTube Video Link.” ONLY YouTube video submissions will be accepted.
Registration fees are due at the time of registration unless paid for by the school.
Vocal competition registration fees are non-refundable.
The registration deadline is October 1st.
Semifinalists must compete with the same song submitted.

Preliminary Judging Criteria

During the initial entry, judges will be looking for the following:

Pitch- the ability to sing in tune and the accuracy of intonation.
Enunciation/Diction- capability of pronouncing Spanish words correctly.
Clarity/Precision- the quality, sharpness and clearness of ones voice.
Volume- understanding how to control the voice based on the song selection
Interpretation/Style- bringing the song to life, knowing what the song is about and helping the audience feel its meaning.
Preparation- Know the words to the song.
Appropriate casual attire is required for video submissions.

Helpful Hints

Plan, prepare and practice well in advance of recording your entry! Be sure you know the words to your song prior to videotaping. DO NOT READ THE LYRICS FROM YOUR CELL PHONE at the time of videotaping.
Participants are strongly encouraged to select songs appropriate for their age and gender.
Choose a selection you would consider to be one of your “signature songs.”
Video submissions must be clear and close up. Below are a few examples on videos where the voice can be clearly heard and the face can be clearly seen:
Videotape yourself several times and submit your strongest entry.
Make sure that while recording your video submission there are NO distracting noises in the background. It’s important that your voice is heard clearly on the recording. Help us make the preliminary judging easier by ensuring that your voice can clearly be heard over the music. When in doubt, share your video with several people that can help you determine whether or not your voice can clearly be heard.