First-Ever U.S.-Based SchoolJam Teen Battle of the Bands Competition Draws Nearly 300 to Emo's in Austin During Summer NAMM

NAMM, the trade association of the international music products industry, and the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) hosted the first U.S.-based SchoolJam teen battle of the bands competition in front of a full-capacity crowd of nearly 300 at Emo’s Lounge in Austin, Texas.

The competition, held July 28 during the Summer NAMM event, was a pilot program modeled after the original SchoolJam teen competition in Germany. The overall goal of the contest is to encourage teens to participate in making music that is different than the music played in a traditional in-school band setting. SchoolJam Texas was also designed to highlight the best and most talented teen musicians from around the state, while supporting the bands’ school music education programs.

The eight finalist bands were from all over Texas and represented an array of styles from alternative to mariachi. The first-place winner, The Chilton Classic of Corpus Christi, Texas, received a variety of prizes including a gift certificate for $750 to use at their local NAMM Member retail store, and an all-expenses-paid trip to perform at the Musikmesse trade show in Germany in March. The band’s school will receive a $3,000 gift certificate to use at a local NAMM Member retailer to buy music products for its school music program.

Each of the remaining seven bands won a gift certificate to use at their local music retailer. The value of these gift certificates ranged from $100 to $500 for the bands, and $500 to $3,000 for the school music education programs.

“NAMM was so pleased with how well received this event was,” said Morgan Ringwald, director of Market Development at NAMM. “The program’s goal was accomplished—to encourage teens from all over Texas to share their musical talent and creativity in front of their peers and educators. We’re looking forward to continuing this event in the future, and supporting teens who are exploring their musical creativity in a different capacity than in the traditional in-school band setting.”

The panel of judges included Kirsten Brooks of VH1 Save The Music; JD Janda, vice president and band division chair of TMEA; Gerald Dellmann, SchoolJam founder; and Dieter Roesberg, editor-in-chief of Gitarre & Bass and MM Musik Media Verlag, Germany.

Other finalists included:

-Second Place: Caulfield, of Plano, Texas

-Third Place: Blankberry of Nederland, Texas

-Remaining finalists: Cloud IX of Huffman, Texas; Mariachi Tejano de Sam Houston of Grand Prairie, Texas; Rip Tide of Irving, Texas;, Stalled of Forney, Texas; Stylish Headphones Milady of Grapevine, Texas.

For more information about SchoolJam Texas, go to www.myspace.com/schooljamtexas.