On the stage and in the studio—diversity sets the tone

Things were certainly heating up on the ice rink at the Munich Olympic grounds in Germany. Some 3,000 spectators were delighted by the sounds brought to the stage by fourteen bands and solo artists: ballads, pop, blues, and rock—all of them with Christian lyrics.

This event was set up by the Bischoff publishers with its “Show your talent” competition. The song contest will now come back for a new round at the International Youth Convention 2019: “We want to discover a large number of talents and showcase the musical diversity that you bring to the table.” So runs the invitation to all interested parties between the ages of 14 and 35.

What do the participants need to contribute? They need to enjoy music, have the desire to express their own faith in words and notes, a band or the ability to accompany themselves, and last but not least, the desire to perform in front of a larger audience.

Does that sound like a good fit? “Then please apply. We need YOU!” write the organisers. Not only will the participants have the chance to win a performance in front of a large audience at the IYC in spring 2019 in Düsseldorf, but before that, the young musicians will record their own song for a studio production.

And this is how the song contest will work:

• the song: whether pop, rock, a ballad, rap, or blues—the style doesn’t matter. Whether accompanied by a guitar, a piano, or a band—anything goes. The important thing is that the lyrics have a Christian reference—“What inspires you in your faith? What gives you courage and hope? What helps you in life?”
• the video: the video does not need to be professional. A meaningful cell phone video with good sound quality will be perfectly sufficient. The most important thing to start with is to give the jury some impression of the song and how it will be performed.
• the application: the best option is to send a download link from a cloud service (for example, Dropbox or googledrive) to the e-mail address: info@bischoff-verlag.de. Also required are the song lyrics and contact information (e-mail address, cell phone number), as well as some personal information about the performer (for example, age) or the band.
• the deadline: the deadline for entry is 30 August 2018. Participants will then be notified of their acceptance in September.
• the jury: ten to fifteen acts can take to the stage at the IYC. The performers will be selected by Sigi Hänger, Gerrit Junge, Christoph Oellig, and Markus Rink, themselves well-known protagonists in the young New Apostolic music scene, where they are active as organisers, composers, conductors, and editors.
• the recording: the CD “Show YOUR Talent 2” will be compiled between now and March 2019 at the Sitting Man Music recording studio near Stuttgart. It is there that the participants will be prepared for their big performances.
• the show: on Saturday, 1 June 2019 participants will take to the stage in the new Hall no. 1 in the Düsseldorf exhibition grounds.

“After I had come back down from the stage, all I could think was, ‘Wow! That was cool! I want to do that again!’” relates Luc Packlidat, one of the winners at the first edition of the song contest. The moment he realised that his lyrics had touched his listeners was indescribable. He plans to try his hand again this year.

Luc’s advice for his fellow competitors: “Just be honest and write about what moves you.” He also has a tip for musical talents who feel they are lacking even the tiniest little spark of courage: “Look for someone who is willing to make music with you. Or play your song to someone else. They will definitely tell you that you should absolutely apply.”

Just how much the musicians enjoyed the whole adventure the last time around is clearly evident from the video of their 2014 premier. Even though the applications came primarily from the German-speaking regions at that time, the invitation to participate this time is international, and will go out to all interested parties all around the globe. After all, diversity sets the tone.