Bands submit an online Application consisting of background/contact info, a stage plot, a description of musical styles and competition intentions, two (2) music samples, a photo, and other important information along with an Application fee. Ineligible entrants are informed/given a chance to correct any issues that might disqualify them. If a band is deemed ineligible to apply, their Application fee will be refunded upon request.
BJFA’s panel of selection judges (comprised of past and current Music Fest judges, BJFA producers, and Music Festival program directors) then review the eligible entrants and make selections based primarily on musical skill and ability. A band’s ability and willingness to market not only themselves but the Music Fest (i.e. the other performers) as a whole is also very strongly taken into account. Secondary considerations may include musical variety/band member composition, location, good communication skills, evidence of an active social media presence, etc.
Note that returning Competition Acts, Showcase Artists, and Guest Artists are *never* guaranteed a spot in subsoquent festivals. Everything re-sets with the next year's application and you must start over from scratch. Obviously knowing the BJMF system is helpful, but we don't play favorites. We pick who we feel are the strongest submissions.
For clarity, there are three types of performers who make it into BJMF: Competition Acts, Showcase Acts, and Guest Artists. Competitors are those that rose to the top of the given year's applications (approx 25%) and whom we feel are ready to compete and who have a solid chance of winning the entire competition.
SHOWCASE ACTS are those who also had exceptionally strong applications but, in our determination, scored just slightly lower in one or more areas (generally things like pitch/intonation, vocal quality, and being "out of the pocket" rhythmically are the determining factors). Our selection committee also does a deep dive in the later stages of application review to compare live performances to studio tracks. If they struggle to find examples of live performances that are similar to the quality of their studio tracks, it is likely that an applicant won't make Showcase. -- That said, many Showcases could have been competitors were BJMF able to add more days to the festival (which we do not have any plans to do). At a certain point very tough decisions must be made because we can only accept 24 competitors each year. It's worth noting that a significant number of Showcase Artists return and many eventually get "promoted" to Competition Act down the line. If a competition artist drops out for any reason, a Showcase Act will be bumped into the open competition slot.
GUEST ARTISTS are a special group and sometimes includes musicians who are a bit younger or a bit more green or rough around the edges. They may also include bands and other artists who didn't make Showcase but whom we really want to feature and support as much as possible. BJFA will select Guest Artists who show great promise and deserve more opportunities to meet and connect with peers and mentors. Being exposed to the showcases and competitors the night they perform can be a very educational and inspirational experience. The best part about being a Guest Artist is that you will have Showcases and Competition Acts cheering for you and excited to support you as you continue to find your voice and your sound. They've all been there themselves.
---
A NOTE ABOUT APPLICATION REVIEWS:
It sometimes takes applicants two or even three attempts before they're accepted into Bitter Jester. This is due not only to the high-quality of the submissions we receive but also the sheer volume of applications from multiple states. You never know who you are "going up against" when you apply.
Art is subjective. For better or for worse, Bitter Jester includes a competition/battle component. And so when you apply and if you compete you should be prepared to be critiqued and receive growth-oriented feedback.
If you are not prepared for the potential of rejection from us, email us and we can try t help you find venues that are performance only.
And while we make every attempt to both create a fair and balanced judging criteria AND to review and reassess those criteria on an annual basis, at the end of the day we are just a group of people who are sharing our personal opinions. And that's all they are: opinions. Do we make mistakes? Sure. But remember that being rejected from Bitter Jester is not a reflection of the worth or value of your art. It's a reflection of the two specific songs you submitted and how those two songs stack up against dozens upon dozens of other submissions. Weak applications will not make the cut. Since you have no way of knowing what the strong applications look like on any given year, just put your best foot forward and know that this is one small step on your lifelong journey as an artist.
A NOTE TO ANGRY PARENTS:
From time to time, parents get very upset with us that their child is not selected to compete... or not selected to perform as a Showcase or Guest Artist... or that they are selected to compete but then do not win their Preliminary Round... or that they do not win their Prelim and then are also not selected as a Wild Card... or that they are selected as a Wild Card but do not make it to the top three... or that they make it to the top three but then come in second (interestingly, parents of "winning" bands have never complained).
Those angry parents will sometimes express their extreme horror and dismay to us in vary colorful and animated ways, like booing other people's children at our concerts. To those parents, we have two equally important statements: 1) Take a breath and do some honest self-reflection. We are a volunteer-run non-profit children's music festival. Please don't boo children. And 2) We want to affirm that your child is special. In fact, the entire Bitter Jester staff is comprised of special snowflakes whose parents love them more than the world and know they are more talented than anyone else's child (thanks Bitter Jester Moms and Dads!).
Also to those parents: we hear you (it's sometimes impossible not to). And all joking aside, your kids are awesome and they deserve every opportunity possible. If we can help them, we will. Just please remember that Bitter Jester receives way more applications than we have available slots and, by simple math, not everyone who applies will be accepted. This is akin to applying to any art or theatre festival or university, for that matter.
We appreciate that Bitter Jester is important enough for you to get so angry about that it ruins your week. Here is a helpful list of tips you can discuss with your child to help them should they decide to re-apply to Bitter Jester or if they're looking for even bigger and better opportunities down the road.
We review previous applications when artists re-apply. Notes on communications with parents are included in those reviews. We have *never* rejected a band because of who their parents are. But boy have we talked about it!