Singing competition to benefit the homeless

Are you or your friends or kids trying to be the next Taylor Swift or Carrie Underwood? Here’s your chance to get noticed: Enter the Capital County Challenge—A Battle of the Voices, a competition to showcase up-and-coming vocal talent in the country and country-pop crossover genre. There are two division: ages 8-14 and 15-22.

The competition is hosted by and will benefit the Wesley Housing Development Corp., an Alexandria-based organization that provides affordable housing across Northern Virginia to help low-income families, individuals, seniors, and people with disabilities who might otherwise face homelessness.

The live finals of the competition will be held May 5 during Spring Kick! at Great Country Farms in Virginia’s wine country. The top winner will receive a prize package including $1,000 in cash.

To enter the competition, you must post an audition video on YouTube by March 28.  Judging of the video performances will be done by members of the local music community. The five highest-scoring singers in each division will be named finalists. Two additional “fan favorites”—based on the online performances with the highest number of “likes”—will automatically earn a spot in the May 5 finals.

For more information on the audition procedures and competition rules, visit the Capital County Challenge website.