All bands are open to compete, regardless of member and instrument composition, genre, or style! We’ve had a huge range of bands with all sorts of styles compete, so even if you’re not sure, go for it! This said, do remember that this is a competition to open for Slope Day - a high energy, outdoor celebration for college students, so keep this in mind when choosing your repertoire!
The competition will take place in two stages: all acts can send in performances videos in the initial stage, of which four bands will be selected to play in the final stage in Bailey Hall. A student vote will determine the winning act, who will play on the main stage of Slope Day ‘25!
Please read through all the rules of the competition below before making your submission:
For any and all questions, please feel free to reach out to jazzplus@cornell.edu
Submissions are open now! If you’re unsure whether your act should enter or not, go for it!
Any Cornell Music Group is eligible to enter Big Red Battle of the Bands. A Music Group must fulfill the following requirements:
51% or more of the members must be full-time Cornell students
Professors and IC students do not count towards this 51% total
For a full-time Cornell student to count towards the 51% total, they must be playing a significant role in the music group, as decided by the judging panel
A Music Group must have 2 or more performing members
A video submission must be under 10 minutes in duration and between 2 and 4 songs must be performed in order to be eligible
It is greatly encouraged (but not required) that every band submits a performance of at least one original song
Video submissions may not be edited in such a way that the performance cannot be recreated live (i.e. no splicing takes, only one camera angle, no video or audio effects that are not achievable in a live setting, no autotune, etc. Samples or other sources of pre-recorded material must be triggered live on video)
All songs, including covers, originals, and samples under copyright that are longer than 30 seconds, need to be cited on the submission form. (when in doubt, use a citation!)
Video submissions will not be judged for their video or audio quality, however music groups should aim to represent their sound and look as honestly as possible
Video Submissions should include a short introduction by the band (who are you?)
Video Submissions must be submitted via an unlisted or public youtube link
Some friendly tips for submissions:
Tune your instruments!
Make sure all members of your act are visible in your video (and present when you film!). You might need to get someone else to film for you.
Position the microphone/phone so that everyone can be heard (eg. don’t put the phone on top of a piano if someone is playing it!). Check your mix before you submit. Commonly in the past, vocals are too quiet and drums are too loud.
Even in a video audition, stage presence matters! Your video should aim to be as representative of how your act would be on the main stage of Slope Day as possible, so if you want to move around, please do so!
Even if you won’t be judged for this, try to avoid reading lyrics, chords, or music off of phones or papers, as this really takes away from your stage presence and energy.
You don’t need to worry about playing the same content at Bailey Hall or Slope Day as you do in your audition video - if you make it to the next stage, you will have plenty of time to prepare for that. Instead, consider playing your strongest, most representative material of you as a group.
Video submissions will be judged by a panel of 8-10 Slope Day E-Board members, as well as interested professors and faculty across the university. Submissions are due at 11:59pm EST on December 31st, 2024. Results will be announced in late January.
The final will take place on the evening of Saturday, March 22nd, 2025 (exact time to be announced).
Each of the four chosen finalists will take to the stage at Bailey Hall for a 25 minute set. You can do absolutely whatever you want with this set - this is your time to show all of Bailey Hall why you deserve to be the opener for Slope Day ‘25!
100% of the vote is from the Cornell Student population - this means concert goers, your friends, and even you!
Voting opens immediately after the last act’s performance, and will be displayed as a QR code on the screen of Bailey Hall. The link will also be accessible on this website.
IMPORTANT CHANGE FROM LAST YEAR: Instead of having two weeks to rewatch the videos and consider your vote (as the voting process was last year), this year, to bring more focus to the music and the competition, voting will close at 11:59pm on Saturday, March 22nd, the day of the final. Results will be announced immediately after, so it’s super, super important that you get as many people as you can to come to the final to both support your act, as well as see the incredible quality of bands Cornell has to offer!
The winner will get a set on the main stage of Slope Day ‘25! There will also be ONE runner up (a decrease from the two of previous years) that will also get an opportunity to perform a set at Slope Fest at Ho Plaza on Slope Day!
Set length for Bailey Hall will be 25 minutes per act.
Set length for the winner and runner up are both guaranteed to be at least 30 minutes. Exact length is to be determined, based on the scheduling of the rest of Slope Day.
Acts will now be limited to winning (playing on the Slope Day main stage) a maximum of two years in a row, to allow for greater competition and chances for up and coming bands. After winning two years in a row, an act will be disqualified from the competition for one year before being eligible again the following year.
Two acts qualify as ‘different acts’ if they are significantly different in name, style, and member composition, even if there are (a limited number of) repeating members. This is to be determined by the judging panel if applicable.
By submitting a video to the competition, an act agrees to all the rules listed above, as well as to perform in all shows they are selected for (bar extenuating circumstances).
Submit your <10 minute video audition of 2-4 songs using this link. If you’re unsure if you should enter or not, go for it!
Videos are due at 11:59pm EST on December 31st, 2024. Videos will be judged by a panel of staff and students involved in Slope Day. Results will be released in late January.
The final will take place in Bailey Hall, on the evening of Saturday, March 22nd, 2025
Four bands will be chosen for the final stage of the competition in Bailey Hall, and have 25 minute sets to convince everyone why they deserve to open for Slope Day!
The vote is entirely in the hands of students! Voting opens as soon as the last act finishes, and will be open for only a couple of hours until midnight. The results will be announced shortly after.
The winner will get a set on the main stage of Slope Day! ONE runner up will also get to perform at Ho Plaza at Slope Fest.