Paradise Valley Community College's Music Industry Studies Program is excited to announce the inaugural UNION32 Entertainment Summer Battle of the Bands. The competition, for young and emerging bands under age 25, will be held in PVCC's Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, August 9, 2025.

ABOUT UNION32 Entertainment:

UNION32 Entertainment is a faculty-led, student-run event production company based at Paradise Valley Community College. Dedicated to hands-on learning and real-world experience, UNION32 specializes in live event production, including concerts, theatrical performances, and ESports tournaments. The company provides students with the opportunity to work directly on professional-grade events, gaining essential skills in audio, lighting, staging, and event management. Through mentorship and immersive training, UNION32 prepares students for successful careers in the live entertainment industry, bridging the gap between classroom instruction and professional application.

THE COMPETITION: Saturday, August 9th, 5pm-9pm, PVCC Center for the Performing Arts

15 bands will be selected to participate in the Summer 2025 Battle of the Bands. The bands should prepare a total of three (3) songs, with at least one song being an original song. 

Round 1: 5:00pm-6:30pm - All 15 bands will be provided with the opportunity to perform one (1) song on stage, with a maximum stage time of 6-minutes.

Break/Tabulation: 6:30pm-6:50pm

Announcement of Finalists: 6:50-6:55pm - Five (5) bands will announced as finalists

Round 2/Finals: 7:05pm-8:30pm - Five (5) bands will perform two songs with at least one song being an original song.

Winners Announcement: 8:30pm-8:45pm

THE PRIZES:

1st Place:

• Paid performance opportunity in PVCC's 2025-2026 performance season

• Recording studio sessions at PVCC to record, mix and master one original song

• $200 music merchandise gift card

2nd Place:

• Paid performance opportunity in PVCC's 2025-2026 performance season

• $100 music merchandise gift card

3rd Place:

• Performance opportunity in PVCC's 2025-2026 performance season

• $50 music merchandise gift card

THE SUBMISSION:

• To compete in the battle of the bands, all bands must complete an application form, which includes uploading an unedited 3 minute video of a previous performance or rehearsal, and lyrics for any original songs.

• Submissions will be reviewed by a panel of PVCC faculty, staff, and guests artist for inclusion in the competition.

•  Up to 15 bands will be invited to compete in the battle of the bands.

• The deadline to submit has been extended to Monday, July 7th.

• The announcement of selected bands is July 14, 2025.

JUDGING GUIDELINES:

The judging system is designed to keep the contest open to all skill levels and song choices while

keeping the event fair and competitive. Judges will be instructed to ignore “genre bias”, that is, not to reward a band for playing a type/style of music that the judge personally likes, and, conversely, not to penalize a band simply because the music isn’t agreeable with the judge’s personal taste. There are five categories on which each band will be judged. Each category is worth 5 points. At the end of each performance, the total number of points a band receives from each judge will be added together with the other judges to reach the band’s final score. In the event of a tie, there will be a tiebreaker in which each band in the tie will have an opportunity to play one song of their choice.

JUDGING CRITERIA:

PLANNING/PREPAREDNESS:

• Evidence of performance planning; i.e. Choreography, demonstration of the musical/movement or program dynamics, costumes, makeup, stage props, backdrop, etc…

• Instruments and equipment made ready prior to performance, start on time, stay within time limits for set-up and break-down.

• Evidence of rehearsal, bands know the lyrics, bands appeared ready and prepared to play.

ORIGINALITY:

• Do the songs fit the genre, how unique do the songs sound, do the songs fit the set?

• Is the band's appearance original, does the band look original, does the band stand out?

• Does the band demonstrate any level of original improvisational skill? For example, ‘jam out’ or vocal through an instrument change, repair or equipment failure.

INTERFACE WITH AUDIENCE:

• How was the band’s verbal interaction, did the band introduce themselves, did the band talk to or with the audience?

• How was the band’s physical interaction, did the band physically participate with the audience by giving eye contact, head nods, acknowledgements, waving, gesturing, dancing with the audience or giving hand signals?

• How confident was the band in their interaction with the audience?

QUALITY OF PERFORMANCE:

• How was the band’s confidence and competence, did they look at ease while playing, did they appear to be able to do what they wanted to do?

• How was the band's stage presence, did they use the stage effectively, did the band appear positive about their performance, did the band interact effectively on stage, how did the band cope with any problems they may have encountered?

• Was the band’s set list well-constructed and able to manipulate the audience’s mood?

PRESENTATION:

• Does the band’s attitude appear suitable to their genre? For example were they “Punk” if Punk, “Raucous” if Rock.

• How did the audience respond to the band’s performance? The cheer level at the request of the event coordinator.