Bands sought to battle as part of substance abuse conference
By Karen Prisbrey
4-9-08

RICHFIELD—As organizers prepare for the upcoming Central Utah Substance Abuse Conference in Richfield, they have added a new event, the “Battle of the Bands” and are seeking groups to compete.
The conference will be held April 18-19 at the Sevier Valley Events Center, Richfield High School, Cedar Ridge High School, and Red Hill Middle School. Sevier Valley Substance Abuse Council (SVSAC) and Richfield City are co-sponsoring the conference.
Students at schools throughout the state of Utah have been asked to participate in planned recreational and athletic events during the two-day conference. Added this week to the list of events mentioned in last week’s news article, is a mechanical bull-riding contest, which will follow the car show on Saturday.
To qualify for the competition, riders must register between 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the car show, and must also attend at least one workshop at the conference. Ten winners, five men and five women, will be announced following the competition. Competitors will be judged by their times and abilities during their rides.
A dance featuring Central Utah’s hottest band “One Brick Shy” will be held from 7-9 p.m. following the workshops on Saturday evening at the Sevier Valley Center floor, and everyone is invited to attend this closing activity.
Music groups throughout Utah have been invited to play in the Battle of the Bands at the Sevier Valley Center arena from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
“All bands that meet SVSAC criteria and who submit a Battle of the Bands entry form will be given stage time at the event,” said Milo Garcia, chairperson of the event. Visit www.svsaconline.org for entry forms and conference information.
The top six bands selected will perform competitively from noon-4:30 p.m. Those bands selected from outside of the Richfield area will receive $100 to $200 to help pay travel expenses.
SVSAC has asked each band that participates to be in harmony with the concept of not using drugs.
“If members in a band have not made that commitment, we’re asking that they contact SVSAC first before making an entry so that we can help them make that commitment,” Garcia said.
“We want the message and music to be loud and clear to youth, no matter the song, that the musical group’s presence onstage is saying, ‘We are against drug abuse.’ It’s important for youth to feel that message.”
Fifty percent of the band judging will be based on an anti-drug original song created by the group and presented at the Battle of the Bands. Each group participating is being asked to submit the written lyrics and a recording of its anti-drug song to SVSAC by Monday, April 7. If that group’s song is chosen the lyrics and a picture of the band will be printed on the conference program and put on SVSAC’s website.
The sound quality of the recording is not important to SVSAC. The judging will be based on what’s presented onstage.
“It’s important to submit entries as soon as possible so that we can screen bands early,” Garcia said.