On May 21, the Battle of the Bands competition will be held in Kiwanis Park in Brookfield. This is the 12th year the event will occur. The Battle of the Bands is an event where bands can sign up to perform and compete with other bands and it is open to the public to watch and listen.

A Sound Education, a store in Brookfield that sells musical instruments & accessories, has been co-sponsoring the event ever since it began in 2006.

“We started here in Brookfield to try to have additional programming for teens. We wanted to be able to showcase and support the many talented teens in the area and give them some ownership in the community,” said Arlene Rovner, the Special Event Coordinator of Brookfield.

The competition is mostly for high school and junior high students. The winners will receive recording time in a professional studio, The Jam Labs. The first and second place winners will also be able to perform at Brookfield’s July 4th Party in the Park.

“Through these competitions, I was able to discover my own artistry and performance style with the guidance of the many mentors I received feedback from. Since my participation in Battle of the Bands, I’ve used what I learned to put together longer, all-original sets to perform at venues and festivals,” said Ally Lubera, who was a state music winner in 2014, said the Battle of the Bands helped her pursue her music career.

As far as rules are concerned, band members must be between the ages of 12 and 21 and everyone under the age of 18 must have parent’s permission. Band names or symbol must be appropriate. Band members will have to submit applications to perform by April 14th.

“While I had previously been inexperienced and hesitant when performing, Battle provided me the outlet to ‘dip my toe in the water’ of the lives of professional musicians.  Because of this wonderful experience, I now have the confidence, experience, and motivation to wholeheartedly go after music as a lifelong career,” said Lubera.