Making $36,000 An Hour

The Competitions for TCTC 2012 are history,
but here are a few thoughts for next year's convention.

Why Bother?
Afraid competitions are all about "showboating" or too focused on winning? From what we've seen through the years, this is seldom if ever the case. Our competitions initiate creativity, foster teamwork in youth groups, bring youth talent to the stage, reward scholarship dollars to students, and inspire others to use their own abilities for God's glory. And having youth perform on stage simply adds excitement to our convention!

Scholarships!
Did you know that several supporting Christian Colleges offer scholarship awards to winners in some categories? While some schools offer awards to categories such as Drama, Vocal Music, and Bands, the biggest payoff is in Public Speaking. Johnson University offers $6k to the First Place speaker. That would calculate to $36k an hour. Pretty good for not even requiring a high school diploma!

Top Secret
How to Win!-- It's not rigged, it's not biased, and it's not a secret.  Here are 4 ways to gain an edge with the judges:
     A) Be Thematic! Tailor your song/skit/etc to match the convention's theme.
     B) Be Original! Write your own material.
     C) Be Good! When you wing it, it shows. Practice, perfect, polish, then perform.
     D) Be On Time! Start early, allow time to deal with technical problems, finish before deadline.

Getting On Stage
We truly love to put our youth on stage! It's incredibly exciting for the performer, and the audience responds well. But getting on stage is no guarantee, even if you place First in a category. Be sure your entry supports the Theme of the convention, and, if the program schedule allows, you are more likely to perform at Gatlinburg.

Which Category?
By all means, choose the category you enjoy most and for which you are best equipped, but there are categories that tend to have fewer entrants. Public Speaking for Men or Women, and Middle School Devotional generally have the fewest submissions, increasing your chances not only for a trophy, but for scholarships. The Vocal category is often hotly contested, and Drama may see 6-8 entries, but Battle of the Bands may only receive half that.

Watch for Changes in 2013
Technology is making it easier than ever to submit an entry to the TCTC Competitions. For next year we will consider accepting performance videos solely via YouTube, which will eliminate delayed mail, broken or improperly formatted DVDs, and dealing with a variety of media formats. We will also place limitations on scholarship awards in any category having less than 3 entries.

We hope to see you represented in next year's Competition. Watch the website throughout the year to see our next theme announced. Please feel free to send any comments or suggestions concerning Competitions to:                              keith@wellspringchristian.org