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Northern Ontario performers: Here's your chance to play the big stage

Artists and musicians from across the region are invited to take part in the annual Northern Lights Festival Boréal Meltdown Competition
2017-07-09 Northern Lights Festival Boreal DMH-16
Sault Ste. Marie's MD Dunn, a Meltdown competition winner, on the main stage during the 2017 Northern Lights Festival Boreal. Donna Hopper/SooToday

NEWS RELEASE
NORTHERN LIGHTS FESTIVAL BOREAL
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SUDBURY - Northern Lights Festival Boréal's (NLFB) annual Meltdown Competition is back! The event, scheduled for March 31, gives emerging musicians the chance to compete for a paid spot at Northern Lights Festival 2018 (July 6-8). This is an excellent opportunity for emerging northern Ontario artists to gain valuable exposure, and perform their best music in a fun environment! Past winners have included Hello Holiday, Spencer Jose, and Jennifer Holub.

The open auditions will be divided into two portions: between 3 and 5 p.m., solo acts will perform; between 6 and 10 p.m. bands and larger groups will perform. These open auditions will be take place March 31 at the Townehouse Tavern (206 Elgin St.).

Performers are each assigned a 15-minute time slot and will be evaluated by a panel of judges. Two winners will be selected; one solo act and one band. Each will earn a slot at NLFB 2018 this summer, and will be eligible for musical mentorship programs held at the festival.

Registration for performers is $25 per act, and includes a one-year membership to NLFB (musicians travelling from outside of Sudbury will be eligible for a refund of the registration fee). Participants must submit their application by March 23 at the latest. All genres of music are accepted, as well as storytelling, spoken word and other types of performances but artists are asked to keep the character of NLFB's past lineups in mind (visit www.nlfb.ca). NLFB also encourages original music.

Those who are interested are asked to contact Izzy at [email protected]. Registration forms are available on the NLFB website, and in the NLFB office at 3-19 Grey Street.

Spectators and supportive friends are encouraged to come cheer on their favourite band. Admission to the event is $10.

The Northern Lights Folk Festival was first held in Bell Park in 1972. It was a free one-day music festival on one stage; needless to say it has grown exponentially since. NLFB is already hard at work planning the 2018 edition of Northern Lights Festival Boréal, scheduled for July 6-8. The 2017 event was extremely well received, presenting such artists as Buffy Sainte-Marie, A Tribe Called Red, and Whitehorse, and enjoyed an attendance high of 11,250 attendees.

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