- Talent Quest
Infobox Company
company_name = Talent Quest
company_
company_type = Unknown
foundation = Chloride,Arizona ,United States of America (2001 )
location = Oklahoma City,United States of America cite web|url=http://www.talentqst.com|title=Talent Quest Home Page |accessdate=2006-07-25]
key_people = Tropicana Express Hotel and Casino, Sponsor ("was Ramada Express Hotel and Casino")
Tim Brown, Owner
Bill Keller, Founder
industry =Music
products =
revenue =
operating_income =
net_income =
num_employees =
parent =
subsid =
homepage = [http://www.talentqst.com www.talentqst.com]
footnotes =Talent Quest is an organization which organizes a singing contest which is conducted in the
United States . Singers perform songs with karaoke background music tracks, and are judged by vocal ability, stage presence, and presentation/appearance. Talent Quest as an organization provides criteria, governance, and sponsors the National Finals which are held each year inLaughlin, Nevada .__TOC__
Contest Format
Talent Quest as an organization provides both framework and governance for a series of singing competitions which ultimately culminate in an annual event, known as the Talent Quest National Finals, which is held annually in the United States.
The progression of the competition begins at the Local Level, continuing to the Regional Level, and ending at the National Level.
Although the terms "National Level" and "National Finals" are commonly used, in recent years the competition has attracted contestants from other countries around the world.
The current categories for competition are: Male Pop/Rock/R&B, Female Pop/Rock/R&B, Male Country/Western, and Female Country/Western.
Local Level
The competition begins at the Local Level, where small venues host the contest over a series of weeks. Although Talent Quest provides the framework and requirements for the Local Level, individual operators have some leeway in the format of the competition with regard to scheduling and rules/limitations specific to their venue. The scoring format remains the same, however.
Local Level competition usually begins in the May time frame.
Local Level competition culminates in the Club Final. Qualifying contestants then advance to the Regional Level.
Oversight and Arbitration of Local Level competition is performed by the Operator or Host of the venue who is managing the Talent Quest package. Escalations are raised to the Regional Director of the area.
Regional Level
The function of the Regional Level is twofold. In terms of competition, the Regional Level receives the winning contestants of its member Local Level clubs and venues, in addition to self-sponsored entries, and holds the Regional Final competition. The Regional Finals use the Talent Quest approved scoring format, and often include a larger judging panel than the Local Level. At the discretion of the Regional Director, additional prizes may be awarded at the Regional Final.
Regional Finals are generally held in the late July/early August time frame.
In terms of management and oversight, the Regional Director of the competition manages the Local Level and arbitrates escalations from the Local Level operators. The Regional Director is responsible for communication with the Talent Quest Producer to make arrangements for contestants advancing from the region to compete in the National Finals. Escalations at this level are raised to the Talent Quest Producer.
National Level
The National Finals, as the name implies, is the last series of competitions at which time the winners and finalists are determined.
The National Finals is a week-long event. Contestants who qualified through the competition process receive free rooms at the event for the duration of the week. All National Contestants are issued contestant packets and free gifts on registration day of the competition (t-shirts and other paraphernalia). Registration day is the Sunday which begins the week.
The first two days comprise the first round of competition. Both genre categories compete in the first two days. Contestants report to the auditorium to receive their timeslot assignments at 10:00am when times are posted. Competition begins at 1:00pm and generally ends by 9:00pm, running in two-hour blocks with short breaks in between. The judging panel for round one comprises no fewer than three judges.
The next two days comprise the second round of competition. Depending upon number of contestants, and elimination from round one may take place before round two begins. Once again, both genre categories compete in this time frame. Contestants report to the auditorium to receive their timeslot assignments at 10:00am when times are posted. Once again, competition begins at 1:00pm and generally ends by 9:00pm, running in two-hour blocks with short breaks in between. The judging panel for round two comprises no fewer than three judges.
The Friday of the week is the Semi-Final Round. Based upon prior scores, an elimination is performed resulting in the top 20 of each category, yielding 80 contestants who compete on this day. Semi-Final qualifying contestants receive their timeslot assignments at 10:00am when results are posted. Competition begins at 1:00pm with an allotted 2 hours per category with breaks in between. It is important to note that instead of the random assignments of the prior rounds, the Semi-Final round is broken down by category. The judging panel for the Semi-Final round comprises five judges.
Saturday Night is the National Championship Round. Based upon prior scores, and elimination is performed resulting in the top 5 of each category. Contestants are notified by time and score postings by 1:00pm. The theatre undergoes preparation for show-quality production values during the day. The final round is conducted in a show format, hosted by an MC. The show begins at 8:00pm, and admission is charged for viewers of the competition.
Each category competes in a block of the five contestants, ordered at random. Between each category, celebrity guests give performances.
The judging panel for the National Finals include invited celebrity judges, in a panel of no less than five judges. Scores are tabulated real-time.
Following the rounds of competition, contestants are called back to the stage for standings to be announced and prizes to be awarded. First, second, and third place of each category receive cash prizes. First places receives the largest cash prize and the championship trophy.
Saturday Night and the ensuing post-competition festivities conclude the event for the year.
inging and Performance Competition
Karaoke
Karaoke in the United States has seen an increase in popularity from the mid-1990s onward. Fact|date=May 2007 This has given rise to the participation of previously untapped talents among average people who otherwise would not have opportunity to sing in public.
Karaoke originated in Japan, and the term is derived from the words "kara", "empty" and "oke", "orchestra". Simply explained, karaoke provides background music which a singer may use for accompaniment. With the advent of newer video technologies, lyrics are also printed on screen and highlighted in time to the music.
Due to ease of use and low production cost, many entertainment venues such as bars, nightclubs, and restaurants host karaoke shows.
In many cases, long-running karaoke venues develop a subculture of hobbyists, ranging from first-timers to hardcore competitive regulars. Venues with a developed karaoke clientele often host contests or other competitions.
These such venues are most likely to host a Talent Quest competition.
Cultural Evolution of Karaoke in the United States
With the introduction of
American Idol in 2002, karaoke and amateur singing has become more a part of the American cultural landscape. American Idol has brought broad exposure of karaoke and singing/performance to the American population at large. Additionally, films such asDuets and to a lesser extent Lost In Translation have featured karaoke prominently.Competitions such as Talent Quest have benefited from this publicity and exposure. It is from the masses who have become exposed to karaoke and amateur singing that Talent Quest has its appeal. As more and more enthusiasts take the hobby seriously, the competitive aspect of karaoke has come to encompass performance merit as well as vocal ability. Thus, the format of Talent Quest offers the ability to quantify the overall appeal of a performance.
Difference between Talent Quest and other competitions
It should be noted that the methodology of Talent Quest differs from other competitions such as American Idol or other competitions with a similar format.
The Talent Quest format does not have a target age/social demographic, save for the categories which have been selected. This have the effect of making the competition accessible to those who may for some reason be ineligible to compete in a competition like American Idol. Specific examples are: ineligibility due to age, ineligibility due to musical genre, and the like.
However, members of professional entertainment organizations are ineligible to compete in Talent Quest. This includes the members of the
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences , theScreen Actors Guild , andActors Equity .History
2001
The first Talent Quest National Finals was held at the Ramada Express Hotel and Casino in
Laughlin, Nevada .2002
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The Talent Quest 2002 competition used a category format which was different from today's classifications. The categories were: Male Vocal, Female Vocal, Duet Vocal.
2005
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The Talent Quest 2005 competition saw an increase in contestants over the previous year. Additionally, the competition began to see even more international participation, with a sizable New Zealand contingent in attendance.
Notably, the 2005 competition was the last to be produced by Bill Keller, the founder of the contest, and to be hosted by Karaoke Star, an original sponsor. This was due to the Talent Quest organization and trademark being sold to a new management team, bringing new direction and practices.
External links
* [http://www.myspace.com/talentquestgsc The GSC: A fraternity of Talent Quest contestants and supporters at MySpace]
* [http://www.tropicanax.com/ Tropicana Express Hotel and Casino, Laughlin, NV]References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
