Local Teen Bands have until Friday, October 15 to apply and win the Second Annual SchoolJam USA Teen Band Competition.

Teen musicians between the ages of 13 and 19, with the majority of band members currently registered in a middle or high school in the United States, and are in an unsigned band, are eligible to participate and apply. Bands can perform any genre of music but the song must be original content or designated as “public domain.” To view full competition rules and regulations, and for information about how to apply, visit www.schooljamusa.com.

Semi-finalists will be chosen and names will be posted on the SchoolJam USA website on Nov. 1, 2010, and online voting will be open to the public that day until Nov. 30, 2010. On Jan. 15, 2011, the top 10 finalists will take the big stage in Anaheim, Calif. during the world-famous NAMM Show in front of a panel of professional judges and hundreds of fans for the chance to take the title of Best Teen Band in the USA.

The winning band will walk away with the grand prize trip of a lifetime to perform at the original SchoolJam festival in Frankfurt Germany, as well as receive a private music video recording session on the John Lennon Educational Bus, $1,000 towards the purchase of new gear and $5,000 for their school music program.

This battle of rising stars is produced by NAMM, the not-for-profit association of the international music products industry, and its promotional sponsors MENC: the National Association for Music Education, SchoolJam Germany, Music For All, Drum Corps International, the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus, Vans Warped Tour and Channel One News. The competition highlights quality musical teen talent, gathers students to support music and the arts, and promotes active participation in school music programs.