Texas Youth Music Festival Main Event: Battle of the Bands + Voices

The Texas Youth Music Festival hits its main day on Saturday, October 17, at the Debra and Kevin Rollins Studio Theatre inside The Long Center. Presented by The Austin School for the Performing and Visual Arts, the festival is open to middle and high school musicians from across Texas, and the Saturday show is where the competition comes to a head. The afternoon features two separate contests—the Battle of the Voices and the Battle of the Bands—running across a range of contemporary styles, from full rock bands to singer-songwriters.

It's not just a one-day affair, though. The festival runs over three days, and the Saturday showcase is the centerpiece. Throughout the weekend, garage bands and solo artists work with professional musicians and music industry insiders, and they perform before a panel of industry professionals. The grand prize is a recording session at Orb Recording Studios; the band In the Attic is one of the past winners. The Rollins Studio Theatre is a flexible black box space that mostly hosts local and regional artists, and on this day it takes in both the vocal and band competitions.

The weekend also includes a chance to meet the judges and some improv music activities at The Hive Art Gallery, and the whole thing closes out with a master class and jam session. So if you're around for more than just the Saturday show, there's a fair bit to see and do around the main event.

The main showcase starts at 2 PM on Saturday, October 17, at the Rollins Studio Theatre, 701 W. Riverside Dr. For those competing, there's a $45 per person contest fee if selected.