歪歪漫画

BEMIDJI 鈥� Dozens gathered at BSU鈥檚 Bangsberg Fine Arts Complex on Monday evening to watch contestants compete in the 7th annual Bemidji Sings! event.

The local amateur singing competition, held Aug. 12, featured a lineup of 16 singers in three age categories.

Headwaters Music and Arts Executive Director Tricia Andrews shared that Bemidji Sings! is more than a competition for participants, it's a chance to connect the community and live out the Headwaters mission.

鈥淏emidji Sings! shines a light on local amateur performers and gives them the experience of a fun competition,鈥� Andrews shared. 鈥淲e take pride in it being a well-organized, fun event for the community and we can support musicians and singers in a concrete way.鈥�

Charley Gilbert / Bemidji Pioneer

Throughout the event, competitors were judged on various aspects of vocal abilities and performance.

鈥淭he biggest category was vocal abilities like pitch, breath control, dynamics, phrasing and enunciation,鈥� said judge and BSU graduate Zaq Swank. 鈥淭he next biggest category was the presentation, eye contact, facial expression and stuff like that. The smallest category was based on the audience鈥檚 reaction and an overall judge's impression.鈥�

Normally top-ranked singers would move onto the statewide Minnesota Sings event; however, this year Minnesota Sings is inviting previous winners to compete to win $10,000. Because of this, many towns did not host their local competition 鈥� but that did not stop Bemidji.

鈥淭he local planning committee was pretty invested in doing it anyway,鈥� Andrews said. 鈥淲e didn't have to do it this year because of that change and most towns didn't do it, but we are building a nice tradition and we wanted to keep it going and keep the energy that you saw in there.鈥�

Charley Gilbert / Bemidji Pioneer

This year Andrews implemented a new twist to connect the community further and promote audience participation. The People鈥檚 Choice Award allowed every audience member to vote for their favorite performer in each age category, giving the contestant a $50 cash prize.

"I liked the idea of directly involving the audience more, and having another way to celebrate the singers and to add a little fun to the event itself," she noted.

Audience members were encouraged to interact with singers and applaud as loud as they wanted for each performance. Hoots and hollers could be heard throughout the evening from the lively crowd.

Bemidji Sings! has always been a family event, but this year one family stole the show.

Melody Mike, winner of her category and the People鈥檚 Choice Award, competed along with three of her daughters: Trinity, Joey and Mckenzie.

鈥淚've sung all my life,鈥� Mike said after competing. 鈥淎s a child, in school and college 鈥� I鈥檝e always sang. I just love it.鈥�

Charley Gilbert / Bemidji Pioneer

has a passion for music, with each member having their own strengths and passions. Her husband, Darren Mike, in the Cass Lake and Bemidji area. Her daughters have started developing their tastes and talents along the way.

鈥淢y daughter Mckenzie showed the earliest interest in music,鈥� Mike recalled. 鈥淓very time we heard music at church she would dance in my womb. Like no joke, it was every time. She鈥檚 now the entertainer out of all of us.鈥�

Charley Gilbert / Bemidji Pioneer

Members of the Mike family have been putting more work into their vocal abilities as they form their family band and decide on a genre.

鈥淭hey're each unique, but they complement each other, they support each other and have fun,鈥� Mike said. 鈥淎nd now it's really fun because the whole family gets to play music together and we all play instruments. We're entering a new stage of life and we're going to support them.鈥�

Emcee and local musician Eric Carlson noted that the Bemidji culture fosters an appreciation for the arts at an early age.

鈥淚 feel like we have so many opportunities for kids and Headwaters 歪歪漫画 of Music and Arts is probably one of the main ones for them,鈥� Carlson said. 鈥淚 think most people that I've encountered either appreciate music or participate in music. There are very few people that I've met who don't do one of those two things.鈥�

Charley Gilbert / Bemidji Pioneer

While the judges left to decide the winners, Carlson was joined by all of the singers on stage. Along with the audience, they sang John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads" and The Beatles' "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da."

After the competition, Carlson shared how music can bring people together and connect the community.

鈥淚 think seeing support from a diverse amount of people really helps the participants,鈥� he left off. 鈥淲hen we all appreciate each other's talents our community is stronger.鈥�

Ages 9-12:

1. Trinity Mike
2. Kazzlyn Lee
3. Joey Mike

Ages 13-18:

1. Sherry Pham
2. Natalie Corcoran
3. KK Kossivi

Ages 19 plus:

1. Melody Mike
2. Jill Mann
3. Genevieve Oakes

Ages 9-12: Joey Mike
Ages 13-18: Anika Binder
Ages 19 plus: Melody Mike

Charley Gilbert / Bemidji Pioneer

Charley Gilbert / Bemidji Pioneer