For Music Teachers

Kids with Talent SA provides motivation for your music students to rehearse, reminding them of their love for music and keeps them focused on striving to be the best they can be. It also gives them an opportunity to showcase their (and your) hard work, and to engage with other musicians and genres. Children who participate in KWTSA tend to develop an appreciation for performance and become even more committed to their musical studies. We invite music teachers to encourage every student – not just their best students, to take part. You will be amazed at the commitment they demonstrate. You have taught them the technical skills, now let us help them put those to use. We will help to compliment your hard work by developing your students’ performance skills. We are also consistently surprised by how much a teacher’s belief in a child a catalyst can be in motivating that child. By entering your students into KWTSA you can help them by giving them a gentle push, which may yield better results that you had thought possible as they take ownership of their music dreams.

For Parents

If your child is already learning music, it is likely that you are familiar with the many benefits playing a musical instrument offers – from better learning to improved language and mathematical development. In fact, a study published by the University of Toronto found that playing a musical instrument may even help to increase children’s IQ. But one of the most overlooked areas of teaching music to children is providing them with performance opportunities, which is where Kids with Talent SA comes in. Performance not only offers children a goal to work towards but can also be enormously fulfilling. It teaches valuable life skills, from preparation to confidence-building.

For Kids

Kids with Talent SA believes every child should have the chance to feel like a star – whether you play the clarinet, sing opera, jam on a bass guitar or sing. Kids with Talent SA gives you the opportunity to perform on stage, in front of a live audience, like a professional – complete with professional gear and sound. You will have a chance to show off your hard work, and to get helpful feedback from professional musicians. You will also meet and be inspired by other musicians. We believe that hard work – not just talent – is key to success, and we will work with you to deliver your best performance, no matter how far along you are in your musical journey.

Our goal is for our competitions to be a tool in every parent and music teacher’s toolkit to motivate, inspire and encourage children. We believe that our platform will also help to identify and nurture South African music talent, and to grow and strengthen the local music industry. We hope to provide new opportunities for the children we work with, whether it is the chance to perform for the first time, or a lifelong career in music. We are looking to partner with others who share our passion for instilling a love of music and performance in children, including record companies, artist managers, radio stations and music stores. Together, we can develop this initiative into something genuinely great.

The Performance

• Each participant must perform 2 different songs for the regionals, the semi-finals (if applicable), and the finals. Both items must be within the same instrument category, for example, if you enter the vocal category, you must

Entries
The following fields on the entry forms are mandatory and must be completed:

• Entrant name & surname
• Year of birth
• Instrument Selection
• Parent or teacher e-mail address and contact number
• Selected date and venue of choice
• Parent or legal guardian’s signature, accepting our disclaimer.

Entry forms must be completed electronically on our Website

• A certified copy of the entrant’s ID/passport/birth certificate must be shown on day of registration to confirm
  child’s age. We simply cross-reference the year of birth on the entry form with the proof of identity to make
  sure that the entry is valid.
• Late entries will be subject to availability and a penalty fee of R100 will be added to the entry fee.
• If you need to reschedule your child’s/student’s date of participation within 2 weeks from the selected
  performance date, you will be subject to a penalty fee of R150.
• If you need to reschedule your child’s/student’s date of participation outside the 2 weeks from the selected
  performance date, you will be allowed to do so ONCE. If you reschedule a second time (still outside the 2 weeks
  from the selected performance date, you will be subject to a penalty fee of R150.
• Rescheduling fees will only be inapplicable if a signed doctor’s certificate is presented.
• When you choose a date, please take note that your child/student may be scheduled to perform any time of the day between 07:30 in the morning when the first show starts and 22:00 at night when the last show finishes. There is also a chance that your child will be scheduled to perform on the preceding Friday afternoon or evening if we have an overflow of entries for that specific date. Therefore, we would like to appeal to parents and teachers to diarise their chosen date upon entry of the participant and not to book other events for that day before the schedule has been sent. No changes to the schedule will be accommodated from 2 weeks before the applicable event unless a doctor’s certificate can be presented.
• Rescheduling is subject to availability and possibility according to age groups and instrument groups (we cannot move someone to a different show if it means they will be participating outside their age- and instrument
  groups).
• Video entries are strictly only for kids who reside uncomfortably far away from any one of our venues. The entry fee for a video entry is R260 per instrument category.

Instruments & Gear

Kids with Talent SA will supply the following gear at the Regional events:

• An acoustic upright or baby grand piano or an electric piano with a full set of 88 weighted keys(depending on if the hosting school has an acoustic piano)
• A standard acoustic drum kit.
• An amp for electric guitars.
• An electric guitar (kids may use their own guitar).
• A smaller sized acoustic guitar (kids may use their own guitars, but if their guitars do not have a line-in connection, we want to urge them to use ours as a line-in connection provides a better-quality sound as a pick-up oyster mic attached to the guitar).
• Instrument- and vocal microphones.
  Handheld cordless microphones for vocalists. A press-on oyster mic for string instruments without a line-in pickup.
• Mic stands.
• Music stands.
• Jack-to-jack cables.
• Monitors on stage for all performers.

• Performers in the open category must bring their own instruments.
• Drummers may not bring their own drum kits. If they wish to bring a double bass pedal, it will be connected during sound check and will remain there for the duration of the show, which means that the other drummers in the show will also be using it.
• Vocalists may bring their own mic stands, but not their own mics.
• Guitarists need to bring their own picks.
• Drummers need to bring their own sticks.
• All gear that participants bring to our events, including memory sticks or CD’s, must be collected after the show, and taken home. Kids with Talent SA and its staff does not take any responsibility for participants’ gear and anything that stays behind will be left at the venue.
• If a participant has any specific requirements or will be using specific gear like a loop pedal, or if they have special needs, Kids with Taleperform two items where you sing with a backtrack. You may not split the entry and perform two items over two different categories.
• Piano players may use backing tracks or perform solo, but a teacher or parent may not accompany kids on stage.
• Drummers may use backing tracks or perform solo, but a teacher or parent may not accompany kids on stage.
• Guitarists may use backing tracks or perform solo, but a teacher or parent may not accompany kids on stage.
• Vocalists may use backing tracks or perform solo, but a teacher or parent may not accompany kids on stage. Classical vocalists need to indicate their classical genre on the entry form and may not be accompanied. They must perform with a backtrack or sing a Capella, and a condenser microphone will be provided.
• Self-Accompanists may not use backing tracks and a teacher or parent may not accompany kids on stage. The participant must sing, accompanying themselves using an instrument of their choice.
• Participants in the Open Category may use backing tracks or perform solo, and a teacher or parent may accompany kids on stage on the piano. We would, however, like to motivate the kids to use backing tracks.
• Participants in the Open Category may enter performing on more than one instrument but should note that they would need to perform 2 items per instrument and that the registration fee is payable for each instrument. For example, you may enter playing the Cello and the Violin and would need to perform 2 Cello items and 2 Violin items, paying for both instruments.
• Participants in the Duet category may use backing tracks or perform using solo instruments/vocals. Teachers or parents may not accompany kids on stage. We can accommodate most duet items, but unfortunately, we cannot accommodate a drum duet.
• The timer starts as soon as we hear sound, whether it is the sound of the backing track, the instrument, the vocalists or if the participant says something before their performance. We will deduct 10% from their mark for every 10 seconds that the participant goes over the time limit.
• If a performer makes a mistake and wants to restart their performance, they may, but we will not restart the clock. The clock will keep on running until the end of the performance. We will only restart the clock if something goes wrong from a technical point.
• At the Regionals we take both your scores from your 1st and 2nd song and add them together if you get 75% or more you will go through to Semi- finals (If applicable) at Semi-Finals you have to score 80% or more to go through to the finals.The top 30 Scores at the Finals will go through to the Grand Finale where the Prizes will be given.
• If a participant is absent for the sound check without prior notice, they will NOT be allowed to participate in the show.
• Backing tracks must be submitted by the due date as stipulated by the e-mail sent 1 week prior to the event. Any backing tracks submitted late or if backing tracks need to be changed on the day, will be subject to a penalty fee of R50 per track.

Kids with Talent SA consists of three to four rounds:

1. Regionals
2. Vocal semi-finals (if applicable)
3. Finals
4. Grand finale

Age Categories

KWTSA is open to children aged 6 to 18, divided into the following age groups:

• Age Group A: 6-9 years 9
• Age Group B: 10-11 years
• Age Group C: 12-13 years
• Age Group D: 14-15 years
• Age Group E: 16-18 years

Age groups are defined under the YEAR the child was born in, not their current age or the age they will be on the day
of their event. Even if a child’s birthday falls on the last day of the year, they will still be grouped under the year they
were born in. In this year (2024) kids born from 2006 to 2018 may enter. If they were born in the year 2003, they will be
turning 19 in this calendar year and will thus be too old to participate. If a child was born in the year 2019, they will be
turning 5 in this calendar year and will thus be too young to participate.

Kids may enter in the following instrument categories:

• Piano/keyboard (kids may not be accompanied by a teacher/parent/adult)
• Guitar (kids may not be accompanied by a teacher/parent/adult)
• Drums/percussion (kids may not be accompanied by a teacher/parent/adult)
• Vocals (kids may not be accompanied by a teacher/parent/adult)
• Self-Accompaniment (kids may not be accompanied by a teacher/parent/adult; this category is open to children
aged 10 and older. Younger children may enter this category but will compete against children in older age
groups)
• Open Category (any other instrument not listed above) (kids may be accompanied on the piano by a teacher/
parent/adult)
• Duet (kids may not be accompanied by a teacher/parent/adult)
• Band (This group may be 3-6 members)

We would like to give children the opportunity to share the stage with a sibling or friend. The children do not have to be
the same age – they enter the age category of the oldest child. For example:
Kids may perform using any combination of instruments. One child may enter with multiple duo partners, but each
unique duo will have to be another duo entry.

Every entry includes two performances/items (a maximum of 100 seconds each). Children may enter multiple instrument categories using the same entry form and must perform two items within the chosen category or categories.

Schedule of Fees for Regionals

• Regional Solo Entry (Per Category): R390.00

• Regional Duet Entry (Per Duo): R565.00 

• Video Entries (Per Category): R265.00 The link to the digital entry form is available on Facebook, our website (www.kidswithtalent.co.za) or upon request via email or WhatsApp.

ENTRIES ARE DUE BY 31 MAY 2024!

Every entry includes two performances/items (maximum 100 seconds each). Children may enter multiple instrument
categories using the same entry form and must perform two items within the chosen category or categories.
Schedule of Fees for Regionals
• Regional Solo Entry (Per Category): R390.00
• Regional Duet Entry (Per Duo): R600.00
• Video Entries (Per Category): R270.00
The link to the digital entry form is available on Facebook, our website (www.kidswithtalent.co.za) or upon request via email
or WhatsApp. Alternatively, you can scan the QR codes here:

Kids with Talent SA runs a host of live regional events around Gauteng, and video entries for the whole country in areas we are not hosting live events. This allows children, schools, and families to participate close to home. Special support is given to children undertaking their first-ever live performance, from moral support to performance advice. Each performance is celebrated. Spectatorship of the regional showcases is R20 per person aged 7 and above. Kids 6 years and younger enter free of charge. We would like to encourage you to invite friends and family members to make the day extra special for the participants. Every child who participates is given a certificate, and winners are selected in each age- and instrument category. If there are not enough participants within a specific age- and instrument category for a specific date and venue, we will ask the parents to move their child to another date and venue where it will be viable for us to host a competitive event. Here the admin fee will not be applicable.

The best performers from the regional events are invited to perform at the national finals (at an additional cost). If a child places first in their regional event, they will go straight through to the finals. If you score 75% or more you will go through to the Semi-finals and if you score 80% and more at the semi-finals you will go through to finals. The top 30 scores in all the age-categories will perform at the grand final. Medals are given for placing first, second or third in every category in each age group. There are fantastic prizes for the winners at the Grand-finale

In every instrument category, you may perform any genre of your choice. Kids with Talent SA entries are not subdivided into genres. In other words: in a specific age- and instrument all genres compete against each other, much like Idols, X-Factor, or other national talent shows.

At the regionals, ever participant must perform 2 items.

• Participants must perform 2 different items (solo and duet regional entries) and not the same song twice. Your item may be a medley of songs or your own composition.

• All genres compete against each other, so anything goes. • Backing tracks may be used by any performer, but not in the self-accompaniment category. Performers may not be accompanied by other musicians, unless if they are in the open category.

• For the regionals, each item/performance may not be longer than 100 seconds. If you exceed 100 seconds, you will be penalised with 10% off your final mark, per 10 seconds that you exceed the time limit width.

There will be a sound check for every one of our shows. Please do not be late for the sound checks. Failure to be ready at the sound check will have a negative impact on the child’s performance. We want to have a professional show and therefore it is of vital importance that the kids attend sound checks. During the sound check the kids will have an opportunity to perform a small part of each of their songs and to get familiar with the sound, the stage, and their surroundings. Our team also communicates important information with the kids to ensure that the show will run seamlessly. If you miss the sound check without prior notice, you will not be allowed to perform (no refunds). No parents or coaches will be allowed into the sound check (unless if a teacher needs to accompany a child in the open category, or if there is a special needs child and the parent arranged with us beforehand). We will have capable professionals handling the sound check. We aim to make the children feel comfortable with all the new variables on stage and even enlighten them on what a professional sound check is.

Backing tracks will be requested via e-mail two weeks before the children’s shows (backtracks are usually due the Tuesday or Wednesday before the performance weekend). Backing tracks must be submitted by the due date as stipulated by the e-mail sent 1 weeks prior to the event.

Any backing tracks submitted late or if backing tracks need to be changed on the day, will be subject to a penalty fee of R60 per track. Please ensure that your child’s/student’s backing tracks are cut to the required length and that they comply with our rules and regulations.

We will need the following upon submission of backing tracks:

• Tracks must be in mp3 or wav format.

• Please make sure that your backing tracks are of good quality (karaokeversion.com is a good source). 12

• Backing tracks must be cut to the required length: o 100 seconds or less for solo and duet performances in the Regionals o 100 seconds or less for solo performances in the vocal semi-finals

Please label the backing tracks as per example below:

Participant Name and Surname | Indication of 1st or 2nd item to be performed.

▪ For example:

• Jane Doe – Tack (1)

• Jane Doe – Track (2)

Backing tracks may not have the same instrument playing the same melody or riff as the participant, on the track:

• Vocalists may have backing vocals, but not lead vocals on their backing tracks.
• Drummers may not play the same groove as on their backing tracks.
• Pianists may not have piano on their backing tracks.
• Open Category instruments may not have the same instrument that they are playing on their backing tracks.
• No backing tracks are allowed in the Self-Accompaniment category.

All the above-mentioned rules apply to duet entries. Failure to comply with these rules will result in the item being disqualified.

Please bring your backing tracks on a USB memory stick to your event, with the tracks labelled the same way as set out above. This acts as an important backup if anything goes wrong with the submitted track.

Please note that our equipment does not cater for CD’s and that all tracks brought to the show would need to be on a USB drive (secondary to the songs being submitted via e-mail).

Please take note that we will only be hosting live regionals in parts of Gauteng. Kids from other areas in SA may submit
video recordings of their performances. The same rules that apply to the live regionals, apply to the video entries.

Video entrants must complete a regional entry form and select “video entry” on the digital form, instead of indicating their chosen date/venue. The entry fee for video entries is R250 per instrument category. Two items of no more than 100 seconds must be submitted.

Please make sure that the videos that you submit are of good quality. They do not need to be professionally recorded videos, but we would like to urge entrants to make recordings in an optimal setting without noise disturbances.
If you lip-sync or play unplugged over a pre-recorded, mixed, and mastered track, your item will be disqualified.
The cut-off date for submission of video files is Thursday 31 July.

Please do not send videos via WhatsApp. Video files will only be accepted via the following channels:
• Sent via Dropbox.
• Sent via We Transfer
• Sent via Google Drive

Please make sure to label your video files by using the participant’s name, surname, and the name of the song they are performing. If you do not receive a confirmation of receipt of your video within two weeks after submission, please contact Kids with Talent SA. 082 4490 8089

If you enter via video clip and make it through to the finals, you will need to travel to Gauteng to attend the Final events
to be considered for a prize.

*You may ONLY enter via video clip if you reside outside of Gauteng or live more than 50 km away from any one of the venues on the entry form. If you reside inside Gauteng, you MUST enter for a live performance at one of the givenvenues. Video entries exist for the sole reason that we do not yet host live shows in all the provinces of South Africa.

We have different regional dates taking place during June and July and therefore the results regarding the participants who have made it through to the finals will only be announced via e-mail and social media in August and September.

Golden tickets are given to outstanding participants at the KWTSA regionals. If your child receives a golden ticket, they have a guaranteed spot in the grand finals for their age group. The golden tickets are given out on the day of the regionals after the show during the awards ceremony. Please note that the Golden Ticket guarantees your spot in the Grand Finale.

Depending on the number of vocal entries in comparison to instrumental entries that we receive, we might host a semifinal leg for the vocalists.

Finalists will be announced in August (exact date TBC). The children who qualified to participate at the Grand Finale will be announced in the week after the Finals. If one of the announced finalists cannot attend the final event, the next contender in line will be contacted.

For your child to participate at the finals, you will have to pay an extra fee: Schedule of Fees for Finals

• 1 Instrument category (excluding duet category) – R600.00

• 2 Instrument categories (including duet category) – R1100.00

• 3 Instrument categories (including duet category) – R1 500.00

• 4 Instrument categories (including duet category) – R1 800.00

• Duet category ONLY – R450.00 per person

Just like at the regionals, the Finalists will have to perform 2 different items in their instrument category, of no longer than 100 seconds each. Their songs may be the same songs they performed at the regionals, or they may be different.

They get judged from scratch by a panel of 3 judges, and here, unlike at the regionals, both items’ marks get added up to give them a final score.

Dates for the Finals:

The Finals will take place at Beaulieu College in Midrand in September. Exact times and dates for each age group will be communicated in August 2024.

This is where the best of the best in all ages and instrument categories compete for the final prizes.

To win a prize you must be at the Grand Finale.

Two kids will walk away with the ultimate prize – one for Instrument category and one for Vocal/Duet/Self-Accompanied category. The top 10 vocal runner-ups will also win a cover recording and the top 10 instrument runner-ups will win master classes .

The overall grand finale winners will be required to perform at the Grand Finale in the following year.

• The overall winners will not be allowed to enter the competition in the same age- and instrument category the following year.

• The top 10 runner-ups from the Grand-finale will automatically qualify to participate at the finals the following year (in the applicable instrument category and provided they are still in the same age category that they won)

• There is a additional Fee of R800 for the Grand-Finale.

Our judges are professional musicians who have worked with children and are known in the music industry. Our panel will consist of 2 judges at the regionals and semi-finals and 3 judges at the finals.

You will be judged on the following:

• Technicality: difficulty and execution are approximately 70% of your mark.

• Performance: x-factor, entertainment value and engaging the audience is approximately 30% of your mark The judges are looking for the full package, all aspects are important. We do bear in mind that certain instruments require more technical skill and do not call for much performance.

For those instruments, the ratio between technicality and performance will be adjusted. Rules: The judge’s decision is final and may not be disputed.

All performances at the regionals and semi-finals are video recorded for later use when we compare participants between the different regions to select our finalists. We try our utmost best to make every child feel valued, but please remember that any competition needs to have winners.

• Try to perform two different styles of song. Although we at Kids with Talent SA are not prejudiced by genre, and your genre will not count against you, some variety in your musical style will show the judges that you have a diverse range of techniques.

For example, if you are in the vocal or self-accompaniment category, try to perform an upbeat song, as well as a slower song, or a song with a high vocal range and a song with a lower vocal range. For piano, you may perform pieces from different style periods or other instrumentalists may perform songs from different genres like pop and jazz, just to show that you can perform in various styles using different techniques.

• Remember to communicate with the audience through your performance. If the audience enjoys your performance, the judges will too!

• Relax and have fun. If you enjoy what you are doing, it will win over the audience and the judges will enjoy your performance as well.

• If you make a mistake, just pick up your performance where you can and carry on. • Come prepared – practice makes perfect.

• Remember that small mistakes are not that big of a deal.

Bank: FNB

• Account Type: Business Account

• Account Number: 62732864344

• Branch Code: 250-655 (Clearwater Mall)

• Reference for solo items: Child’s name, surname, and year of birth in brackets

• Reference for duet items: Child’s name, surname, and the word “duet”

For more information regarding the Kids with Talent SA platform, please send us an e-mail to info@kidswithtalent.co.za. You can also visit our website at www.kidswithtalent.co.za or visit our Facebook page @KidswithTalentSA. Our contact number via WhatsApp and phone call is 082 449 8089