Looking for the next Montco Idol

NORRISTOWN — Maybe you haven’t yet snagged the big breaks that went to Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood, but there’s no reason you can’t be the first Montco Idol.

The Times Herald is putting its own hometown spin on the enduringly popular televised music competition “American Idol.”

The stage is set to go county-wide, and a little beyond, in the search for the next rising star, as wannabe idols must be current or past residents of Montgomery County, or living within a 10-mile radius.

By the time you’re reading this, the contest will have officially hit the ground running on Feb. 15, so there’s plenty of time to make judges aware of your solo vocal performance skills before the deadline of March 27, via an mp3 or video file on the contest website ( http://allaroundphilly.upickem.net/engine/Welcome.aspx?contestid=83254 ), or mailed to The Times Herald (remember CDs and DVDs?), 410 Markley St. Norristown, Pa. 19401.

Original works and cover tunes are both welcome.

The website also lists the official contest rules.

Unlike “American Idol,” where singers edging too close to 30 are considered ineligible, Montco Idol is open to all ages, from 13 years old on up.

Three professional judges — Norristown native and singer Alaina Nelson; Ron DiSilvestro of Forge Recording and a Community Music School faculty member — will choose what they believe to be the cream of the crop, whittling the entrants down to a dozen.

The public will vote for the top three out of those 12, with that lucky trinity singing their way into the winner’s circle with solo performances at the outdoor Norristown Arts Hill Festival on May 4.

“We plan to have the top three vote getters of the contest each perform a small set that day,” noted contest organizer Mike Weekley, a marketing specialist for Times Herald parent company Journal Register Company. “The winner will then be named Montco Idol.”

The individual ultimately crowned Montco Idol will get to record a professionally rendered demo at Forge Recording in Oreland, a prize valued at $1,000.

The second place winner will receive a $500 gift card, and a $250 gift card will go to the third place winner.

“I appreciate the opportunity to be involved in this, note DiSilvestro, Forge’s chief engineer and producer, who has helped develop similar competitions for radio station WMMR and various charities. “It’s always nice to hear what talent is out there.”

Serving that audience of musicians and artists that may have eluded the spotlight was one of the goals that inspired Montco Idol, Weekley noted.

“It’s a way of reaching them that we really haven’t done before,” he said. “We thought featuring their work might be the way to do that. This is a great showcase for talent in the area and will give some of these amateur artist a voice and something cool they can tack onto their musical resume … and maybe help some aspiring talent to take the next step.”