Budding Talent Vocal Competition

Budding Talent is an annual vocal competition open to performers in Kindergarten through 12th grade. Contestants can participate as a solo act, or as a group (up to 4 students, in the same age category). The contest provides young singers the opportunity to showcase their skills and perform on stage in the Charles W. Eisemann Center for Performing Arts during Richardson’s Wildflower! Arts & Music Festival in front of a live audience. 

Seedlings: Kindergarten – 2nd Grade

Sprouts: 3rd Grade – 5th Grade

Buds: 6th Grade – 8th Grade

Jr. Wildflowers!: 9th Grade – 10th Grade

Wildflowers!: 11th Grade – 12th Grade

In-person live auditions for all applicants were held on Sunday, April 7, 2024, at the Richardson Senior Center, which is located at 820 W. Arapaho Road. The finals were then held at Wildflower! on Sunday, May 19 at 1:00 PM on the Singer Songwriter Stage in the Eisemann Center. Scroll to see this year’s finalists and winners! 

Applications for the 2025 Budding Talent Vocal Competition will be available soon! 

2024 Winners & Finalist

Competition Rules

• Contestants must be at least of Kindergarten age (5 years or older). 
• Contestants must complete the online application.  
• Contestants must include a current photo (headshot style) to be used in the Finals Program for those moving on to the Finals. 
• Contestants are required to perform at the live audition. 
• Contestants will receive an email with all details pertaining to the live audition, including timeslot. 
• If you have not received information prior to March 31, please check your spam folder. 
• Contestants must perform a song from memory at the live audition in front of the Budding Talent panel of judges, and their age group peers. 
• Song selection cannot exceed 3 minutes and no vulgar language or profanity will be allowed. 
• Contestants may bring a phone for musical accompaniment to the audition (Bluetooth speakers will not be provided, please bring your own auxiliary cord), accompany themselves on an acoustic guitar or keyboard or bring an accompanist (keyboard is available if desired).  No flash drives allowed. 
• Small vocal ensembles of two to four singers are eligible, but bands are not eligible to apply. 
• Parents are not allowed into live audition room with contestants. 
• Selected finalists are invited to perform on the Singer Songwriter Stage in the Eisemann Center during the Wildflower! Arts & Music Festival on Sunday, May 19, at 1:00 PM. 
• A mandatory meeting prior to the festival for all finalists will be held at the Eisemann Center. 
• A prize package will be given to the winner in each age category. 

Competition FAQ’s

Will I receive a confirmation email?No, but you will receive an email after the deadline closes, between March 22-31. If you haven’t received an email by April 1st, please let us know at [email protected]

 Are singers allowed to perform an original song?
Absolutely!

Do I have to provide my own transportation to the auditions and/or finals?
Yes. If you are traveling from out of the metroplex, be aware that there are potentially three dates for which you will have to make the trip—the auditions, the mandatory meeting before the finals, and the finals.

If I make the finals, should I sing the same song as the one I performed for the audition?
We recommend auditioning with a song that you would like to perform for the finals on the stage in the Eisemann Center. The judges will be looking for a singer that seems ready for that leap to performing in front of a larger audience, and song choice is a factor in their choice. Still, it is fine if you decide to change your selection after making it to the finals.

What if I have a conflict with my given audition time?
We have too many contestants to accommodate special requests for time slots. All contestants in their respective age groups will be judged by the same panel in their time window. It is not possible to audition outside of the given time.

What are the judges looking for?
The panel of judges will each look at factors such as tone, accuracy of pitch, musicianship, song selection and interpretation, and stage presence, and then confer to come up with the finalists. We would like to note that there are no specific quotas for each category and that they will pick the top contestants who also have exhibited the best ability to handle performing in front of a large audience. It is important to remember that the audition begins when you walk in the door and continues until you leave the audition site.

Do I have to stay after I have auditioned?
While it is a good experience to listen to others in your age group, you may leave the audition room after your audition is over if you like. We understand that this may be necessary and the judges will not penalize anyone for leaving.