All schools in Upshur County will close at 1 p.m. today. All B-UHS sporting events today are canceled.

WVU announces statewide music competition, ‘Talent West Virginia’

WVU
A statewide musical talent competition open to West Virginia resident and college students in West Virginia launched Feb. 4.

West Virginia University College of Creative Arts today (Feb. 4) launched a statewide musical talent competition in an effort to promote the arts in the Mountain State.

Talent West Virginia, sponsored by WVU Medicine and WVU Health Systems, is open to West Virginia residents and college students attending a West Virginia institution. The competition has two categories — professional, for competitors 18 and up, and junior, for competitors 14-17.

“The arts have a major impact in the state of West Virginia, contributing to the economy, culture and community,” said Keith Jackson, dean of WVU’s College of Creative Arts. “Our goal with this competition is to celebrate engagement in the arts, while cultivating and developing their future.”

The first-round of Talent WV will be held online. Musicians can upload their audition videos to TalentWV.com and fans vote for their favorite acts. The online application and voting round is open through March 8. Twelve-to-14 finalists will then be selected by a panel of judges to perform in the final round of the competition.

Finalists will perform live during the Talent WV Finals on April 6 at the Gluck Theatre in WVU’s Mountainlair. The contest is produced by Mon Hills Records, WVU’s student run record label.

“Talent West Virginia is not only a musical competition, but an educational opportunity for all involved,” Jackson said. “From a competitor’s stand point, we’re giving them the same performance experience you would see on many of the popular, nationally-televised talent competitions, with the chance of winning beneficial prizes and recognition. For our students, they gain insight on how to produce a major talent competition, preparing them for their future in the music industry.”

National and local music industry professionals will judge the live performances and give feedback throughout the evening. Prizes will be awarded to the top professional performer, top junior performer and second place overall performer. Prizes include cash and recording deals with Mon Hills Records.

The competition is free to enter. Ticket sales from the live event April 6 will help fund outreach programs in the College of Creative Arts, including West Virginia Public Theatre.

“The college annually provides arts education to thousands of West Virginians and as government allocations for this type of programming diminish, we must get creative in how we raise money to support these programs,” Jackson said. “We’re excited to produce this multi-faceted event that will ultimately further the arts throughout the state.

For more information on Talent WV, including complete rules and guidelines, and to enter, visit www.talentwv.com.

Share this story:

RECENT Stories

Track and Field Bucs win five events in weekly home meet

The Buckhannon-Upshur track and field Buccaneers won five events, including three individual and two relay victories, during their weekly eight-team home meet, with several athletes also earning runner-up and top-six finishes.

Lacrosse Bucs have easy time in 21-3 win over Preston

The Buckhannon-Upshur boys lacrosse team dominated Preston 21-3, with ten Bucs scoring and a decisive 40-5 shot advantage, improving their season record to 4-3.

Moss has five goals as Lady Bucs down Fairmont Senior 12-1 in lacrosse action

Mallory Moss scored five goals to lead the Buckhannon-Upshur Lady Bucs to a dominating 12-1 lacrosse victory over Fairmont Senior, improving their season record to 4-2.
WVWC Track - Wesleyan Sports

Wesleyan softball gets split with West Virginia State

West Virginia Wesleyan softball split a doubleheader with West Virginia State, winning the opener 5–1 behind Kendall Stoffel’s dominant pitching before dropping the second game 8–7 after a late comeback effort fell short.

City considers using opioid abatement money to support new Wesleyan addiction counseling initiative

Buckhannon City Council agreed to partner with West Virginia Wesleyan College to support a new online graduate certificate in addiction counseling, potentially using opioid litigation settlement funds to provide scholarships for local professionals.

Sheriff of Upshur County accepting applications for part-time Courthouse Security positions

The Sheriff of Upshur County is looking for individuals interested in part-time / fill-in courthouse security positions, with applications available at the courthouse until positions are filled.

Softball Lady Bucs rally past Bridgeport in seventh-inning for 9-8 win; Abel grand slam lifts them to 13-7 victory over Elkins

The Buckhannon-Upshur Lady Bucs softball team earned Big 10 Conference wins over Bridgeport with a dramatic seventh-inning rally and Elkins with an Abel grand slam, improving their season record to 8-6.

Baseball Bucs beat Lewis County 7-3; put 20 on the scoreboard in victory over Elkins

The Buckhannon-Upshur Buccaneers baseball team went 2-1 this week, beating Lewis County 7-3 and Elkins 20-10 after falling to Bridgeport, bringing their overall record to 6-5.

Baseball ‘Cats rally to sweep Bluefield State in doubleheader

The West Virginia Wesleyan Bobcats swept a doubleheader against Bluefield State, winning 10-2 behind a dominant offense in game one and rallying for an 8-7 comeback victory in game two.

Woman arrested for allegedly stealing jewelry while cleaning homes in Upshur County

A French Creek woman was arrested and charged with multiple counts of burglary and grand larceny after allegedly stealing more than $70,000 in jewelry and cash while cleaning homes in Upshur County.

A Budding Bash: Moon Flower rolls out the green carpet for ‘420 Eve’

Moon Flower Hemp will host its largest-ever 420 Eve celebration Saturday, featuring food trucks, local vendors, live music, and contests to unite the community and elevate West Virginia’s cannabis culture.

A spring refresh for My Buckhannon

My Buckhannon has launched a redesigned website featuring a cleaner layout, improved readability, streamlined navigation, and enhanced responsiveness to provide readers with a distraction-free, user-friendly news experience across all devices.