The second annual Asian Icon singing competition will be taking place on Saturday, September 17, 2005 at the two day Asia Pacific Festival and Tradeshow (APFT), September 17-18, 2005, to be held at the Stardust Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The APFT is a two-day indoor festival and tradeshow that features a diverse mix of Asian entertainment, food and booths to both the Las Vegas community and its tourists. This year’s Asia Pacific Festival and Tradeshow is the First Asian festival on the Las Vegas strip and is part of the 2005 Las Vegas Centennial Celebration.

Asian Icon is one of Saturday’s highlights at the APFT. Ten contestants will compete for a chance to win a $5,000 value recording package from Vizzun Entertainment and a featured song on Rhythm Drive Record’s “Slow Jam Sessions Vol.2”, a CD compilation featuring Asian American recording artists.

Live Auditions will be held on August 5 in Hayward, California and August 19 in Las Vegas, Nevada. For participants unable to attend the live auditions, video auditions will be accepted from July 1–August 20, 2005. All contestants must be 16 – 21 years old. Contestants from last years Asian Icon may compete, with the exception of the first place winner.

Asian Icon is now accepting applications from interested contestants, guest performers & hosts, judges, and sponsors.

JOIN THE VARIASIANS!  The VariAsians are looking for a few musically talented and fun loving people to join our family. The VariAsians is composed of singers with roots across Asia and America who come together to sing a cappella. We fuse East Asian influences with pop, rock, R&B, and soul songs for a lively, multi-layered sound.

We are currently selectively auditioning Asian American singers for the all voice parts, with an emphasis on Soprano and Bass/Percussion. We practice every Sunday at 7:30 pm in Brighton for 3 hours, but occasionally practice more heading into major gigs. 
Singers who are interested must be highly committed, energetic, flexible, and possess a strong drive and willingness for teamwork and performance.

Requirements:

• Ability to read music or otherwise learn music quickly
• Ability to stay on pitch within complex chords
• Ability to blend and harmonize
• Ability to contribute an average of 5-10 hours per week

Highly preferred:

• Ability to sing lead a major plus
• Managing and organizing skills
• Past experience with a cappella music