NESCAFÉ SOUNDSKOOL 2008 Mechanics

How to Join:

• NESCAFÉ SOUNDSKOOL is open to all UNSIGNED bands whose members are college/university students. A minimum of three (3) and a maximum of five (5) members are allowed;
• Members of the band must be students currently enrolled in a college/university, male and/or female, sixteen (16) to twenty six (26) years old, Filipino citizens or should have resided in the Philippines for at least one (1) year;
• College/ University being represented by the band should at least have one (1) member enrolled in the said college/university;
• College/ University being represented should have a written endorsement letter signed by the authorized school personnel;
• The following must be included for all band entries:
  • Completed application form;
  • Xerox copy of Birth Certificate;
  • Proof of enrollment (i.e. Validated ID, Registration Form)
  • Letter of Endorsement from School Representative
  • One (1) copy colored group picture (4R);
  • Empty genuine NESCAFÉ 3in1 boxes. Total of four (4) boxes of 10’s in combinations of any variant:
    NESCAFÉ 3in1 Original
    NESCAFÉ 3in1 Sweet ‘n Creamy
    NESCAFÉ 3in1 Intense
  • Demo compact disc (CD) with one (1) cover and one (1) original songs, maximum running time of three (3) minutes per song

Cover and original songs must fall under any of the following genres:

• Pop
• Light Rock
• Alternative

In cases when the band cannot provide a demo CD, they can avail of a one-time free live recording session at a given recording studio on the specified dates below. Each band must pre-register at the designated venue at least one (1) week before their scheduled date. Free recording is on a first-come-first-serve basis and available in Metro Manila, Baguio, Cebu and Davao only. Schedule of free live recording sessions are as follows:

Metro Manila: TBA
Baguio: TBA
Cebu: TBA
Davao: TBA

Musical instruments will be available at the studio for bands’ use. A maximum of thirty (30) minutes of studio use is allotted for each band. The band should provide its own BLANK CD.

Nestlé Philippines, Inc. (NPI) will examine the songs and lyrics submitted. NPI reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify and remove any entry that does not comply with the following requirements. NPI will not take part in dialogue with any contestant who has been refused entry or otherwise:

• Entries that contain elements that have been previously published, released or distributed in any form or which have previously won any award.
• Entries containing any infringing, threatening, false, misleading, abusive, harassing, libellous, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, scandalous, inflammatory, pornographic or profane content.
• Entries containing any material that could constitute or encourage negative conduct or conduct which would be considered a criminal offence, give rise to civil liability, or otherwise violate any law.
• Entries which infringe upon the copyrights, trademarks, contract rights, or any other intellectual property rights of any third person or entity, or which violate any person's rights of privacy or publicity. This means, for example, that entries must not include:
• trademarks owned by third parties;
• copyrighted materials owned by third parties (including musical compositions); and/or
• names, likenesses, voices or other characteristics identifying celebrities or other public figures, living or dead.
• Entries in which a contestant has purchased or secured the rights to use existing music.
• Entries which contain any commercial content that promotes any product or service other than that of NESCAFÉ. Entries must not contain screen credits.

By joining NESCAFÉ SOUNDSKOOL, the bands shall give NPI worldwide rights, including all intellectual property and interest that is created from such entry, to NPI. NPI shall own the copyright in each entry and each band waives the right of ownership for the submission in respect of commercial use, marketing and advertising. Once entered a band shall not be allowed to use said entry in any other competition or contest.

By joining NESCAFÉ SOUNDSKOOL, the bands agree to participate in related publicity and to the use of names and likenesses for the purposes of advertising, promotion and publicity without additional compensation. By entering, each member of the band releases and holds harmless NPI, its parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, employees and agents from any and all liability or injuries, loss or damage of any kind arising from or in connection with participation in the Contest or acceptance or use of any prize to the greatest extent as permitted by law.

All entries should be sealed in a short brown envelope with their band and school name written at the back. Drop boxes are located in partner establishments within Metro Manila. Entries may also be sent via snail mail to the address below:

FRONTROW DIRECT MEDIA GROUP
Unit 1005, Atlanta Center Condominium,
Annapolis St., Brgy. Northeast Greenhills
San Juan, Metro Manila.
Tel. Nos.: 725-0413, 584-1458, 584-1733

Deadline of submission of entries is on September 5, 2008.

Screening:

Upon submission of requirements, a panel composed of professionals from the field of music, NPI and its agencies shall select sixty-five (65) bands (20) from GMA, 15 from Luzon, 15 from Visayas, 15 from Mindanao), based on their Demo CD and band profile, to compete at the Regional Eliminations.

Each band shall be selected according to the following criteria:

NESCAFÉ Experience – Is the total experience emanating from a band in terms of their pop-sensibility, their “feel good” and positive vibe and band image, the workability of their materials and the marketability of their original compositions.

Schools can send in as many representatives as they can, but only one (1) representative with the highest score per school shall be selected at the end of the elimination phase.

Selected bands will be notified through their indicated contact numbers on or before September 19, 2008. Their respective schools will also be formally notified via snail mail.

Regional Eliminations

• All selected bands must perform their original song presented on the demo CD plus one (1) cover song from the list submitted on the application form as chosen by the judges. Each song shall be sung in excerpts only, with a maximum running time of three (3) minutes per song.
  
• There will be a total of four (4) Regional Elimination Rounds. One (1) Metro Manila, one (1) Baguio City, one (1) Metro Cebu and one (1) Metro Davao. Bands will be scheduled to perform once at a venue assigned to them.
  
• Each band shall be judged according to the following criteria:
  
  

  Song Writing	25%
  NESCAFÉ Experience	20%
  Voice Quality	20%
  Performance	15%
  Musicality	15%
  Audience Impact	5%
  TOTAL	100%

NESCAFÉ Experience – Is the total experience emanating from a band in terms of their pop-sensibility, their “feel good” and positive vibe and band image, the workability of their materials and the marketability of their original compositions.

• The band with the highest score shall automatically represent their school to the grand finals. Only 13 bands, four (4) from GMA, Three (3) from Luzon, three (3) from Visayas and three (3) from Mindanao will make it to the Finals in Metro Manila.
• All finalists will receive P25,000.00 cash, net of all taxes, at the regional elimination level.

WORKSHOP

• The NESCAFÉ Soundskool WORKSHOP will be held in BORACAY and in Metro Manila.
• All Grand Finalists will be required to attend the NESCAFÉ Soundskool WORKSHOP, a 7-day crash course on the everything concerning the music making and recording business including vocal coaching, drums, bass and guitar workshops, as well as talks on record producing, recording process, songwriting and other industry matters, by the biggest names in the industry.
• Finalists will also be part of all radio, TV, and/or live appearances and promotions of the event. 
• All transpo, airfare, accommodations, food expenses will be shouldered by NESCAFÉ Soundskool for the entire stay of the Finalists in Boracay and in Metro Manila.
• All finalists will be required to stay in the assigned venue of the workshop and will under no circumstance be allowed to leave premises without permission and approval from the Production Staff assigned to them.
• During the NESCAFÉ Soundskool WORKSHOP, all band finalists will be interviewed individually by the judges and will be tasked to perform their original compositions.
• 35% of the finals score will be based on this one on one session and judged according to the following criteria:
  
  

  NESCAFÉ Experience	10%
  Song(s) Composition	15%
  Personality/Attitude/Aptitude	10%
  TOTAL	35%

NESCAFÉ Experience – Is the total experience emanating from a band in terms of their pop-sensibility, their “feel good” and positive vibe and band image, the workability of their materials and the marketability of their original compositions.

Grand Finals

a. All Finalists through this NESCAFÉ Soundskool WORKSHOP will be given the opportunity of a lifetime to work with a *MENTOR band that will assist in the improvement of their Grand Finals performance. List of mentor bands last year are the following:

• Sugarfree
• Sandwich
• Urbandub
• Imago
• Itchyworms
• Rivermaya
• Jr. Kilat
• Hale
• Moonstar 88
• Mojofly
• Sponge Cola
• Pedicab
• Coffee Break Island

*Subject to change for 2008  without prior notice that may be due to unavoidable circumstances that may arise during the WORKSHOP period

b. Finalists must prepare two (2) original songs plus one (1) cover song picked by their MENTOR band to be performed during the finals night.

c. On finals night, contestants will then be judged according to their performance given the following criteria, resulting to 65% of final score :

d. Their Finals night score will then be added to their score previously garnered in the one on one interview, to determine their final tally.

e. The judges’ decision is final.

The group with the highest final score will win P250,000.00 cash, net of all taxes. The school they represent will also receive a musical showcase consisting of one (1) full band set-up, worth P150,000.00. The musical showcase will be branded NESCAFÉ Soundskool and cannot be altered, exchanged or sold within a two (2) year period. Showcase is not convertible to cash.

NESCAFÉ Soundskool reserves the right to repossess the musical showcase or charge school an appropriate amount in case of non-compliance with the above condition.

• The Event Organizers and Nestlé Philippines, Inc., reserve the right to disqualify any band or its members.

The Event Organizers, Nestlé Philippines, Inc., its suppliers, and all the sponsors for this event are not liable for any of the materials submitted or performed and/or image during the competition used to promote the event. Employees of Event Organizer, NPI, and its agencies, promo suppliers and its relatives up to the 4th degree of consanguinity or affinity are disqualified from joining this competition.

Promo starts March 10 and ends November 30, 2008.
Per DOH-BFAD permit number 0294 series of 2008