(WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ) -- The Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music will produce a gospel music competition called Move on Up aimed at celebrating gospel choirs and praise teams, and presenting prize money to the winning ensembles. Church and community choirs and praise teams from Asbury Park and Newark can submit representative music to a team of judges who will then select six entries to participate in a "sing-off" to determine the winner. Video submissions will begin on March 1 and ends at 6:00pm on April 1, 2024.
The finals will take place on Saturday, June 8th on the campus of Monmouth University, West Long Branch, NJ. Admission will be free.
“We’re excited to kick off this inaugural program devoted to celebrating gospel, one of America’s richest vocal music forms,” said Eileen Chapman, Director of the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music. “While largely started in the Black church, gospel music runs deep into the foundation of secular music. Its roots can be heard in R&B, soul, rock & roll, and the blues.”
Chapman added since the program is in its infancy, only two cities are eligible to compete this year. “Next year we’ll add other cities and the year after that still more so that eventually every gospel choir and praise team in the state will be able to participate.”
Click here for full contest rules and registration. The winning choir or praise team will receive a $10,000 prize to be used to improve any aspect of its ensemble. The runner-up will receive a $5,000 prize.
“Move On Up is just the first of numerous programs the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music will create to explore and celebrate gospel and the many contributions of Black Americans to American music,” said Chapman. “Making sure this great American music form gets the attention it deserves is one of our top priorities.”
The Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music serves as the official repository for the musical legacy of Bruce Springsteen. The Archives includes photographs, periodicals, oral histories, rare recordings, historic footage, and artifacts related to Springsteen and the E Street Band. The Center for American Music produces museum exhibitions, seminars, concerts, and other public and educational programs that both explore and celebrate the nation’s rich music tradition.
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