Stephanie Bowen was named the first ever ‘Voice of Baltimore’ last year at Padonia Station. The contest resumes next Monday, June 3rd, at the popular Timonium sports bar and restaurant. (VoB File Photo/Bill Hughes)

TIMONIUM SPORTS BAR AND RESTAURANT
WILL AGAIN SPONSOR  ANNUAL CONTEST
TO  RAISE AWARENESS OF CHILD ABUSE

Event benefits charitable Ed Block Courage Awards

LAST YEAR’S WINNER TO BE CELEBRITY JUDGE
 
By Maria Amoruso
 
Think you can sing?  Professionally?  And win a vocal competition in front of an SRO audience at a popular sports bar/restaurant in Baltimore County?

Stephanie Bowen thought she could, but she wasn’t sure; she tried and failed three times. But like they say, the fourth try can sometimes yield gold.

And for her it did.

After taking a year off from Padonia Station’s annual singing competition in 2011, Bowen registered for the inaugural “Voice of Baltimore” contest in 2012 — and won. And now, a year later, the determined songstress returns as a celebrity judge to the contest in Timonium that ignited her singing career.

Bowen attests that without the competition she probably wouldn’t be a lead singer with two bands or getting ready for her second national anthem performance at Camden Yards. The 26-year-old winner of last year’s contest and those who won in previous years got to sing at an Oriole game as one of their prizes from the competition.

Many of the previous winners and runners-up have returned to judge the contest in subsequent years as well.

Bowen encourages others with similar dreams to compete in this year’s Voice of Baltimore event that kicks off at 9 p.m. Monday, with registration beginning at 8 p.m.

The fee to register is just $5, which goes directly to the Ed Block Courage Award Foundation to raise awareness and fund prevention of child abuse. Paul Mittermeier, the foundation’s director of communications, told Voice of Baltimore — dot org, the watchdog website, which is a co-sponsor of the competition — that Padonia Station and its staff have been “supporters of ours for a long time and they are always looking for new ways to raise money for us.”

Mittermeier will host the event along with legendary local musician, guitarist Eddie DePaola, a/k/a Zack Chainj.

Master of Ceremonies Paul Mittermeier at Padonia Station with Sara Heilman, one of last year’s finalists. The Timonium club is once again sponsoring its annual singing contest to fight child abuse and benefit the Ed Block Courage Awards. Opening night for this year’s competition is Monday June 3. (VoB File Photo/Bill Hughes)

Mittermeier also co-hosts the sports-radio talk show “Catch the Buzz” on WNST 1570-AM — online at http://www.wnst.net — with Damon “The Bulldog” Yaffe, who will be chief of this year’s contest judges, as he has been in years past. Winners will have a chance to appear on the radio show, as Bowen did last year. (Click here for podcast)

The competition will continue on Monday nights over the next seven weeks. The first four weeks will be qualifying rounds, meaning that new contestants can register and perform any Monday night in June and still have a chance to make it to the semifinals on July 1 and 8.

FINAL TO BE HELD JULY 15

The final will be held July 15, and for the first time in the 12-year competition a male and female winner will be crowned. Padonia Station’s Promotions and Marketing Director Debi Fowler told VoB that “a male has never won” the Voice of Baltimore contest since it began in 2002.

The male and female first-place winners will each receive $300 along with a five-hour studio session, courtesy of the Sheffield Institute for the Recording Arts, located in Phoenix, Md. Second-place winners will go home with $150 and third-place finalists will add $50 to their pockets.

But according to Bowen, the most important benefit to competitors will be the publicity and chance to build relationships with local musicians.

“I had a lot of offers” after winning last year, she explained. “People were asking me to be the lead singer in their band. It was overwhelming and flattering to have that kind of response.”

Although part of Bowen’s prize was a studio session to create a demo tape, she says she hasn’t needed to use it. She ended up joining Final Indecision, a band that covers “everything from pop to classic rock,” and Gutter Rose, an acoustic trio. She now performs at a number of respected establishments throughout the Greater Baltimore area.

The Voice of Baltimore contestants will be judged in three equally weighed categories including performance, stage presence and appearance.

Bowen offers advice to future competitors: “For your first song, you want to establish yourself. Do something that you are comfortable with that they [the audience and judges] won’t see as too easy. But don’t try to do anything too risky; save the riskier stuff for the finals.”

First runner-up Holly Walter brought down the house with her skimpy getup and professional style in the 2012 ‘Voice of Baltimore’ contest at Padonia Station. (VoB File Photo/Bill Hughes)

Bowen performed Faith Hill’s “Stronger” as her first song last year, which she thinks was a good choice because “it showed off my voice, and a lot of people didn’t know the song, which was kind of a good thing because they weren’t comparing it to anything.”

But, she explained, the most important thing to do is, “Have fun with it. That’s what I did for the finals last year. I went with Whitney [Houston’s ‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody’].”

SONG CHOICE MOST IMPORTANT

“A lot of people stay with the slow songs, which I used to do, but song choice is the most important aspect of any singing competition.”

The 2012 “Voice of Baltimore” said that while performing her final song, she “got off stage and wandered through the crowd and had a good time while showing off my voice.” Bowen insists that the judges are “definitely looking for that whole package.”

Voice of Baltimore’s managing editor, AL Forman, who was a judge at last year’s final, and will also be judging this year’s opener next Monday and the 2013 final July 15, concurred:

“We’re looking for stage presence and appearance, a good voice and innovative style,” he said, “and for contestants who aren’t afraid to push the envelope and take a chance.

“Last year there wasn’t a single finalist who was not a true professional in his or her own right. Ask anyone who was in the audience and I’m sure they’ll agree with that assessment. It speaks well for the high level of Baltimore area performers.”

But competitors don’t need to win to get something out of the Voice of Baltimore contest. Their attendance means they are supporting a good cause, meeting interesting people, and pursuing their passion.

Bowen reminds us that even though it’s a contest, it’s a group of individuals enjoying common interests and love of music.

“I built great friendships with people in the competition,” she told VoB, “and everyone is so supportive of each other.

“It’s a fun night out.”
 
mariaamor@live.com
 
CHECK OUT LAST YEAR’S “VOICE OF BALTIMORE” COMPETITION:  click here
 

Stephanie Bowen, Padonia Station’s 2012 “Voice of Baltimore,” sings the national anthem at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in August 2012. She will reprise last year’s performance at 7 p.m. June 10th when the Birds take on the Los Angeles Angels.