Blue Man Group Announces Orlando Drum-Off Competition

Blue Man Group is teaming up with Florida Music Festival to host the 2018 Orlando drum-off competition taking place on Friday, May 11 and Saturday, May 12 in downtown Orlando. Drummers across the USA are invited to participate in the competition and show their creativity, technical ability, and purely awesome drumming skills.

Music has been an integral part of Blue Man Group's DNA since its debut, especially through the various percussion instruments used each show. All performances mix art, music, comedy and state-of-the-art technology backed by a live rock band to create an unforgettable and euphoric dance party.

"I am always eager to see and hear the contestants at the annual drum-off competition," remarks Kevin Connolly, a percussionist with seventeen years of experience at Blue Man Group. "The level of showmanship and creativity is incredibly inspiring and these drummers exhibit one of the best parts of being a musician: the exuberance and thrill of performing in front of a big crowd! The Blue Man Group tribe of drummers shares the same unwavering passion and joy for our craft as these participants. We celebrate the opportunity to bring this energy to the Orlando audience while rewarding those who put on an exhilarating solo performance."

Blue Man Group invites drummers to create a video showing off their art at its finest, upload it to YouTube or Vimeo with the hashtags #BlueManDrumOff and #Contest, and then submit a link to the video at www.blueman.com/orlandodrumoff. The Drum-Off selection panel, comprised of Blue Man Group musicians and performers, will select up to 20 drummers from the video submissions to perform live at the semi-finals on Friday, May 11 in downtown Orlando. Then, the panel will select five finalists to perform a 90-second live set at the Wall Street Plaza Main Stage during the closing night of Florida Music Festival on Saturday, May 12, after which the winner will be announced.

The winner of the competition will take home a complete drum set from DW Drums, Sabian rock performance cymbals, Vic Firth sticks and gift pack, and VIP tickets to Blue Man Group at Universal Orlando Resort, a prize package valued at over $5,000. Semi-finalists will receive VIP tickets as a reward for their efforts as well.

Sean Perry, Florida Music Festival Co-Founder & Co-Owner, remarked, "One of the annual highlights of the Florida Music Festival is being able to collaborate with the internationally-renowned performers of Blue Man Group. The opportunity to expose dynamic future percussionists to the Blue Man network, the attending music industry, and enthusiastic crowds has been one of the more rewarding aspects of this culturally-infused weekend in Orlando."

Details and the complete official rules can be found online at www.blueman.com/orlandodrumoff. Video submissions are open from April 4 to April 30, 2018. The winner will be announced on Saturday May 12.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter contest between 4/4/18 at 9:00 a.m. EST and 4/30/18 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. & D.C. 18 years of age or older at time of entry. Limit 1 entry per person. SEMI-FINALISTS MUST TRAVEL ON MAY 11, 2018. FINALISTS MUST TRAVEL ON MAY 12, 2018. ALL TRAVEL COSTS ARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SEMI-FINALISTS AND FINALISTS. Visit www.blueman.com/orlandodrumoff for full details on how to enter, eligibility requirements, prize description and limitations. Void where prohibited. Sponsor: Blue Man Productions, LLC, 559 Broadway, New York, New York 10012.

About Blue Man Group Orlando

International entertainment phenomenon Blue Man Group has been performing in the custom-built Blue Man Group Theatre at Universal CityWalk since 2006. With 1,000 seats, a 30-foot Blue Man façade and plenty of paint, Blue Man Group at Universal Orlando Resort offers audiences a fun-filled experience like no other.

Blue Man Productions is a global entertainment company best known for the award-winning Blue Man Group show, performed in over 20 countries and seen by more than 35 million people worldwide since 1991. A dynamic combination of art, music, comedy and technology, the show's euphoric celebration of human connection has universal appeal for a broad range of age groups and cultural backgrounds. The show is continually refreshed with new music, fresh stories, custom instruments and unexpected moments. Blue Man Group has permanent theatrical productions in New York, Las Vegas, Boston, Chicago, Orlando, and Berlin as well as a World Tour.

This creative collective has become part of the pop culture zeitgeist. Blue Man Group has served as the face of branding campaigns and appeared countless times on hit shows like "The Tonight Show," "Arrested Development," "Ellen," "Billboard Latin Music Awards," "YouTube's Rhett & Link," "YouTube's Slo-Mo Guys," "Schlag den Raab" (Germany), "WOWOW" (Japan), and "Caldeira?o do Huck" (Brasil).

Beyond the stage show, they are Grammy-nominated recording artists, known for their contributions to various film and TV scores and multiple Blue Man Group albums. Their "Megastar World Tour" rock concert parody played arenas across the globe. The group also published a book, Blue Man World, a visually stunning anthropological exploration of the curious bald and blue character.

About Florida Music Festival

Over a 18 year span, the Florida Music Festival has helped gain industry exposure for then great unsigned artists like Taylor Swift, Flyleaf, Manchester Orchestra, Say Anything and many others to the who's who of the music industry, including the founders of Bonnaroo, The Warped Tour, Republic Records, Fueled By Ramen, as well as and thousands of music fans in Downtown Orlando. The Festival & Conference boast unique events within the context of the weekend, highlighting original artists, including the BMI Brunch and Blue Man Group Drum Off. Drummers formerly associated with FMF Conference Seminars include Paul Doucette of Matchbox Twenty, Will Hunt of Evanescence, Brad Wood of Liz Phair/Smashing Pumpkins, Scott Phillips of Altered Bridge among others.

Check out www.FloridaMusicFestival.com for more information on the Showcase and Industry Conference Schedule.

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