Five singers advance in first round of Rhine Hall's vocal competition

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A packed house rocked and rolled at Rhine Hall for the first round of the Rising Star vocal competition as there was no shortage of talent on the stage. The contest featured eight performers who vied for the chance to advance to the semi-finals, a step closer to being named Kokomo's first Rising Star.

Singing in front of three seasoned judges -- WWKI's Kenny Beasley, Bree Bragg of the Kokomo Post, and Sami Soutar-Lightsey from the Rhum Academy of Music -- the contestants received pointers and critiques from the panel who eventually chose four of the singers to advance.

When the music stopped echoing throughout the hall, Amos Greene, Shayden Smith, Lucy Featherston, and Mar'Koya Kendrick were selected to advance to the semi-finals on June 27.

But there was a wild card on the table. The crowd had the chance to select its favorite singer from among the competitors. They did so by donating a dollar for each vote they cast. The money collected through wild card voting was donated to the Legacy Fund at the Rhum Academy of Music to help defray the cost of training for talented students who might not otherwise have the opportunity to refine their gifts.

Once the votes were counted, Mackenzie Bashore found herself catapulted into the next round by popular demand.

In addition to moving forward in the competition, elimination round survivors receive one-on-one training from the judges. The eventual winner -- the Rising Star -- will also receive $500 and a free recording session. There also will be prizes for the singers placing second and third.

The second round of Rhine Hall's Rising Star Vocal Competition takes place Fri., June 13, with seven more singers belting out tunes for a chance to advance. After the semi-final round, the finals will take place on Fri., July 18.

Tickets for each event are $10 and are available in advance by visiting www.rhinehallevents.com or at the door. Students save $5 on admission. Rhine Hall is located at 507 N. Union St. in downtown Kokomo. All shows start at 7 p.m. For more information, visit the Rhine Hall Entertainment and Event Venue on Facebook.

See additional photos from this event and watch videos of the performances at the Kokomo Lantern’s Facebook page or group.