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Arts & Entertainment

South Bay Teen Idol Finals Will Be March 30

​10 South Bay Teens to Compete in Los Gatos for $2,500 Prize

Jenny Green, Neighbor

Who will be the next South Bay Teen Idol? That’s the question on everyone’s mind leading up to the finals on Saturday, March 30 at 7:00pm at the APJCC Auditorium, located at 14855 Oka Road, Los Gatos.

Ten of the best teen vocalists from the South Bay will compete for the top prize of $2,500 for themselves and $500 for the winner’s school, in the 8th Annual South Bay Teen Idol competition.

The top ten contestants made it through open auditions in January and were winnowed down from 20 contestants at the semi-finals in February.

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At the finals, each participant will perform in two group numbers and one solo. A panel of three judges will comment on each vocalist’s performance. After all 10 finalists have had a chance to perform, the judges will select the top three contestants, and the audience will vote for which of those three will be the South Bay Teen Idol winner for 2019. The 2nd and 3rd place contestants will also receive prizes.

The 10 finalists are:

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  • Aasha Jain, Valley Christian High School
  • Ava Gangi, Los Gatos High School
  • Bella Kurani, Fisher Middle School
  • Felicia Chang, Irvington High School
  • Hazel Gerson-Rosenthal, Los Gatos High School
  • James DiSalvo, Branham High School
  • Julia Cook, Adrian Wilcox High School
  • Lillyana Vaughan, Leigh High School
  • Mailynn Severson, Valley Christian Middle School
  • Zara Lokuge, Castilleja High School
The 2019 judges are:
  • Robert Hayes, the founder, chairman and C.E.O. of the artist management company Sound Management Inc. He is best known for managing the multi-platinum Grammy nominated band Smash Mouth, among other chart topping recording artists. He has also made his mark as one of the premier music licensing executives in the entertainment industry.
  • Ron Xepoleas, a veteran music industry executive at Sound Management Inc., specializing in management, social media, music supervision, and licensing for film and television.
  • Beezie Chapman, an image consultant and Director of the Miss Pacific Coast pageants.
Apart from the $2,500 grand prize scholarship and $500 school donation, second and third place winners will also receive prizes. Additionally, and most importantly for burgeoning talent, all contestants will have developed connections in the highly competitive music industry.

Seating for the finals is limited to 350 people. Admission prices range from $15 to $100 depending on the type of ticket.

Tickets and more information are available at www.apjcc.org/idol. A limited number of tickets will also be available at the door.

For more information please contact Diana Schnabel-Arevalo, South Bay Teen Idol Producer, at, diana@apjcc.org or 408.357.7402.

About the APJCC

The Addison-Penzak JCC of Silicon Valley (www.apjcc.org) is a community center open to people of all faiths and backgrounds. Its programs and services include a state-of-the-art Fitness Center, Aquatics Center, and Tennis Complex, full gymnasium, highly regarded APJCC Preschool, summer camps and after-school programs, adult education, art exhibits and cultural events, and social and enrichment programs for children, teenagers, adults and seniors.

The Addison-Penzak JCC is a beneficiary of the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley and is affiliated with the JCC Association of North America.

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