Beats for Good is a competition seeking the best and brightest up-and-coming musical talent to play at Do Good Fest. The Grand Prize Winner of this competition will receive the opportunity to perform at Do Good Fest. Additionally, the three acts who receive the most votes will win cash donations for their schools’ music programs from the National Life Group Foundation.

This competition is open to current high school students in Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, or the Plattsburgh region of New York. Students can perform any genre of music and may enter as either solo performers, a band, or a school music ensemble.

Please note: everyone in your act must be a current high school student. We will NOT accept submissions that feature adults, with the exception of conductors.

Nope! This contest is open to acts of all sizes, from individual performers to marching bands. Please remember, however, that anyone in your submission MUST commit to playing at Do Good Fest if you’re chosen as the Grand Prize Winner.

Absolutely! You will be able to include each band member and their school on the submission form.

To enter this year’s Beats for Good competition, please complete our submission form above the Frequently Asked Questions.

1) Sign in to YouTube Studio or create an account if you don’t have one.
2) In the top-right corner, click CREATE and then Upload videos.
3) Select the file you’d like to upload.
4) Once the video is finished uploading, return to your dashboard and click on Content on the left-hand side.
5) Hover over your video and look for the Options icon (three vertical dots). Click on Options, then click on Get shareable link.
6) The link will be copied automatically. Return to the Beats for Good submission form, right click on the field to share a link, then click Paste.

1) Go to Vimeo and in the upper right hand corner of the screen, sign into Vimeo or create an account if you don’t have one already.
2) Hover over the New Video icon in the top right hand corner of the screen, then click “Upload.”
3) Drag and drop your performance video onto the page. Once you select a file, Vimeo will automatically upload you video and save it to your channel.
4) At the top of the screen, click on the black Share button.
5) From the window that pops up, click on Copy Link.
6) Return to the Beats for Good submission form, right click on the field to share a link, then click Paste.

The deadline to enter the 2026 Beats for Good competition is Monday, May 4, 2026.

Once the submission period closes, a panel of local and national music professionals and educators will review the submissions and choose the top entries based on the following criteria:

• Stage Presence: performance is confident, memorable and engaging

• Musical Ability: performance is in tune and shows good technique

• Balance and Blend: the performance sounds well blended, no one player/instrument is standing out

• Diction: lyrics are clean, clear and understood

• Creativity:

  • Covers: performer(s) adds their own creativity to give interest to the song and/or performance

  • Originals: The song and lyrics are new and exciting

We’ll be sharing the top entries on this page, and the public will be able to vote for their favorite performance. Your friends, family, and teachers will all be able to support your entry. The act who receives the most votes will win the competition.

The public voting period will open on Monday, May 25, 2026 and close on Monday, June 1, 2026.

The Grand Prize Winner will be invited to perform on the main stage at Do Good Fest 2026 on July 11.

Additionally, the National Life Group Foundation will make a cash donation to the top three acts’ school music programs:

• The Grand Prize Winner will receive a $5,000 donation and a $1,500 personal cash prize.

• The First Runner-Up will receive a $2,500 donation.

• The Second Runner-Up will receive a $1,000 donation.