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Beats for Good

Have you ever dreamt of performing on the same stage as your favorite band in front of thousands of people? Show us what you’ve got by entering our Beats for Good competition! We’re looking for musical talent to play at this summer’s Do Good Fest, and what better place to look than our own backyard?

How It Works

Beats for Good is open to any current Vermont high school student and their classmates. This contest is open to musical acts of all sizes and genres. Whether you’re a solo performer, a band, or a member of a school music ensemble, we want to hear from you!

As part of your entry, we ask that you share a YouTube, TikTok, or Vimeo link to one of your performances no longer than five minutes. Submissions for 2024 will open on March 18th and close on April 28th.

Once the submission period closes, a panel of local music professionals and educators will review the submissions and choose their favorites 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 visitors will be able to vote for their favorite performance. Your friends, family, and teachers will all be able to support your entry.

The Grand Prize Winner will be invited to perform on the main stage at Do Good Fest 2024 on July 13th! Additionally, the top three acts that receive the most votes will win the following donations for their schools’ music programs:

  • First Place - $5,000 donation, plus a $1,000 personal cash prize

  • Second Place - $2,500 donation

  • Third Place - $1,000 donation

In short - It’s America’s Got Talent with a Vermont-twist.

Previous Beats for Good Winners

2022
Kingdom All-Stars
Montpelier, VT

2023
Ms. Lee Fan Club
South Burlington, VT

Meet the Judges

  • Adam Ezra

    Adam Ezra is the front man of The Adam Ezra Group. Fusing folk intimacy and rock energy with soul power and pop charm, the band first emerged from Boston in the early 2000s and quickly garnered widespread acclaim for their bold, insightful songwriting and interactive, euphoric performances. From hole in the wall bars and house concerts to sold-out headline shows and dates with the likes of Little Big Town, The Wallflowers, Gavin DeGraw, Train, and The Wailers, Ezra and his bandmates treat every single gig like their last, attracting a die-hard following that believes not just in the music, but in the band's commitment to activism and social change.

  • Kathy Marchetti

    Kathy Marchetti is the Vice President of Field Promotion at Republic Records (a UMG label). Kathy throughout her career has worked with many amazing artists including, Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, The Jonas Brothers, Noah Kahan, Post Malone...and so many more! Kathy is so dedicated to making a difference for artists she works with and is highly respected in the music business. She is new to the Beats for Good judges panel but is excited to dive in and get involved.

  • John Mullett

    John Mullett is the Vice President of Operations/Station Manager at VOX AM/FM Digital, overseeing radio stations such as Star 92.9 and 95 Triple X, as well as many others. John grew up in central Vermont and ended up going to school in Boston at Berklee College of Music. From there, John toured in a band (even hitting Higher Ground a couple of times) before finding his way into the music industry and radio in Boston. Missing his small-town roots, John was excited to come run bands in the state he loved so much growing up. John's favorite part of the summer by far is National Life Group Do Good Fest!

  • Susan O'Daniel

    Susan O’Daniel is a private instrumental music instructor and adjunct Professor of Music at UVM, teaching Brass Techniques to Music Education Majors. She was the Instrumental Music Director at Vergennes Union High School for 42 years where she directed the Middle School and High School Concert Bands, Marching Bands, Jazz Ensembles and pit orchestra for the annual musical production. This is her third year as a judge for Beats for Good!

  • Scott Rogers

    Scott Rogers is the Head of Facilities for National Life Group and oversees the operation and maintenance of our offices in Vermont and Texas. Scott was in a band in high school and college (rhythm guitar) and he loves seeing the many talented Vermont musicians when he serves as a judge for the Beats for Good contest. Scott is also one of the lead organizers for the Do Good Fest, and serves as the Incident Commander on the day of the event.

  • Lindsey Rusnock

    Lindsey Rusnock recently graduated from the University of Vermont with a degree in Music Education. She did her student teaching at South Burlington HS and will be a long-term sub for the chorus teacher at Mount Mansfield Union HS in the late spring. She is a vocalist and pianist and she likes to dabble in guitar as well. Lindsey has volunteered at Do Good Fest since it began and has been the Beats for Good Coordinator and a judge for the past 2 years. She looks forward to it every year!

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Beats for Good is a competition seeking the best and brightest of Vermont’s up-and-coming musical talent to play at Do Good Fest. The winners of this competition will receive the opportunity to perform at Do Good Fest. Additionally, the National Life Group Foundation will make cash donations to their school’s music programs.

  • This competition is open to current Vermont high school students. Students can perform any genre of music and may enter as either solo performers, a band, or a school music ensemble.

  • Nope! This contest is open to acts of all sizes, from individual performers to marching bands.

  • 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) Download the TikTok app from either the App Store (Apple) or Google Play (Android).

    2) Open the app and create an account if you don’t already have one.

    3) Tap the + button at the bottom of the screen From here, you can either record your performance directly on TikTok, or you can upload a video taken on your phone.

    TIP: We suggest not putting any sound effects or filters on your video so our judging panel can see and hear you as clearly as possible.

    4) Once you’ve finished recording/uploading your performance, tap “Next” at the bottom of the screen. From here, you’ll be able to post your video by clicking “Post” at the bottom of the screen.

    5) After your video is posted, tap on the three dots in the bottom right hand corner of the screen.

    6) From the menu that pops up, click on the blue Copy Link button.

    7) Return to the Beats for Good page, hard tap on the field where you can add a TikTok link, then tap Paste.

    PLEASE NOTE: Your TikTok video must be publicly accessible to be considered.

  • 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.

  • Submissions open on Monday, March 18th and will close at 11:59 PM on Sunday, April 28th.

  • Once the submission period closes, a panel of local music professionals and educators will review the submissions and choose their favorites 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 visitors 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 Grand Prize Winner will be invited to perform on the main stage at Do Good Fest 2024 on July 13th.

    Additionally, the National Life Group Foundation will make a cash donation to the top three acts’ schools. The winning act will receive a $5,000 donation and a $1,000 personal cash prize. The 1st runner up will receive a $2500 donation, and the 2nd runner up will receive a $1000 donation.

    All three acts will have the chance to meet the other local and national bands performing at Do Good Fest, subject to availability.

*National Life reserves the right to make the final decision on winners. Read our Contest Rules for more information.