Thursday, Aug 28, 2014
The competition has become a popular fixture on campus since its 2012 debut
by Melissa Lindley '14
Do you like music? Have you always wanted to perform? Do you think you have what it takes to be a star?
Aspiring singers will find out if they have the chops to make a name for themselves at Rider University with The R Factor. The competition, based on FOX’s hit television show The X Factor, will make its fourth return to the Yvonne Theater, where students can perform their favorite or original songs solo or in a group. Auditions will be held starting Friday, Sept. 12, at 8 p.m.
The competition, which has become a popular fixture on campus since its 2012 debut, has featured a variety of performances from genres across the board. Previous performers have sung in foreign languages, acapella, pop songs, and opera. Judges Nick Barbati and Donte Carty await another exciting season of fresh faces. Barbati, assistant director of Campus Life and a judge for this season, is looking forward to some of the newer additions that will deviate from the past seasons, including new guest judges. “We have two guest judges from the show 'The X Factor,' so it’s going to be Dani Knights who was a finalist on the first season, and Jeff Gutt, who was runner up and Kelly Rowland’s contestant,” he says.
Each of the four judges will be split into their own categories, making it easier to determine who moves on to the next round. After the end of the audition round, each judge will have decided their top two contestants. Previously, judges privately chose their contestants, and nobody knew who the finalists were until the last night. This year will also be more competitive, making it difficult for one group or performer to dominate each show.
Barbati thinks that the new judging system will make the show much more realistic with Knights’ and Gutt’s expertise on the panel, and add an extra element of personality. “It’s going to be a whole other dimension," he says. "These are people who are real performers, and they’re going to get to share their experience with the students.”
Confident and excited about the upcoming season, Barbati and the other judges are dedicated to making sure it will exceed expectations.
“We are so committed to our acts, and so committed to the students gaining confidence in their performance experiences," Barbati says. "The show is for students who perform as part of their major, but also for those who don’t. We want to share students and their talents with the entire community.”
For more information, “like” Rider University Office of Campus Life on Facebook.