At 7 p.m. on Feb. 1, MHS students will have the opportunity to showcase their musical talents at this year’s annual Battle of the Bands.

Assistant Principal Jon Shultz is in charge of the event. He said it’s the main contribution the Freshmen Class makes toward senior farewell.

“It’s a program that freshmen parents put on where bands compete for a prize,” Shultz said.

Money is raised when people purchase raffle tickets he said.  The audience helps decide a winner by putting those tickets in the bucket of their favorite band. A panel of judges also helps decide a winner he added.

“It’s American Idol style,” Shultz said. “They give really good feedback.”

He said the audience can expect to hear all different styles of music.

“Huge variety,” he said. “There’s classical all the way to hard rock, indie rock, and instrumental.”

Shultz said it gives students who don’t take normal school music classes a chance to showcase their talent.

Mike Owens, junior, competed in last year’s Battle of the Bands in the band called The Oz Jazz Band Quartet. The band received the highest score from the judges but came in second because it lost the popular vote to Abraham and the Lincolns.

“We aren’t doing anything this new this year except wooing the judges and the crowd,” Owens said.

He said the new bands will face tough competition. It will also be different for them to experience professional sound help and critiquing he added.

Julia Zigman, freshman, hopes for a thrilling night at her first Battle of the Bands. She said her band will make use of many instruments including keyboards, a violin, and auxiliary percussion.

She said it would be great to place but she doesn’t expect to win.

“We’ve seen some videos and the bands from previous years are quite good, they’ve been practicing for years,” Zigman said.

She said her band is in it for the mainly the fun aspect.

“We just want to have a creative spin so that people can look at us and say ‘Hey they were good! I remember them!’” Zigman said.