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Student Opener Competition

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Looking for a chance to showcase your musical skills? Interested in competing for a chance to open our annual music festival? Want to know who is playing at Festival 78? Then you are at the right place!

The ASI Student Opener Competition (SOC) is a friendly competition where ±¬ÁÏÉçÇø students compete for a chance to perform at Festival 78. This is an opportunity for musically inclined students to perform for their peers.  

Winner(s) will open for the headlining act(s) and could be showcased using the same production as the Festival 78 headliners on Saturday, April 18, 2026!

 
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  • Applicant Requirements
    • At least 1 member of the performing group must be a current, ±¬ÁÏÉçÇø student 
    • Student applicants must be currently enrolled ±¬ÁÏÉçÇø student(s) with 2.0 semester and 2.0 cumulative GPA 
      • This must be maintained until the conclusion of the Festival 78 performance for the academic year
      • Student applicants must be in good academic and disciplinary standing with ±¬ÁÏÉçÇø. 
    • Student applicant (s) must be available to perform on the day of the Student Opener Competition and Festival 78  
    • Must provide technical rider. ASI will work to accomodate tech needs within budget.
    • Must provide music sample of at least 15 minutes as part of application by e-mailing a link, video, etc. 
    • Read full SOC policy here 
  • Applicant Guidelines
    • Student applicant(s) who competed previous years and DID NOT win can apply and compete again  
    • Student applicant(s) who win the Student Opener Competition (as a solo performer or as part of a band) can perform again at the competition, butStudent Opening Competition but CANNOT compete andto win again for the next subsequent years.  
      • Prior winners would only be eligible to be consider as an opener at the Student Opener Competition event, and not an opening act at Festival 78.  
    • Music Criteria  
      • Must have AT LEAST 15 minutes worth of music (with lyrics included) 
    • Music Cannot include:  
      • Derogatory language toward people, places, or groups/communities 
      • Encouragement of violence or mosh pits,  
      • Encouragement of items being thrown,  
      • Music must be aligned with ASI Viewpoint Neutrality policy and ±¬ÁÏÉçÇø Mission, Vision, and Values 
    • A maximum of eight (8) people are permitted on stage at one time due to space and weight dimensions of stage.  
    • Any application that does not follow any of these criteria will be rejected and applicant will not be eligible to resubmit 
    • Read full SOC policy here 
  • Application Review
    • Application is received by ASI Student Engagement Coordinator and ASI Campus Activities Board student lead
    • Student/applicant must attend mandatory performance orientation. Only currently enrolled ±¬ÁÏÉçÇø student applicant(s) must attend the session if the performing group includes off-campus members.
    • Orientation will review the following:
      • Event date, locations, and logistics.
      • Performance criteria. Performers must adhere and agree to stay within criteria during performance:
      • Review ASI Performance Agreement for events including code of conduct and risk management.
        • Each performer of each group must sign a $0 contract that acts as an agreement between ASI and the performer(s) that include a performance agreement before event attendance and participation.
    Performers who violate any aspect of the criteria listed above will be disqualified from receiving votes at Student Opener Competition.

Apply to be in the competition!

Applications are OPEN NOW - Thursday, February 19th at 5:00pm SHARP

See details below about applicant requirements and guidelines! 

* Applicants MUST be available to attend sound check on event date from 1:00 - 4:50pm* 

 
 Follow us on Instagram @asi.csusm or check back here for updates about our winner that will be annouced at our event on Wednesday, March 25th in the USU Ballroom! 

 

Winner Selection at Student Opener Event 

To promote fairness and equal opportunity for all contestants, the winner will be determined through a weighted scoring system that combines student voting and judges’ scoring.

Student votes will carry greater weight than judge scores to prioritize student voice while still maintaining professional evaluation of performance quality.

  • Student Voting = 60% of final score
  • Judges’ Scoring = 40% of final score

Final Score & Tie-Breaking

The final score is the combined weight of student voting and judge scoring. The winner will be announced on stage once the scoring process is finalized. In the event of a tie, the ASI President or designee will make the final decision.

Read full Student Opener Competition policy here 

After Winner Selection

  • SOC Winner meets with ASI to review documents
    • The winning performer/member of the group must sign a contract and code of conduct before event attendance and participation.
  • SOC winner will receive $500 in total for payment at Festival 78 event for Festival 78
    • For example, if 5 members of the group, each will receive $100 to total $500.
    • Payment will be processed net30 after the Festival 78 event. If a member is not a ±¬ÁÏÉçÇø student, will need to be set up in CSU Buy payment system.
  • ±¬ÁÏÉçÇø student winner must be in good academic and disciplinary standing.
    • If not maintained, group and/or performer will not be allowed to perform at Festival 78 and SOC runner-up will perform at Festival 78.

Past Years Participants & Event Winners 

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