'Schaumburg Idol' singing competition lives on

Though "American Idol" has reached the end of its long run on television, "Schaumburg Idol" will live on.

"We're going to keep going," said Beth Waller, cultural arts supervisor for the Schaumburg Park District.

Auditions for the park district-run talent search will take place on Thursday, April 28, at the Community Recreation Center, 505 N. Springinsguth Road in Schaumburg.

Twelve contestants will be chosen from the audition, then winnowed down to eight competitors, from which one Schaumburg Idol will be chosen.

Prizes include an opportunity to record a demo CD at a professional studio.

As part of the competition, contestants will have the chance to work with and receive feedback from professional musicians. The 12 chosen contestants will record performances at the district's TV studio to be broadcast at parkfun.com, Comcast Channel 15, Wide Open West Channel 14 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99.

Contestants must be 13 or older and not party to a contract for performing services. Interested individuals must register, complete the audition entry form and pay the audition fee at parkfun.com. Once registered, contestants will be contacted to set up a specific audition time.

Contestants must perform a one-minute selection from a song of their choice, which may be a cappella or accompanied by a cassette or CD provided by the contestant. No rap songs or inappropriate language is permitted.

The audition fee is $5 for park district residents and $8 for nonresidents. Fees for those chosen to compete is $25 for residents and $35 for nonresidents.

For more information, call (847) 490-7015 or visit parkfun.com.