Are You the next Voice of Grove City?

The Voice of Grove City is an exciting vocal competition held during the Arts in the Alley Music & Arts Festival – offering local musicians (age 13 and up) the opportunity to showcase their talents on stage in front of thousands of spectators and a panel of esteemed judges.

This all-day event celebrates talent in our community with one finalist being crowned the Voice of Grove City and awarded a $2,500 prize along with future promotional opportunities.

Auditions open early August of 2025. We can't wait to hear your voice!

Prizes

1st Place – $2,500 and a trophy

2nd Place – $250 and a trophy

3rd Prize – $150 and a trophy

People's Choice Award – $500 (sponsored by BeLocal); held during final round at the live event – Bring your family and friends!

Online Entry Deadline:

Entry Fee – $25

View Rules & Procedures

2025 Sponsor Opportunities

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Entertainment Sponsor

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People's Choice Award

Meet Your 2024 Voice of Grove City Judges and Production Staff

Blake Soles (MC)

Blake Soles is a singer/songwriter from Columbus,Ohio who has been performing for over 17 years. After a top 3 finish in Ohio idol, Winner of the Voice of Ohio, and a brief appearance on Judges American Idol, his career took a turn for the better.

He has a new single and music video release on the horizon, and loves to collaborate with other artists to assist them in using their talent to share with the world.

Visit Blake's Website Here

Hawc Griffin (MC)

With 30+ years of experience in the music & entertainment industry, some have jokingly described him as the artistic interpretation of the well known comic book Krptonian. Hawc Griffin has contributed his artistic expression over the last couple decades as a music director, song writer, producer, worship leader that has opened several opportunities to share his talents internationally. While occasionally performing with a few well known music industry award winners and managing his own solo efforts, he led his own band “HAWC & THE FEW “ that later became “FEWXION” to win a couple talent contests building regional exposure. That exposure led him to a 5 year run as co-frontman of LDNL (Lt.Dan’s New Legs). Now he’s returned his focus & energy back to being solo or with FEWXION under VIBE PILOTS ENTERTAINMENT (VPE)

Cara Custer (Judge)

Cara Custer is a multi-faceted artist who has been performing for over two decades. Having originally been all about musical theater and popular music, it was Cara’s experience during her undergraduate music program at The University of Tennessee that fueled her passion for classical, opera, and choral music as well. Coming from a family that valued the performing arts, Cara began her vocal training at a young age, which then led to other extraordinary experiences down the road. After college, Cara was accepted to the Manhattan School of Music summer voice program where she was able to work with renown artists ( like Victoria Clark) and perform in multiple productions with featured roles and solos. For many years Cara taught private voice lessons and found it very rewarding to help others find confidence and strive for excellence in their skills. She competed in the Voice of Grove City 2022 and won first place.

Dylan Daniels (Judge)

No stranger to the stage, Dylan has been featured on various stages as both a soloist and ensemble. Dylan was featured on Country Music Television’s, “CMT Insider” and was offered to perform with the Grammy Awards Foundation at the Best Buy Theatre in New York City. He performs regularly with the vocal ensemble “PureHeart”, where he shares the stage with his best friends on various stages throughout Ohio and surrounding states. Dylan graduated from Central Ohio Technical College after studying music and business, serves as the stage show producer of the Miss Ohio’s Outstanding Teen program, and is employed with Reynoldsburg City Schools where he leads the theater department. He resides in Zanesville with his wife, Erin.

Jeremy Johnson (Judge)

Vicki King-Maple (Judge)

Dr. Vicki King- Maple is a Telly Award winning director, producer, and scriptwriter. She has produced hundreds of musical variety shows and talent competitions, including Voice of Ohio, Zanesville Has Talent, and the NBC- affiliate televised Y-City Star and Home for the Holidays productions. She has also been involved in the world’s largest scholarship provider to women- the Miss America Organization- for over 30 years; first as an entertainer and contestant at the local and state level in Ohio; then as a local DIrector and Producer of 3 programs. She is also a vocalist with and manager of two vocal ensembles, PureHeart and Soul Legacy, and she starred in the musical theater production of Marvelous Wonderetttes as Cindy Lou. Vicki was a television news anchor and reporter in Ashland, Ohio, as well as a morning radio personality in Mansfield, Ohio, and a writer for a series of talent magazines. She travels as motivational speaker and entertainer and serves as a consultant, trainer, presenter and professional business coach through the firm she founded, Revive with Vicki. Last spring, she published a book dedicated to pursuing your personal and professional purpose.

Joshua Lee Powell Jr (Judge)

Lee is an American gospel music writer, choir director, vocal instructor, professional background vocalist, and recording artist. Born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, he grew up under the choir direction of his mother and father. After studying music in New Orleans, Louisiana, he moved to Columbus, Ohio where he would serve as minister of music for churches such as Bible Community Fellowship, and now Union Baptist Church of Urbancrest, OH. Joshua has arranged, conducted and sang background for artists such as Josh Grovan, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Earnest Pugh, Beverly Crawford, Dr. Ron Kenoly, national recording choir Keither Dobbins and Resurrection Mass, Citywide Simultaneous Revival Mass Choir of the Baptist Pastors Conference of Columbus and Vicinity, and has two recording projects with former group Anointed Harmony titled Just To Know and New Day.

Kelly Letner (Judge)

Kelly Letner has been singing her entire life. Born into a musical family, they traveled and sang in many churches, festivals and community events. She and her sister competed in and won several singing competitions and eventually produced their first album before high school. As her career unfolded, Kelly became one of the first Columbus “City Centertainers” in the early 90’s working with Disney productions. Later on she worked as a local voice and piano teacher which eventually grew into director of performing arts team. Judah Live. Currently she serves as musical director at her church.

Rhonda Shappert (Judge)

Rhonda Shappert started a lifetime of performing at age 5. She graduated Cum Laude with a Musical Theater degree from the Ohio State University. As a singer/dancer, she has performed in 15 countries on the Asian, European and North American continents. Rhonda has recorded two music CDs as a contemporary Christian recording artist; is a published author; a certified life coach, speaker and trainer. After her reign as Mrs. Ohio America,she created and is the owner of Winning Through Pageantry, which focuses on developing women’s interview, leadership and communication skills through pageantry.

Trent Soles( Executive Producer)

As a former board member of the Grove City Area Chamber of Commerce, Owner and Director of Belocal Southwest Columbus, and an artist and musician himself, Trent created the Voice of Grove City event, with the help of the amazing Chamber staff and many great local sponsors and volunteers, with the purpose of providing singers, throughout Ohio, the opportunity to share their local talent and creativity with the world around them during Arts in the Alley weekend event that has been attended by over 40,000 people each year for over 40 years in the Heart of Grove City.

Cierra Lee (Voice Coach)

Cierra Lee is a young artist and teacher who delights in changing lives through music. While in high school and college, she was actively involved, not only musically but also socially with various activities including show choir, opera productions, campus recreation team, peer leading, percussion ensemble, urban dance club, musical theater productions, and marching band. She was fortunate to attend fun master classes with NYC singers( like Natalie Weiss), and to travel the East Coast performing in prisons.

Are You the next Voice of Grove City?

Auditions open early August of 2025. We can't wait to hear your voice!

Prizes

Online Entry Deadline:

Award Sponsor

Entertainment Sponsor

Powered By

Powered By

People's Choice Award

Meet Your 2024 Voice of Grove City Judges and Production Staff

Contact Us

Additional Resources