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Daily Reporter staff reports

GREENFIELD — Whatever your taste in music, you will find it at this year’s Greenfield Idol competition.

“You’re going to hear something for everybody,” said Trever Brown, emcee for the show that serves as a fundraiser for KidsPlay Inc. Children’s Theatre. “One of the high points of coming to see the show is to hear such a range of genres all in one night, anything from pop to classic rock to show tunes to gospel to opera.”

Greenfield Idol is back for a fourth year with a full slate of 20 contestants from the age of 15 on up, all vying to walk away with the $300 first prize and claim the title of Greenfield Idol for 2015.

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Planners and organizers behind this event liken the month of February for Greenfield Idol to the month of May for racing fans. The process begins early in the month with auditions.

The two weeks following auditions are full of song selection, sound checks, rehearsals, nervousness and anticipation, wardrobe selection, decorating and preparing to make Greenfield Idol 2015 a memorable evening for all involved.

Brown, Greenfield’s answer to Ryan Seacrest, has watched the event grow during the past four years. “Auditions are more competitive, and each year, the entertainment value of the actual show increases,” he said. “Who wouldn’t want to win $300?”

Singer-songwriter Ethan Olvey participated as a contestant in 2012 and has been coming back ever since to provide extra entertainment and to serve as a judge for the competition.

“I had a great time that first year,” Olvey said. “The event is really well-run, and the contestants get to sing in front of a big audience and feel special for their 15 minutes in the limelight.”

Although there are judges on stage, the audience gets to help decide who wins.

After all 20 contestants have sung in the quarter-finals, the audience members pass in paper ballots, which are collected, counted and averaged in with the judges’ scores. The audience gets to vote again for the semifinals and the finals.

Backstage for the event, Brown gets to see first-hand the nervousness, the excitement and the camaraderie of the contestants as they wait to perform.

“Win, lose or draw, they leave with their heads held high,” he said. “They had such a good time that they don’t care if they win or lose.”

After last year’s competition, competitor Cassie McCarty was overheard saying she was almost happy she didn’t win so she could return to the contest. Sure enough, McCarty is in the lineup to perform again Saturday.

Tickets are on sale now at Hometown Comics at 1506 N. State St. for $10. Tickets that were purchased for the quarterfinal competition on Feb. 21 are also good for the semifinal and final competition rounds conducted Feb. 28, so hold onto your ticket.

Tickets can also be purchased at the door an hour prior to each performance.

For more information, search for Greenfield Idol on Facebook or call 317-477-2787.