FFA member Noelle Goodson kicked off the opening session at Commodity Classic with a flourish, as she sang the National Anthem, to much applause and admiration.
Goodson, a Fayette, Ohio, native, won the FMC Stand and Be Heard Anthem Singing Contest in 2013, which included a scholarship and the chance to sing at this year's Commodity Classic.
The contest is sponsored by FMC, in conjunction with their Anthem and Anthem ATZ herbicides. This year, they're offering $25,000 in scholarships and a nationally-televised interview/performance to the winners. Grand prize winner takes home a $10,000 scholarship, and three finalists each receive $5,000 scholarships.
Students who are members of AFA, FFA, 4-H, student NAMA or another national ag-related organization can submit a video of themselves singing the National Anthem here, between March 1 and June 20. Online voting will determine the 20 finalists, and a special panel of music judges will determine the four finalists, to be announced August 4, 2014. From there, another online vote will select the grand prize winner.
The four finalists and their parents will receive an all-expense paid trip to Nashville to professionally record their National Anthem performance in August 2014. Grand prize winner will be announced September 22, 2014.