"Many band members started out as teenagers. It's always cool and popular to perform as a band on campus," says Yin, who formed his band in 1997 while studying at Beijing Midi Music School.

Gentle Grape reminds Yin of The Flowers, or Hua'er, the former Beijing-based pop punk band, which was formed in 1998 and became famous as one of the first teenage bands in the country.

"Their earnest attempt to deliver the message of pursuing their dreams as a young band touched the judges," Yin says of Gentle Grape.

The band's Li, who was born and grew up in Hohhot, capital of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, learned classical guitar and piano in his childhood. He fell in love with rock music in high school.

The song, titled Mi Tu Wei Fan, ("headstrong") which the band performed during the contest, was written by Li in 2013 when he was a freshman. He set up the band with his schoolmate, drummer Chen Bohan, that year.

The song talks about the summer after Li took the national college entrance exam in 2013.

"I was full of passion after I founded the band. But my mother, a primary school teacher, was not very supportive and we had no opportunity to perform. I was very lost but didn't want to give up my dream. Then I wrote the song in two hours during an afternoon in my dormitory," says Li.

Despite the tough beginning, the band kept on producing original works. Influenced by US rock band Blink-182 and Canadian rock band Sum 41, Gentle Grape has gained a growing fan base with its pop, fastpaced melodies and upbeat lyrics.

Center stage

Many young Chinese bands are also engaging more fans with the growing popularity of social media platforms.

In 2015, Gentle Grape band released an EP, including six original songs, through online crowdfunding. It planned to collect about 5,000 yuan ($800) in two or three months. More than 7,000 yuan was collected in four hours.

On May 9, 2016, the band performed in a concert commemorating the 30th anniversary of China's rock music - Chinese rock fans mark the date because rocker Cui Jian, then 24, sang Nothing to My Name at the Beijing Workers' Gymnasium in 1986.

Held at the same venue, the 2016 concert drew established Chinese rock stars and bands, including rock singer-songwriter Zheng Jun and rock band Tang Dynasty.

"My dream is to turn my passion for the band into a full-time job. If not, I'll find stable work to support my dream," says Li.

Liang Qian, 26, lead singer of Mint Green, a pop band based in Fuzhou, capital of Fujian province, says: "The contest is like the Olympics, with the battle of the bands. Qualifying for the final itself is a great prize."

The band won third place for its original pop song, Sheep, which Liang wrote for her ex-boyfriend.

"It promotes real music played by real bands, not just some karaoke contest," says rock singer-songwriter Wang Jiayi, based in Shenyang, capital of Liaoning province.

Wang's band, Noble Man, clinched second place at the 2017 Midi School Bands Contest. All the members of the band graduated from the Shenyang Conservatory of Music.