“This era has been underscored by a ‘me-to-we’ mentality shift amongst Chinese adolescents. Young people have evolved from taking a ‘me’-focused mentality to adopting a collective attitude. They enjoy doing things together, and at the same time, uphold the deeply rooted values of tradition, respect and heritage,” said Hui.

The notion of collective individualism was perhaps best articulated in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, with every citizen coming together to create a spectacular whole. Band music, as a vehicle of expression, fits this mentality well. It allows bandmates to express themselves individually, be it through instruments or vocals, while at the same time drawing members together to achieve the same creative goal.

Although there are over 20,000 underground bands championing China’s burgeoning music scene in tandem with a growing number of concerts and music festivals, there is still very little in the way of a national platform that can facilitate group music, a void the “Voice of Next Generation” campaign hopes to fill.

Winning band’s RMB 1 million dream prize:
A set of best-in-class music equipment
A cash prize of RMB 200,000 for development of the band
A national concert tour to five major cities in September and October
A “dream trip” to a studio in Hollywood, California, to produce an album