Jecelle Dobson, co-lead singer of Hello Kitty and Friends, performs at Battle of the Bands.

Stage presence and Mad Libs showcased at Battle of the Bands

Monday, April 28, 2025

Media Contact: Jordan Bishop | Editor, Department of Brand Management | 405-744-7193 | jordan.bishop@okstate.edu

Oklahoma State University students rocked the stage Friday during the annual Battle of the Bands competition, with “Hello Kitty and Friends” taking home the top prize and “Evil Mad Libs” winning Best Original Song.

The event featured multiple student bands, which were judged on several different aspects. However, a competitor said that one factor was the main reason her band won.

“Stage presence is the key to winning,” said Jecelle Dobson, co-lead singer of Hello Kitty and Friends. “Jumping around and making a lot of ruckus.”

Her bandmate, Luke Todd, emphasized the importance of teamwork in their victory.

“Without our instrumentalists doing some heavy work, we would not be able to perform to the level that we did,” Todd said. “The band is not complete without everybody doing their part.”

Both Todd and Dobson are sophomore music industry majors who said the competition helped them grow as musicians by building trust within their band.

Evil Mad Libs took home the Best Original Song award with its innovative approach to songwriting. Lead singer Chloe Thomas, a freshman majoring in music industry, said that the band’s unique concept developed during a rehearsal session.

“We had talked about making our song a mad lib,” Thomas said. “Our original thought was to send out a piece of paper to the audience. Then we were like, ‘We’re sending this to college kids. We’re going to have the most vulgar mad lib ever.’ That’s where Evil Mad Libs came from.”

Thomas hopes audiences at the Stillwater Community Center took away that music “doesn’t have to be all that serious.”

Stillwater Mayor Will Joyce served as one of the judges for the event and was particularly impressed by the original song performances.

“You could sense the sort of individuality of the band with those original songs,” Joyce said. “I thought it was kind of cool that they did the Mad Lib with it. That was a cool idea.”

Joyce believes events like Battle of the Bands provide valuable experience for students beyond classroom learning.

“Anytime you have to get up and put yourself out there and do something new and original in front of a crowd, that’s something you can’t really replace,” Joyce said. “Going out and putting yourself out there and performing or speaking, whatever it is, in front of somebody else takes a lot of courage, and there’s just nothing that can replace that.”