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Gathering of the Vibes Music Festival

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 14:42:07 +0000

Gathering of the Vibes Music Festival

For Immediate Release
November 23, 2011
Contact: Andrea Kramer, press@gatheringofthevibes.com
Caryn S. Kaufman, Caryn@CarynKaufmanCommunications.com

‘Black Tie Dye Friday’ = Gathering of the Vibes – VIP & Weekend Early Bird Tickets On Sale

Premier Music, Arts & Camping Festival Returns to Connecticut’s Spectacular Seaside Park July 19-22, 2012
Tickets On Sale November 25th at 10 a.m. EST

Bridgeport, CT — The 17th annual Gathering of the Vibes kicks off the holidays on ‘Black Tie Dye Friday,’ November 25, 2011, when VIP and Weekend Early Bird tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. at www.GOVIBES.com. Well known as the Northeast’s most family friendly music festival destination, Gathering of the Vibes will deliver a four-day extravaganza of eclectic music, arts, and community July 19-22, 2012 at Bridgeport’s magnificent 370-acre Seaside Park. The Vibes is an all ages event offering an exclusive family camping area, Kids Corner, and Teen Scene, welcoming both campers and single day visitors. Kids 12 & under are admitted free when accompanied by an adult.

“Music fans can sleep in late knowing that the perfect gift or stocking stuffer awaits them just a mouse click away,” says Ken Hays, festival founder. “What could be better than gifting someone you love, a live musical experience they’ll remember for the rest of their lives?”

A limited number of VIP Passes will be available and include expedited, exclusive entry, rock-star parking with easy in/out access, shaded camping areas along with catered meals, snacks, and beverages. VIP ticket holders also have access to air conditioned bathroom trailers and hot showers. Located stage left on the concert field, the VIP hospitality tent and viewing platforms offer exceptional stage sightlines as well as the opportunity to mix and mingle with artists.

Early Bird Weekend Passes will be available for a limited time for $175, a sizeable savings over the gate price. RV passes are also available on a first come basis. Shuttle bus service will once again transport festival attendees to and from Seaside Park and many local area hotels, the Bridgeport-Port Jefferson Ferry, as well as the Bridgeport train and bus stations.

Seaside Park is Bridgeport, Connecticut’s 370-acre crown jewel, offering three miles of sandy beaches, lush lawns, and shady retreats. Easily accessibly by public transportation and just 50 miles from New York City, this sparkling oceanfront destination celebrates its eighth year hosting the Vibes. Seaside Park provides an unparalleled festival home with acres of beautifully manicured fields and breathtaking views of Long Island Sound.

With artist announcements around the corner, the rumor mill is already abuzz. Gathering of the Vibes promises its most spectacular and diverse lineup to date, delivering over 40 hours of music on multiple stages. Powerhouse Vibes alumni include: Elvis Costello, Jane’s Addiction, FURTHUR with Phil Lesh & Bob Weir, The Allman Brothers Band, Crosby Stills & Nash, Damian Marley & Nas, and The Black Crowes. The festival also has a proud history of featuring breakout acts like moe., Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Jackie Greene, and Connecticut favorites, The McLovins. The Vibes also warmly embraces new, virtually unknown artists, who may submit music for consideration at www.GOVIBES.com.

Gathering of the Vibes welcomed 20,000 fans per day last year, despite record-breaking heat. With more than 125,000 Facebook fans and a strong family friendly environment, the festival continues to attract a diverse, multigenerational audience, affectionately known as the ‘Vibe Tribe.’

Follow Gathering of the Vibes on Facebook, Twitter, or check the message boards for the most updated festival information.

Technorati Tags: gathering of the vibes, music festival

Taylor Guitars and Guitar Center Team Up to Find the Nation’s Top Unsigned Talent

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 14:38:51 +0000

Taylor Guitars and Guitar Center Team Up to Find the Nation’s Top Unsigned Talent

EL CAJON, Calif. – October 3, 2011 - Taylor Guitars and Guitar Center, the world’s largest retailer of musical instruments and equipment, has announced “Guitar Center Singer-Songwriter,” an artist discovery program which aims to find the nation’s best unsigned singer-songwriter. Along with other leading musical instrument and accessory manufacturers, Taylor Guitars will join Guitar Center to award one career-altering prize package to the top singer-songwriter, which includes a three-song EP with Grammy Award-winning producer John Shanks, worldwide distribution through TuneCore, $10,000 cash, and gear from participating companies, including a Taylor 814ce for the grand prize winner and GS Minis for the semi-finalists. The contest, which is part of the companies’ shared mission to support emerging artists, kicks off on October 3 and runs through November 30. Artists can sign up today at www.guitarcenter.com/songwriter.

For Grammy-winning producer and Taylor-strummer John Shanks (914ce, Baritone 8-String, 855ce), it’s easy to relate to what an opportunity like this can mean to an up-and-coming artist. Shanks, once a session and touring guitarist for the likes of Melissa Etheridge, has gone on to build a stellar career as a hit-maker whose resume boasts 60 million records sold, 43 No. 1 singles and 67 No. 1 albums with artists including Sheryl Crow, Colbie Caillat, Kelly Clarkson, Keith Urban, Bon Jovi and Alanis Morissette. As the judge of the contest, finding the next headline act is no easy task, but one Shanks is excited to be involved in. “I’m thrilled to be able to help Guitar Center give a potentially career-altering opportunity to an unsigned artist,” says Shanks. “Helping an artist hone their sound is something I relish as a producer, and I can’t wait to see what the winner has to offer.”

“So much great talent abounds in today’s music scene that we’re excited to partner with Guitar Center to find the next big name and help propel that artist to the next step in their career,” shares Tim Godwin, director of artist and entertainment relations at Taylor Guitars.”No matter if an artist is a headline act or just starting out, here at Taylor, artists are a big part of our extended family of players.”

As part of the contest, Guitar Center has commissioned WHOOZNXT.com, a leading digital music company, to power the first round of the competition. WHOOZNXT.com is the first platform to track an artist’s fan growth across top social networks and music portals. Competing artists will be ranked based on their online fan growth during the first round. Ten singer-songwriters will then be hand-selected by Shanks from the list of top-ranked artists to travel to Los Angeles, where they will perform live during event’s finale.

To following along with news from the competition and to learn more about the entrants, please visit www.guitarcenter.com/songwriter

Media Contact: Chalise Zolezzi
Taylor Guitars
publicrelations@taylorguitars.com

About Taylor Guitars
Founded in 1974, Taylor Guitars has evolved into one of the world’s leading manufacturers of premium acoustic and electric guitars. Renowned for blending an innovative use of modern technology with a master craftsman’s attention to detail, Taylor guitars are widely considered the best sounding and easiest to play in the world. Many of today’s leading musicians make Taylor their guitar of choice, including Dave Matthews, Jason Mraz, Steven Curtis Chapman, Zac Brown and Taylor Swift. For additional information, please visit www.taylorguitars.com.

About Guitar Center
Guitar Center is the world’s largest retailer of musical instruments and equipment, including guitars, amplifiers, drums, keyboards, as well as pro-audio and recording gear. Our retail store subsidiary presently operates 220 Guitar Center stores across the U.S. We are also the largest direct response retailer of musical instruments in the United States through our wholly owned subsidiary, Musician’s Friend, Inc., and its catalog and Web site, www.musiciansfriend.com. In addition, our Music & Arts division operates more than 100 stores specializing in band instruments for sale and rental, serving teachers, band directors, college professors and students. More information on Guitar Center can be found by visiting the Company’s Web site at www.guitarcenter.com.

The Guitar Center logo is a registered trademark of Guitar Center, Inc. Other brand or product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.
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Official Guide to Steinway Pianos – Reference for Piano Technicians

Sat, 01 Oct 2011 14:39:24 +0000

Official Guide to Steinway Pianos – Reference for Piano Technicians

The Official Guide to Steinway Pianos by Roy F. Kehl and David R. Kirkland

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: For the first time, 16 decades of Steinway piano making has been captured between two covers. An essential reference for piano technicians worldwide in identifying Steinway pianos, The Official Guide to Steinway Pianos (Amadeus Press; Sept. 6, 2011; $50) encompasses, for the first time, reference material and details from 16 decades of Steinway piano making in New York.

Thirty years of research and compilation by authors Roy F. Kehl and David R. Kirkland bring to light with thorough precision the production history of Steinway pianos. A family tree of Steinway production history provides in-depth, complete historical listings of all models produced and their characteristic details, including:

First and last serial numbers and production dates
Individual scale studies for major models
Highlights of important changes and events in Steinway piano production by serial number and date
A gallery of Steinway decalcomania
A table of Steinway patents
Tables of historic Steinway steel wire sizes

The Official Guide to Steinway Pianos is an indispensable tool for piano technicians and dealers who need to determine the relationship of a particular Steinway piano within the historical framework of the company’s overall production, as well as a means to help identify, establish the provenance of, and verify and preserve the originality of any given Steinway piano.

Through compilation of pinpoint information, The Official Guide to Steinway Pianos offers an accurate and fascinating résumé of Steinway & Sons ongoing production history. For a cover photo and release in MS Word format, click here.

About the Authors: Roy F. Kehl, a fellow of the American Guild of Organists, was nationally recognized as a performer and improviser. He also served as a member of the Hymn Music Committee of the Episcopal Church, making many contributions to the Hymnal 1982. He died in 2011. David R. Kirkland, a registered member of the Piano Technicians Guild, is an employee of Steinway & Sons New York with 10 years tenure in the capacities of technical support and service administration. His career in the piano industry spans 30 years. He lives in New York.

The Official Guide to Steinway Pianos
$50.00 Hardcover
ISBN 978-1-57467-198-8
256 pages, 8.5 x 11
Amadeus Press, an imprint of Hal Leonard
www.halleonardbooks.com

Media Contact: Brian McConnon
Music Marcom, LLC.
brian@musicmarcom.com

Pianist Shai Wosner’s Second Recital Album October 11

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 07:28:38 +0000

Pianist Shai Wosner peforms works by Schubert on his second recital album to be released by Onyx on October 11

September 19, 2011 – Pianist Shai Wosner performs works by Franz Schubert on a new recording to be released by ONYX on Tuesday, October 11, 2011. For his second recital album, Mr. Wosner chose a program of the composer’s works that incorporate elements of folk music including Piano Sonata in C major, D. 840 and Piano Sonata in D major, D. 850, Six German Dances D. 820 and the little known Hungarian Melody D. 817. This album follows Mr. Wosner’s critically acclaimed debut recording which juxtaposed works by Brahms and Schoenberg released by Onyx in October 2010.

Speaking about the program, Mr. Wosner remarked: “It is the combination of some of Schubert’s most profound statements together with the ostensibly naive, folk-like tunes that for me makes these sonatas especially captivating.” Mr. Wosner further explains in the recording’s liner notes that, not unlike other composers of his time, Schubert published numerous collections of folk dances such as the Six German Dances, D. 820. However in his large scale works such as the piano sonatas included in this recording, folk idioms acquire special significance. In the unfinished Piano Sonata in C major, the folk-like element is heard in the second movement where a ländler tune is presented more like a distant memory of an idyllic existence as opposed to a simple folk dance. The virtuosic D major sonata was written during one of Schubert’s infrequent trips to the countryside and each of its movements includes a wide array of folk like gestures worked into the fabric of the music.

In a review of Mr. Wosner’s performance of Schubert’s Sonata in D major, D. 850 in September 2010, Anthony Tommasini of The New York Times wrote, “Mr. Wosner gave a lively and sensitive account of the demanding Schubert sonata. The buoyant first movement shifts between bursts of fanfarelike themes and rippling passagework. Though he took a brisk tempo, his playing was lithe and articulate. The breathless energy of his conception was captivating… The second movement is marked Con Moto (With Motion), and Mr. Wosner played it that way: though he was always sensitive to passages of harmonic and expressive intensity, his ambling pace never allowed the poignancy to take over. He deftly dispatched the feisty scherzo and ended with a supple account of the dancing rondo, played with impressive lightness and clarity.”

Mr. Wosner has attracted international recognition for his exceptional artistry, musical integrity, and creative insight. He is known for imaginative programming that communicates his intellectual curiosity and for finding interesting connections within the repertoire he performs. He has performed as soloist with many of the world’s leading orchestras and conductors, and has established close artistic associations that are renewed season after season. He has appeared with the Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Houston, and San Francisco symphonies, Los Angeles Philharmonic, National Arts Centre Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Gothenburg Symphony, Staatskapelle Berlin, Vienna Philharmonic, among numerous others. He has also performed with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, conducting from the keyboard, and the St. Paul, Philadelphia and Orpheus Chamber Orchestras, and he toured as soloist with Daniel Barenboim’s West-East Divan Orchestra. As a BBC New Generation Artist he appeared extensively with the BBC Orchestras and in solo recordings on Radio 3. He is the recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant and a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award.

His upcoming engagements include recitals in London’s Wigmore Hall and at LSO St. Luke’s, concerto performances with the Binghamton Philharmonic and the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, and chamber music performances with the Parker Quartet in Amherst and with the Miró Quartet in Montreal. He will perform in recital with baritone Wolfgang Holzmair at the 92nd Street Y in New York in January 2012. In May 2012, together with the Seattle Symphony conducted by Gerard Schwartz, he is scheduled to premiere “Along the Ravines”, a new concerto by Michael Hersch written for him and commissioned by the Borletti-Buitoni Trust.

Shai Wosner, piano                                ONYX 4073
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Piano Sonata in C major, D. 840
1.      I.    Moderato                                              [17.05]
2.      II.    Andante                                                 [9.21]
Six German Dances, D. 820                          [5.21]
3.      I.    Tempo Giusto: A flat
II.    A flat
III.   A flat
IV. B flat
V.   B flat
VI. B flat
4.      Hungarian Melody, D. 817                              [4:14]
Piano Sonata in D major, D. 850
5.      I.    Allegro vivace                                          [9:01]
6.      II.    Con moto                                             [12:41]
7.      III.   Scherzo: Allegro vivace                            [8:42]
8.      IV. Rondo: Allegro moderato                         [9:43]

Total timing: [76.23]
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For a review copy please contact Lisa Jaehnig at Shuman Associates, ljaehnig@shumanassociates.net

Jam At The Grove Music Festival is Back This August, 2011

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 12:06:41 +0000

Jam At The Grove Music Festival is Back This August, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: APRIL 12, 2011, BUCKS COUNTY, PA – Jam At The Grove Music Festival is coming back to the stage for the fifth time after a six year sabbatical. The event will take place from August 12-14 2011 at Tower Farm in Bucks County Pennsylvania.

Tickets are available now. Produced by Jason Flager and Marc Gallo of Tower Farm, the two hope to bring back an annual tradition for new audiences as well as steadfast fans. “Jam at the Grove was created to introduce new bands to music fans,” said Flager, VP of Jam at the Grove. “This is an opportunity for artists, local bands, and national acts to collaborate and celebrate exceptional music and art with awesome fans.”

For Tower Farm owner Marc Gallo, this festival strikes a sentimental chord. “It is an honor to organize and host a music and arts festival for my local community on the property I grew up on,” said Gallo. “It’s a symbiotic relationship at it’s finest!”

The lineup is filled with homecomings, reunions, and first-timers. Bands include: Conspirator, Psychedelphia, Sophistafunk, Roots of Creation, Papadosio, Wyllys, Kung Fu, The Indobox, Jimkata, Kuf Knotz, Jones Street Station, Sonic Spank, Grimace Federation, Somata, The Dirk Quinn Band, Xylos, Flux Capacitor, Pongo’s, Groove, FiKus, SpiTune, Wynrise, Trouble City All-Stars, Wineskin, MIXXTAPE.

The Jam will also be Featuring DJ’s: ADUB, Honkeytron, and Speakerbot. Vendors so far include: Shady Grove Wraps, Harry’s Homeblown, DooDayDaze, Yellow Sky Crafts, Adam Rameseyer and Ramstar Jewerly and Wraps.

But wait there’s more! For the first time, there will be a Kid Zone. Entertainment, arts, and crafts will be available in a safe environment for children with complete supervision.

Tickets are available at http://jamatthegrove5.ticketleap.com/jam-at-the-grove-5/. Prices: $50 Early Bird/$60 Advance/$70 at the Gate.

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CONTACT:
Jason Flager | VP Jam At The Grove, LLC
(E) jason.flager@gmail.com

Technorati Tags: music festival, jam at the grove

Houston Grand Opera HGO, Announces New Leadership

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 16:41:57 +0000

Houston Grand Opera HGO, Announces New Leadership

Patrick Summers Takes Helm as Artistic and Music Director * Perryn Leech Named Managing Director

Houston, TX, May 25, 2011: The Board of Directors of Houston Grand Opera (HGO) today voted unanimously to realign its top management structure, naming Patrick Summers as Artistic and Music Director, occupying the Margaret Alkek Williams Chair. Chief Operating Officer Perryn Leech has been named Managing Director. Chief Advancement Officer Greg Robertson completes the executive leadership team, which is supported by an eight-member senior management staff. These moves follow the departure of Anthony Freud, the company’s General Director, who has been appointed to lead the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

HGO Chairman of the Board Glen Rosenbaum said, “On behalf of the HGO Board of Directors, I am delighted to announce the appointment of Patrick Summers as Artistic and Music Director. Patrick is one of the world’s great opera visionaries and conductors. Since he joined HGO in the 1998-99 season, Patrick’s knowledge and leadership have immeasurably inspired and elevated the quality of our artistic product. The pairing of Patrick’s vision with the superb managerial and technical expertise of Perryn Leech provides HGO the leadership to achieve new heights of excellence in all its undertakings.”

“The Board’s primary objective was to assemble a world-class leadership team, and we found those individuals within HGO,” noted Rosenbaum. “Each is highly respected in the opera world, and together they assure that our company will build on its successes, continuing and expanding its magnificent record of achievements onstage at the Wortham Center and around the world. Mr. Summers, Mr. Leech and Mr. Robertson all possess extensive knowledge and strong entrepreneurial skills qualities that are essential to managing a complex and innovative enterprise like HGO.”

Mr. Summers said, “I am as honored by the Houston Grand Opera board’s confidence as I am grateful to have been mentored by two extraordinary leaders during my tenure as the company’s Music Director. I thank David Gockley, who brought me to Houston in the late 1990s, for the many years we worked together. Most especially, I wish to acknowledge my colleague Anthony Freud, with whom I have enjoyed the most inspired and rewarding artistic partnership of my life over these past six seasons. I look forward to the success he will undoubtedly have with Chicago’s historic company.

“My initial attraction to Houston Grand Opera has greatly deepened during my years here. In this precarious time for the arts in the United States, HGO has managed to constantly re-define what an arts company could look like in a young and growing American city. HGO is an institution reflective of its city: it is entrepreneurial, inspired by bold ideas. It prefers to climb new mountains rather than stroll through the familiar hills. It is not simply a European Opera house dropped into an American city, waiting for adherents; it is a uniquely American institution, a model for the future of many arts organizations in our nation. Our main objective is to produce great opera, and to make this inspiring art form as available and affordable as possible, while breaking down the social clichés that are unfairly attached to the performing arts.

“In addition to producing the finest performances we can during our seasons, I want to rigorously address an area I feel to be vital not just to HGO, but to American culture: arts education. As governments relentlessly cut the arts from schools, the responsibilities for arts education will increasingly move to arts companies and to the artisans who populate them. We have a moral imperative as artists: to be more than simply the guardians of an honestly great tradition, but to also begin to assume the mantle of educators. Tradition, it must be remembered, is only truly honored by innovation.”

In his thirteen years with Houston Grand Opera, Mr. Summers has conducted more than forty-five operas across the full range of the repertoire and is responsible for many of the company’s important artistic advances, including the formation and development of the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra, regularly praised by visiting critics as a world-class ensemble. In demand as a conductor at many of the worlds great opera houses, he is Principal Guest Conductor at San Francisco Opera, a company with which he has had a long and important association; he also appears regularly at the Metropolitan Opera, Bregenz Festival, and Opera Australia, among others. In August 2010, he was named one of “The 25 Most Powerful Names in U.S. Opera” by Opera News.

During his 27-year career in production at theaters and opera companies including English National Opera and Welsh National Opera, Mr. Leech helped facilitate and realize the vision of many renowned directors and designers, along the way accumulating a wealth of theatrical experience across many artistic disciplines. At HGO, he has taken on increasing responsibilities culminating in his promotion to Chief Operating Officer in 2010, a role in which he has overseen all aspects of the company’s technical, financial, artistic and administrative operations. Mr. Leech said, “I am committed to continuing to build upon the solid foundations established by Anthony Freud and the HGO Board. Patrick and I look forward to working with and leading our HGO colleagues in building an exciting and strong future for the company.”

Departing General Director and CEO Anthony Freud said, “HGO is an extraordinary company of exceptionally talented people with a truly remarkable leadership team that commands tremendous respect throughout the opera business. I couldn’t be more delighted that Patrick and Perryn are assuming these extremely important new roles. Both are uniquely well-qualified, and I am sure they will have enormous success.” He added, “HGO is a company that I will always love and admire. It is wonderful to know that it will be led by this outstanding and visionary new team, who will I am sure take the company from the strong position it presently occupies to new levels of vision, achievement, and acclaim.”

David Gockley, who was General Director at Houston Grand Opera until 2005 and is presently General Director of San Francisco Opera, said “I am thrilled that Patrick will take charge of the artistic fortunes of my beloved HGO. His superior knowledge of the art form and the stature he has attained as the company’s Music Director and a widely heralded guest conductor have placed him in an ideal position to lead HGO to the next level of accomplishment.”

Honorary board member, mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade commented, “Patrick manifests supreme knowledge, ability and judgment and more than anything a noble heart. It has been the gift of a lifetime to know him and work with him, and HGO is so lucky to have him as its leader.”

Houston Grand Opera’s fifty-sixth season concluded Sunday after a weekend of free performances: Puccini’s Madame Butterfly played at Miller Outdoor Theatre to capacity crowds, and Your Name Means The Sea by Franghiz Alizadeh, the company’s forty-third world premiere, played to a packed house at the Cullen Theater. At the Board meeting Wednesday morning, the company reported ticket sales of over $4 million, more than ninety-four percent of capacity. HGO’s comprehensive campaign, launched in 2007, has raised over $75 million. “At a time when so many U.S. arts organizations are struggling, Houston Grand Opera is succeeding in all areas and maintaining tremendous momentum,” stated Rosenbaum, adding, “The level of artistic excellence has never been higher, and through the Nexus Initiative and HGOco we are doing groundbreaking work in providing relevant and meaningful service to our community. Our future is very bright indeed.”

Starkey Hearing Foundation Las Vegas – Primetime & Daytime Stars to Deliver Gift of Hearing

Sat, 02 Jul 2011 17:24:40 +0000

Starkey Hearing Foundation Las Vegas – Primetime & Daytime Stars to Deliver Gift of Hearing

PRIMETIME AND DAYTIME STARS JOIN THE STARKEY HEARING FOUNDATION IN LAS VEGAS TO DELIVER THE GIFT OF HEARING TO CHILDREN IN NEED

WHO: Primetime and reality television stars:
·         Marlee Matlin (Oscar-Winning Actress and ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ Runner-Up)
·         Sherrie Shepard (Actress, 30 Rock; talk show host, The View)
·         Kyle Massey (Actor, Singer and ‘Dancing With The Stars’ alumni)
·         Chris Massey (Actor and Singer)
·         Ace Young (Season five ‘American Idol’ alumni)
·         Daniel Romer (Actor)
·         Rob Pinkston (Actor)
·         Elizabeth Stanton (Actress)
·         Jimmy Bennett (Actor)
·         Anna Maria (Actress)

Daytime’s most beloved stars:
·         Susan Lucci (Actress, All My Children)
·         Tristan Rogers (Actor, ‘The Young and the Restless’ and ‘General Hospital’ alumni)
·         Christian LeBlanc (Actor, ‘The Young and the Restless’)
·         Daniel Goddard (Actor, ‘The Young and the Restless’)
·         Adam Gregory (Actor, ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’)
·         Kim Matula (Actress, “The Bold and the Beautiful”)

Celebrity hair stylist Ken Paves
Poker pro and legend Michelle Lau

The above to assist the Starkey Hearing Foundation in delivering the gift of hearing as part of its Las Vegas Hearing Mission, which is sponsored by the Las Vegas Hilton, Associated Television International, and the Daytime Emmy’s (National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences).

WHAT: More than 100 hearing-impaired children and adults ages two to 53 from the Las Vegas area will hear and experience sound – many for the first time – as a team of audiologists and volunteers from the Starkey Hearing Foundation fit each patient with a custom-made, state-of-the-art hearing aid. Working alongside the Starkey Hearing Foundation to assist in the fittings will be Celebrity Volunteers and Hearing Ambassadors (listed above), each of whom will be paired with at least one recipient during the mission to witness the moment a patient hears for the first time, while providing support and encouragement as each recipient is fitted with their new hearing aid, receives audio testing, and is provided with counseling and instruction on how to care for their new device.

WHEN: Saturday, June 18, 2011
10:30am: Mission Kick-Off/Opening Remarks : Distribution/Fittings of Hearing Aids, Audio Testing, Patient Counseling
(includes fittings by celebrity volunteers/hearing ambassadors)

WHERE: Las Vegas Hilton, Ballroom C; 3000 Paradise Road, Las Vegas

WHY: According to the Starkey Hearing Foundation, hearing loss is affects 34 million Americans – or one in 10. Yet, with the help of a hearing device, hearing loss can often be corrected in a majority cases, giving an individual the opportunity to better connect with their family, the community, and the world around them.

BACKGROUND: According to the Starkey Hearing Foundation, providing the gift of hearing to those in need helps an individual realize their full potential, while making a difference in that person’s overall quality of life. The Starkey Hearing Foundation Las Vegas Hearing Mission is one of dozens of missions conducted each year by the Foundation both domestically and internationally. Hearing missions are the primary way the Starkey Hearing Foundation realizes its goal so the world may hear. In turn, the Foundation has set a target of reaching 1,000,000 individuals in need by the end of this decade. For more information on the Starkey Hearing Foundation, visit www.starkeyhearingfoundation.org.

M E D I A A D V I S O R Y / P H O T O O P
CONTACTS: Rosalie Hagel / Lauren Murley M. Silver Associates Inc.
954-765-3636 (office, through Friday, June 17)
rosalie@msilver-pr.com; Lauren@msilver-pr.com

New Photo Exhibits of Cyndi Lauper, Wanda Jackson at The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 13:41:08 +0000

New Photo Exhibits of Cyndi Lauper, Wanda Jackson at The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum

WHO: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum debuted its new exhibit, WOMEN WHO ROCK: VISION, PASSION, POWER

WHAT: The ground-breaking and provocative new exhibit illustrates the important roles women have played in rock and roll, from its inception through today. Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power is the world’s first museum exhibit devoted to spotlighting women’s impact on rock and roll music and spotlights more than 60 artists and fills two entire floors. The exhibit moves through the rock and roll eras, weaving a powerful and engaging narrative that demonstrates how women have been the engines of creation and change in popular music, from the early years of the 20th Century to present.

Items on display from artists such as, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Cher, Aretha Franklin and Pat Benatar.

On Saturday, May 14, the Museum’s annual It’s Only Rock and Roll Spring Benefit Concert will feature an all-star lineup including Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Wanda Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, Mavis Staples and Darlene Love.

WHEN: The exhibit will run May 13, 2011 through February 26, 2012

WHERE: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
1100 Rock and Roll Boulevard Cleveland, OH 44114

Technorati Tags: cyndi lauper, wanda jackson, the rock and roll hall of fame and museum

IndieDial.com & Grooveshark.com to Promote Unheard Music

Wed, 25 May 2011 08:42:53 +0000

IndieDial.com & Grooveshark.com to Promote Unheard Music

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Big Opportunity for Unheard Music

Los Angeles, California – April 25th, 2011 – Major Online Music Source Discovers New Artists on new Music Social Network. IndieDial.com is proud to announce their joint opportunity with the internet’s hottest indie music phenomenon, Grooveshark.com.

Grooveshark has agreed to offer an exclusive opportunity to Indie artists of all genres accepted to IndieDial.com’s upstream radio giving one indie artist the spotlight on their popular online Radio weekly. Grooveshark.com has become arguably one of the premiere and most trafficked sources of music on the Internet, with an average of more than 28 million global monthly unique visitors.

Users can quickly and easily queue up one of Grooveshark’s more than 7 million songs, create their own playlists, and use the Radio feature to discover new bands. Hence, this is an amazing opportunity for any upcoming artist. Here is what IndieDial.com’s CEO Luke Wryder has to say, “We’ve been personal addicts of Grooveshark for the past year. It out performs the competition by giving the user the freedom to listen to what they want, when they want, without a million commercials like those other music sites. This site blossomed to an unbelievable great source for music. So we gave them a call and said, ‘we specialize in unheard music; the synthesis was natural working to create one competition weekly to help emerging artists, create a larger, and lasting impression for our artists.

Blaise DeAngelo, Grooveshark’s Director of Artist Relations said “We’re always looking for new ways to help independent artists. The partnership with IndieDial will be a great asset to our artists in terms of gaining exposure and traction, and we can’t wait to check out some of the awesome new music from both IndieDial and Grooveshark artists alike.” The future of this powerful opportunity for an unknown artist will launch May 15th, 2011. Both sites are already reviewing and selecting their best artists. So if you’re a musician or you know one, it’s a good time to register as an artist on these sites because all they care about, “is if they like your music or not,” and you can have opportunity to have your music heard by millions.

Contact: Luke Wryder Founder of Indie
info@indieDial.com

Tribute to Bob Marley on NBC’S “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” This May

Mon, 09 May 2011 07:48:41 +0000

Tribute to Bob Marley on NBC’S “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” This May

NBC’S “LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON” PAYS TRIBUTE TO BOB MARLEY MAY 9-13 WITH A WEEK OF PERFORMANCES FEATURING ZIGGY MARLEY, CHRIS CORNELL, JENNIFER HUDSON, JAKOB DYLAN AND LENNY KRAVITZ

NEW YORK – May 3, 2011 – NBC”s “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” (Monday-Friday, 12:35 a.m. ET) will host a weeklong tribute to Bob Marley beginning May 9 to honor the 30th anniversary of his last concert and death. Jimmy welcomes musicians Ziggy Marley, Chris Cornell, Jennifer Hudson, Jakob Dylan and Lenny Kravitz to celebrate the legendary reggae artist’s musical legacy. Each night, the “Late Night” musical guest performs a classic Marley song. The weeklong event is sponsored by Anheuser-Busch.

“Big up Jimmy Fallon for honoring the memory of my father,” said Ziggy Marley. “Much respect.” In his first appearance on “Late Night,” Marley kicks off this special event on Monday, May 9 when he sits down with Jimmy to chat about his dad and sticks around after to perform.

On Tuesday, May 10 the commemoration continues with a performance by Chris Cornell; Wednesday, May 11 Jennifer Hudson is scheduled to sing; followed by Jakob Dylan on Thursday, May 12 and Lenny Kravitz to close out the week on Friday, May 13. Bob Marley’s last concert was at The Stanley Theatre in Pittsburgh, PA on September 23, 1980 and featured many of his biggest hits. Universal Music Enterprise recently released a CD of the live concert in a 2-CD collection, which includes “Get Up Stand Up,” the last song Marley ever performed live in concert.

“Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” is produced by Universal Media Studios and Broadway Video. Lorne Michaels is the executive producer. Michael Shoemaker produces. Gavin Purcell co-produces. For more Late Night, please visit http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/

ABOUT THE MUSICIANS
Ziggy Marley: A five-time Grammy winner and Reggae icon, Ziggy Marley has had a fruitful career, in which he has released twelve albums to much critical acclaim. His early immersion in music came at age ten when he sat in on recording sessions with his father, Bob Marley. As front man to Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers, Ziggy released eight best-selling albums that garnered three Grammys, with such chart-topping hits as “Tomorrow People” and “Tumbling Down.” Ziggy’s first solo album, “Dragonfly,” was released in 2003. His second solo release, “Love Is My Religion,” won a Grammy in 2006 for Best Reggae Album. His third solo album, “Family Time,” scored him a 5th Grammy award. Ziggy continues his creative path this year with a new album entitled “Wild and Free,” due out June 14th. He also just released his first ever graphic novel to rave reviews.

Chris Cornell: Grammy winning rock icon Chris Cornell is one of the greatest male voices of our time. Having sold over 21 million albums, he has experienced both critical and commercial success as a singer/songwriter for his bands Soundgarden, Audioslave and Temple of the Dog, as well as his own solo work. Currently wrapping up his sold out first ever solo acoustic tour, he’s currently preparing to hit the road with Soundgarden this summer and will release a much anticipated solo live acoustic album in the fall.

Jennifer Hudson: An Academy Award-winning actress and Grammy Award-winning recording artist, Jennifer Hudson is an extraordinary talent. In 2007, Hudson won an Academy Award for her role as “Effie” in the smash hit “Dreamgirls,” and will next star as Winnie Mandela in the upcoming biopic “Winnie.” Hudson’s sophomore album, “I Remember Me,” hit stores March 22, 2011 and landed at number 2 on Billboard’s Top 200. She will begin her second national tour in June 2011.

Jakob Dylan: Jakob Dylan is a two-time Grammy Award winning singer and songwriter. He first earned national attention as the lead singer for The Wallflowers, who have sold over seven million records worldwide since forming in 1990. Dylan has released two critically acclaimed solo albums, “Seeing Things” and “Women + Country,” collaborating with legendary producers to create music widely recognized for its attention to themes such as disillusionment, perseverance and the struggles of the human spirit.

Lenny Kravitz: Regarded as one of the preeminent rock musicians of our time, Lenny Kravitz has transcended genre, style, race and class into a 20-year musical career, selling over 38 million albums worldwide and winning four consecutive Grammy Awards from 1999 to 2002. In 2009 this multi-talented artist appeared in the critically-acclaimed film “Precious,” earning an individual 2010 NAACP Image Awards nomination as well as a Screen Actors Guild nomination along with the cast for “Best Ensemble.” He is currently in the studio working on his 9th album, “Black and White America,” set for release in 2011.

Media Contact: Amber James, NBC Entertainment Publicity, amber.james@nbcuni.com

For more information contact:
Amber James e:amber.james@nbcuni.com

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