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New Orleans’ Cardinal Sons win grand prize of the 12th Annual Mountain Stage NewSong Contest

Monday, October 21st, 2013

 

Mountain Stage NewSong Contest

 

New Orleans’ the Cardinal Sons win grand prize of the 12th Annual Mountain Stage NewSong Contest.

Monday, October 21. New York, NY. New Orleans-based band of brothers the Cardinal Sons were awarded the top honor in the 2013 Mountain Stage NewSong Contest Finals, held this past Saturday at Lincoln Center’s David Rubenstein Atrium in New York City.

Despite very strong performances and compelling original material presented by all ten finalists, the Cardinal Sons – led by frontman and oldest brother John Shirley – were announced this year’s grand prize winner.

Cardinal Sons

The Cardinal Sons. From left to right, brothers Joe, John and Dave Shirley performing an encore at Lincoln Center’s David Rubenstein Atrium on Saturday night, after being announced this year’s grand prize winner of the Mountain Stage NewSong Contest.

 

As winners, they’ll soon head into the studio at Asheville, NC’s Echo Mountain Recording with producer, musician and songwriter Charlie Sexton to make a new record, which will be released by NewSong Recordings.

They’ll also return to New York City’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts to play their own show, as well as perform at the Sundance Film Festival’s ASCAP Music Café and appear on NPR’s Mountain Stage show.

Other prizes include a Little Phatty analog synthesizer from Moog Music, and a handcrafted, made-to-fit Sonus Musician’s Chair from Brian Boggs Chairmakers in Asheville, NC.

“It was a complete shock when our name was called. There were so many talented artists in this competition and it’s quite surreal that we were chosen,” said Shirley. “We’re really excited about working at Echo Mountain with Charlie Sexton and making some killer music. We’re just really lucky to be a part of this and to win is unbelievable.”

Charlie Sexton video to

Charlie Sexton was unable to judge the finals due to a touring conflict in Europe with Bob Dylan. Here’s the video message he sent to the audience and finalists at this past Saturday’s NewSong Contest finals at Lincoln Center.

Originally from Jackson, Mississippi, the Cardinal Sons are brothers John (guitar, vocals), Joe (piano, vocals) and Dave Shirley (drums, vocals). As contest rules allow no more than two performers per act in the finals, the youngest brother Dave had to watch his brothers from the crowd. When the announcement of the winner was made, he was then invited by NewSong Director Gar Ragland to join his brothers on stage for a two-song, full band encore.

The Cardinal Sons were one of five finalists selected by the judges in the afternoon semifinal round to advance to the evening award round set, where they were joined by artists Eliot Bronson (Atlanta, GA), Breagh Mackinnon (Sydney, Nova Scotia), Clarence Bucaro (Brooklyn, NY) and Boris McCutcheon (Albuquerque, NM).

This year’s judges were NewSong Director Gar Ragland, ASCAP’s Marc Emert-Hutner, Lincoln Center’s Jill Sternheimer and Jerimaya Grabher and JW Johnson, the managers of Charlie Sexton, who is currently in Europe on tour with Bob Dylan and was unable to attend.

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NewSong Contest Finalist Q&A: Boris McCutcheon

Wednesday, October 16th, 2013
boris-mccutcheon1This is a truly inspiring and insightful interview from NewSong Contest finalist Boris McCutcheon.  We are honored to have Boris as a part of the contest and look forward to all of the finalists performing on October 19th at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in NYC.  
 
1. From reading your bio, it is clear that you draw a significant amount of your songwriting inspiration from the landscape that surrounds your home in New Mexico, and from your experiences throughout the US.  What is it about natural beauty that drives you to write music? 
 
Deep connection to the woods is something that has always saved me when I was angry or felt like an outcast, which was a lot in my childhood. Sometimes I am more sensitive to the changes of the seasons and to the voice of the land. This latest album was inspired by a very intense fall in New Mexico from a rush of impending upheaval in my off-the-grid existence.  There were underpinnings happening in my life and maybe I was also reacting to a force that was coming to me directly from the earth itself. It always runs the risk of sounding cheesy, but it is true and my music is written by it sometimes. It writes itself. I just try to capture it.
 
2. How would you describe your experience as a NewSong Contest Regional Finalist? What similarities and connections, if any, did you find between your music and the music of other artists in your region? To other finalists who will join you at the finals in New York in October?
 
I am touched and honored to have been selected. In New Mexico, I have been praised and shown support for this accomplishment. Folks have expressed their excitement and relief that my songs might possibly reach a greater audience in the States. Someone even went as far as to write a magazine article about my music going to New York as a mystical earth prophecy. To be honest I have been too busy to even check the other finalists out. I will try and make sure that I do.
 
3. You started out as a poet but then switched to songwriting – what was that transition like? It seem they would be very connected.  What are the similarities you see? Differences?

I discovered in high school that I could express myself well with poetry. A woman came to the school and did a workshop and I was blown away by her. I wrote endlessly for that entire year and then became the poetry editor for our high school literary magazine. I was pretty cocky and thought myself a lot better than I actually was. However, this false sense of confidence got me into College in Vermont and then later into University of California at Santa Cruz. I could not keep up with the workload and found myself more and more creating songs from my poetry. It took me a long time to understand how to write a good song and how more disciplined the process can be than a stream of consciousness outpouring. I also discovered I could reach more people with song.

4. Lincoln Center is widely renowned as one of the world’s greatest venues for the performing arts.  With the NewSong Contest live performance finals taking place on Oct 19th, what does the opportunity to perform at Lincoln Center mean to you?
 
Thank God I had the sense this time to invite Salt Lick member Susan Holmes on upright bass. I wanted to take her last time but I was too broke and was having a second baby with my wife Laura. (Hectic wonderful times.) Looking back I was so damn nervous to be playing first I did not play as well as I should have. Once again, I am pleased as can be and proud to perform some good songs with the bonus of bringing one of the finest bass players in the Southwest. What can I say? It’s about damn time we played there. I will enjoy it and tell my children about it. I am lucky and honored and feel like I have a mission of some kind not yet revealed altogether.

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Q&A with NewSong Contest ‘People’s Choice’ Winner Victoria Vox

Tuesday, October 15th, 2013
victoria vox 2We are very excited to have this year’s People’s Choice winner, Victoria Vox as a 2013 NewSong Contest Finalist! Victoria received the most votes of the 60 Regional Finalists to move on to the live performance finals at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in NYC on October 19th.  
 
We had the opportunity to ask Victoria some questions and are happy to share her answers with you.  Read the full interview below and click here for more info about Victoria and her music. 
 
1. Victoria, you are this year’s NewSong Contest People’s Choice Winner.  Your fans voted and propelled you to the live performance finals in New York City, congratulations! Do you have a message for your fans? 

Thank you 🙂  I think I have the best fans ever. I actually prefer to call them “supporters.” Having them turn out in the polls to vote for me only reinforced that.  I am so grateful for their constant support. They are the movers and shakers that get behind me or my projects.  Together we make things happen 🙂  

2. How would you describe your experience as a NewSong Contest Regional Finalist? What similarities and connections, if any, did you find between your music and the music of other artists in your region? To other finalists who will join you at the finals in New York in October?  

I watched the videos of regional finalists in my region.  It’s a tough way to really “hear” an artist.  Some videos were really well produced and others rather basic (I mean, I did my video with my iPhone!).  I’m looking forward to hearing everybody in person, but even more, meeting them.  It’s hard to get a feel for a performing artist from one video, or one song. 

3. You began writing songs at an early age on the guitar but you have since moved on to the ukulele as the primary vehicle for your songwriting.  What was that transition like and why is the ukulele such a great fit for your style? 

The switch to the ukulele happened pretty naturally.  I began playing the ukulele in 2003, and stopped writing on the guitar altogether in 2007.  By 2009 I performed solely on ukulele and feel that my songwriting improved significantly. I could be my eclectic self and use ukulele (with it’s limitations) to be more versatile and diverse. Some people may think that “ukulele music” is a genre.  I do my best to break down that misconception.  

4. Lincoln Center is widely renowned as one of the world’s greatest venues for the performing arts.  With the NewSong Contest live performance finals taking place on Oct 19th, what does the opportunity to perform at Lincoln Center mean to you?  

I’ve never been to Lincoln Center before. I value every chance I have to perform. Not only will this be a great opportunity to perform in an amazing performing arts center (with the other finalists), it will be a really exciting way to see the venue, from the stage. 

 

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Lincoln Center to host the 12th Annual Finals of the Mountain Stage NewSong Contest

Tuesday, October 15th, 2013

Lincoln Center to host 12th Annual Mountain Stage NewSong Contest on Saturday, October 19.

 

Mountain Stage NewSong Contest

 

NEWSONG MUSIC AND LINCOLN CENTER TO HOST 12th ANNUAL MOUNTAIN STAGE NEWSONG CONTEST

PARTNERSHIP BRINGS LIVE PERFORMANCE EMERGING ARTIST CONTEST TO LINCOLN CENTER CAMPUS IN 2 PERFORMANCES FREE TO THE PUBLIC

2013-NEWSONG-CONTEST-FINALS-POSTERNew York, NY. October 15, 2013. NewSong Music and the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts are hosting the live performance competition finals of the 12th Annual Mountain Stage NewSong Contest. The event will be held on Saturday, October 19 in Lincoln Center’s David Rubenstein Atrium, and feature a 2 PM matinee semi-final round followed by a 7:00 PM evening Award Round. Both shows will be free to the public.

“It is truly exciting to collaborate with NewSong as host venue for the Mountain Stage NewSong Contest finals and to further our mutual goals of offering meaningful visibility to such talented emerging artists,” said Lincoln Center’s Hillary McAndrew Plate, Senior Manager of Meet the Artist and Community Programs.

“It’s such an honor to be working with Lincoln Center again in this capacity, and a privilege to be able to offer this opportunity to this year’s twelve NewSong Contest finalists,” said NewSong director and co-founder Gar Ragland. “And to be able to invite our grand prize winner back to the Lincoln Center campus next year to perform his or her own show demonstrates Lincoln Center’s and NewSong’s shared commitment to introducing talented emerging artists to a broader audience.”

 

 

In addition to a return to perform at Lincoln Center, this year’s grand prize winner will also receive the following:

 

Here are this year’s finalists, who were selected from nearly 2,000 song entries.

INTERNATIONAL NORTHEAST SOUTHEAST
Breagh Mackinnon
 Breagh Mackinnon
Sydney, Nova Scotia (CAN)
Hannah & Maggie
Hannah & Maggie
New York, NY
Josh Threlkeld
Josh Threlkeld
Collierville, TN
MIDWEST
SOUTHWEST
WEST
Count This Penny
Count This Penny
Madison, WI
Boris McCutcheon
Boris McCutcheon
Albuquerque, NM
Adam Brock
Adam Brock
Portland, OR
EARLY BIRD FINALIST
EARLY BIRD FINALIST
PEOPLE’S CHOICE
Cardinal Sons
Cardinal Sons
New Orleans, LA
Justina Shandler
Justina Shandler
Coral Gables, FL
Victoria Vox
Victoria Vox
Baltimore, MD
GENERAL ROUND GENERAL ROUND GENERAL ROUND
Eliot
Eliot Bronson
Atlanta, GA
Yellow Marbles
Yellow Marbles
Venice, CA
Lindenbrook
Lindenbrook
Fairfax, VA

 

2013 NEWSONG CONTEST FINALIST COMPILATION

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE AUDIO COMPILATION OF THIS YEAR’S NEWSONG CONTEST FINALISTS!

The David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center, a community, visitors and ticketing facility, is home to an array of programs, services and amenities designed for area residents, out-of-towners and visitors to Lincoln Center.  Serving as a gateway to Lincoln Center and the entire Upper West Side community, this public space offers—for the first time in Lincoln Center history—day-of discount tickets to available performances across the campus in addition to access to full-price tickets via onsite kiosks and telephone services.  Along with free performances, including Target® Free Thursdays every Thursday night of the year, and Meet the Artist Saturdays—free, family-friendly participatory programs at 11 a.m. on the first Saturday of every month—other attractions and amenities in the Atrium include:  a ‘wichcraft café, a departure point for expanded Lincoln Center tours, a staffed Information Desk, free Wi-Fi, and restrooms.

For more information visit: LincolnCenter.org/Atrium
 

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Inc. (LCPA) serves three primary roles: presenter of artistic programming, national leader in arts and education and community relations, and manager of the Lincoln Center campus. A presenter of more than 5,000 free and ticketed events, performances, tours, and educational activities annually, LCPA’s series include American Songbook, Great Performers, Lincoln Center Festival, Lincoln Center Out of Doors, Midsummer Night Swing, the Mostly Mozart Festival, White Light Festival, and the Emmy Award-winning Live From Lincoln Center. As manager of the Lincoln Center campus, LCPA provides support and services for the Lincoln Center complex and the 11 resident organizations. In addition, LCPA is leading a series of major capital projects, now nearly complete, on behalf of the resident organizations across the campus. AboutLincolnCenter.org

NewSong Music is an independent music and artist development organization founded in 2001 and now based in Asheville, NC. Its mission is to identify exceptional singer-songwriters, and then to work closely with them to introduce their music to a broader, international audience. Prior to relocating to downtown Asheville’s Echo Mountain Recording, NewSong called home in Brooklyn, New York’s creative Gowanus hamlet. NewSong’s programs include a record label (NewSong Recordings), artist management, and presenting and curating concerts and concert series. Its presenting partners include Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (New York), Brookfield Properties (New York, Los Angeles, Toronto), the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts (Winston-Salem) and Isis Music Hall in Asheville. newsong-music.com

 

 

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NewSong Partners

 

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2013 NewSong Contest Finalist Interview: Josh Threlkeld

Tuesday, October 15th, 2013
josh-threlkeld2At NewSong, we love getting to know the artists we work with.  For that reason, we are thrilled to have been able to sit down with 2013 NewSong Contest Finalists, Josh Threlkeld.  Josh with be joining the rest of the 2013 finalists in the live performance finals at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in NYC on October 19th.  You can our full interview with Josh below – Hope you enjoy! 
 
Josh will also be performing his own show at the Bitter End in New York City this Sunday night, the evening following  the finals. For more info, see the flyer below. 
 
 
1. You have been performing regularly since the young age of 12.  How do you incorporate all of those years of musical experiences into your current songwriting style and live performance? 
 
I was just talking with a friend last night who said he didn’t like people, prefers to just avoid ’em if possible. I don’t think anybody’d argue that people can be a pain. The streets are full of us, inflicting it ’cause we feel it. But when you put good music in the mix it’s completely different, it’s healing. Experiencing that with people from a young age, and especially now, starts refining the music to make it more and more of a conduit for that connection. What expresses best the sorrow, hope, or joy… this is healing stuff. The more you play for people the more they show you this. I’m thankful for every chance.
 
2. How would you describe your experience as a NewSong Contest Regional Finalist? What similarities and connections, if any, did you find between your music and the music of other artists in your region? To other finalists who will join you at the finals in New York in October? 
 
Hearing back from the NewSong contest as a finalist was a lot like that audience reaction that lights you up after experiencing a song together. Thrilling, life-changing 
 
3. Your most recent release, Album Of Our Fall: Tragedy and Sequel, is said to be a journey into the “two-sided coin” of relationships.  What does that “two-sided coin” mean to you?
 
“Album Of Our Fall” is a story told in two parts: a Tragedy and a Sequel. The music was made to follow this story of the two ways a relationship can go; in one there is A Falling Out, while the other shows what it’s like To Fall In. I was fascinated with how these dynamics play out in close relationships (how the same person can have capacity for deepening love with one person and find themselves increasingly distant from another). Also, there’s the question: are these outcomes of love and hate decided from first “Hello?” And what role do technology, current social mechanisms, etc. play in that eventual togetherness or apartness? The Falling Out or Fall In both being held in a single moment as potential in a single relationship, “the two-sided coin,” loads every moment of interaction with spinning significance. 
 
Originally, the two disc set “Tragedy” and “Sequel” was literally going to be two sides of the same disc… but the technology wasn’t there for it. Maybe one day.
 
4. Lincoln Center is widely renowned as one of the world’s greatest venues for the performing arts.  With the NewSong Contest live performance finals taking place on Oct 19th, what does the opportunity to perform at Lincoln Center mean to you? 
 
Performing for/with people is inextricably part of the art of music to me. A song is incomplete until it’s heard. What better place to complete a song than this room full of invested listeners, each one caring as they hope to be cared for, in a place that’s famous for that? Yee-haw
 
Josh-Threlkeld-Bitter-End

 For more on Josh, visit his website joshthrelkeld.com

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Q&A with NewSong Contest Finalist Count This Penny

Monday, October 14th, 2013

Count-this-penny1We are excited to have Count This Penny – a Madison, WI based singer-songwriter duo – as a 2013 NewSong Contest Finalist.  We caught up with them recently with a brief Q&A and get to know a little more about them.  Catch the full interview below and don’t miss their performance, along with the other 2013 Finalists, at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on October 19th.  

1. The relocation of Count This Penny to Madison, WI early in your musical career seems to have been an important moment. Was that decision completely music related? What is like to live and perform in a town with such a great local music scene?

We love living in Madison! We had the chance to try living somewhere different than our native state of Tennessee for a while, and we decided to go for it. And it became home to us terrifically quickly. We had no way of knowing what an awesome music community was here before we arrived. And it’s only gotten stronger in the time we’ve lived here.

There are great venues and promoters who embrace local music as well as bringing strong national and regional acts through town consistently. There are dozens of awesome local bands who collaborate constantly. You can find a good show every single night–and sometimes three or four in one night. Two weekends ago Shovels and Rope, Volcano Choir/Field Report, and The Vaccines were all playing in Madison the same night. It’s an embarrassment of riches for a city this size, thanks to some hardworking folks.

2. How would you describe your experience as a NewSong Contest Regional Finalist? What similarities and connections, if any, did you find between your music and the music of other artists in your region? To other finalists who will join you at the finals in New York in October?

Well…we’re all songwriters. Ha ha, just kidding. But not really — it’s easy to feel an immediate connection with anyone who cares about the craft of songwriting and who dedicates any amount of his or her time to building (or carving or whittling or engineering or reverse-engineering) a song. We’re thrilled by the opportunity to meet all these great writers and hear their perspectives on songwriting. We really hope we have time to have some conversations like that in New York, because we still have a lot to learn.

3. Smart Studios, where you recorded your first EP, has an incredibly rich history comprised of recordings by Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Fall Out Boy, Jimmy Eat World, etc. What are some of your favorite parts of this history? What does it mean to Count This Penny to have recorded there before the studio closed for good?

Honestly, if we had thought much about the storied past of Smart, we probably wouldn’t have wound up there–we’d have been too intimidated, or felt like we weren’t rock-n-roll enough. But the moment we walked in, and especially when we talked to our engineer, Mike Zirkel, we felt at home. He’s just the warmest, most supportive guy, and we loved him right away. Having said that, we also felt really cool sitting around the A-range while it was still there. Pretty badass. But you could be tons of places with an amazing history and still feel cold or out of place. We had great musicians join us on our record and a great engineer, and we were kind of pinching ourselves when we stopped to think about the music that was recorded and produced there long before we ever started playing.

4. Lincoln Center is widely renowned as one of the world’s greatest venues for the performing arts. With the NewSong Contest live performance finals taking place on Oct 19th, what does the opportunity to perform at Lincoln Center mean to you?

Oh man, you’re just trying to make us nervous now!

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To learn more about Count This Penny, please visit their website: countthispenny.com.

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Remaining 2013 NewSong Contest finalists announced!

Friday, October 11th, 2013

 

Mountain Stage NewSong Contest

Congratulations to Eliot Bronson, the Yellow Marbles and Lindenbrook!

 

Eliot
Eliot Bronson
Atlanta, GA
Yellow Marbles
Yellow Marbles
Venice, CA
Lindenbrook
Lindenbrook
Fairfax, VA

These artists round out the 2013 roster of finalists in the 12th Annual Mountain Stage NewSong Contest, and will be joining us on Saturday, October 19 in New York at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts for the live performance competition.

 

 

And congratulations to Victoria Vox, the 2013 People’s Choice Winner!

Victoria Vox
Victoria Vox
Baltimore, MD

 

As the regional round finalist who received the most votes in our popular Peoples Choice voting platform,
Victoria will also be joining us in New York to perform in the finals.

We’d also like to recognize the following regional finalists, who received the most votes within their own region: 

International Round – Nancy Beaudette Music
Midwest Round – Rachael Kilgour
Northeast – Victoria Vox (overall winner)
Southeast – Nick Flora
Southwest – Otter Creek
West – Tiff Jimber

 

 

 

And congratulations once again to the following regional round winners and ‘Early Bird’ finalists!

 

INTERNATIONAL NORTHEAST SOUTHEAST
Breagh Mackinnon
 Breagh Mackinnon
Sydney, Nova Scotia (CAN)
Hannah & Maggie
Hannah & Maggie
New York, NY
Josh Threlkeld
Josh Threlkeld
Collierville, TN
MIDWEST
SOUTHWEST
WEST
Count This Penny
Count This Penny
Madison, WI
Boris McCutcheon
Boris McCutcheon
Albuquerque, NM
Adam Brock
Adam Brock
Portland, OR
EARLY BIRD FINALIST
EARLY BIRD FINALIST
  
Cardinal Sons
Cardinal Sons
New Orleans, LA
Justina Shandler
Justina Shandler
Coral Gables, FL
  

 

 

Please join us in New York for the live performance finals at Lincoln Center’s David Rubenstein Atrium on Saturday, October 19, where these twelve talented artists will perform and compete for this year’s grand prize:

  • An appearance on National Public Radio’s highly acclaimed Mountain Stage show 

 

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NewSong Troubadour Series feat. Scott Miller and Rayna Gellert at Isis Restaurant & Music Hall, Thursday, October 17.

Friday, October 11th, 2013

scottmiller-raynagellert1NewSong Music, Isis Restaurant and Music Hall, Kim Ruehl, The Asheville Scene, and WNCW are proud to announce the lineup for its autumn 2013 NewSong Troubadour Series, featuring some of the finest singer-songwriters on the circuit. From NC native Sarah Siskind to Nashville favorite Robby Hecht and Woody Guthrie’s granddaughter Sarah Lee Guthrie, the NewSong Troubadour Series at Isis aims introduce Asheville audiences to exceptional artists in an intimate, listening room atmosphere.

About Scott Miller & Rayna Gellert: 

It may seem an unlikely pairing – Scott Miller, the no nonsense roots rock and roll songwriter – and Rayna Gellert, a maven of old time fiddle music. They met at Mountain Stage in West Virginia last year and were instant friends and collaborators. Since then, Rayna has been accompanying Scott on some solo gigs, adding nuanced readings of Miller’s existing catalog of original songs and gracing some new songs that had been bubbling up for Miller’s next record. Some of the new songs were not a good fit for his new project but were rapidly becoming requested at the duo’s shows. And so, seemingly overnight, the idea of doing an EP of these new fan favorites was born. The CoDependents is now available to fans of both Miller and Gellert.

 

 

GENERAL INFO:

Thursday, October 17
$10 Advance / $12 Door 
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

General Admission ::  Seated / Standing Show
Doors 5pm :: Show 8pm 

There are limited tables available with dinner reservations (You must call Isis at 828-575-2737 for dinner reservations ). There is also some theater-style & balcony seating and standing available on a first come first serve basis. Isis, The Scene, WNCW, and NewSong are proud to have Scott and Rayna as part of the Troubadour Series.

For more information please visit: 
http://www.thescottmiller.com/

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Q&A with NewSong Contest Finalist Breagh Mackinnon

Thursday, October 10th, 2013
breagh_mackinnonOne of the things that we love most here at NewSong Music is getting to know the talented musicians and wonderful people that we get to work with every day. We are excited to have caught up with Breagh Mackinnon, this year’s 2013 Mountain Stage NewSong Contest International Round winner.  Breagh will be joining the rest of the finalists in New York City on October 19th to perform in the live competition finals at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. 
 
 
1. You have formal music training in jazz. How does that training influence your style as a singer songwriter? 

 I’m finishing my undergrad in jazz piano performance at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia. Studying jazz over the past few year has definitely opened my eyes and ears to a style of music that I didn’t know much about before getting to university. Just from a songwriters point of view, checking out the  Tin Pan Alley standards by brilliant writers like Berlin and Gershwin is like a “How-to” for writing songs. Definitely inspiring! 

  

2. How would you describe your experience as a NewSong Contest regional finalist? What similarities and connections, if any, did you find between your music and the music of other artists in your region? To other finalists who will join you at the finals in New York in October? 

 I have been checking out some of the other finalists in the NewSong contest. I have literally been blown away by how talented everyone is, I’ve found some new favorite songwriters for sure. 

 
 
3. Your voice has been described as “strong medicine.” How do you find and keep the balance between instrumentation and vocal presence in your songwriting? 

I often perform solo, so keeping a balance between vocals and instrumentation is easy in that setting. But when working with a band, it can be hard to find the right arrangement to accompany the song without overpowering the vocals. With my genre of music, I try to keep the lyrics front and center.

 

4. Lincoln Center is widely renowned as one of the world’s greatest venues for the performing arts.  With the NewSong Contest live performance finals taking place on Oct 19th, what does the opportunity to perform at Lincoln Center mean to you?
 
Having the chance to perform at the Lincoln Center will be a surreal experience! I’m looking forward to sharing the stage with such amazing artists, and getting to play at such a well-known music venue is an added bonus.
 
 
For more info about Breagh and to hear her music, click here.
 
To learn more about the NewSong Contest finals at Lincoln Center, click here.

 

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Victoria Vox:2013 Mountain Stage NewSong Contest People’s Choice Winner

Wednesday, September 25th, 2013

Congratulations to this year’s NewSong Contest People’s Choice Winner, Victoria Vox!

victoria vox 2

Victoria was selected from 60 Regional Finalists by popular vote on the NewSong online voting platform.  She will now move on to compete in the 2013 Mountain Stage NewSong Contest live performance finals on Saturday, Oct 19th at New York’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and have the chance to win a suite of career advancing prizes.  For a full list of this year’s prizes, click here. 

Additionally, we would like to recognize those regional finalists who received the most votes in their own region: 

International Round – Nancy Beaudette Music
Midwest Round – Rachael Kilgour
Northeast – Victoria Vox (overall winner)
Southeast – Nick Flora
Southwest – Otter Creek
West – Tiff Jimber

Once again, congratulations to ALL of the talented regional round finalists from this year’s contest, and thanks to all of you who voted to support and recognize them.

 

Posted in Contest, News | 5 Comments »

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