FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Chris Lewis, Director, Songbook Academy
317-844-9446 / clewis@thesongbook.org
CONTACT: John R. Hughey, The Center for the Performing Arts
317-660-3377 / jhughey@TheCenterPresents.org
b-roll: www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEMDwagJ4Jw
Photos: www.flickr.com/photos/feinsteininitiative
MICHAEL FEINSTEIN LAUNCHES 2015 AMERICAN SONGBOOK ACADEMY
High school singers from across the country are encouraged to apply
CARMEL –The Great American Songbook Foundation, founded by Grammy-nominated vocalist, Michael Feinstein, announces the opening of the 2015 application process for The Songbook Academy, a music and performance intensive for high school students! The application is available online at www.TheSongbook.org until March 25, 2015.
Now in its sixth year, the Songbook Academy provides high school singers in grades 9-12 with the life-changing opportunity to work with music industry professionals and educators from top college arts programs to experience firsthand the uniquely American and culturally significant music known as the Great American Songbook.
The Songbook Academy is a celebration of the Golden Age of American Popular music. This program is the only high school music intensive in the U.S. dedicated solely to the music from Broadway, Hollywood musicals and the Tin Pan Alley era of the early to mid-twentieth century.
Chris Lewis, Songbook Academy Director, said “This national program has grown to become a comprehensive educational experience. Students have the rare opportunity to work one on one with world-class mentors to learn how to interpret classic American popular music, as well as what it takes to work as a performer today. Songbook Academy alumni have gone on to study in top college arts programs, record CDs, perform on national television, and have toured nationally.”
Applications are judged by a panel of music educators and industry professionals, who will provide written feedback to every applicant. Approximately 40 students will be invited to attend the Songbook Academy week in Carmel, IN, July 18-25, where they will be mentored and further evaluated. Participants will be eligible for various recognition opportunities and awards. Participants will be eligible for the chance to be named Songbook Youth Ambassador, Songbook Inspiration Award Winner and Songbook Celebration Award winner. All participants will be named Songbook Scholars, receive a letter of recommendation for college applications, and letters highlighting their achievement will be sent to their high schools. All participants will become members of the Songbook Alumni Network and will have access to ongoing educational opportunities, access to scholarship opportunities, information on arts programs and audition opportunities, and invitations to participate and perform in future regional events.
The Songbook Academy will take place at the Songbook Foundation’s headquarters in Carmel, IN, July 18-25, 2015. Students will participate in a seven-day academy on interpreting and performing the music of the Great American Songbook. Five-time Grammy nominee, Michael Feinstein, and other top music industry professionals and educators will conduct workshops and master classes throughout the week. The final competition performance will be held in the 1,600 seat Palladium Concert Hall at the Center for the Performing Arts.
“The Songbook Academy is one of the highlights of my year. The young people that participate are so full of talent and passion. I love having the opportunity to work with each of them and to see their growth over the course of the week. Not only do they learn a lot, but they build relationships with other talented singers and mentors from coast to coast. They make memories bursting with music and, in the process, develop character, confidence, and an appreciation for our musical history,” said Michael Feinstein, founder of the Songbook Foundation and Songbook Academy.
Description
The Songbook Academy was created to provide an opportunity for young people to experience firsthand this uniquely American music and its cultural significance.
The Songbook Academy is designed to be a collaborative, rewarding, and fun experience for all participants. Students will have the opportunity to participate in workshops, one-on-one coaching sessions, and master classes with celebrity performers, music industry professionals, and educators from top college arts programs from across the country. The week’s events will culminate in a live show on July 25, 2015, at the Palladium in Carmel, IN, where award winners will be selected.
Academy Mentors
World-class performers have served as coaches and mentors for the Songbook Academy. These talented individuals have shared a wealth of encouragement, inspiration, and performance techniques with students, for an amazing once in a lifetime experience. Past Songbook Academy mentors have included two-time Emmy and five-time Grammy Award nominee, Michael Feinstein; Two-time Grammy nominee, Jane Monheit; Two-time Grammy winner and Emmy winner, Sylvia McNair; multiple Grammy winner and member of Manhattan Transfer, Cheryl Bentyne; Catherine Adams Walker, University of Michigan, Musical Theatre Department; Kathleen Hacker, University of Indianapolis, Music Department.
6 Easy Steps to Apply:
- Visit www.TheSongbook.org to read official Guidelines and Frequently Asked Questions
- Click Application Button
- Register and complete online application
- Upload color photo
- Upload recordings of two songs (MP3, MP4 or .wav formats accepted). Video recordings will not be accepted.
- Submit application fee of $50.00
If selected to participate in the Songbook Academy, a program fee of $600.00 will be due on or before June 5, 2015. The program fee includes:
- Cost of supervised accommodations in a Butler University residence hall;
- All meals on and off campus;
- Transportation during the week; and
- Participation in all workshops, master classes, mentor sessions and social activities throughout week
The program fee does not include travel expenses to and from Carmel, IN, for the Songbook Academy week.
For questions, students can reach Songbook Foundation staff at 317-844-9446 or by email at SongbookAcademy@TheSongbook.org.
Recognition and Awards
All Songbook Academy participants will receive:
- Songbook Scholar recognition
- College recommendation letter from the Songbook Foundation
- Letter recognizing the achievement of each Songbook Scholar sent to their high school
- Membership in Songbook Academy alumni network
All Songbook Academy participants will be eligible for the following awards:
Great American Songbook Youth Ambassador Award will receive the chance of a lifetime: the opportunity to perform with two-time Emmy and five-time Grammy Award nominated entertainer and founder of the Songbook Foundation, Michael Feinstein. The Youth Ambassador will serve for one year and will have opportunities to perform throughout the year. Past Youth Ambassador performance opportunities have included:
- Multiple appearances with Michael Feinstein
- Great American Songbook Hall of Fame Gala – with Barry Manilow, Liza Minnelli, Johnny Mathis, Jimmy Webb, for example
- National Anthem at NFL game
- Appearance with Pasadena Pops
- Appearance at Birdland Jazz Club
- Appearance at Jazz at Lincoln Center
Songbook Inspiration Award will receive a performance opportunity with two-time Emmy and five-time Grammy Award nominated entertainer and founder of the Songbook Foundation, Michael Feinstein, to be coordinated by the Songbook Foundation.
Songbook Celebration Award will receive a performance opportunity with two-time Emmy and five-time Grammy Award nominated entertainer and founder of the Songbook Foundation, Michael Feinstein, to be coordinated by the Songbook Foundation.
Mentor Recognition Awards – achievement awards presented by Academy mentors
The Great American Songbook Foundation
Michael Feinstein founded the Great American Songbook Foundation in 2007 in order to preserve, promote, and perpetuate the music of the Great American Songbook. The mission of the Foundation is to inspire and educate by celebrating the Great American Songbook. The work of the Foundation includes:
- High School Songbook Academy
- Educational programming
- Library, Archives, and Gallery Exhibits
- Great American Songbook Hall of Fame
To learn more, visit: www.TheSongbook.org
About Michael Feinstein
Michael Feinstein, the multi-platinum-selling, two-time Emmy and five-time Grammy Award-nominated entertainer dubbed “The Ambassador of the Great American Songbook,” is considered one of the premier interpreters of American standards. His 200-plus shows a year have included performances at Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House and the Hollywood Bowl as well as the White House and Buckingham Palace.
More than simply a performer, Feinstein has received national recognition for his commitment to celebrate America’s popular song and preserve its legacy for the next generation. In 2007, he founded the Great American Songbook Foundation, dedicated to celebrating the art form and preserving it through educational programs, Master Classes, and the annual Songbook Academy for high school students. Michael serves on the Library of Congress’ National Recording Preservation Board; an organization dedicated to ensuring the survival, conservation and increased public availability of America’s sound recording heritage.
Feinstein serves as Artistic Director of the Center for the Performing Arts, a $170 million, three-theater venue in Carmel, Indiana, which opened in January 2011. The Center is home to the Great American Songbook Foundation Archives and museum. Starting in 2010, he became the director of the Jazz and Popular Song Series at New York’s Jazz at Lincoln Center. In 2013, he replaced the late Marvin Hamlisch as the lead conductor of the Pasadena Pops.
Feinstein can be seen on PBS in his award winning series, Michael Feinstein’s American Songbook. He can also be heard on NPR in his current show, Song Travels with Michael Feinstein. His latest book, The Gershwins and Me, which is combined with a new CD of Gershwin standards performed with Cyrus Chestnut at the piano, was released by Simon & Schuster in October 2012. His latest album, A Michael Feinstein Christmas, was released in 2014.
Media links
Watch highlight reel of Songbook Academy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jkUZ8xwgBU&list=UU2-QryLNaFKRO-oiM0ab8dA
Watch video of 2014 Winner, Madelyn Baillio, Perform at the Competition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecFn213NKQ8&list=UU2-QryLNaFKRO-oiM0ab8dA
Watch video of 2013 Winner, Julia Goodwin, Perform at the Competition:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QJpSe-_EHk&feature=c4-overview&list=UU2-QryLNaFKRO-oiM0ab8dA
Watch video of 2012 Winner, Nick Ziobro, Perform at the Competition:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GwySr0qums
Read feature of 2014 Final Competition performance: http://www.examiner.com/article/lone-star-state-native-is-american-songbook-vocal-competition-winner
Read ‘Saving the Songbook’ – Wall Street Journal:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203806504577180851919293834.html
Information: www.TheSongbook.org
The mission of the Great American Songbook Foundation is to inspire and educate by celebrating the Great American Songbook.
