At OurStage, the site is just as much about the fans as it is about the artists. They need each other to stay busy and happy; fans need artists to listen to and artists need an audience! That’s why we ask fans to judge the music the way we do. We also want to help real fans have an even bigger voice on the site. This is the reason we launched “You Be The Judge: Fan Picks”. In these posts, we’ll feature an active fan on the site with an impressive and honest judging history. This month’s featured fan is Cathie Fredrickson.
Stats: 4 Judging Excellence Badges as a fan, 1 Channel win and 2 Top Ten placements as an artist.
Bio: Cathie is a music and animal lover from Fergus Falls, Minnesota. She’s quite humble about her own music, which she uses as a positive tool in her life since going through some very rough times. She says, “I love finally being able to share with others in music, the language of the heart.”
We asked Cathie to pick her 3 favorite tracks in the June Semifinals that she’d love to see win. These were the ones she liked best. Check them out!
“This is an exceptional example of Spoken Word, combining both top notch musical production, heartfelt vocals and lyrical content depicting the ongoing struggles of the People of Africa that I believe needs to be heard around the world.”
“Her vocals are pure as silk, clear and vibrant with a hint of accent!!!! The song is a very relatable story of keeping oneself safe, but are you really….?”
“She is the future of our continued music for the world to hear. Awesome in all respects, positive energetic vocal delivery, great original lyrics and an awesome instrumentalist and performer!!!!!”
Thanks Cathie! Stay tuned for more Fan Picks in the future!
“A band is a business.” This was the conclusion reached during a discussion with Jeff Brinkley, drummer of OurStage alt rock band, Manic Bloom late last week. The band’s catchy yet unique melodies, refined song-writing abilities and impeccable sense of musical movement definitely make for good dialogue. And their OurStage track record is a hot topic—as the only band in OurStage history to win the Grand Prize in two separate months, they hold countless #1 Top 10 badges. Still, our conversation turned to the band’s approach to the industry beyond their musical goals.
After speaking with Brinkley, however, something became very clear to me: These guys are just oozing with industry intelligence and professionalism. Two of the members hold audio engineering degrees while another member is trained in web development. So it was no surprise to learn the band recorded only the final layers of their most recent self-titled EP in a professional studio after laying down the rest at home. (For more information on “shortcuts” to a professional album, check out our previous stories about recording at home and making the most out of your studio time.) And after one visit to their MySpace page or Website, it’s obvious the band takes pride in both their career and appearance. Brinkley expanded on mentality by saying a band can’t rely on the possibility that “the right person” will listen to their music if there’s no reason to take the band seriously. While Brinkley credits musical talent and drive as being a driving factor, he feels the professionalism in Manic Bloom’s Website and overall demeanor plays a role when it comes to securing major opportunities. These opportunities are evident in the band’s representation from a management company, high profile gigs such as the Red Gorilla Music Festival and sterling reviews from local music authorities like Tony Stone of 102.9 the Buzz. Manic Bloom also play a lot of gigs and important benefit shows around the TN area. Organizations the band supports include (RED), Invisible Children, The One Campaign, and Rock for Darfur (get some more info on the “benefit” of benefit shows).
Brinkley ended our conversation with some advice and concluding statements about the band. Just as a business maintains a professional image, a band should treat their endeavors the same way. Brinkley recommends that bands create separate bank accounts for income earned by the band and money used for the band. In other words, pretend your band is an organization because, really, that’s what it is. A band needs its own income and budget, its own image and composure. Manic Bloom’s success is evidence of this.
The band is currently working to record some new songs and combine them with their existing library to compile a full-length album, expected to release later this year. Check out their upcoming shows if you’re in the area, and head on over to their fan club because this band is here to stay.
If you’ve turned on the TV, read a newspaper or just gone outside in the last year, you probably know about global warming. And regardless of the temperature outside, we’re sure you’ve heard about the importance of cutting down on our consumption of natural resources. Even to the less environmentally conscious among us, the benefits of recycling and caring for planet are easy to understand. To inspire you to “go green” and do your part, we compiled this eco-minded “green playlist.”
[playlist artist_name="Skybat" artist_url="http://www.ourstage.com/fanclub/skybat"
song_name="One Day" song_url="http://www.ourstage.com/play/track/KIZSXGGCBQKY"]
When I was a young girl, Michael Jackson was my world. I was a fan of the Jackson 5 Motown classics, followed his solo departure with Off The Wall and gave him my preteen heart with the release of Thriller. Every day I’d come home from school, put on the record and craft dance routines along with my sister in front of the poster image of my hero that adorned our bedroom wall. I would day dream about owning my own red leather “Beat It” jacket, seeing him in concert and becoming friends with the music and dance icon. In 1984, one of my dreams came true when my grandfather returned home with 4 tickets to the Jackson 5 “Victory Tour”. My grandparents took my sister and I to our first concert, THE CONCERT—the one that I had pined to see all summer. The four of us sang and danced and felt so lucky to witness the magic. When I returned home from the concert, I wrote a 20 page review—careful to note every detail of the show—and mailed copies to all my friends and relatives. I wanted to share the wonder of Michael Jackson’s talents with the world.
Yesterday my childhood hero—an artist who broke records, broke down racial barriers and influenced generations of musicians and dancers—passed away at the age of 50. The circumstances of Michael Jackson’s death are still unknown although attending physicians say he suffered a cardiac arrest. In the days that follow I suspect we may learn details that are reminiscent of the tragic deaths of Heath Ledger and Anna Nicole Smith, fellow entertainers who medicated private pains. However, Jackson’s pains were never private. He wore his demons on his bizarrely reconstructed face which aided in the polarization of billions of fans spanning the globe. As the news of Jackson’s parting spreads, I can’t help wondering what the truth was behind the many years of tabloid headlines and thinking the King of Pop really died of a broken heart.
He was a hero in his youth, a villain in his 30’s and 40’s. Many fans were outraged by Jackson’s plastic surgery, eccentric lifestyle and behavior as well as the accusations involving children. Other fans loved and supported the icon through every infamous headline. I am left in a state of limbo, confused by how to resolve the talent with the controversy. However, I overlook my own sadness over the passing of Michael Jackson which leads me to believe that, ultimately, my childhood perception of who he was will prevail.
OurStage would like to send condolences to the friends and family of the entertainer. We also want to invite the music lovers and musicians of our community to share your own stories and thoughts about Michael Jackson. As we all process his untimely departure let the memories of his music and the moments that defined his talent replay in our minds and hearts.
The church has been the crucible for countless recording artists. Of course, not all who sing in the choir carry the spiritual theme over to their personal careers, but plenty do. In this case Kristine Alicia is the rule, not the exception.
Under the tutelage of her minister father (also a classical musician), Alicia and her five siblings grew up in Kingston, Jamaica, singing and playing the piano both at home and in church. It’s an upbringing that’s written all over the singer’s music. Breezy, Caribbean rhythms and textures permeate almost every song, most of which are low-tempo R&B/Reggae grooves. Blessed with a smoky contralto reminiscent of Toni Braxton and Sade, Alicia lends her silky island cadence to songs of worship and devotion. With lines like “Even if I hide from you / Your presences seems to find me” and “You are the king of my desire,” it’s sometimes difficult to tell whether Alicia is singing to God or lover.
Either way, all we can say is, “Amen.”
