American vocal coach to the stars brings seminars to Australia
December 29, 2008 (NASHVILLE) – American vocal coach Renee Grant-Williams will be
coming to Australia for the first time in January 2009 to conduct performance seminars for
songwriters and artists with Just Add Water Seminars (JAWS 2009). The tour will begin in
Sydney January 10th followed by workshops in Brisbane (14/1) Cairns (20/1), Tamworth (24/1),
Newcastle (27/1) and Melbourne (31/1). Renee Grant-Williams’ client roster reads like a Who’s
Who of contemporary super stars including Keith Urban, Miley Cyrus, Christina Aguilera,
Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, Sherrie Austin, Garth Brooks and many more.
For the past ten years Grant-Williams has presented an annual all-day event titled Master Class
with Renee Grant-Williams. This popular seminar sells out every year and has touched the lives
and careers of thousands of aspiring singers. Grant-Williams says, “I don't feel my job is to teach
people how to sing, but instead, how to remove the obstacles that may be preventing them from
singing the way they really want to sing.”
Her insights and hot tips on how to use one's voice have been quoted in USA TODAY, TV Guide,
Cosmopolitan, New York Times, Elle, Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle,
New York Post, Amusement Business, Mix Magazine, Country Weekly. Broadcast appearances
include, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, USA, MTV, CMT, GAC, PBS, Food Network, BRAVO, BBC
and NPR.
Grant-Williams has been quoted as saying, “Today's performers are under enormous pressure to
stand out in a competitive and unforgiving environment that just keeps getting tougher and
tougher.” With that in mind, the JAWS 2009 workshops will offer practical training and an indepth
understanding of the career-altering techniques that have helped bring success to so many
of today's superstar entertainers.
The workshop will include guitar instruction and musicianship, taught by Gary Talley, worldclass
guitar instructor and Grammy-nominated Box Tops member. Talley is the author of the
best-selling DVD GUITAR PLAYING FOR SONGWRITERS, which is considered by music
professionals like Bart Herbison, President, Nashville Songwriters Association International
(NSAI) to be a “necessary tool for any songwriter who wants to elevate their craft.” Arista
recording artist Sherrié Austin calls Talley“a superb teacher." Gary Talley has played and toured
with artists like Billy Preston, Sam Moore, Pam Tillis, Brenda Lee, Tammy Wynette, Rufus
Thomas, Tim McGraw, and many others. Award winning Nashville songwriters Karin Paparelli
and Bill DiLuigi will present their unique, interactive, and hands-on songwriting seminar.
For those who are serious about a career in music, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Spaces are limited so please register early through the website www.JAWS2009.com. For more
information email: info@jaws2009.com or call (02) 8006 0153 AU or (615) 244-3280 USA
(0450319335 NSW Jan-Feb 09)
Doug Bruce
has just released his first full album of all original songs and
has already received a swag of award nominations from it! Doug has scored
finalist placing in all six of his nominated categories of the Victorian &
National Country Music Awards 2009, including Male Vocalist of the Year,
Songwriters Composition of the Year, Best Independent Release and Best
Traditional Country song in the National section, as well as Male Vocalist and
Album of the Year in the Victorian section.
Hot on the tails of the Awards news came announcement from the Tamworth
Songwriters’ Association (TSA) National Songwriting Competition that Doug was
also a semi-finalist in both the Professional sections he was nominated for
–Traditional (for Just Three Minutes) and Contemporary (I Know About Lonesome)
country song. This national competition attracted 380 entries this
year. Winners of the TSAs will be announced at an awards show during the
Tamworth Country Music Festival on January 21 (www.tsaonline.com.au).
Announced mid-December, was notification that Doug is also a top 5 finalist
in the Male Vocalist section of the well regarded Tamworth Independent Artists
Recognition Awards (TIARAs).
Doug recorded and produced his album from his own purpose-built Shoo Fly
Studios, and penned all the songs, with two songs also co-written by 2008
Victorian Entertainer of the Year, Harry Jon Nanos. Doug hopes to release a
music video for release on the Country Music Channel in the first half of
2009.
starting with seven performances at the Tamworth Country Music Festival from
January 14-21, performing on the Honky Tonk Show at The Cattleman Steakhouse
with country legend, Alby Pool.
Grammy-nominated, world class Memphis guitar instructor touring
Australia.
December 22, 2008 (NASHVILLE) – What do Willie Nelson, Billy Preston,
Waylon Jennings, The Beach Boys, Tim McGraw, Dr. John, Tammy Wynette, Sam &
Dave, Pat Boone, Pam Tillis, Brenda Lee, Keith Whitley, Tennessee Ernie Ford,
James Burton, James Cotton, Randy Travis, Dobie Gray, James Carr and Sherrie'
Austin have in common?
ANSWER : GARY TALLEY - TEACHER, MUSICIAN, SONGWRITER - and he will be in
Australia for the first time in January 2009 to conduct performance seminars for
songwriters and artists with Just Add Water Seminars (JAWS 2009). The tour will
begin in Sydney January 10th followed by workshops in Brisbane (14/1) Cairns
(20/1), Tamworth (24/1), Newcastle (27/1) and Melbourne (31/1).
Gary Talley began his career in 1967, as lead guitarist for the
Grammy-nominated group, The Box Tops. Their "blue-eyed soul" hits like "The
Letter," and "Cry Like a Baby" sold millions of copies, and continue to
entertain listeners today.
Talley's diverse background inspired him to develop a highly effective,
streamlined approach to teaching guitar. His approach is especially designed
for songwriters. Talley’s unique technique has been featured in international
publications Acoustic Guitar and American Songwriter magazine. Talley is the
author of the best-selling DVD GUITAR PLAYING FOR SONGWRITERS, considered by
music professionals like Bart Herbison, President of the Nashville Songwriters
Association International (NSAI) to be a “necessary tool for any songwriter who
wants to elevate their craft.”
Talley will be joined by American vocal coach Renee Grant-Williams whose
client roster reads like a Who’s Who of contemporary super stars including Keith
Urban, Miley Cyrus, Christina Aguilera, Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, Sherrie
Austin, Garth Brooks and many more.
“You have to take charge of your own artist development by learning the
craft and business of performing,” says Grant-Williams, “A true performer is
obsessed with making music whether anyone else hears them or not. If they were
stranded on a desert island they’d be singing to the coconuts.” With that in
mind, the JAWS 2009 workshops will offer practical training and an in-depth
understanding of the career-altering techniques that have helped bring success
to so many of today's superstar entertainers.
JAWS team also includes award winning Nashville songwriters Karin Paparelli
and Bill DiLuigi who will present their interactive and hands-on songwriting
seminar.
For those who are serious about a career in music, this is a
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Spaces are limited so please register early through the website www.JAWS2009.com. For more information email: info@jaws2009.com or call (02) 8006 0153 AU
or (615) 244-3280 USA (0450319335 NSW Jan-Feb 09)
If you wish to cancel your subscription, simply click once on the link
below.
A long awaited sequel to Karen Lynne & Pat Drummond’s
Six Days in December album, this time a completely acoustic effort, The Long
Journey Home. On the whole, this album is a celebration of their time spent
working & touring together. The title; the stories collected on their
travels; the CD artwork – containing tour photos & maps of places they’ve
been, right down to it's dedication to the gig organisers & venues, is a
celebration of that time.
Unlike their first collaborative album, which
was a selection of Country flavoured ‘love story' songs, this project is a
collection of true stories, characters as well as some social comment of the
type that Pat is well known for. The stories cover a vast scope,… a Truck
Driver on the Hay Plain, a reconciliation song based around a 2000 year old tree
on Mt Warning, and a reflection on Dreams and how we grow to hold them dear as
we age. The album has some of Pat's great character based songs including Trevor
the sculptor, David the backpacker, Bob Scott, the spare parts salesman and a
stand out is the poignant tale of extraordinary forgiveness based around a mass
murder that took place in the Amish community, Pennsylvania a few years ago.
The sensitivity of the stories is reinforced by wonderful acoustic
arrangements of guitar, mandolin, fiddle, even tin whistle & accordian,
giving the album a feel that’s much more on the ‘folkier’ side of Australian
country music, a place Pat and Karen have always fitted in quite comfortably.
The credibility and depth that Pat brings to the project as a songwriter is
balanced beautifully by the gentleness and emotion of Karen's voice.
And, as usual with these two, the whole is more than the some of the
parts. Supporters will find the subject matter to be far more complex than they
may have expected from any Karen Lynne album, yet significantly more gentle and
introspective than we have come to expect from a Pat Drummond project. It’s this
interaction that gives added credibility to Karen as an artist and in turn, a
degree of sensitivity (perhaps even vulnerability) to Pat.
A noted
writer herself, Karen has this time left the task of songwriting entirely to Pat
and instead has taken on the debut role of producer. This gives the music a very
different feel to their first duet album which used a seven piece electric
country band as the basis of the recording. Karen has harnessed her love of
bluegrass and acoustic music to present these songs in a much gentler and
sensitive way, some tracks pared down to only Pat’s finger style guitar, bass
and mandolin. Interestingly enough, this is all many of these songs require, as
they are strong enough that they need very little to shine.
Pat's Fans
will be pleased to see that nine tracks of the sixteen, along with one, a
Christmas song Carol Lights, penned by Pat’s brother Geoff are brand new. Seven
others are beautiful duo re-workings of Pat’s previously released classics, and
many of these will be remembered as their definitive recordings. There is also
one co-write Calling Me, inspired by Pat’s ‘musings’ with Brent Parlane on one
of his trips to Victoria.
Unlike their first album which contained only
four duet tracks and a number of primarily solo efforts, this album is a true
duet album, featuring intertwining melody & harmony, and often complex
counterpoint arrangements involving each switching from melody to harmony in
most songs. As with their first album, the vocals balance beautifully whilst
effectively showcasing each other in their best light.
This album is the
seventh album in ten years for Karen in an impressive independent catelogue,
which now includes three solo albums, three collaborative offerings (with both
Sydney Bluegrass band “Acoustic Shock” and Pat) and a compilation album of radio
Singles. Equally impressive (and definitely an achievement in itself), this is
the 18th album for Pat in his 30 year career.
As Karen has currently
reduced her touring due to family commitments, this may be the last duet album
of it’s type we see from the pair, but it is definitely a grand celebration of
their years touring as a duo and will be loved by all their supporters across
Australia & beyond.
LONG JOURNEY HOME is distributed
through; KAREN LYNNE MUSIC, P. O. Box 250, Wentworth Falls, NSW,
2782, Australia
Ph: +612-4757 3292 Fx: +612-4757 3209
Double Whammy for DaveDelle-Vergin this week, Dave and the Band taped an interview
segment and performed “The Devil’s New Girlfriend”on Channel 9’s super rating Saturday
morning kids show Kids WB to beaired Nationally across Australia on Saturday15th November
at approx, 9.50amto 10.15am on the WIN and NINENetwork. On the same day as the television
taping “The Devil’s New Girlfriend” slipped in to the 3HOT FM Hot 100 Chart. Pictured from Left to Right: Guitarist, Nathan (Nado) Warrick,David Delle-Vergin, Kids WB Host Georgia Sinclair, Vocalist Kinta Dando, KidsWB Host Shura Taft, Drummer Dave Isaacs, Pedal Steel Guitarist Dave Moore andon Bass “Crakajak’s” Harry Jon Nanos. “TheDevil’s New Girlfriend” is the title track of Dave’s recently released EP of the same name.
Dave said the song has been going welland he is about to release “What YouLearn Out Here” the second track off the EP, music co-written by Dave’sguitarist Nathan Warrick. This willbe released on the December NFS 128and has a brilliant Dobro Solo played by long time friend Dave Moore and superb Mandolin from Lachlan Davidson. The song is about family and community values inthe bush and deals with the need for a young person to return home from thecity to get some of that home type comfort they’re missing. An appropriate release leading up to Christmas. Once again Kinta Dando also features with some brilliant backing vocals. TheDevil’s New Girlfriend EP has been produced and engineered by Harry Jon Nanos, however the last few years has certainly helped bring Dave’s music to the airwaves. Harry
has produced 2 EP’s for Dave now and is finalising a hot new Album to be released in the first quarter of next year.
Other songs on the Current EP include a country rocking version ofDave & Nado’s “Country Folk Know How To Party”, anInstrumental from Nathan Warrickcalled Malady and Picking Up The Pieces which is a Duet that Dave wrote to sing with talented muso friend Kim Ritchie
Dave’s CD’s are distributed through WJO Distribution and can be purchased from any Leading Edge or local music store. They can also be purchased from Dave’s Website.
Individual tracks can also be purchased and downloaded from Dave’s website or Apple Itunes.
Further information can be obtained by visiting Dave’s Website.
Iwish to extend to you my sincere appreciation for getting behind my singleGive This Hug To Daddy and helping it reach the top 30. Actually Mike Smithtold me that it received the highest airplay off NFS 122. Unfortunately we were not successful in findingthe little girl. I have heard fromarmy contacts that the soldier would have been in the SAS and thereforemaking it hard to track because of the nature of their work.
Iam fully aware, as an independent, that without your huge support of ourmusic we would not be so successful in getting our music “out there”.
Winningtwo Gold Medallion Awards recently in the WARP Qld Gold Medallion Awards wasvery exciting. I am so grateful toyou, as radio announcers, as this is the third year that you have voted forme as Songwriter and second Travelling Artist which has told me that youthink that my songs and efforts are worthwhile. So Thankyou, Everyone of you. I appreciateyour belief in me.
Overthe year you have interviewed me andthis has been very much appreciated. Many people contact me telling me they heard an interview and werethrilled that I had got personally on radio. Their genuine support and emotion at hearing my songs or interviewsmakes me feel so honoured.
Ihave been working hard again this year to get around the country andpromoting Australian country music. Internet radio has also helped in getting our Australian music aroundthe world. I have noticed that I amreceiving more and more emails from overseas people. I think that it might be time that some ofus organize a group tour of America and Ireland. It has always been in my mind to do thisone day.
Beassured that I will continue to work hard and enjoy every moment in singingand touring around Australia (and maybe overseas) next year.
My compliments I send you, upon this Christmas card
I do my best to rhyme it too, but somehow it’s quitehard
For mine’s a job where hands play part, and brawn isneeded too;
But still my wishes are sincere, with heart that’s goodand true.
And this kindly wish I send you, to greet you on thisday
May all the health and happiness, with you in thefutUre stay.
