TONIGHT! Feb. 20: Aaron Flinn + Free Musicians Panel = Rocket Shop Live at Main Street Landing!
Citizens Bank presents Rocket Shop Live at Main Street Landing.
NOTE: KATE WRIGHT AND BRETT HUGHES ARE NOT ABLE TO PLAY TONIGHT. We regret this news and hope to reschedule their performance.
Vermont is a state that excels at creative endeavor and the shore of Lake Champlain is an idyllic venue for showcasing it. A group of local organizations, each with intense respect for Vermont's vibrant music community, have united to present a monthly music series on Burlington's beautiful Waterfront.
On Wednesdays once each month through April 2013, a Vermont-based singer songwriter, followed by a band, will perform in the family-friendly Black Box Theater at the Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center on the corner of College Street and Lake Street. With support from presenting sponsor Citizens Bank. Main Street Landing, Big Heavy World, Seven Days and RETN have collaborated to make this concert and broadcast series possible. Additional support is provided by Stowe Mountain Resort, Advance Music, Moreau Theatrical Services, the Vermont Arts Council, and National Endowment for the Arts. Upcoming concert dates are February 20, March 13, and April 17. Concerts begin at 8pm sharp, admission is all-ages and suggested $5 donation. Proceeds support the concert series and Big Heavy World.
'Rocket Shop' is Big Heavy World's local music radio hour, every Wednesday night at 8pm on 105.9FM The Radiator. Rocket Shop has hosted hundreds of Vermont musician guests in its five years on-air and this live concert series is a natural direction for the radio program to go. Host Matt Gadouas will MC Rocket Shop Live, and Big Heavy World's volunteer crew will engineer videography and live streaming of the performances.
THE MUSIC OF FEBRUARY 20: AARON FLINN and KAT WRIGHT WITH BRETT HUGHES, 8pm sharp!
AARON FLINN: This music is true. When you hear someone who is meant to make music perform, the impact is certain and powerful. This is the experience that comes with listening to Aaron Flinn (solo or with his band Salad Days). The music is meant to be and anyone who takes the time to hear it will be stronger for it. Elements of folk, indie rock and classic country combine with powerful vocals, poetic lyrics and finger-picking guitar. An eclectic group of americana and rock songs, with an emphasis on lyrical substance and performance from the soul. Aaron began playing and writing in high school. He won numerous competitions in performance and writing throughout his time at UVM and Berklee College of Music (where he graduated Magna Cum Laude - for what it's worth). He has gone onto release an impressive body of original work, all the while touring such hallowed venues as Red Rocks Amphitheater, The Great American Music Hall and many House of Blues and working with the likes of The Samples, Gov't Mule, Joe Bonamassa, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Don McLean and Tragically Hip to name but a few. www.aaronflinn.com
KAT WRIGHT: Born in the Genesee Valley Region of Western Upstate New York (aka Rochester), Kat has always had duende. Federico Garcia Lorca writes: "The duende, then, is a power, not a work. It is a struggle, not a thought. I have heard an old maestro of the guitar say, 'The duende is not in the throat; the duende climbs up inside you, from the soles of the feet.' Meaning this: it is not a question of ability, but of true, living style, of blood, of the most ancient culture, of spontaneous creation." Kat has been performing as a vocalist since age 11, and has always been a visual artist as well; she received a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts from Alfred University in 2008. She still participates actively in making visual art, designing menus, graphics, signs and clothing. Kat has always sought adventure- whether studying at The Glasgow School of Art in Scotland, traveling Europe, or spending several months living, learning and working on a Bio-Dynamic Farm in Battle Ground, Washington. From 2008-2010 she focused primarily on forming the folk duo Loveful Heights and touring both coasts of the United States, as well as India. Many of these tours drew her to Burlington, VT where she now lives, loves, learns and works. Shortly after relocating to Burlington she formed The Indomitable Soul Band (with the help of Shane Hardiman) in 2010, and has been overjoyed that many of the most talented musicians in northern New England have sought out an opportunity to play with her band. This is just the beginning. www.katwrightsoulband.com
FREE MUSICIANS PANEL, 7pm
Preceding these concerts, artists of every genre and experience level are invited to a music industry social hour in the theater, featuring presentations and workshops fostering success of independent, "do it yourself" music careers that so many Vermont artists experience. The workshops, presented by musician peers and supportive organizations like the Vermont Arts Council, are free and begin at 6pm. Topics include Earning Revenue through Live Performances in Rural Locations; Musician Social Networks - Real & Virtual; Creating, Managing, and Seamlessly Coordinating a Multi-Part Web Presence; How to Build a Fan Following in Vermont; How to Apply for Vermont Arts Council Funding for Performances, Tours, and Album Production; and Getting Sponsored and Raising Funds to Tour and Record.
PANELIST GLORY (DOUGLASS) REINSTEIN: Throughout her adult life, Glory (Douglass) Reinstein has been an avid listener and supporter of Triple-A and Americana radio and independent artists. Her love for indie artists began with her own son, Gregory. Watching him and other local indie artists struggle to be heard, she started a company to help promote them. The company began with radio promotion but now focuses on pitching music to TV/Film music supervisors and licensing agencies. She has capitalized on her many contacts in the industry and continues to provide independent artist support while working within the artists' budget. Glory completed course work for a Music Business Specialist certificate through Berklee School of Music in Boston working under the tutelage of George Howard (former President of Rykodisc Records). She has since established Brave Bird Music Publishing/ASCAP and Malletts Bay Records and is a member of AMA. Glory is a veteran and award-winning Vermont music educator who has impacted hundreds of high school students throughout her career. She received her B.S. in Music Education from the University of Vermont and her M.S. in Music Education from Central Connecticut State University. Her former leadership roles include President of the Vermont chapters of ACDA (American Choral Directors Association) and MENC (Music Educators National Conference) as well as guest conducting high school festival choirs throughout Vermont and northern New York. Glory has taught voice, guitar, piano, and clarinet, as well as music theory and composition. In addition, she has arranged and composed music, and currently holds the position of assistant conductor for Bella Voce Women's Chorus of Vermont.
PANELIST SARAH STICKLE: Sarah Stickle is a 20 year-old singer/songwriter, band manager, and an experienced social marketing leader. She has worked in social networking most recently at a small social marketing firm in New York called Sarah Wilson Business Communications. Sarah has worked with businesses such as the Champlain Valley Fair, First Night Burlington, The Amida Bourbon Project, and others in expanding their reach, and utilizing social media for basic promotion, booking, and more. She works with up to 15 clients at once and most enjoys utilizing Facebook, Pinterest, and email marketing.
LARGE-SCALE INDEPENDENT MEDIA SIMULCAST ON RADIO, TELEVISION, & THE WEB
Concerts will be broadcast live on the radio by community media partner 105.9FM 'The Radiator;' televised live by RETN on three local cable networks, viewable from Essex to Vergennes, and streamed online with video at www.bigheavyworld.com. RETN is found on channel 16 on cable TV in the cities and towns of Burlington, Essex, Essex Junction, St. George, South Burlington, Williston, Winooski, Charlotte, Ferrisburgh, Hinesburg, Shelburne, and Vergennes (two Comcast cable systems and Burlington Telecom).
The Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center Black Box Theater is located at the corner of College Street and Lake Street in Burlington, VT. For more information about the concert series, visit mainstreetlanding.com or bigheavyworld.com, or contact Mariah Riggs, mariah@mainstreetlanding.com. Performers and workshop topics are subject to change without notice.
About Main Street Landing: Main Street Landing is an environmentally and socially conscious redevelopment company in Burlington, Vermont that has created over 250,000 square feet of built environment on the Burlington Waterfront.
About Big Heavy World: Big Heavy World is a volunteer-run nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting Vermont-made music. Based in Burlington, "Big Heavy'" operates a record label, public listening library, online music shop, community radio station, and special projects that help Vermont music find a wider audience. Bringing Vermont's music community together since 1996, Big Heavy World is a high-spirited, independent regional music office and advocate for the arts. For more info: jim@bigheavyworld.com; www.bigheavyworld.com.