| The
2004 Heineken USA/ASCAP Foundation
Latin and Pop/Rock Grant Program
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The ASCAP Foundation and Heineken USA
are pleased to announce the recipients
of the 2004 Heineken USA/ASCAP Foundation
Latin and Pop/Rock grant program.
Launched earlier this year, this new grant
program benefits emerging Latin music songwriters
in the Los Angeles and Miami markets, and
emerging Pop/Rock music songwriters in
the New York, Chicago, and Boston markets. The
songwriter (or songwriters) of the winning
song from each of the cities receives a
$2,000 grant.
The winners
are listed below.
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Latin
Grant Winners
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Los Angeles: Michelle
Song Title: "Muñeca"
Michelle Estrada
has been surrounded by music since
her childhood as she watched her
mother in recording studios and
on stage. From that early
age, music and writing has always
been a part of her life. Michelle
recorded her first song with the
intention of placing it with a
publisher, but the experience of
recording the song caused her to
pursue a singing career as well.
After two unpleasant experiences
in making albums, Michelle has
learned a great deal about the
recording industry. Now wiser
and still just as persistent, she
has not given up her passion and
her past choices have only made
her more driven to succeed with
her career choice. Michelle
writes songs in Spanish and notes
that writing comes easy to her.
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Miami: Marc Millan
Song Title: "Dejame amarte"
The musical journey for
Marc Millan started at the age of five
where, in his father's church, he began
playing drums. It wasn't long
before Marc began singing and performing
at Sunday services. Growing up in church
allowed him to develop his natural vocal
talent. Through the years, Marc
has become a better songwriter, musician
and total performer. Marc was accepted
into Berklee College of Music where
he studied Jazz Piano. In college,
he was awarded "Best Vocal Performance"
and "Best Overall Performance"
in the MasterCard ACTS (American Collegiate
Talent Search) Competition.
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Pop/Rock Grant Winners
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Boston: The Slip
(Andrew Barr, Brad Barr and Marc Friedman)
Song Title: "Children of
December"
After nine years of
touring and recording, Boston trio
The Slip, consisting of Brad Barr,
Marc Friedman and Andrew Barr, has
whittled down their musical prowess
into a powerful sound that combines
pictorial songwriting and instrumental
ingenuity. These musicians, who attended
Berklee School of Music, create deeply
moving sonic textures with the slightest
gestures and compliment the sound
with mystifying and revelatory lyric.
This music is an unusually lucid
blend of the abstract with the familiar.
Their success can be measured through
their touring in the US and Canada
as well as four sold-out trips to
Japan in addition to selling over
50,000 albums in their career. The
Slip's future is bright.
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Chicago: Michael
McDermott Song Title: "Dance
With Me"
Michael McDermott,
the Chicago-born-and-based singer-songwriter,
broke onto the music scene at the
tender age of 20 in the early '90s
and was hailed by many as the next
Dylan or Springsteen. A hit single
("A Wall I Must Climb")
and accompanying MTV Buzz Bin video
brought his first album a great deal
of early attention. McDermott
released three albums exploring some
darker themes before his latest release, Ashes,
rises up with force thrusting him
back into critical acclaim. |
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New York:
Kobie Jackson
Song Title: "Ordinary"
After spending 2 years as
the bassist for Island/Def
Jam artist Primer 55, Kobie
Jackson decided to share his
songs and another facet of
his personality by venturing
out on his own in 2002. "I
love playing and listening
to aggressive music, but when
I write songs I try to come
from a different place," states
Jackson. Jackson with
his band, Alston, bring intensity,
meaning and credibility into
every song, and judging by
the early reaction from fans,
it's quite appreciated in today's
society of mass marketing and
cookie cutter acts.
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