Check out the top vote-getters in the separate ArtPrize music competition, with winners sharing $10,000 in prizes.
Roger MacNaughton, Tom Lockwood and John Gist performed as a trio on opening night of the ArtPrize Musicians’ Showcase.
ArtPrize has finally paid off for artists of the musical variety.
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None of the 79 songs or musical pieces entered in this year’s international competition came close to making the hallowed “Top 10” announced by ArtPrize this afternoon amid the usual media hoopla in downtown Grand Rapids.
But St. Cecilia Music Center, the official ArtPrize venue for musical entries which staged a performance showcase earlier this month, gave songwriters and musicians their due today by revealing their own “Top Five” – the top vote-getters in five different genres who’ll share $10,000 in cash prizes.
Delilah DeWylde & the Lost Boys
The winners, each receiving $2,000 from St. Cecilia, are:
Pop/Electronic – “Shakti Gayatri,” Michael Cohen (Click here to listen to song.)
Rock/Blues – “Win My Love,” Delilah DeWylde and the Lost Boys (Click here to listen to song.)
Folk/Country – “Easier,” The Crane Wives (Click here to listen to song.)
Jazz – “Grand Traverse Bay,” Roger MacNaughton (Click here to listen to song.)
Classical – “Concerto for Section Percussion and Orchestra,” Shannon Wood (Click here to listen to concerto.)
Winning artists were selected based on the official ArtPrize vote tally. It’s the second year that songs have been included in the ArtPrize competition, but the first time musical entries have earned cash prizes.
Each of the cash awards had a sponsor (Grand Rapids Community College, Joan Buchanan, Becky and Andy Anderson, Compucraft and an anonymous donor).
Cathy Holbrook
“It has had a very positive impact on the idea of music as part of ArtPrize,” said Cathy Holbrook, St. Cecilia’s executive director.
“The musicians who participate in ArtPrize seem very grateful for the additional prize money and the chance to be recognized within their art form. Honestly, who would have thought that we could have four straight days of music with 58 different groups taking the stage every 30 minutes and stay on schedule? That is because the musicians were excited to be part of it and to promote their song.”
And with the number of musical entries growing the first two years, expect St. Cecilia – along with showcase co-sponsor Mackinaw Harvest Music – to continue to expand opportunities for songwriters and bands in 2013 … reinforcing the notion that music does, indeed, belong in the competition.
“St. Cecilia Music Center feels very strongly that music is art, just a different art form then visual art,” Holbrook said. “ArtPrize is a celebration of putting art on display for as many people to see as possible and music should have a place in that venue. (Our) awards have given music a more substantial place in the ArtPrize arena.”
Email: jsinkevics@gmail.com
Shannon Wood’s piece took great effort to compose and orchestrate. He then gave the parts to the soloists who spent the past 3 months practicing and studying the piece. The 70 musicians in the GR Symphony received the music 2 weeks in advance and practiced their parts individually. Finally on Wednesday, September 19 the composition was read by the entire ensemble and battery of percussion with the only complete run through occurring during the dress rehearsal. Kudos to Shannon, a great orchestra and the public for welcoming new classical music.
This is great! I really enjoyed spending some time at St. Cecilia’s listening to the live music and then checking out some of the other entries downstairs. I didn’t realize they were providing a separate prize for the musical entries. Congratulations to the winners!
Congratulations to all the participants and not just the winners… of course, most of you have been winners for a long time and maybe just weren’t able to enjoy that financial boost and increased exposure that this little opportunity presents. Best of luck to you all and Keep on Keepin’ On!!