Ontario Music Centre 2009

Attendees at 2009 Ontario Music Centre music camp will make music, dine daily with Juno Award nominees

Everyone who attends the 2009 Ontario Music Centre (OMC) music camp this summer will have an opportunity that most amateur and professional musicians can only dream of: to make music, learn from and dine on a daily basis with several 2009 Juno Award nominees.

Michael Occhipinti, a guitarist and the artistic director of the camp—which runs this year from August 2 to 16 in Lakefield, Ontario—recently was nominated for a Juno Award in the category of Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year, for the recording 'Sicilian Jazz Project.' This is the eighth time Michael's musicianship has been honoured in this way. With his band The Sicilian Jazz Project, Michael creates contemporary works based on the traditional pieces, incorporating new voicings, rhythms and harmonies. Also an extraordinary music educator, Michael will be teaching guitar and composition at the music camp.

Barry Romberg is a drummer who, with his Random Access Large Ensemble, also has been nominated this year in the category of Contemporary Jazz Album, for the CD 'Existential Detective.' Last April, the band won the Best Electric Band Award at the 2008 National Jazz Awards. Barry will teach percussion during the first week of the OMC music camp, August 2-9. That week focuses on jazz, world and folk traditions.

Vocalist Maryem Tollar and saxaphone and Arabic flute player Ernie Tollar have been nominated for the World Music Album of the Year for their CD 'Cairo to Toronto.' They will be instructors during the first week of the music camp.

Michael, Barry, Maryem and Ernie will perform at a concert on August 6. The rest of the OMC's faculty members will perform at concerts August 3 and 10. The concerts are open to camp attendees and anyone from Lakefield and beyond; a small fee is charged to people who are not attending the camp.

WHAT: Ontario Music Centre's Summer Camp, Lakefield College School, Lakefield

WHO: Faculty members include Juno Award nominees Michael Occhipinti, Barry Romberg, Maryem Tollar and Ernie Tollar

WHEN: August 2-9 (Jazz, World and Folk Traditions) and August 9-16 (Classical, Chamber, World and Folk Traditions)

WEBSITE: www.cammaclakefield.ca

Announcement: 2009 Locations & New Programs

Power Chord Academy, The Premiere Rock 'n' Roll Music Camp for Teens, Announces Locations and New Programs for 2009!

LOS ANGELES, CA --January 8, 2009
Power Chord Academy™, the nation's leading summer camp for amateur musician training, is excited to announce our Summer 2009 locations! Also new to this year, we are proud to announce the addition of four new programs!!!

The following are our Summer 2009 locations: San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Dallas, Chicago, Minneapolis, Miami, Washington DC, New York, and Boston!

Summer 2009 marks the 11th year of our original program-- PCA™, THE premiere 7 day music program! It is without question the best program we offer, in which students play in a band, record a CD, make a music video, headline concerts, meet a pro touring band and attend a private concert! They also participate in fundamental seminars, meet industry guests, and receive a course packed with premiere music education and loads of fun.

Below are descriptions of our four Brand-New programs:

OVERDRIVE™ is an amazing program in which students attend for 3 days, play in 3 different bands, play 3 concerts, meet a pro touring band and attend a private concert! Thursday through Saturday, a new band each day--one intense experience!

AMPLIFY™ students attend 1 day, play in a band, play a concert, meet a pro touring band, and attend a private concert. 1 day of ecstatic excitement, performance, and FUN!

Also this year, we are very excited to be the first and only to offer programs for the new age of musicians who play Guitar Hero or Rock Band!

GameROCKERS™ is our exclusive 3-day cutting edge game-musician program for this new age of digital musicians. Loaded with competitions and prizes, students play in bands, write songs, record songs, and play a final concert and Battle of the Bands!

iROCKER™ is our 1-day version of the GameROCKERS program. Also loaded with competitions and prizes, these students get a 1-day course filled with fun, competition, Battle of the Bands, training and prizes. Move over Beethoven, here come the 21st Century Digital iROCKERS!

About Power Chord Academy:
Since its inception in 1999, Power Chord Academy has witnessed an exponential growth directly attributable to the intrinsic value of its acclaimed curriculum, where dedicated musicians ages 12-18 are put through the most inspirational, educational, and intensive weeks of their young careers.

"Over the past 10 years, Power Chord Academy has evolved into the most important pre-professional opportunity available for teen musicians," says Admissions Director Dave Wood. "It's amazing to witness the creative efforts spawned from the dreams and individual life experiences of our students. 2009 is going to be our biggest season ever and we can't wait to work with new young musicians from around the world."

PCA attendees experience a week of virtual rock stardom! At Power Chord Academy, music and creativity are larger than life. Students professionally record a CD single with an established producer, shoot an MTV-caliber music video with a renowned director, and perform several huge concerts for awestruck friends and family. Students also receive guidance, inspiration, technical pointers, and exclusive performances from some of today's most prominent and influential bands and industry executives. This is truly a dream experience for teen musicians.

The 2008 Summer Sessions included Mystery Guest appearances from Andrew W.K., Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Pat Sansone of Wilco, Page Hamilton of Helmet, The Agency Group, Kyp Malone of TV On The Radio, Trail of Dead,The Oohlas, The Human Abstract, The Dollyrots, Rocket, Shock Cinema, Mustard Plug, Maps and Atlases, Nurses, The Start, Gibson Guitars, Zildjian, The Eels, Semisonic, The Giraffes, Sargent House, Ian Moore, The Fray and many more!

For complete information, please visit Power Chord Academy on the web at
http://www.powerchordacademy.com