Music Culture 716

Music is Art’s latest collaboration….

Western New York SOUND SMASH

Saturday, May 26, 2012 from 1-7pm Old Falls Street’s Middle Block in Downtown Niagara Falls, NY

Old Falls Street, USA & the Arts Services Initiative of WNY present unique collaborations from the members of MUSIC CULTURE 716.

Join us on May 26th to hear performances by:

• The Buffalo Gay Men’s Chorus
• Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra
• Music is Art
• Buffalo Music Hall of Fame
• Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus
• The Colored Musicians Club
• WNY Blues Society

It’s sure to be an exciting day!  Purchase a ticket to participate in wine & beer tastings hosted by The Results Group.

Thank you Artvoice readers!

Our little Music is Art Festival has been nominated by the readers in the 2012 Best of Buffalo Artvoice contest for Best Festival.   And our founder, Robby was nominated for Best Supporter of the Arts!

The party is tonight at Town Ballroom, hope to see you there.

Read more by visiting http://best.artvoice.com

Summer Music Camp

 

Music is Art’s Summer Music Camp!

Joe Krown Trio

Thursday, March 29th @ 7:30pm at the Sportsmens Tavern

Joe Krown, Walter “Wolfman” Washington and Russell Batiste started playing together in March 2007.  The Trio performs every Sunday at a New Orleans nightclub.  The combination of the soulful vocals of Walter with the big sound of Joe’s Hammond B-3 and the masterful drumming skills of Russell has developed its own unique sound, come here it for yourself!

Tickets are only $15 while they last!

Get your tickets at www.sportsmenstavern.com

Brought to you by Music is Art’s Big Easy in Buffalo series.

Buffalo Local to Work for Music Icon Joan Baez

For Immediate Release – January 3, 2012

On February 19, 22-year old musician Grace Stumberg is leaving Buffalo to work for music icon and social activist Joan Baez, for a five-week tour of the UK – maybe more.  For a young artist, insider career and learning opportunities rarely get better.  While it may sound like a stroke of Good Luck, it’s actually part of a bigger picture lesson, thanks to Robby Takac, Bob James and the local non-profit Music is Art.

The back story:  Flashback to 2007 winter morning when a 17-year old Stumberg sat in on a Buffalo Schools classroom workshop on Music Business Networking, presented by Grammy producer Anthony Casuccio who was visiting Music in Action – career skills training, a pilot program designed by Goo Goo Doll Takac and musician-educator Bob James.  Cassucio’s words move Stumberg to drop her college plan to become a music teacher.  Instead, she decides to pursue a career as an independent artist.

Fast forward 4 years to May 2011.  Stumberg enters the radar of Baez tour manager, Blair Woods, after Cynnie Gaasch of Young Audiences of WNY attends a Music in Action workshop, where Stumberg is sharing stories on touring, recording, and the activisms of the “tunes4food” food bank campaign.  Woods needs a new assistant for Baez.  Woods and Gaasch chat.  Dots are connected.  The fit seems right.

Music is Art’s Music in Action program is recognized by the NYS Department of Education as a proven “quality” program covering the Learning Standards for Career Development & Occupational Studies.  Students, schools and parents would like to see the program expand its reach.

To celebrate Grace’s success, the Grace Stumberg Band, Lewiston’s The Brass Monkeez and The Ruby Spirit from Toronto will play a SPECIAL BENEFIT FOR MUSIC IN ACTION on Wednesday, February 1, at 7pm at Buffalo’s Sportsmen’s Tavern at 326 Amherst @ Grant Street in Buffalo, NY.  Tickets are $10 for the all-ages, multi-media event.

The Brass Monkeez will be recorded “live” on February 1st for their upcoming CD and The Ruby Spirit will be presenting a Music in Action career workshop and concert at Lewiston-Porter High School earlier that day.

*Proceeds benefit Music is Art, a not for profit cultural organization founded by Buffalo native and Goo Goo Dolls bassist Robby Takac.

Contacts:

Sarah Rusczcyk, Executive Director, Music is Art 716-880-3377 or director@musicisart.org

Bob James for Grace Stumberg interviews & pictures 716-912-6656 or bobjames1@aol.com

Mardi Gras Jam

Music is Art Announces 5th Annual Big Easy in Buffalo Mardi Gras Jam

Music is Art announced the 5th Annual Mardi Gras Jam, part of The Big Easy in Buffalo music education and concert series.  Headlining the February 17, 2012 concert will be Tab Benoit’s Swampland Jam featuring Cyril Neville, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux and Waylon Thibodeaux.  The concert will take place at The Tralf Music Hall at 622 Main Street, Buffalo.  Tickets are $25 in advance and $28 at the door, and are available at www.ticketmaster.com or at 716-852-2860, and are on sale now.  All proceeds benefit Music is Art, a not for profit cultural organization founded by Buffalo native and Goo Goo Dolls bassist Robby Takac.

Also appearing will be “New Orleans’ premier washboard-sousaphone guitar trio, The Tin Men, Buffalo’s own country-rock-honkey tonk band The Steam Donkeys, and the winner of a student battle of the bands.  ”The mission of the series is to bring some of the best musicians from Louisiana to Buffalo so our community and local students get a chance to experience this unique and important culture,” Music is Art Executive Director, Sarah Ruszczyk explained.

From southern Louisiana, Tab Benoit fuses electric blues guitar with a Cajun sound, and is an environmental activist through “Voice of the Wetlands”.  He is joined by Cyril Neville of the world-famous Neville Brothers, Mardi Gras Indian Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, and Cajun fiddler Waylon Thibodeaux to make up the Swampland Jam.  Openers The Tin Men play everything from trad jazz to Motown to hard rock – and they do it on a washboard, sousaphone and guitar.  ”Over the past five years we’ve brought to Buffalo an incredible array of musical styles to represent the breadth and depth of New Orleans music”, said Big Easy in Buffalo founder Tod A. Kniazuk.  ”This year we’re proud to show some aspects of that culture for the first time such as the Mardi Gras Indians and the swamp pop sound, and show that ‘only in New Orleans’ sound of The Tin Men.”

Prior to their public performance all the New Orleans artists will work with local students, including the winners of the Music is Art Big Easy in Buffalo student battle of the bands.  ”It’s so incredible to give local kids the chance to learn from some top quality, world touring musicians, while at the same time opening their minds to music they might not otherwise hear,” Music is Art Founder and President Robby Takac added.

The 5th Annual Big Easy in Buffalo Mardi Gras Jam is a presentation of Music is Art, along with “Big Chief” sponsors, The Buffalo News, New York State Council on the Arts, Erie County, and Zee’s Property Services.

 

Music in Action Rocks On!

Music in Action’s latest set of 10 student artist tracks is being released as FREE DOWNLOADS, fitting current marketing trends in the industry.

“Paper Souls” was developed by the Music in Action team at Lewiston Porter High School during the 2010-2011 school year and includes a range of styles produced by Music in Action’s program leader, Bob James, with help from GCRAudio’s Justin Rose and a LewPort student-producer, Ryan Ankenbauer.  The cover art was designed by Rob Minicucci, who graduated from LewPort last June.

Music is Art’s Music in Action – industry skills training program was launched in September 2006 and has received several awards & a rare “quality” certification under New York State “Learning Standards” for Career Development & Occupational Studies, and The Arts.  Designed to improve student engagement in education and support the growing need for more student-centered career development resources in schools, Music in Action is now entering it’s 6th year.

The current release can be found at www.miaTracks.org.

Robby Takac, Founder and President of Music is Art and James are considering adding Music in Action’s first 4 CDs to the free download site.