Mary McAdams

Hello Friends, Family, Fans!

I come to you with a plea.  You may have heard of the NPR show “Mountain Stage,” a hugely popular show from West Virginia Public Radio.   Every year they have a songwriting contest and I have made it to the Midwest Regional Round!  I am honored, as one of ten Midwest Songwriters.   Mountain Stage asked us to submit a song video so people may vote for one of these 10 songwriters - the prize is going to New York City and competing in the FINALS!   Below the link for voting is the Press Release.  So you don’t get lost in the details, here is my please:  I need people to click on the voting link and VOTE for ME!  You may only vote ONCE – so it’s easy!    Thank you so much for considering this and helping me!  This is the biggest thing I’ve ever been a part of. The deadline to vote is Monday, September 6.  But, let’s not wait until then…Here is the link.

Vote here!!!: http://www.newsong-music.com/contest/regional_rounds/2010/Midwest2010.html

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ARTS WORLD FINANCIAL CENTER TEAMS UP WITH MOUNTAIN STAGE NEWSONG CONTEST TO DISCOVER THE NEXT GREAT PERFORMING SONGWRITERSWinner to record EP with Grammy-winning producer Jacquire King, perform on NPR’s Mountain Stage and at Los Angeles music series; deadline for entering is Sept. 13th New York, NY (September 1, 2010) – Having helped launched the careers of such acclaimed artists as Ingrid Michaelson, Diana Jones, Chris Velan and Jeff Ellis, the Mountain Stage NewSong Contest is teaming up with Arts World Financial Center to discover and showcase the next great performing songwriters. Under the new partnership, twelve up and coming singer-songwriters from across North America will perform and compete in the finals at the World Financial Center Winter Garden, one of New York City’s top concert venues, on October 22nd. The winner of this year’s contest will receive:

• A performance opportunity at “Summer on the Plaza,” an outdoor music series in Los Angeles presented by Arts Brookfield, the umbrella organization for Arts World Financial Center
• A recording project for a five-song EP produced and mixed by Grammy-winning producer Jacquire King (Kings of Leon, Norah Jones) and released on the NewSong Recordings label
• 1,000 copies of the EP
• A performance on Mountain Stage, NPR’s internationally broadcast radio program

“The Mountain Stage NewSong Contest shares our commitment to supporting and celebrating emerging artists,” said Debra Simon, Artistic Director of Arts World Financial Center. “We’re thrilled to provide an opportunity for these talented singer-songwriters to be introduced to a wider audience.” “We’re very excited to partner with Arts World Financial Center to host the Contest’s performance competition finals,” said Gar Ragland, NewSong Contest Director. “It’s a well-deserved honor for our talented finalists to be recognized and showcased at the Winter Garden.”

About Arts World Financial Center
Now in its 22nd season, Arts World Financial Center <www.artsworldfinancialcenter.com> is the East Coast’s largest presenter of free, year-round performing and visual arts. Other fall season highlights include Monk at 93 (October 14), a celebration of Thelonius Monk featuring leading pianists from around the world; a performance by celebrated jazz bassist and composer Avishai Cohen (October 16); and two concerts in the renowned “New Sounds Live” broadcast series hosted by WNYC’s John Schaefer.www.artsworldfinancialcenter.com

About NewSong Music
NewSong Music is an independent music organization with the following two-fold mission: to build a supportive community of performers and songwriters across all genres of music and levels of skill, and to identify the truly exceptional artists within this community and to work closely with them to develop their careers and introduce their music to a broader, international audience. You can find out more about NewSong at www.newsong-music.com

About Mountain Stage
Mountain Stage is a two-hour live performance showcase distributed each week by NPR and Voice of America and featuring some of the world’s greatest singers, songwriters and musicians in a relaxed atmosphere. Guests are musical legends, well-known artists and emerging performers. Each week five acts perform on Mountain Stage, usually two or three who were not born when the show began in 1983. Mountain Stage hosted the first national media performances of Lyle Lovett, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Sheryl Crow, Barenaked Ladies, Alison Krauss, Ani DiFranco, Phish, Counting Crows, Ben Harper, Ryan Adams, Sarah McLachlan, Tori Amos, Keb’ Mo’, Lucinda Williams, David Gray and many others. Musical pioneers Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley, Pops Staples, Odetta and Brownie McGee have graced the Mountain Stage. www.mountainstage.org

‘Where Great Artists Are Discovered’

West Virginwonderful show that airs all of the country.

Please feel free to pass along to everyone who you’ve ever known….or spoken to….  Dealine is Monday September 6.

I’m going up to the Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua for the Songwriting Contest at the end of August.  I’m an Finalist and will be heading up to Northern Wisconsin.  Yee Haw!  For now, here’s a shot from Song School in Colorado.  I’ve been to the mountain and witnessed great generosity.  Thank you especially Jonatha Brooke and David Wilcox.  

I won SECOND PLACE in the 2010 Susanne Millsaps Performing Songwriter Showcase! I couldn’t be more excited!! I’ll blog about this soon…..as soon as I sleep.

This is turning out to be an awesome summer. I received word last week that I’ve been chosen as a Finalist in the Susan Millsap’s Performing Songwriter Contest! The contest is part of the 3rd annual Snowbird Mountain Music Festival in Snowbird, Utah. I entered my songs “Fight For Me” and “Bubbles” and I will get to perform them on the main stage on Saturday July 10. I’ve got a house concert scheduled on Friday July 9th in Salt Lake City, so if you know anyone in the area, send them my way and we’ll get them a seat and a ticket to the FESTIVAL!

We are sitting on our hands here at Birch Bark Music headquarters, waiting on word from the Lilith Fair Local Talent Search. Thank you to everyone who voted for me! I am grateful for all of the time you spent at your computers, listening to music and ranking the tunes. I trust that you discovered a few new artists along the way, I know I did. My manager was voting for me in the Minneapolis region and also in his home state region and has ordered 4 CDs from artists that he discovered while voting at Ourstage.com. That’s what it’s all about; finding good, new music to be excited about. I’m appreciative to Lilith and Ourstage.com for the exposure and I’m proud to say that I finished in the top 10! Quarter-finalist, Semi-finalist. It’s all good. Now, let me perform…I’ll come back from the Snowbird Festival ready to rock!

Debut Album from Mary McAdams, Des Moines, IA

I am happy to announce the release of my Debut CD.  If you would like to receive a copy, please email me privately and I will happy to get one out to you.  Genre: Americana, Indie Folk.

You can hear my music at:
www.marymcadams.com/music/
www.reverbnation.com/marymcadams
www.myspace.com/marymcadamsmusic

Press Kit:
www.sonicbids.com/marymcadams
http://www.marymcadams.com/press-kit/

If you are interested and would like a CD, please email me at mary@marymcadams.com and let me know where to mail it!

A Bit about the CD:
Mary McAdams brings a mother’s love and a lover’s passion to the 10 original compositions on this Iowa-based release.  Mary can serve up slow and saucy roadhouse blues, earnest Americana roots rockin’ or a lullaby ballad with equal authenticity.  From the funky piano fills of “Greed” to the simple guitar picking of “Fourth of July” -you’ll fall in love with the subjects in Mary’s songs.

Reviews of the CD:
“Mary’s voice on her self-titled debut is honest, unapologetically strong and downright ROCKIN’. The writing is full of imagery as she gives us a refreshing look at magic in, “Bubbles”. “As the cities and towns are in trouble, The kids will find the magic…mixing a nickel’s worth of soap and a cup of rain”.  Makes you believe in magic all over again.”
–Sweet Talk Radio, Los Angeles, CA.

“Mary McAdams a Des Moines-based singer/song-writer originally from Madison, WI, has put together ten exceptional tracks for her debut, self-titled album. Although I’m probably not the first to say it and certainly won’t be the last, McAdams has a lot of talent – and the ability to take her music as far as she wants to.”
–Andrew Duffelmeyer, Des Moines Music Coalition

If you are interested and would like a CD, please email me at mary@marymcadams.com and let me know where to mail it!

Thanks for reading!

Mary

General Admission: $10 at door day of show (doors open at 6:30pm)

VIP Reserved Seating tickets: $40 (reservation REQUIRED) includes admission to concert, reserved seat at table up front, a $15 bottle of wine to enjoy during the concert along with the $10 corkage fee (doors open for VIP ticket holders at 6pm). To make your VIP reservation, contact Bonita Crowe at afinetime4wine@aol.com or call (515) 314-4472. Your reservation is not confirmed until payment is received. Check and credit card payment accepted. VIP seating is LIMITED, so make your reservation TODAY!

Local acoustic singer/song writers Chad Elliott and Mary McAdams bring Des Moines “One Hot January Night”! The two will spend the evening on January 16 trading songs at People’s Court from 7-9 PM.

In 2009, Iowa singer-songwriter Chad Elliott won the Woody Guthrie Festival songwriting contest with his song “Same Old Way” and in 2008 was a Grassy Hill Kerrville new folk finalist. Elliott worked with producer Bo Ramsey (Lucinda Williams, Greg Brown) to create the blend of blues, roots and folk on his album “Redemption Man” in November of 2008.

After winning FolkAlley.com’s Open Mic finals in 2006 with his song “Bluebird Creek,” Elliott earned a spot on stage with Odetta, just one on a long list of artists with whom he’s shared the spotlight: Tom Paxton, Loudon Wainwright III, Eric Taylor, Buddy Mondlock, Dan Zanes, R.L. Burnside and Storyhill. Elliott’s song, “How’s the Weather?” was chosen from 300,000 folk songs as an award nominee for the Top 20 New Folk Songs on Just Plain Folks.

Mary McAdams has been performing throughout Iowa for eight years and is host of Ritual Café’s monthly open mic night. She teaches songwriting to grades K-8. When performing live, Mary offers a menu that runs from soft folk music to saucy blues. She was the Iowa Arts Council’s “Featured Artist of the Month” for March 2009, released her debut album in August 2009, and was Metro Arts Alliance “Artist of the Month” in February 2009. In 2009, she received a grant from the Iowa Arts Council to help promote her new CD.

Chad’s music can be found at http://www.chadelliott.net/

Mary’s music can be found at http://myspace.com/marymcadamsmusic andhttp://www.marymcadams.com/

“One Hot January Night” is presented by Da’Vine Entertainment, a division of The GrapeVine. The GrapeVine showcases a variety of local talent. If you’re interested in attending future concerts, ask Bonita to add you to The GrapeVine’s newsletter email list, or become a fan on Facebook.