The appropriately named Hot August Blues and Roots Music Festival in Cockeysville, Maryland was yet another success for Music 4 Maryland. The morning of August 20^th gave us a preview of the day we were in for as we set up our tent. Though the sun was hot and we struggled to feel a breeze, we met with many friendly faces and eager supporters as the day wore on. Blues enthusiasts from all over came to hear the featured musicians and visit the various tents on display. Music 4 More founder, Deidra Stevens, was interviewed by WTMD Listener Supported radio based out of Towson, Maryland and was able to share information about instrument collection and the programs that benefit from Music 4 More. We were thrilled to see several instruments- including a clarinet, guitar, and trombone- donated at the gate to be refurbished and given to school music programs in need. The most popular item on our table was still, without a doubt, the beautiful PRS SE Singlecut electric guitar that we are featuring as a raffle item for a drawing that will take place December 1^st. This event would not have been possible without the help of our amazing volunteers. We are also so grateful for the immense support from Hot August Blues and for those who donated their used instruments to the Music 4 More program. With this H.A.B. over with for the summer, we now are looking forward to HFStival and V Festival, both coming this Fall.

Marc Broussard has one of the most powerfully brilliant voices that I have ever heard. I’ve seen him live a few times previously, but never in a room quite like Ram’s Head Onstage. In my opinion, this Annapolis venue is the best listening room in the area and to hear a voice like Marc Broussard in this setting completely blew me away. Marc kicked off his two-hour set all by himself – just that remarkable voice, guitar and a stool. I was sold from the very first note! As the show continued, he switched back and forth between playing by himself and playing with a full rocking band. The show featured a variety of songs from his various albums, including one of my favorite albums of all time, the 2004 release, “Carencro.” The highlight of the show (although it is hard to pick one) was probably when Marc sang the songs he’s written for his children, including my absolute favorite track, “Gavin’s Song.” These songs highlight the emotion that makes Marc’s voice connect so powerfully with his audience. The show ended with the popular track,“Home.” It was the perfect rock and soul-filled ending to a great two-hour set!
To give you a sample of what you’re missing if you don’t already know Marc Broussard, check out his new video for the song, “Cruel.”

FAVORITE NEW BAND- Scars On 45
Discoveries like Scars on 45 are exactly why I always go to a show early enough to catch all the bands playing regardless of if I know who the bands are beforehand. You never know what you’re going to stumble across! It must be pretty intimidating to open for Marc Broussard, but Scars On 45 held their own against the powerhouse. I tend to get a little bored during a live show when I’m completely unfamiliar with a band’s music, but that was not the case at all with these guys (and girl). Their catchy and melodic songs combined with their witty stage banter (not to mention their adorable British accents) made for a great set. I wasn’t ready for them to leave the stage!
I’ve been listening to their EP constantly since the show and would highly recommend checking it out on ITunes (it’s only $3.99) or if you aren’t ready to commit yet, check out their website for a free download in exchange for your email address. You won’t regret checking this band out.

FAVORITE NEW ALBUM – “When I Stop Running” by TFDI
In the last couple of years, I’ve become a pretty big Tony Lucca fan so I jumped at the opportunity to see him play at Jammin Java last spring with something called TFDI. I didn’t really know what it was all about, just that I was excited to see Tony Lucca play. Jay Nash and Matt Duke join Tony Lucca to form an enormously talented trio of singer-songwriters known as TFDI. It is a great way to get exposed to the music of all three guys at one time. They released a new album, “When I Stop Running,” in mid-July. The record showcases how the voices of these three guys blend together so perfectly, while still letting their individual talents shine. The album features both covers and songs from each guy’s individual repertoire of flawless songwriting.
You can download the new album on Amazon for $1.99 right now!

-Brittany

My name is Deidra Stevens and I founded Music 4 More last year. This blog will be updated by a few of our staff, volunteers, artists and friends. If you are interested in being one of our contributors please let us know. The more the merrier!

Our mission is to help raise funds and resources to benefit music programs in our schools and community organizations. On top of hosting fund-raising events in numerous cities, we also accept instrument and supply donations. We wouldn’t be doing this if we didn’t love music ourselves, so along the way we love to try to introduce our supporters to new musicians , friends and organizations that are working towards the same goal. To make the world a better place through music.

We are in the midst of an exciting campaign here in Maryland. If you haven’t checked it out yet, take a minute to look at www.music4maryland.com. This campaign with renowned luthier Paul Reed Smith Guitars has allowed us to work with Maryland artists to create almost 30 amazing works of art on PRS Guitars. We will be auctioning them off at Ram’s Head Live! on November 13th.Tickets are on sale now at www.ramsheadlive.com

We are also entering the voting stage of our Band to Band Combat events in Baltimore, Washington D.C. and Atlanta. These band competitions will help to choose the opening act for The Downtown Countdown events in each city and all benefit Music 4 More initiatives.

And finally, we will be announcing events taking place in Philly and Charlotte before the end of 2010. More details will be announced in the coming weeks.

Its been an exciting and fun first year in existence. People thought we were crazy for starting a charity in the start of a recession, but the support and donations lets us know that we are on the right track.

Thanks for taking the time to visit our blog. We look forward to hearing from you!

Deidra

Founder, Music 4 More