indiradio

Michael Zimmerlich and Zach Nation had a vision. How can they help the independent musicians reach a wider audience? The effort evolved into indiradio which allows musicians to upload their music and share it on a community website.

This concept serves several innovative purposes. The indi musicians have a means to get their music out and allows listeners to comment on the selections. Hopefully, this will provide further direction for the artists and, we all have admit, it's always nice to see that others appreciate our work. According to Zimmerlich, the website provides "exposure when other venues have thousands of artists to compete with."

It all started when Zimmerlich created a website that featured a directory of musicians where he had hoped it would serve as a community for sharing ideas and music. However, since there were so many similar sites, he scratched that idea and realized that few internet radio stations focused on the indi musicians. Zimmerlich possessed the conceptual know-how, but did not have the technical background to put this dream into reality.

Zimmerlich called on his long time friend Zach, who was in a band with him in high school. The entire concept began to develop and the more they "delved into this mammoth project, the more passionate they became." Throughout the process, the two shared a common goal - "to make a difference in the music industry."

Musicians and listeners alike can create a free account, select an appropriate genre then upload or listen to the wide variety of music available from around the globe. "All submissions are put into rotation on our internet radio stations," Zimmerlich explained. The site is "user-driven" in that the musicians and the listeners "power" what is aired.

"The goal [of indiradio] is to bring together musicians and listeners for a common purpose," Zimmerlich explained, "to allow musicians to express themselves in a thriving community of music lovers without the burden of traditional media or going through major record labels to be heard."

It's an impressive site and easy to navigate.

The only problem I saw was one musician who felt it was necessary to list himself in each genre. I took that as a form of spam, but maybe the administrators could limit a specified genre to three or four maximum selections so a listener hoping for jazz won't get a taste of rap in the same session.

Tune in to http://www.indiradio.com/ and get ready to hear some great music that you have probably never heard before.

Annie D - Born To Grace The Stage

At 15, Annie D has chosen to battle the odds of stardom and, by all indications, she appears to be well on her way.

She has played guitar and piano since the age of 12 and has been singing for as far back as she can remember - sometimes keeping the family up at night. Her parents, James and Mary Davis, soon realized Annie held a special talent.

Annie cites Christina Aquilera and Gwen Stefani as two of her primary musical influences but adds that "everyone I meet or want to learn about has some sort of influence on me."

Tony Award winning vocalist Karla Burns realized Annie's potential after seeing Annie perform and that lead to training in both stage and vocal performance under Burn's direction. This training paved the way for Annie to secure roles in local musicals including Bye, Bye Birdie, How To Eat Like A Child and The Wizard of Oz. She is also frequently asked to sing the National Anthem at various events throughout the area.

Annie is currently a regular voice and diction student of Ginny Kopf. "Annie is becoming quite a performer," Kopf said. "She's finding her voice, and finding her stage personna. She is a joy to work with, because she works very hard on everything I give her."

She has also worked with Mark Goff who has trained international talents Britney Spears, N'SYNC and the Backstreet Boys.

"Many would try to write Annie off as just another teenage girl with a dream of making it big," Nick Nanton, Annie's attorney said. "I could say that couldn't be further from the truth. Annie exhibits a level of maturity way beyond her years and has talent and tenacity - the 2 key ingredients that you must have to be successful in the music business and in life."

Locally, Annie would like to see more venues specifically for teens. "There are so many clubs and every once in a while they will have a teen night," she said, "but the ages are so different. Maybe something like a teen club with different kinds of music every weekend" would benefit the area.

"Right now, Annie is seeking management to represent her and help negotiate a few potential deals and hopefully many more," her mother, Mary said.

"Performing is where I can really get into a song. It' just so different when your singing to real people who want to know what your singing about," Annie explained. "The butterflies never go away. They get less intense but right before I go on stage, but they always come whether there is a ton people or just one, but once I start performing, they're gone!"

To listen to audio clips and learn more about Annie D, visit her myspace site.

Jessy J

Jessy J will be performing at Cranes Roost Park in Uptown Altamonte on August 23, from 8:00 to 10:00pm. Her debut album, Tequila Moon, and the title track, has earned the prestigious honor of maintaining the top spot on the smooth jazz charts.

Jessy J, whose real name is Jessica Spinella, was raised in a home that was always surrounded by music and she began playing the piano at the age of four. It was in elementary school that she first took up the sax and performed with the school's jazz band.

Her mother is from Texas and her father from Mexico, however, Jessy was born in Portland, OR and raised in Hemet, Ca. "Even when we weren't having parties," Jessy said, "there was always music playing in the house because, like food and dancing, it's just a part of the Latin culture."

Her Mexican-American heritage is deeply rooted, but she admired the music of Cannonball Adderly and John Coltraine. She also enjoyed pop music and now combines elements of all these genres into her music.

Jessy graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in jazz studies. Named "Most Outstanding Jazz Student" of her class, Jessy dove straight into the music industry performing with artists like Michael Buble, The Temptations and Jessica Simpson.

In 2006, she met up with Paul Brown and her musical career catapulted. Later that year, after a series of jazz festivals and concerts, Jessica performed at Carnegie Hall with Paquito D'Rivera, who was one of her "true sax heroes." She is currently touring with Michael Bolton playing the sax and providing back-up vocals. She is also travelling the circuit with Guitars and Saxes featuring Gerald Albright, Jeff Golub and Jeff Lorber.

Marc Taylor, of WLOQ Smooth Jazz Radio, said that Jessy J is "an exciting, new saxophonist that we are all looking forward to seeing. This should be a jammin' show!!! Don't miss this one!!!"

Admittedly, I was a bit confused where the "J" in Jessy J came from. When I asked her, she simply replied "It's a nickname:)."

To learn more about Jessy J, visit her website.