“21 TALENTED MAINE TEENS TO COMPETE IN RO4UNO “

December 11 , 2007

“21 TALENTED MAINE TEENS TO COMPETE
IN RO4UNO “

***** for immediate release *****

They’re coming from as far away as Princeton, Kittery, Chesterville and Orrington…21 talented young performers from across the state will be featured in RO4UNO Reindeer Record’s new talent competition for solo performers.

Reindeer Records, the company responsible for bringing you “The Reindeer Rock-Off” for the past 23 years, starts a brand new competition as of this year…RO4UNO.

“After Sammie Francis of Gorham High School won Rock-Off 20 as a solo act, it became evident that individual artists needed a competition of their own,” said Assistant Producer Hudson Eakin.

Starting at 2PM on Sunday January 6th and Sunday January 13th, 21 competitors will showcase their vocal, instrumental, and/or songwriting abilities in hopes of winning a live mobile recording package, a $250 cash prize, and the coveted title of “The Best Young Solo Artist in Maine.”

The RO4UNO cast includes:

1. Alec Robinov (Greely HS)

2. Alex Gingrich (South Portland HS)

3. Alyra Donisvitch (Home-schooled)

4. Andrew Bear (Berwick Academy)

5. Casey Benner (Greely HS)

6. Chelsie Metcalf (Woodlands HS)

7. Colby Millet (R.W. Traip Academy)

8. Dan Kleinmann (Berwick Academy)

9. Dan Nelson (Brunswick HS)

10. Emma Shapiro (Cheverus HS)

11. Erin McEldowney (Ellsworth HS)

12. Hannah Rodrigue (Lewiston HS)

13. James Paul Goselin (Mount Blue HS)

14. Kevin McCord (Greely HS)

15. Kirsten Russell (Greely HS)

16. Kristyn Murphy (John Bapst Memorial HS)

17. Michael Weber (Edward Little HS)

18. Travis Slocum (Greely HS)

19. Wes Engel (Waynflete)

20. Willy Sawyer (Thornton Academy)

21. Zack Pomerleau (Edward Little HS)

MaineToday.com, a long-time media sponsor of the Rock Off, Reindeer’s signature event, will provide more interactive fun for this year’s participants and their extensive fan bases.  An unofficial online poll has traditionally created much enthusiasm with fans, and this year text messaging technology will also be part of the showcases.

Over 40 young performers expressed interest in Reindeer’s new competition.  But getting on stage is not an easy task. Registration criteria for RO4UNO adheres to the tough judging criteria that Reindeer has used for decades in its signature event, The Rock-Off. Judging criteria is intentionally more challenging and based on general recording industry standards rather than popularity. The artists with the five highest overall scores will make it into the Finals, set for Sunday, February 10th.

As a special bonus, a sixth performer will be “saved,” as the MaineToday.com Wildcard Band—the artist with the highest combination of online poll votes and text messaging votes.

With no limits on genre, audiences that attend RO4UNO cam expect to hear an array of musical genres being represented—classical, opera, punk, jazz, folk, acoustic pop, country, and musical theatre. And as is the case with many TV talent competitions, the audience vote will combine with the judges’ scores to determine the results.

All shows are open to all ages. Tickets are $10 per showcase—with special group discounts for youth organizations—and are available from any participating artist, or by calling Reindeer at 857-9002.  Reindeer Records is part of Reindeer Group Inc., a non-profit 501(c)(3) arts organization. A history of Reindeer’s events can be found on their website, http://www.reindeergroup.org.

Complete online coverage of RO4UNO, including a full schedule, Artist pictures, bios, and soundclips, can be found on MaineToday.com’s website, http://entertainment.mainetoday.com/ro4uno/.

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[Upon request, we will be happy to provide individual contact info for artists in your coverage area. Thank you.]