Calling all Macon musicians!
The chance for immense opportunities has landed itself at your feet. I’m talking about a new project to establish musical talent in Middle Georgia. The project takes the form of a CD compiling various artists across the region called ‘Macon Music.’
Shadow Sound Studios and New Town Macon are looking for original musical artists to contribute to this Macon centered album. This venture is the brainchild of Joey Stuckey, esteemed music producer and founder of Shadow Sound Studios.
“Macon has a huge musical heritage ranging from the Allman Brothers to Little Richard,” said Stuckey, “but I want Macon to start looking for a musical identity centered on current musicians, not just those from the past.”
Stuckey believes that it’s not lack of talent keeping Macon from reaching the potential of cities like Nashville or Austin. Rather, the culprit is simple lack of infrastructure in place to amplify the status of regional musicians.
“There’s so many unbelievable musicians in and around Macon, but no one knows about them,” said Stuckey.
For years, Stuckey has delved into this issue by showcasing local musicians (many of which are Mercer students) on his TV show which broadcasts every morning. Finally, Stuckey teamed up with New Town Macon, the premiere non-profit organization responsible for the revitalization of culture and commerce in downtown Macon.
Together, Stuckey and New Town developed a way to contribute to this musical growth by giving ambitious musicians the chance to manifest themselves. Ten musicians will be chosen via online submission, then asked to contribute their talent to the compilation CD.
Selected winners of the competition will each be given eight hours in Shadow Sound Studios to record a single song. Stuckey will oversee the production, ensuring that each piece is of the utmost professional quality.
The competition is open to artists of all musical genres. Classical musicians, solo-act songwriters, hip hop groups and heavy metal bands are all encouraged to submit up to three basic samples of their work. You can do this through NewTownMacon.com. It is only asked that the file format is MP3 and that any lyrics and music are wholly intelligible. Furthermore, the work must be entirely original and un-copyrighted.
The culmination of these artists’ work will become a centerpiece for Macon’s musical culture. This collaborative album will be entirely free and not for-profit. It will be dispersed to local businesses and venues downtown to be played and simultaneously given away to whomever so desires it.
So there you have it. It’s time to submit your work! Judging will be done by five professionals in the Georgia music scene. The deadline for submissions is this Wednesday April 15 at midnight. Following the CD’s completion, a concert will be held including each of the groups featured on the album. Look for this event around June or July.
Should the album develop successfully, it will be a huge stride for the musical community of Macon. Not only will unheard artists get a chance to be heard, but Macon will develop a modern musical identity worthy of international recognition. The hope is that this venture will continue every year, continually putting regional musicians on the map of the larger musical scene. Don’t miss out on this - the opportunity for success is just a submission away.
'Macon Music' calls for contributions from local artists
