FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 13, 2018
DEKALB ENTERTAINMENT COMMISSION AND CHOOSEATL TO HOST “CHOOSEATL TRACKLANTA” MUSIC COMPETITION BEGINNING TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2018
ONE WINNER WILL PERFORM AT CHOOSEATL HOUSE AT SXSW ON MARCH 12 AND WILL RECEIVE RECORDING SESSION WITH MUSIC ENGINEER BILL ZIMMERMAN AT CALLANWOLDE’S NEW RECORDING AND MIXING STUDIO
COMPETITION OPEN TO AMATEUR MUSICIANS IN THE GREATER ATLANTA AREA
ATLANTA — Today, the DeKalb Entertainment Commission and ChooseATL have announced a partnership to host “ChooseATL Tracklanta,” a competition to find outstanding musical talent — of any genre — in the metropolitan Atlanta region (MSA). The winner will perform at the ChooseATL House at SXSW on Monday, March 12, 2018, in Austin, TX.
Submissions for the competition will be accepted via SoundCloud beginning on Tuesday, February 13, and will conclude at midnight on Friday, February 23, 2018. There is no entry fee, but entrants must be an amateur, unsigned musician(s) not associated with a label or distribution company. All applicants must also be residents of the metro-Atlanta area. Details here.
The winner of the competition will also receive rehearsal time at Atlanta’s Stage Audio Production in preparation for SXSW, and a recording session with Grammy Award-winning, Atlanta-based music/audio engineer Bill Zimmerman at Callanwolde’s new recording and mixing studio at the Rick Baker School of Music and Music Recording. Zimmerman works as a freelance engineer and assistant to Phil Tan, where he has assisted on recent projects for Fifth Harmony, Coldplay, Zara Larsson among others.
The Judge One winner will be selected through a review process led by record executive, songwriter and record producer Kawan “KP” Prather and his team. Prather, who is currently Head of Music at i am OTHER (Pharrell Williams’ record label), will also provide an A&R evaluation of the winner’s performance.
Prather was a member of the first generation Dungeon Family rap group, Parental Advisory (PA), before starting his executive career at Antonio “L.A.” Reid’s LaFace Records — Prather later started his own label, Ghet-O-Vision, before joining the team at Island Def Jam. Throughout his career, Prather has worked with the likes of TLC, OutKast, Usher, Goodie Mob, John Legend, Pink, Toni Braxton, YoungBloodZ, T.I., Khalil and more.
The Competition Musicians (of all genres) should follow these guidelines to enter: • Full entry details available on ChooseATL site here • All applicants must be an amateur, unsigned musician(s) not associated with a label or distribution company • All applicants must be 21 or older • All applicants must reside in the Metro Atlanta area • Submit original music via SoundCloud between Tuesday, February 13 and Friday, February 23 o If contestants do not have a SoundCloud account, one will need to be created free in order to enter: https://soundcloud.com • One winner will be announced by Thursday, March 1
The Prizes One winner will be selected by Prather and his team: • Winner will travel to SXSW to perform at the ChooseATL House on Monday, March 12 • Winner will receive advance rehearsal time at Stage Audio Production for the SXSW performance • Winner will receive one recording session with Bill Zimmerman at Callanwolde’s new Recording and Mixing Studio at the Rick Baker School of Music and Music Recording
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About the DeKalb Entertainment Commission The DeKalb Entertainment Commission offers businesses in Georgia’s fast-growing entertainment industry access to a collaborative, supportive infrastructure which stimulates the growth and success of creative ventures in film, television, music and digital entertainment.
The Commission is the primary driving force attracting and expanding businesses supporting the film, television, music and digital entertainment industry in DeKalb County. To help DeKalb businesses thrive, it is building a supportive, collaborative infrastructure.
DeKalb County is home to 13 cities and 20 unincorporated communities the Commission works with to advance, strengthen and support their participation in the entertainment industry.
About ChooseATL ChooseATL is a public-facing initiative launched by the Metro Atlanta Chamber in 2015 to attract and retain emerging millennial talent needed to maintain Atlanta’s position as a top-tier globally competitive metro area. ChooseATL showcases Atlanta as a leading world destination and celebrates its unique community, inclusive culture, and expanding business opportunities across all industries. Working alongside local artists and creators, brands and entrepreneurs, ChooseATL mixes digital engagement with high-touch live events and experiences, regionally and around the world. It raises awareness and further connects the next generation to the city, ultimately enhancing the decision to call Atlanta home. For more information, please visit chooseatl.com.
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DeKalb Entertainment Commission contacts: Melissa Sanders, Tadpole Communications 404.909.6726 | [email protected]
Mitch Leff, Leff & Associates 404.861.4769 | [email protected]
** Members of the Georgia Entertainment PR Alliance | gepra.net **
ChooseATL contacts: Ashley Cleveland 404.586.8448 | [email protected]
Sunshine Sachs [email protected]