Scottish Band Wanted To Play New York!

Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy in Scotland announces The Big Apple Award!

Renowned music charity Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy in Scotland and Creative Scotland have teamed up to launch a once in a lifetime opportunity for new and emerging Scottish bands to win The Big Apple Award, which will see the winner playing at the prestigious Scottish Music Awards held annually in Glasgow this November, and in New York City with the American-Scottish Foundation during Scotland Week 2012.

Bands that enter will be short listed by a panel of music industry experts over the summer before the top five are selected to play their own gig at the 700 capacity venue The Garage this September, whose stage has previously played host to bands including Prince, Kaiser Chiefs, Juliette Lewis & The Licks, Moby, Anthrax and Pulp among others. The winner will then be revealed at The Scottish Music Awards – The Tartan Clefs in November 2011 before performing live in front of Scotland’s top music executives at the glittering music event. A celebration of the massive strength, and huge diversity, of Scotland’s international music industry, the awards numbers international acts such as Biffy Clyro, Sharleen Spiteri and Paolo Nutini as well as songwriter John Reid amongst its previous winners and performers.

The winning band will then have a few months to get every note right before being flown out play scheduled shows to US music fans, media and music executives during Scotland Week 2012 – presented in New York by the American-Scottish Foundation.

Donald MacLeod, Chairman of Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy in Scotland charity and owner of renowned live music venues The Garage and The Cathouse revealed: “The American Scottish Foundation and Creative Scotland are helping us send the winning band to New York for showcase gigs and one special performance with a donation going to Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy in Scotland.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that every emerging or breakthrough Scottish band dreams of. I wish an opportunity like this had existed when I was in a band.

“The winner will be following in the footsteps of bands like Biffy Clyro and Franz Ferdinand to launch Stateside by playing to New York audiences.”

Time Magazine regards Glasgow to be “Europe’s Secret Capital of Music”, making the city the perfect host for this unique, international competition. This is further emphasised by the city hosting on average 130 music events every week, more than any other Scottish city, generating an estimated £75m to the city’s economy each year.

Caroline Parkinson, Director of Creative Development at Creative Scotland said: “Creative Scotland is thrilled to support this unique opportunity for a new Scottish band to play at the national Music Awards and in New York City during Scotland Week 2012.

“By partnering with Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy in Scotland and the American-Scottish Foundation in New York we are delighted to be working with key players in the Scottish music industry to showcase our musical talent both at home and internationally.”

The Big Apple Award is the first international project undertaken by the charity.

“We’re looking forward to presenting the winning Scottish band to a new audience in New York City. It’s the Year of Creative Scotland and it is wonderful that the Big Apple Award is a part of it. The American-Scottish Foundation mission is to be a bridge between the two great countries and this is a perfect example of that,” Camilla G Hellman, MBE of the American-Scottish Foundation noted.

The competition is being promoted in association with News of the World’s A-Listed magazine and is open to Scottish bands only. Artists should send demos along with any pictures into the A-Listed magazine office by July 27 as follows:

The Big Apple Award Entry, A-LISTED – Scottish News of the World, 6th Floor, Guild Hall, 57 Queen Street, Glasgow. G1 3EN

For more information on supporting Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy in Scotland log onto www.tartanclef.org

For more information on the work Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy in Scotland carries out, log onto www.nordoffrobbinsscotland.org.uk

To find them on Facebook go to www.facebook.com/tartanclef

To keep up with them on Twitter follow www.twitter.com/TartanClef

For information on the American-Scottish Foundation go to www.americanscottishfoundation.org

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