I'm a semifinalist! Look what the Smithsonian Sent me!!

Dear semi-finalist,

Below you will find a copy of the press release announcing the semi-finalists. Congratulations, again!

I have also included a few links where you can see how we’ve highlighted your entries around the Web. As you know, the Grand Prize Winner will be announced in mid-May. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Best,

Dana


Press Release: http://americanhistory.si.edu/news/pressrelease.cfm?key=29&newskey=989

Star-Spangled Banner Web site: http://americanhistory.si.edu/starspangledbanner/sing-the-national-anthem.aspx

YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/SmithsonianAmHistory


Press ReleaseApril 23, 2009

National Museum of American History Announces Names of Semi-finalists for National Anthem YouTube Singing Contest

Jose Feliciano, Jordin Sparks, DeLyn and Marcus Johnson Will Serve as Judges

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, home of the Star-Spangled Banner, the flag that inspired the national anthem, launched the Star-Spangled Banner YouTube Singing Contest in partnership with USA Weekend Magazine earlier this year.

The following 15 contestants have been selected as semi-finalists:

Maria Albani, Sevierville, Tenn.

Sahara Rain Brown, Shawnee, Okla.

Angela Carr, Nashville, Tenn.

Patrick Clark, Mason, Ohio

Alex Fischbach, Morrison, Ill.

Christie Fleeman, Citrus Heights, Calif.

Amanda Gaura, Chicago, Ill.

Maurice Mataban, Saint James, N.Y.

Juliet Miles, Fort Myers, Fla.

Danielle Erin Rhodes, Astoria, N.Y.

Elizabeth Anne Russell, College Station, Texas

Drew Sellers, Ewa Beach, HI

Jordan Shelton, Aravada, Colo.

Nathaniel Tao, Ithaca, N.Y.

Talia Walsh, Scranton, Pa.

“These contestants were selected out of a diverse pool of 868 participants from all age groups, ethnic backgrounds and from across the country,” said Brent D. Glass, director of the museum. “We are proud that so many people are engaged with their flag and their anthem and joined our contest.”

The semi-finalists were selected according to popularity on YouTube, vocal performance, originality and accuracy of lyrics. All semi-finalists will receive a signed copy of the book “The Star Spangled Banner: The Making of an American Icon,” and their videos will be featured on the museum’s official Web site at http://americanhistory.si.edu/starspangledbanner/sing

The top video will be chosen by a panel of celebrities, Smithsonian judges and representatives from the Baltimore Orioles and USA Weekend Magazine. The winner will be announced May 19.

The following artists have generously agreed to donate their time and expertise to select the winning performance:

Tampa Bay, Fla., pop singer-songwriter DeLyn released her debut album “DeLyn ElektroFrotonic” in 2006 that features the hit single “Waiting.” DeLyn supports the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation through the sale of this album.

José Feliciano, international, multiple Grammy Award-winning guitarist and singer of Puerto Rican descent, is well known for performing the national anthem during the 1968 World Series and his personalized Latin Jazz rendition became a charted top-40 recording.

Residing in Washington D. C., Marcus Johnson is a jazz keyboardist, composer and producer who recently released a three CD series, each debuting in the Top 15 on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz charts. Johnson’s mission is to promote jazz to the masses, and he cites Thelonius Monk as an early influence.

Jordin Sparks is an American pop singer-songwriter who rose to fame as the winner of the sixth season of TV’s “American Idol.” Her self-titled debut album went platinum in the Unites States. and garnered an American Music Award for Favorite Artist: Adult Contemporary Music, a National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Award for Outstanding New Artist and a Grammy nomination in 2008.

The grand-prize winner will be invited to perform the national anthem at the museum and at the Baltimore Orioles versus Atlanta Braves game in Baltimore on Flag Day, June 14. The winner and a guest will receive a trip to Washington, D.C., including airfare, hotel accommodation for three nights, tickets and transportation to the game and $400 spending money. Air fare will be provided courtesy of Grand Blanc Travel. The JW Marriott hotel near the museum will provide lodging.

To view all entries in the contest, visit http://www.youtube.com/group/Starspangledbanner

The National Museum of American History collects, preserves and displays American heritage in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific and military history. To learn more about the museum, please visithttp://americanhistory.si.edu. For Smithsonian information, the public may call (202) 633-1000, (202) 633-5285 (TTY).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dana Allen-Greil

New Media Project Manager

National Museum of American History

Smithsonian Institution

http://americanhistory.si.edu

polish pierogi

so I'm in class.... going over stuff I learned freshman year, and I'm exhausted as hell.
All I can think about is how much I want a polish pierogi right now..........
YUM!!!!!!
Made the pic earlier today in work study, great Gandhi quote!

Primary

Oy. So I'm Primary right now, which means I'm stuck in the RA Resource Room until 2:00 am to hold down the fort pretty much.
So I'm in here, eating cold pizza, drinking orange juice, listening to Pandora (which if you don't know what that is, it's the best thing ever created!! Go look at it!)
But I was at this performance credit event, and I had an excused absence to be late to the meeting at 5, but I get back from listening to opera for 2 hours (:-/) and now I'm primary........... sweet.......not.
I hope this night goes fast..

♪♪♪

I love voice lessons!
This week she gave me this super hard peice, but Mahler, has a bagillion runs in it with random accidentals. But I went into the practice room with it for two hours and come to my lesson with it under control.
I just need to work on my german. (aCHenflmehnCHHHHHHHHHHH.... that's my interpretation of german,btw, spit everywhere! lol)
Voice lessons motivate me!
♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪

:-/

So I finally said something to a friend.
My boyfriends best friend is getting married after two months of dating. She has broken up with him twice. They are back together, and now after two months getting married: next month. I think it's wrong. I think they are infatuated and not ready, their longest relationship was 3 months, they aren't ready.
If I was engaged and one of my friends thought it wasn't right I'd want to know, ya know?
So I wrote him a small note, paragraph at most.
And his fiance came back with a page long thing, very rude and snippy. Says it's not my place, how dare i. Jamie and I are the only ones who have a problem with it, blah blah blah....
And now Jamie is mad at me, cause he told me not to say anything.
I was trying to look out for a friend and got bitched out instead.
Thanks. thanks a lot.
And now I have to go to this wedding. One that I don't agree with, and I already got bitched out by the bride without even meeting her. Should be fun............not.

Upper Division

I got into the Upper Divison of the CCPA!!!!!!

WHOO HOO!

Time to learn some actual music educaiton! :)

antsy

I'm getting antsy.......
I want to fast forward two years. I want to teach already. A choir came in today, and we got to watch Frazes work with them...

I wanted to jump in soooooooooooo bad.... I WANT TO HAVE MY CHOIR ALREADY! I want to impact and change peoples voices...

these two years better fly.... :)

Quotes worth living for...

"If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we aren't really living." -- Gail Sheehy

“One day at a time--this is enough. Do not look back and grieve over the past for it is gone; and do not be troubled about the future, for it has not yet come. Live in the present, and make it so beautiful it will be worth remembering.”

“Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don't quit.”

"Failure is an event, never a person; an attitude, not an outcome"

Protest

So, this protest just went by down state street, I heard/saw them from my bedroom window.
But the weird thing is that it was bike protest, there were people biking down the street... cops following, shouting something "*Something* GO AWAY" I think they were protesting the Olympic Comittee being here. They are coming to look at the UC on Sunday, we were told to behave on our best behavior lol.

Got my scanner working!