International Music Competition Selects University Professor to Record with London Symphony Orchestra

NOTION Music Names Mark E. Wilson as Grand Prize Winner, Realize Music Challenge

GREENSBORO, N.C. (September 18, 2008) - NOTION Music has announced that Dr. Mark Edwards Wilson, on the faculty of the School of Music at the University of Maryland, is the grand prize winner of the company’s second Realize Music Challenge, an annual orchestral composition competition that draws entries from composers across the globe.

As the grand prize winner, Wilson receives a paid trip for two to London to be at Abbey Road Studios when the London Symphony Orchestra records his composition. In addition, he receives a cash prize of $2,500.

“Musicians from all over the world used NOTION software to compose their entries,” said Jim Boitnott, President, NOTION Music. “We were especially happy with the diverse nature of the entries, ranging from lightly orchestrated minimalistic compositions to very complex large orchestral works – with an overall quality that exceeded last year’s submissions.”

Wilson has had his compositions performed and recorded around the world, from the Kennedy Center to the Kiev Philharmonic. From his home in Bowie, Maryland, Wilson commented on his latest award: “This opportunity comes at a particularly important juncture in my development as a composer. ‘The Phoenix Rising’ is among the first works that I have composed using what has become for me a radically new style emphasizing the dramatic narrative. It has inspired my renewed passion for the symphony orchestra with its myriad colors, visceral power, and unrivaled richness.”

“The Phoenix Rising” was the first composition Wilson completed using NOTION software. “The first time I used NOTION I was immediately impressed with its streamlined efficiency. It is very direct, easy to learn, and, above all logical,” he says. “Their samples are acoustically clear and allow one to easily perceive even complex textures. This is first-rate music software.”

Finalists in three other categories were selected in recognition for their composition skill. All three Finalists receive a $1,000 cash prize.

• Professional (published) composers category: David Coscina, from Ontario, Canada, was chosen for the Finalist award in this contestant category with his composition “Musashi Suite for Orchestra.”

• Emerging (unpublished) composers category: John McIntyre, also from Canada, received the Finalist award in this category for “Festive Overture.”

• Young (under 18) composers category: Matt Webster of Canberra, A.C.T., Australia, captured the Finalist prize in this category with his “March of the Ants.”

Also named are nine runner-up winners (three in each contestant category):

• Young Composers: Adam Violaris (London, United Kingdom) “Appalachian Trail”; Anthony Blackman (Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada) “Largo and Vivace for Strings”; and Jules Pegram (Greensboro, North Carolina) “Earthquake!”

• Emerging Composers: Richard Birdsall (Thornaby, Stockton on Tees, United Kingdom) “Enigma”; Phillip Martin (Scarsdale, New York) “Sarabandoid”; and Jacob Kirk (St. Augustine, Florida) “Paul’s Travails.”

• Professional Composers: Vincent Oppido (East Meadow, New York) “Celebrations: for Leonard Slatkin”; Mike Pettry (Astoria, New York) “Requiem”; and Ricardo Iznaola (Denver, Colorado) “In the Eyes, a Silver Dagger.” Each runner-up winner receives five NOTION expansion sound kits of their choosing.

The expert panel of judges who selected the top winners represented concert hall, motion picture, and education settings. John Corigliano, one of the most widely recognized American composers today, has won several awards, including Grammy and Academy awards – and a Pulitzer Prize. Carter Burwell, an in-demand Hollywood composer, has over 65 motion picture titles to his credit, including A Knight’s Tale, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and It Could Happen to You. Lawrence Dillon, an esteemed educator and an internationally acclaimed composer (the youngest to complete a doctorate at Juilliard), has a broad portfolio of works – from solo pieces to full-length opera.

Composers from all walks of life created and submitted entries between November 2007 and the end of May 2008, and the judging concluded in August. NOTION Music plans to release details about the next Realize Music Challenge, renamed the NOTION Music Challenge, later this year.

An MP3 clip of the winning composition can be heard at www.notionmusic.com

ST. PAUL, MN, May 13, 2008 – McNally Smith College of Music recently mastered a compilation CD of bands who participated in the second annual High School Rocks Battle of the Bands contest as part of its sponsorship and support for the rock stars of tomorrow. A crew of McNally Smith’s instructors teamed with five of their students to record the entire concert using Digidesign Pro Tools for the CD, which features one song performed by each band. more

EASTWEST (www.soundsonline.com), the industry leader in soundware development and distribution, is putting its users‘ creativity to the test while offering a chance to win all seven PLAY products with its “Score This Movie” contest.

From now until June 30, 2008 users can create their own score for an original short movie created by Zennor Alexander and posted on the EASTWEST forum at (http://www.soundsonline-forums.com/showthread.php?t=12974). The concept of the piece is:

“This is a story about the circularity of life - Out of the void comes a seed which sprouts into a plant. The leaves of the plant mature which ends the growth phase. As the leaves fly off in all directions, we follow one on its journey into the unknown. The leaf meets another and the two fly around in a mating dance, eventually merging. The merged leaves become mature wings, and fly off through this new world to find the original void from which they came. The wings finally dissolve and compact to become a new seed, completing the cycle.”

The score should have a wide variety of pace, mood and style and must be composed solely with sounds from libraries distributed by EASTWEST, with an emphasis on EASTWEST PLAY-powered virtual instruments.

Entrants are free to show their creativity and originality in the selection of instruments and the juxtaposition of their composition with the film‘s imagery. Once users have completed their piece, they need to post a link to it on the EASTWEST forum here (http://www.soundsonline-forums.com/showthread.php?t=12974) for it to be considered. Compositions entered in previous EASTWEST contests, posted on EASTWEST forums, or containing third party copyrighted material or software, are not eligible. From entries posted on the forum, Zennor Alexander and the EASTWEST staff will select a winner.

“EASTWEST is always striving to develop innovative projects to challenge our users,” says EASTWEST‘s Founder and Producer Doug Rogers. “Last year‘s contest was so successful that we decided to stay with a similar format this year to gauge the usage of our PLAY products. We also feel that this contest gives our users the opportunity to showcase their work using a visual medium, something they would be required to do for any film, game or television production, in return for the chance to be well rewarded for their efforts.”

The winner, who will be announced on July 15th, 2008, will receive all seven PLAY products which include:

• Fab Four - A virtual instrument inspired by the sounds of the Beatles, using the same kind of instruments and recording equipment the Beatles used to create their signature sound.

• Quantum Leap Pianos - The most detailed collection of the world’s finest grand pianos.

• Quantum Leap Gypsy - A collection of detailed Gypsy-style virtual instruments capable of playing completely realistic performances.

• Quantum Leap Ministry Of Rock - Rock is a huge collection of rock drums, basses and guitars recorded in the world-famous EASTWEST. A modern-day rock toolkit that covers a myriad of styles, Ministry of Rock provides a true all-in-one solution for rock productions and a sound quality superior to anything else available.

• Quantum Leap Voices of Passion - Passion is a virtual instrument of ethereal, passionate, flowing, mysterious, wailing and whispering alto and soprano voices of female vocalists from Wales, Syria, India, Bulgaria and America.

• Quantum Leap SD2 - The Next Generation - The sequel to Stormdrum, SD2 is a stunning collection of exceptional acoustic percussion instruments.

• Quantum Leap Goliath - Quantum Leap Goliath, the Sequel to Colossus, includes the entire 32 Gigabytes of content from COLOSSUS, plus an additional 8 Gigabytes of new content from the latest collections. Goliath covers all musical genres, providing users with a comprehensive collection of sounds that will fit into any type of project they are working on.

For additional rules and download instructions, please visit the contest forum on the EASTWEST website: http://www.soundsonline-forums.com/showthread.php?t=12974

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Malmo, Sweden (January 31, 2008) - For the past few months thousands of musicians from all over the world have been entering their songs into mi7.com’s contest to win a coveted recording session at one of the most prestigious studios in the world: the UK’s famous Real World Studios. Over that time these acts have been voted on by members of the MI7 Community themselves, with tens of thousands of votes being registered on the site. Now that the final Top Ten have been chosen by the users themselves, it’s time for the professional judges to decide the overall winner.

The international jury is made up of five editors of the top music business magazines around: Studio Magazine (Sweden), Musik-Kultur Magazine (Norway), EQ Magazine (US), and Gitarist Magazine and Slagwerkkrant (Netherlands). The jury is rounded out by two of the leading lights of MI7: Per Larsen and Rodney Orpheus, themselves both well-known figures in the music industry. Over the coming weeks this jury will be listening to songs from all the finalists and will be sending the overall winner to Real World Studios for the recording chance of a lifetime!

www.mi7.com is the most vibrant community for musicians worldwide. Headquartered in Malmo, Sweden, it has thousands of members from dozens of different countries, and provides a space for musicians to come together and share their music and experiences freely with each other on a daily basis.

About MI7

MI7 is a pan-European and Japanese partnership company staffed by professionals with many years of experience in all areas of the media industry. Representing a new concept in the distribution of media and music production products, MI7 brings competence, passion and results to both its customers and the industry. Plus, a bit of spice! Working in close cooperation with a selected range of manufacturers, MI7 has an extensive customer base that includes both media professionals and enthusiasts. In addition to offering distribution and customer service, MI7 also provides answers and solutions that make it easier for the customer to focus on what is really important, namely the creative flow.

More information at www.mi7.com.

Elixir Strings, pioneer of long-life strings, and Tom Anderson Guitarworks have teamed up to give musicians a chance to win a new electric guitar through an “Elixir Strings & Tom Anderson Guitarworks Atom Guitar Giveaway” sweepstakes. The prize will also include 10 sets of Elixir Strings for electric.

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