February News
February 2016 Eblast
MFE Grants Deadline is Approaching!
Need some money to enhance your school or community based music program? This year we hope to invest at least $90,000 in grants. Grant applications must be submitted by February 15, 2016 to be considered for an award. For more information and guidelines visit the grants section of our website.
10 Years of MFE!
Our yearlong celebration of a decade of MFE has begun! Our kickoff party on January 28th was a HUGE success and thank you to all of the people who made it happen. The Pressroom Restaurant was hoppin’ and it was a fonky good time. Be sure to mark your calendars NOW for two key events Saturday May 7th (The Warehouse Wandering) and Saturday September 24th (The MFE Un-Gala). You do not want to miss these events!
Also, at ALL of our celebrations you can pick up the newest MFE Gear with our brand new 10 years of MFE Logo. Don’t miss your chance to get your hands on this one of a kind gear.
MFE Scholars
We are pleased to announce our 2016 Spring “MFE Scholars”, Andrew Schwartz and Cecilia Cooper. Both are Millersville University Music Education majors, who aspire to become music teachers. In exchange for their $2,000 scholarships, they will work in a SDOL school under the direction of a music teacher developing a music education curriculum. Two additional MFE Scholars will be chosen later this spring to work in a school during the fall of 2016.
Additionally, MFE is thrilled to announce another MFE Scholar, Jackie Hynes. Jackie is our first Music Business Technology scholar. In exchange for her $2,000 scholarship she will be working with several schools in the School District of Lancaster to record their ensembles.
Congratulations to all of our scholars! MFE is proud to invest in those who want to cultivate the power of music!
2015 Roots and Blues Festival!
This two day festival features over 50 artists from across the country and beyond playing Blues, Jazz, Folk and Bluegrass, Rock and Reggae, Polka, Soul, and much more. 10 stages at 8 different venues, all within walking distance of each other and all for one low price per night or even cheaper for both nights. By far the best concert value of the year. You can check out the schedule and ticket options at the Roots & Blues Website.
And while you’re there, stop by the merchandise table to support MFE. The R & B Festival will be donating 10% of their merchandise sales for the weekend to MFE. Great music, fantastic local foods, and helping the community, don’t miss this event!
MFE Announces the Fourth Annual “Lancaster Festival of Voices”
The Lancaster Festival of Voices is an annual celebration of the vocal arts in Lancaster, PA. Lancaster is enjoying a renaissance as it emerges as a destination for artists of all genres. This renaissance has benefited the city both culturally and economically. The Lancaster Festival of Voices provides a supportive venue for singers of all ages, thus creating awareness of the voice as an instrument and bringing yet another genre of music to this musically thriving community.
This year the FOV is partnering with Tellus360, Zoetropolis, and Millersville University to create the biggest festival we have put on to date. Check out the schedule below and mark you calendars now.
For more information on the 2015 Festival of Voices click here.
The schedule for the event is as follows:
Friday April 1, 2015
FREE Concert at Trinity Lutheran (31 South Duke St. Lancaster, PA 17602)
Featuring:
The MFE Community Chorus
Orfeia
Millersville University’s Chromatic Expansion
Deutscher Harmonie Maennerchor
Pequea Valley High school Chorale
Mennonite Children’s Choir of Lancaster
Susquehanna Waldorf School
6:30 PM
Saturday April 2, 2016
FREE Community Choral Workshops at Tellus360
Specific details TBA
11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
FREE
Saturday April 2, 2016
The Festival of Voices Film Series at Zoetropolis
4:30 PM
A suggested donation of $5+
Sunday March 22 – The Cat’s Pajamas at Tellus360
The Cat’s Pajamas are five men who create all the sounds of a band using only their voices. The group was originally founded in 2005 by Brian Skinner, whose passion and drive for performing and music production is the heartbeat of the Cat’s Pajamas. In addition to touring internationally, the group has also been featured on hit tv shows such as: America’s got Talent, The next Great American Band, and most recently NBC’s hit show The Sing Off. The FOV is thrilled to have this group headlining the festival this year, and we assure you that this is a show you do not want to miss.
Also performing will be:
MU’s Chromatic Expansion
The Red Rose City Chorus
Lancaster Bible College Choir
Tickets are $10 and the show starts at 4:00PM
After the Cat’s Pajamas stick around for a special Edition of Acapellus360!
In the ancient tradition of having a pint and singing your lungs off at a bar, Tellus360 presents this truly original musical event.
Here’s how it works: You organize a team of 3 or more of the finest singers you can assemble and prepare two songs for competition.
Here’s the catch: your songs must be performed without any instrumental backing; just you, your voices and a crowd of people just waiting to start singing along!
Don’t be fooled by the communal fun of singing with your fellow patrons, this is a full-fledged battle of the voices with a team of crack celebrity judges waiting to send you back to your seat…or into the next round of competition! The ultimate survivor will receive a champion’s prize pack of Tellus related goodies!
Your Chance To Support the FOV and Get a Great Meal out of the deal!
MFE is partnering with Chipotle restaurant to raise some dough for this year’s Festival of Voices. Funds are raised by the total amount of food sold for the evening! So join us at Chipotle on February 23rd in the Park city Mall from 5:30-9:00 PM. Bring you friends, neighbors, and family and share a meal on behalf of MFE!
Want to help Amazon donate money to MFE?
We are pleased to announce that MFE is now part of Amazon Smile. This means by simply shopping on Amazon, they will donate a portion of that sale to MFE! You do not pay anything extra as Amazon puts up the money for the donation. It is that easy! All you have to do is sign up, and shop…
To shop at Amazon Smile simply go to http://smile.amazon.com/ch/20-2997260 from the web browser on your computer or mobile device. You may also want to add a bookmark to Amazon Smile to make it even easier to return and start your shopping at Amazon Smile.
So how do you get started?
On your first visit to Amazon Smile, you must select a charitable organization to receive donations from eligible purchases before you begin shopping. Amazon will remember your selection, and then every eligible purchase you make on Amazon Smile will result in a donation.
That’s right; if you purchase an item Amazon will donate a portion of that purchase to Music For Everyone. This means you are helping MFE while purchasing items you would purchase regardless! Sign up today and have Amazon donate to Music for Everyone! http://smile.amazon.com/ch/20-2997260
Keys for the City 2016 Piano Sponsorship Opportunities
Interested in a great way to advertise your business while supporting one of Lancaster’s most popular, fun and fonky public music and art exhibits? Then you should consider sponsoring an MFE Keys for the City Piano this summer! All proceeds from Keys are applied to the annual MFE grant program, which provides instruments and program support for school and community music programs in our county. For details call John Gerdy at 717-475-5659 or email him at Johngerdy@aol.com.
The MFE Singer Songwriter Showcase Continues!
MFE is Thrilled to Announce the Return of the Singer Songwriter Showcase Hosted at Tellus360!
Continuing on February 17th, MFE will host a singer-songwriter night on the third Wednesday of every month at Tellus360. This showcase is a great opportunity for musicians to bring some fresh material in front of objective ears and professional songwriters. While the showcase is a great way for musicians to hone their songwriting skills, it is also a yearlong competition. The four artists who bring in the largest audiences will have the opportunity to perform at the October showcase, which is also a benefit for MFE! So break out those axes, dust off the songwriting pad, tune up, and get on down to Tellus360 for the MFE Singer-Songwriter nights!
The Schedule for the Singer Songwriter Nights:
February 17 — Peter Kinsley
March 16 — Reenie Hall
April 20 — Hannah Bingman
May 18 — Steve Ward
June 15 — Butch Zito
July 20 — Justin Angelo
August 17 — Julia Jordan-Kamanda
September 21 — Melissa Leo
October 19 — Sing-off
You don’t have to be a musician to attend the singer-songwriter nights just a music lover. Come support local music at its roots and have a great time while doing so!
Reminders: MFE Ukulele Uprising!
Come Join the MFE Ukulele Uprising on Tuesday evenings at 7:30 pm at the Vision Corps Building at 244 N. Queen St. All are welcome to this community building initiative.
MFE Monthly Music Download
February’s Monthly Music download is none other than the Willie Marble Xperience! Track Number 1 off their latest album – Songs in the Key of Marble – “Too tall to Mambo” is the name of the tune and it’s a great one! Enjoy!
And in the meantime Lancaster, Play on! Y’all sound GREAT!!