The Maine Academy of Modern Music (MAMM) and MECA&D shared some exciting news with young aspiring musicians around the State of Maine. MECA&D partnered with MAMM for the 2015 MAMM SLAM in the spring of 2015 by offering annual scholarships of $10 - $16,000/year, dependent upon academic and artistic qualifications, for four years of full-time study to each member of the winning band.
This was in addition to an already robust prize package which included a $1000 cash prize sponsored by The Rusty Rocket Music Fund, free recording time in a professional studio, premiere gigs (including a performance spot at the MAMM Stage at the 2015 Old Port Festival), a tour of Gateway Mastering studios, and more. The 2015 first prize went to triplet sister power trio Random Ideas.
With this generous scholarship, young Maine musicians will be able to help shape the future of MECA&D and it’s involvement with the musical arts through the new music program that MECA&D launched in the fall of 2015. This music program is the first of it’s kind in the country and provides a unique learning experience for those who are both artistically inclined and musically gifted. This program is made possible by a generous $3 million dollar gift from the Bob Crewe Foundation.
MECA&D President Don Tuski, Ph.D., said “We are thrilled to be able to offer this incentive to the winners of MAMM SLAM 2015. We hope that our newest academic program that is dedicated to exploring the intersection of art and music will attract the best and brightest of Maine’s creative scene and beyond. Partnering with MAMM Slam provides us direct access to some of the best high school talent around the State of Maine.”
ABOUT THE MAMM SLAM:
The MAMM SLAM is a yearly contest and opportunity for Maine’s high school-aged musicians of all backgrounds and styles to showcase their skills and talent. Giving teen bands and solo performers (singer/songwriters and DJ’s) a chance to compete in showcasing their songwriting, performance skills, web presence, marketing, and other aspects of being a professional touring and recording musician. None of this would be possible without the generous sponsorship and support of MaineToday.com, The Rusty Rocket Music Fund, freezingprocess.net, Coffee By Design, Asylum, Bayside Bowl, Crooked Cove, State Theatre, Gateway Mastering, WCYY, WBLM, Maine Magazine, WPXT-TV and MECA&D.
To read more about the 2015 MAMM SLAM visit the MaineToday website at www.mainetoday.com/mammslam.