Profile for TheSongbook

Regarding a revival of CAROUSEL, Laura Osnes was a stunning Julie Jordan opposite Steven Pasquale's Billy Bigelow in the 2015 Lyric Opera of Chicago production. I imagine she would be a leading contender if it returns to Broadway.

This is a great thread. It's wonderful to see people discussing the classic tunes of the Great American Songbook!

I work at the Great American Songbook Foundation, which is based in Carmel, Indiana. Our organization was founded by performer and preservationist Michael Feinstein in 2007. We define the "Great American Songbook" as the music of Broadway and movie musicals, standards, and jazz that were written prior to the mid-1960s. This is the focus of our education and preservation efforts, and the Songbook Archives (the only archives in the world focused exclusively on the Songbook) is presently limited to this historical period.

That said, the "American Songbook" is still very much being written. The music of Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Burt Bacharach, Dionne Warwick, Ann Hampton Callaway, and Larry Kerchner, to name just a few, is exemplary of the new generation of composers who are writing unique American standards. Other quintessentially American artists like Billy Joel, whose music crosses the boundaries of style and genre, will likely be considered significant contributors to the American Songbook by future generations.

To learn more about the Great American Songbook, and the Songbook Foundation, please visit us online at TheSongbook.org. We're also active on social media- I've included links below!

Have a great day,

Chris Brush
Great American Songbook Foundation

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Maddie Baillio is indeed young, but she is not an inexperienced performer or actress. She was the 2014 winner of the Songbook Academy, a national program for high school vocalists that was founded by Michael Feinstein. Over the past two years Maddie has performed around the country with symphonies and big bands at venues including Carnegie Hall, Birdland, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and the Kennedy Center. Next month, she'll be singing with the Pasadena Pops under Michael's direction. In addition to these accolades, she has played leading roles in multiple productions at Merrymount Manhattan College in New York, where she studies theater.

While Maddie is not *yet* a household name, she is a brilliantly gifted young artist who has already accomplished incredible things in her not-quite-twenty years. You are going to LOVE her in HAIRSPRAY LIVE!, and I believe you will see a lot of her in the years to come. She is truly special.

We at the Great American Songbook Foundation are very proud of the success Maddie has achieved, as well as other past winners like Julia Goodwin and Nick Ziobro who have gained wide acclaim. To learn more about the Songbook Academy and our other programs, visit us online at TheSongbook.org or check us out on Facebook.

Chris Brush
The Great American Songbook Foundation

Hello! We're proud to announce the forty young musicians from around the nation who have been accepted for the 2016 Songbook Academy. To view a list, click here.

We're also excited to share the good news that, in addition to Michael Feinstein, Janis Siegel, Sylvia McNair, Marc Cherry, and more, Tony nominee Jarrod Spector will serve as a Songbook Academy mentor this summer. Jarrod made his Broadway debut in LES MISERABLES, played Frankie Valli in JERSEY BOYS in both Chicago and New York, and was an original cast member of BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL, earning a Tony nomination for his performance.

To learn more about the Great American Songbook, the Songbook Academy, and the Great American Songbook Foundation, please visit us online at TheSongbook.org. We're also active on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Thanks to everyone who applied for the 2016 Songbook Academy. We were thrilled to receive over 150 applications from 25 of the 48 contiguous states. 

Our panel of screeners will now begin the task of assessing the applications in order to determine the 40 candidates that will be invited to Carmel, Indiana in July for a week of intensive training and education with Michael Feinstein, Janis Siegel, Sylvia McNair, and other nationally recognized experts. We'll announce the names of these finalists in May.

We'll crown our 2016 Songbook Youth Ambassador during the Songbook Academy Finals on Saturday, July 23rd at the Palladium in Carmel. We're planning to offer a live stream of this year's show, so mark your calendars for that date! More information will follow as the event draws closer.

To learn more about the Great American Songbook, the Songbook Academy, and the Great American Songbook Foundation, please visit us online at TheSongbook.org.

Good afternoon!

We've just announced that Janis Siegel of The Manhattan Transfer will serve as a mentor for the Songbook Academy this summer. Janis is a nine-time Grammy Award winner and a seventeen-time nominee. She is also a member of Bobby McFerrin's "Voicestra".

BroadwayWorld.com: Grammy Winner Janis Siegel to Mentor Young Singers at the 2016 Songbook Academy

Time is running out to apply for 2016! All materials must be submitted via our online application by 11:59pm on Friday, March 25th. For more information, or to apply today, please visit TheSongbook.org.

Don't miss the opportunity to be a part of this life-changing program! Please feel free to call 317-844-2251 or email SongbookAcademy@TheSongbook.org with any questions. We look forward to hearing from you!

Good afternoon! 

We are excited to share the good news that recent Songbook Academy winners Nick Ziobro, Julia Goodwin, Madelyn Baillio, and Lucas DeBard will perform alongside Michael Feinstein at Carnegie Hall one week from today for the latest installment of his "Standard Time with Michael Feinstein" series.

Michael Feinstein to be joined by Songbook Academy winners for Carnegie Hall concert - BroadwayWorld.com

Recent Songbook Academy winners and finalists are performing throughout the nation at venues like Birdland Jazz Club, Feinstein's at the Nikko, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Feinstein's/54 Below, and with Michael Feinstein at his concerts around the country. These opportunities continue to grow as the Songbook Academy gains wider exposure.

This year's application deadline is March 25th. All applicants receive written feedback from our panel of evaluators, regardless of their acceptance into the program. Watch our 2016 promo video to learn more, then click here to apply today!

Please email SongbookAcademy@TheSongbook.org or call 317-844-9446 with questions! We look forward to hearing from you.

The Great American Songbook Foundation, founded by Grammy-nominated vocalist, Michael Feinstein, announces the opening of the 2016 application process for The Songbook Academy™, a music and performance intensive for high school students! The application is available online until March 25, 2016 at TheSongbook.org.

Now in its seventh year, the Songbook Academy™ is a summer music intensive for young singers who have an interest in the American Songbook. Students who love the music of classic Broadway shows, jazz, and popular music have the life-changing opportunity to work with music industry pros, Broadway performers, and educators from the top university music and theatre programs in the country to learn about this uniquely American music.

“The Songbook Academy is a transformative experience. It is a place where young people can come and learn about the Great American Songbook in an intensive way. We spend every moment of that time sharing, educating, and uplifting in a way that we feel will change the lives of our students forever," said Michael Feinstein, founder of the Songbook Foundation and Songbook Academy™.

The Songbook Academy™ was created to provide an opportunity for young people to experience firsthand this uniquely American music and its cultural significance. The Songbook Academy™ is designed to be a collaborative, rewarding, and fun experience for all participants. Students will have the opportunity to participate in workshops, one-on-one coaching sessions, and master classes with celebrity performers, music industry professionals, and educators from top college arts programs from across the country. The week’s events will culminate in a live show on July 23, 2016, at the Palladium in Carmel, IN, where award winners will be selected.

Applications are judged by a panel of music educators and industry professionals, who will provide written feedback to every applicant.  Approximately 40 students will be invited to attend the Songbook Academy™ week in Carmel, IN, July 16-23, where they will be mentored and further evaluated.  Participants will be eligible for various recognition opportunities and awards.  

Academy Mentors

World-class performers have served as coaches and mentors for the Songbook Academy™. These talented individuals have shared a wealth of encouragement, inspiration, and performance techniques with students, for an amazing once in a lifetime experience.  Past Songbook Academy™ mentors have included two-time Emmy and five-time Grammy Award nominee, Michael Feinstein; Tony Award nominee, Laura Osnes; Two-time Grammy nominee, Jane Monheit; Two-time Grammy winner and Emmy winner, Sylvia McNair; multiple Grammy winner and member of Manhattan Transfer, Cheryl Bentyne; Catherine Walker, University of Michigan, Musical Theatre Department; Kathleen Hacker, University of Indianapolis, Music Department.

6 Easy Steps to Apply:

1.  Visit TheSongbook.org to read official Guidelines and Frequently Asked Questions

2.  Click Application Button

3.  Register and complete online application

4.  Upload color photo

5.  Upload YouTube videos of two contrasting song performances

6.  Submit application fee of $50.00

If selected to participate in the Songbook Academy, a program fee of $700.00 will be due on or before June 6, 2016. The program fee includes:

* Cost of supervised accommodations in a Butler University residence hall;

* All meals on and off campus;

* Commercial transportation during the week; and

* Participation in all workshops, master classes, mentor sessions and social activities throughout week

The program fee does not include travel expenses to and from Carmel, IN, for the Songbook Academy week.

For questions, students can reach Songbook Foundation staff at 317-844-9446 or by email at SongbookAcademy@TheSongbook.org.