Bob Moog Foundation Features Patrick Moraz At NAMM 2024

 

Asheville, NC - January 9, 2024... The Bob Moog Foundation is excited to announce that it will feature its The Story of Moraz: The Life of a Music Genius exhibit at the 2024 National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) convention, taking place from January 25th-28th at the Anaheim Convention Center. In addition to the exhibit, Patrick Moraz will be present in the Foundation’s booth, number 10707, from 1-3 pm each day. Moraz will also be interviewed by Michelle Moog-Koussa, Executive Director of the Bob Moog Foundation, during a TEC Tracks session on Friday, January 26th at 4 pm. 

The Story of Moraz: The Life of a Music Genius explores over 70 years of Moraz’s musical journey. The exhibit features photos from Moraz’s personal collection coupled with an extensive personal narrative, as well as his 1974 Minimoog used on Yes’ Relayer album and his 2004 Moog Voyager synthesizer, which he purchased directly from Bob Moog. Both synthesizers are on loan to the exhibit from synthesizer collector Lee Keeley.

Patrick Moraz is a virtuoso keyboardist renowned for his prodigious career with Mainhorse, Refugee, Yes, The Moody Blues, and Moraz-Bruford, as well as for scoring 37 films, releasing a multitude of solo albums, and working with Bob Moog in the mid-1970s on the Polymoog and Micromoog synthesizers. In 1976, Keyboard magazine awarded his solo album I (aka The Story of I) Best Keyboard Album of the Year. In 2019, he performed at Moogmentum, the grand opening celebration of the Moogseum. 

“The Bob Moog Foundation is honored to be highlighting Patrick’s immense talents and his long, storied career through The Story of Moraz exhibit at NAMM,” noted Michelle Moog-Koussa. “His life and work are a rich tapestry of prodigiousness, creativity, and collaboration. He is beloved by fans the world over, and he shared a very special working relationship and friendship with Bob Moog. We are proud to be bringing this history to the fore for NAMM’s 100,000 attendees. We are extraordinarily fortunate to have Patrick in the booth with us each day.”

The TEC Tracks session will explore Moraz’s performance from “Future Memories Live on TV,” as well as his decades-long career and his collaborations and long friendship with Bob Moog. Questions from the audience will follow. The session will be held in room 204B of the convention center and will be live-streamed from the NAMM+ app.

Year In Review: PRIDE 2023 Recap

PRIDE is a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community and its allies since ~1965 that often envelop a fabulous festival and parade with all sorts of entertainment including live music, food, dance, comedy and more with a number of sponsors. These amazing events are still growing with hundreds of thousands of attendees throughout the United States and around the world. In Southern California - Palm Springs, Long Beach, and San Diego are some of the largest gatherings while others continue to grow. 

Below is a recapitulation of Pride events in Southern California including the Irridescent Festival in Costa Mesa, Palm Springs, OCpride in Santa Ana, Orange County, and Riverside Pride.

Search "Pride" and where you are located to find one in your area. 

Don't miss the next Pride in a city near you! 

Year In Review: Simi Valley 2023

Simi Valley, a small city within Southern California, has some hidden gems for places to see live music.

Judge Roy Beans, a local bar, has a live band perform every weekend - usually Friday and Saturday night. Some of the bands that played this year included American Mile, John Geiger, and The Replay Band. 

The Rancho Simi Recreational Park District has live events every summer for their Music In The Park summer concert series and even extending to Oak Park. One of the bands performing this year was Angles Roost Band. 

If you are more inclined to the night life with an itch to dance, you may even find some DJ's playing at the Arena Sports Grill and Bar:

 

All Photos Copyright Volterock Media 2023

Will The Grinch Steal Christmas?

The Grinch made an appearance at House of Blues Anaheim during a wild and spectacular performance by Reminisce, the southern California cover band. 

Taunting and mischievous vocals ensued as his green figure shredded the guitar note by note. 

Now on the move, he is prepared to ruin all. Will Santa take Christmas back before all is lost?

All photos © Volterock Media 2023

She Rocks Awards Announces 2024 Honorees Lindsey Stirling, Bonnie Mcintosh, Holly G And More

 

ANAHEIM, Calif., December 12, 2023 – The Women’s International Music Network (the WiMN) announces their full list of 2024 She Rocks Awards honorees, including Lindsey Stirling, Bonnie McIntosh, Holly G, Lindsay Love-Bivens, Melinda Newman and  Jamie Deering. These trailblazers join  Debbie Gibson, Laura Karpman, Britt Lightning, Kelsy Karter and Sylvia Massy for the lineup for this year’s event. Susanna Hoffs and AIJIA will co-host the evening that recognizes women who stand out as innovators and role models in the music industry. Guitarist Jimena Fosado will open the show. 

 

The 12th annual live awards show will take place on Thursday, January 25, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. at the Anaheim Convention Center Ballroom in Anaheim, CA. Tickets to attend are on sale now here.

 

Lindsey Stirling is an electronic violinist, dancer, and artist who has humbly become one of the 21st century’s most innovative stars. Her groundbreaking vision has gained her millions of adoring fans worldwide, four Billboard chart-topping albums, and two Billboard Music Awards including Top Dance/Electronic Album for her third studio release, Brave Enough. Her fifth studio album, Artemis, debuted at #1 on the Dance/Electronic Album Chart. 

 

Bonnie McIntosh is a classically trained pianist, turned touring keyboardist who’s worked with some of the biggest names in pop music. Known for her dynamic stage presence, Bonnie is currently the keyboardist for 10x Grammy-nominated artist Post Malone and has spent the past decade on the road with artists including Selena Gomez, Halsey, Kehlani, and Melanie Martinez. She has been a show director and keyboard instructor at School of Rock Woodland Hills, and is currently endorsed by Roland Global, SKB and Gibraltar. 

 

Holly G  is a country music industry disruptor. In April 2021, she founded the Black Opry, which began as a website and Twitter account celebrating the Black performers working in country, Americana, folk, and other adjacent musical styles and quickly grew into a “vital voice” (Billboard) within those genres, devoted to advocating for Black entertainers and helping the marginalized group reclaim its place in the American musical canon. 

 

Lindsay Love-Bivens works on the Taylor Guitars Artist Relations team as Artist and Community Relations Manager. Her role has an emphasis on developing, growing and strengthening Taylor’s relationships with artists in the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) community. 

 

Melinda Newman, Billboard’s Executive Editor for the West Coast and Nashville, is a seasoned music journalist with a passion for storytelling that spans over 25 years. 

 

Jamie Deering is the CEO of Deering Banjo Company, a family-run American-made company for over 48 years, with all Deering, Vega, Tenbrooks and Goodtime Banjos, and ProPiks, being manufactured under the same roof in Spring Valley, California.

 

For the opening act, PRS Guitars international touring artist Jimena Fosado will perform with her trio, which features Melanie Jo on drums and Lex Wolfe on bass.

 

The She Rocks Awards is the premier event during the NAMM Show, bringing together industry professionals, music icons, artists, fans and the media. The annual event honors women who are groundbreakers, and innovators and have displayed exceptional leadership within the music and audio industry. Past honorees of the She Rocks Awards include The Go-Go’s, Dionne Warwick, Nancy Wilson, Lzzy Hale, Gloria Gaynor, Linda Perry, Melissa Etheridge, Pat Benatar, Judy Collins, The B-52s, Colbie Caillat, Chaka Khan, Ronnie Spector, Orianthi, The Bangles, and many more, plus a collection of trailblazers and role models from all walks of the music and audio industries.

 

The 2024 She Rocks Awards will take place on Thursday, January 25, 2024 at The Anaheim Convention Center Ballroom in Anaheim CA at 7:00 p.m. This celebratory evening includes live music, awards and speeches, celebrity appearances, a fabulous silent auction, amazing gift bags and so much more! Tickets to the event, which include dinner, are now on sale. The She Rocks Awards is open to the public. Find out more and purchase tickets at sherocksawards.com.

 

The 2024 She Rocks Awards is sponsored by NAMM (presenting), PRS Guitars, Positive Grid, Monster Energy, Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Foundation, Reverb.com, Roland, Boss, Taylor Guitars, Exploration.io, Martin Guitar, Fishman, D’Addario, Ernie Ball, Freeman, Shure, Berklee Online, M.A.C Cosmetics, 108 Rock Star Guitars, Sennheiser, Seymour Duncan, D’Angelico, Earthquaker Devices, WRiiG, dw Drums, Cuccio, DiGiCo, Guitar Girl Magazine, The Hollywood Times, Music Connection, AXS TV and more. For information regarding She Rocks Awards sponsorship opportunities, please contact info@thewimn.com.

 

The She Rocks Awards will be live-streamed by AXS TV, Spin magazine and NAMM. Learn more about the She Rocks Awards and get tickets at sherocksawards.com. 

 

The 2024 She Rocks Awards Lineup:

Honorees

• Debbie Gibson - Multi-platinum chart-topping pop artist and Broadway star
• Lindsey Stirling - Ground-breaking electronic violinist, dancer, and artist
• Bonnie McIntosh - Keyboarder. Noise maker. Head banger. [Post Malone, Halsey, Kehlani, Selena Gomez] Roland Artist.
• Britt Lightning - Lead guitarist for the all-female Platinum selling '80s rock band Vixen and the Musical Director at Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy Camp
• Kelsy Karter -  Australian singer, songwriter, musician and the frontwoman of Kelsy Karter & The Heroines
• Sylvia Massy - Multi-platinum producer for Tool, System of a Down, Red Hot Chili Peppers and more, and best-selling author
• Laura Karpman - GRAMMY and Oscar Award-winning film composer and the first female Governor in the Music Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
• Holly G - writer and Founder of the Black Opry and Black Opry Records
• Jamie Deering - CEO of Deering Banjos
• Melinda Newman - Billboard’s Executive Editor for the West Coast and Nashville
• Lindsay Love-Bivens - Artist and Community Relations Manager for Taylor Guitars

Co Hosts:

• Susanna Hoffs - Co-founder and frontwoman for The Bangles, solo artist and author
• AIJIA - artist, songwriter, vocal producer and performer. (Selena Gomez, Anderson .Paak, Mimi Webb, Rachel Platten.)

Opening Act:

• Jimena Fosado - International touring guitarist and PRS Guitars artist

New Release: "Je me Souviens" by Franck Martin

A journey in life of memories and emotion translated through quadraphonic recording, mixed and mastered in Dolby Atmos/Spatial Audio and rendered in binaural - be sure to have your headphones on or earbuds in! -, Franck Martin takes the listener to quasi unfamiliar but strangely reflective nuances in his latest release, "Je me Souviens".

Interview: Venus Theory at NAMM 2023 part 2