THE BACON BROTHERS, AWARD WINNING MUSICIANS, PRODUCERS AND RECORDING ARTISTS, TEAM UP WITH BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS IN NATIONAL LYRICS-WRITING CONTEST
Boys & Girls Club teens will have the unique opportunity to express their dreams in lyrics or poetry form in a national lyrics-writing contest called “Voice Your Dreams Project.” The inaugural Voice Your Dreams Project (VYDP) is a free arts education program, accessible to Club teens, grades 7-12, at more than 4,700 Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide.
National Recording Artists will serve as ambassadors and judges to select the winning lyrics. Professional songwriters and producers will then adapt five winning lyrics to music; followed by a national premier of the winning song. There are twenty-five Regional Winners, five National Winners and one Grand Prize winner with Education grants from $1,000 to $10,000 for Clubs and individual Club winners.
The Bacon Brothers will serve as Voice Your Dreams Project judges joining the Project’s musically diverse award-winning mentors and song producers such as June Archer, Raining Jane, Toni Blackman, Javier Colon and more. Additional judges will be announced. (Bios of featured artists: voiceyourdreams.com).
Voice Your Dreams is offered with educational modules, artist videos and exercises, helping to guide Club members in the art of writing lyrics.
Voice Your Dreams Project rolls out in Fall 2023. Winning lyrics announced Martin Luther King Day 2024. Winning song will premiere March 2024.
Spring Blooms and Summer Adventures in Asheville: Outdoor Festivals, Restaurant Openings and the Year of the Trail
As warmer temperatures bring wildflower blooms and vivid greens to the Blue Ridge Mountains, the arrival of spring weather in Asheville, North Carolina means it’s time to get out and explore. The spring season breathes new life into the expansive meadows and lush mountainsides, as well as the city, welcoming a fresh lineup of upbeat festivals and events from spring break through the summer.
North Carolina is the Great Trails State, and 2023 has been officially designated the Year of the Trail. There’s no better place to embrace the outdoors than in Asheville, home to hundreds of colorful trails that inspire awe and get the heart pumping.
From summit hikes with stunning views to trails running alongside mountain wildflowers and crashing waterfalls, travelers can easily find the right hike with the Asheville Hike Finder. Whether walking, hiking, biking, paddling or horseback riding, there is a trail for every ability and inclination. Notable day hikes for families, outdoor experiences and many other events are available this spring.
For the most up-to-date happenings, visit ExploreAsheville.com.
13-Year-Old Illustrator The Doodle Boy Launches First-Ever Digital Collectible Series with Orange Comet
Orange Comet, the industry’s leading Web3 game and entertainment company, today announced its partnership with 13-year-old artistic genius Joe Whale, better known as The Doodle Boy. The first phase of the digital collectibles project is set to mint exclusively on OpenSea on April 25, 2023.
Nicknamed The Doodle Boy, British artist Joe Whale is celebrated worldwide for his black & white doodles and wall murals, and inspired by his everyday surroundings, has been painting ever since he could pick up a pencil at the age of three. Having drawn on papers, canvases, sneakers, and even designing restaurant walls with his doodles, what is the next big thing? The answer lies within the virtual world.
The digital collectible avatars and critters, officially called The Remarkables Collection by Joe Whale, will live in a spectacular virtual universe, an environment that invites fans to interact with the young artist’s work and other The Doodle Boy enthusiasts’ passion for his creations, elevating fan engagement and camaraderie. The Remarkables community serves to inspire adult art and digital collectors to find their inner child as Joe becomes the first of many artists Orange Comet plans to foster a creator/community collaboration with.