Freckled Zelda not only sponsored the event but also delivered a mesmerizing performance blending original compositions with covers. The highlight was her new rendition of “Butterflies,” where the Ocarina, a sweet potato-shaped flute, added a magical touch to the evening.

Powerhouse vocalist EMM also performed. Sets by Trinity Bliss (Avatar) and Tim Johnson Jr. (Disney Channel, Nickelodeon) added to the musical diversity on show. Ryan Story closed the event with a set of classic rock favorites.

The primary focus of the evening, however, was to support The Guitar Center Music Foundation’s fundraiser, led by Myka Miller Jimenez. A silent auction that included signed guitars and memorabilia contributed to the noble cause of fostering music education.

The CenterStaging Artist Relations building, typically home to offices for brands like Roland, PRS, and Ernie Ball, was transformed into an art haven. The walls were decorated with framed art and canvases, showcasing the work of musicians who also paint. For example, JD Shultz, the singer-songwriter of Human Brother, contributed iconic classic rock star art on acrylic glass.

Rising art world star Jessica Downs displayed large canvases featuring abstract likenesses of deceased music legends, including Chester Bennington, John Lennon, and Jimi Hendrix. Separately, from Star Trek fame, 20-time Emmy-nominated Dan Curry showcased original art, including some of his Klingon designs. Music composer Joel Doeuk presented his own metal and resin sculptures in explosive imagery.

Marvel artist Christian Cordella showcased his Pennywise, the clown from the IT movies, while Madrid-based artist Kala Carela added a touch of gothy darkness to the artistic spectrum. From Matt Carmody, attendees saw drip-style pieces paying homage to Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, and Joe Cocker. 

FATHOM Art, curated by Francis Coiro, took over the space previously occupied by Fender, treating attendees to rare classic rock photos from the gallery’s Rock Iconix Collection. Also on view were dozens of paintings and fine art prints from FATHOM’s roster of international contemporary artists, plus a selection of work from seminal Los Angeles graffiti and mural artists. Notable images included a one-of-a-kind 3D rendering of Madonna before she became the pop icon we know today.

The ambiance and lighting of the event were provided by Modern Illumination, ensuring each painting in the entire Artist Relations building was individually highlighted. PRS Guitars Artist Relations executive Winn Krozack entertained with a mesmerizing performance on the 7-foot Yamaha Grand Midi Disklavier. Performing artists were supported by Renkus-Heinz Audio on stage.

The event’s production was a collaborative effort led by Sammy Oriti, CenterStaging’s General Manager Will Kerlick, and Freckled Zelda’s manager Rick Wilson. 

Though the holiday season has come and gone, we at Music Connection encourage readers to consider the gift of art. For those interested in exploring the collection further, private showings are available by appointment on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Contact info@artrockla.com or call 310-985-5511 to schedule your visit and bring the magic of music-infused art into your life.

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The Range Media Partners division is helmed by Managing Partners Matt Graham, Jack Minihan, Evan Winiker, Tyler Henry, Melissa Ruderman, Chris Thomas, Cory Litwin, Shawn McSpadden, as well as Partners Michele Harrison, Greg Johnson, Rachel Douglas, Ace Christian and Joel Zimmerman. Since its inception a little over two years ago, the division has launched its own label in partnership with Capitol Music Group (CMG) and Virgin Music & Artist Label Services (Virgin), and represents a wide range of talent including Jack Harlow, Saweetie, Justin Tranter, Cordae, Midland, Murda Beatz, Nova Wav, Nicky Romero, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Hailey Whitters, Lauv, MAX, HARV, Sean Douglas, Wondagurl, Yola, Eric Bellinger, Pentatonix, Luke Grimes, Ryan Bingham, Geoff Wharburton, Stephen Wilson Jr., Paul Russell, Dylan Gossett, and more. In the past two years, Range Media Partners has shown through its strategic hires and innovative partnerships a steadfast commitment to a bespoke hands-on, diversified and 360 approach in serving the wide range of talent they represent, which, in addition to the aforementioned music talent, also includes actors such as Bradley Cooper, Michael Fassbender, Danny Mcbride, Gabrielle Union, Simon Rex, Emilia Clarke, Tom Hardy, Ramy Youssef, Taron Edgerton and Keira Knightley, directors including Michael Bay, M. Night Shyamalan, Alma Har’el and more.

ABOUT RANGE MEDIA PARTNERS 
Range Media Partners guides the most creatively ambitious minds in building cultural capital, amplifying their truly remarkable & diverse voices and unlocking full global value in all businesses. Through talent representation, production, storytelling, live experiences, data, Web3/AI strategies, and venture incubation, we drive strategic growth and innovation for our clients spanning film, television, music, sports, literary, digital, gaming, activism, business, and brands. Through strategic partnerships with investors Point72 Ventures and A+E Networks, our mission is to maximize value, diversify & scale opportunities, and build the future of entertainment and culture.

T-Pain has not only changed the course of pop, hip-hop, and R&B, but has reshaped the fabric of culture itself. T-Pain has sold over 50 million singles, accumulated billions of streams, racked up 10 iconic #1s on the Billboard Hot 100, and has sold out shows across multiple continents. The Tallahassee trailblazer’s influence transcends generations in music and more; he shines as a Twitch phenomenon and uber popular streamer, label head of his own independent Nappy Boy Entertainment and Nappy Boy Automotive, podcast host, expert drift driver, actor, author, HelloFresh spokesperson and purveyor of delicious wing spices through his collaboration with Spicewalla. 

Earlier this month, he teamed up with Snoop Dogg for their new single “That’s How We Ballin,” and its epic official video parody of Pee Wee’s Big Adventure (PRESS HERE to watch).

Photo Credit: Scrill Davis 

The production offers a contrasting backdrop to Tara’s beautifully haunting vocals. Indian classical drones and flourishes of Rhodes piano siren through the double time groove to create a provocative and hedonistic track, adding to her catalogue of distinctive music that marries the sonic terrains of the East and West. The single has amassed press support from Clash, Time Out and Evening Standard, with playlisting on BBC Asian Network and spot plays by Greg James, Jack Saunders (BBC Radio 1) and Jamz Supernova (Selector Radio). 

Accompanying the track is a video directed by Siddinth Ghosh, an up-and-coming Bengali filmmaker. Shot in India, the surreal visual – premiered by The Fader – sees a nomadic Tara take to the streets of Mumbai and Goa, riding through the night on the back of motorbikes, leading a double life in double time. She lives life on the edge, dancing under the moon’s glow, in tranquil waters and amongst horses, leaving no traceable steps behind her. Tara adds, “Two gods, two masks, two worlds - The video reflects on the fast pace of life, on taking risks and losing control, on death and on living life to the full, on our human relationships and our relationships with god or divine powers and on who we think we are!”   

Growing up in south London with a strong connection to her British Bengali heritage has given Tara Lily a unique perspective on music and global culture. She has spent her life absorbing a multitude of sounds and genres from her surroundings, ranging from alternative R&B to classical jazz and traditional Bengali folk music. It was this intriguing blend of sounds and her deep understanding of the worlds they come from which caught the attention of the likes of Virgil Abloh, Gilles Peterson, Iggy Pop and Motown Records UK, who signed Tara as their first British artist. 

A formidable talent who celebrates strength and power in her music, ‘Double Time’ marks the start of this new chapter for the rising starlet who is set to release a brand new project next year on her new label Tru Thoughts, to follow up her acclaimed EPs ‘Last Flight Out’ and ‘Lost in London’. Talking about signing to the iconic independent imprint, Tara says: “I’m thrilled to be making the album I’ve always wanted to make on the innovative and excellent label Tru Thoughts”

This summer Tara Lily has trailed a number of UK festivals, including Glastonbury (with three performances over the weekend), We Out Here, and Daytimer’s Dialled In, as well as playing The Hundred Cricket Final at The Kia Oval, joining King Krule on stage at Apollo Theatre and supporting RAYE at the Royal Albert Hall. Tara is also one of the first acts to be announced for Brick Lane Jazz Festival 2024, with plenty more electrifying live shows to be announced in the coming weeks and months.

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Label/promo contact: rhys@tru-thoughts.co.uk

In 1973, a new landmark opened in the heart of West Hollywood’s Sunset Strip. The Roxy Theatre was founded by LA entertainment giants Lou Adler and Elmer Valentine, along with stellar partners including David Geffen, Elliot Roberts, and Peter Asher. From the beginning, the Roxy was a cultural statement, with then-young comics including Jay Leno and David Letterman getting early breaks opening on the Roxy stage, and artists ranging from Frank Zappa to Chris and Rich Robinson recording live albums there. Five decades after its founding, the Roxy chose their longtime partner-in-sound, Camarillo, California’s Rat Sound Systems to install a system based on JBL’s VTX A8 three-way line array element.

“The ultimate impetus for installing a new sound system was the Roxy’s 50th anniversary in 2023,” explains musician and co-owner Cisco Adler, son of founder Lou Adler. “We asked ourselves how we could bring back the best of the Roxy’s spirit of the last 50 years. When my father opened the room, he wanted it to be the preeminent venue in terms of sound for the artist, as well as the audience, and we wanted that to still be the feeling to this day.”

While it was clear that the new system had to have fidelity, power, and coverage, it could not impede views from anywhere in the famed theatre, be it floor space or VIP balcony seating. The A8 offers a wide, 110-degree coverage area and up to 139 dB SPL maximum output yet is only 30 inches (761 mm) wide, thus providing a perfect match to the requirements.

“JBL was involved in the system design, and we put a little spin on things, mostly with the sub deployment,” said Adam Figueroa, Rat’s Head of Sales and Installations. “The stage is an odd size and requires some unique sub processing to get the coverage and response we were looking for.”

The final design specified 12 VTX A8 cabinets for the main L/R coverage, four VTX B28 dual 18-inch subwoofers, and a selection of AE Compact speakers for fills. Crown I-Tech 4X3500HDS DriveCoreTM four-channel amplifiers drive the system.

The layout of the Roxy stage posed a few issues for Rat to solve in deploying the system. “The fact that the stage is in a corner presented its own set of challenges, including sightlines and availability of rigging points,” Figueroa details. “We were able to do some infrastructure and rigging above the ceiling prior to needing the venue dark, and I really believe that led us to be able to get the rig installed in only four days with minimal crew.”

JBL worked closely with Rat to resolve every concern that arose, reports Figueroa. “We really appreciated how JBL's application team helped us along the way, considering this was our first VTX install,” he says. “We found a rigging issue when we assembled the arrays in our shop for testing, and JBL was able to resolve it for us almost overnight.”

Through this cooperative effort, the system went into place smoothly. “Our project lead, Greg Binkard, was able to finesse the hangs into a position that satisfied all the considerations. The VTX rigging hardware was very user-friendly, and the integration team of Greg, Aaron Silvey, Kevin Hamabata, and I enjoyed the ease of installation,” Figueroa said.

The Roxy was opened in 1973 by Neil Young, playing with members of Crazy Horse. While the JBL loudspeakers went into service in early September, the complete new sound system makes its debut when Young and Crazy Horse play the Roxy again—50 years to the day after they first opened the house. Adler could hardly be more pumped up.

“We’re thrilled, first and foremost, with how the system sounds,” Adler said, “and beyond that, we are thrilled with the partnership with Rat and JBL, who helped us in keeping the Roxy the best-sounding room in the world. That’s important to us, because, as my brother Nic says, ‘You don’t come to the Roxy to see a show, you come to be part of the show.’”

Click HERE to watch “The Debut: Dream Academy” – Live Finale.

For “Dirty Water” and “Girls Don’t Like, the 10 finalists were split into two groups of 5. They showcased not only their dancing and singing abilities, but also how they have grown as artists from their experience in The Dream Academy. These were the last performances that the remaining contestants were evaluated on.

“All The Same” was performed by all 10 finalists. Set against a dream-like and ethereal backdrop that compliments the song’s overall feel, the contestants exhibited unity and sisterhood, vocally supporting one another and through intricate and contemporary choreography. This song marks both the beginning and the end of their Dream Academy journey, as “All The Same” originally debuted in the art film that was presented at the press event where “The Debut: Dream Academy” was announced. 
 

The name of the group, KATSEYE, was revealed at the finale as well. Feminine, powerful, and unique, KATSEYE perfectly encompasses each member of this unprecedented girl group. A semiprecious stone, cat’s eye shows off a variety of colors depending on its direction, much like the final members who are all different in their cultural backgrounds, but united as one under KATSEYE, glowing powerfully together. Cat’s eye gemstones are also used as a “lucky charm” bringing peace, success, and good fortune for a lifetime. 
 

The final lineup of contestants was determined by a combination of early votes and real-time votes during the live finale, as well as evaluators’ scores. The early voting period began last Friday, November 10^th at 8am PT and ended on November 17^th at 7:59am PT. Fans cast their votes on Weverse and were able to vote for up to 3 contestants per day. The real-time voting period during the live finale will also take place on Weversefrom 7:00pm PT – 7:30pm PT on November 17^th.
 

Music industry powerhouses HYBE and Geffen Records recently revealed the 20 contestants from around the world who competed for a spot in the first-ever HYBE x Geffen Records global girl group. The one-of-a-kind joint venture marks the first time a major U.S. record label and a K-pop entertainment leader have combined their expertise in artist discovery and music production to assemble, develop, and introduce an international girl group unlike any other. This also notably represents the first time a U.S.-based, truly global girl group will be created and modeled based on the world-renowned K-pop training and development system, under which the contestants have been quietly training over the last year in Los Angeles. The aspiring artists participated in a world-class audition program titled “The Debut: Dream Academy”, and fans have been following the contestants on their journey. The years-long process of creating this one-of-a-kind girl group will be the subject of an upcoming untitled Netflix documentary series, directed by Nadia Hallgren (Becoming). The series produced by HYBE, Interscope Films and Boardwalk Pictures is set to premiere in Summer 2024. 

Bang Si-Hyuk (Chairman of HYBE) said, "This has been a long journey and an unprecedented collaboration between HYBE and Geffen. We are very proud of the results and of all the contestants who joined us in this project. We wish KATSEYE much success as we are sure they will inspire fans across the globe."

John Janick (Chairman & CEO, IGA) states, “It has been so inspiring to see the dedication each of these incredible artists has brought to this process,” said John Janick, Chairman and CEO of Interscope Geffen A&M. “For the new members of KATSEYE, I truly believe there are no limits to what they can accomplish together.” 
 

“The Debut: Dream Academy” global girl group audition program was comprised of three missions where the contestants were split into groups to showcase their vocal and dance abilities (mission announcement video here). The performance videos aired on HYBE LABELS YouTube Channel (Global) and ABEMA (Japan) and allowed fans to follow the journey and familiarize themselves with the contestants and their talents. After each mission, fans voted via Weverse and YouTube for their favorite contestants (voting info here). Alongside fan voting, a panel of experienced evaluators offer valuable feedback and guidance to the contestants, playing an essential role in shaping the growth and development of these talented young women. 
 

The focus of Mission #1 was to level up their skills and demonstrate their ability to support one another as team members through their individual performances. After Mission #1, two participants were eliminated, and the remaining 18 contestants flew to Korea to prep for Mission #2, which took place at HYBE’s world-renowned Training & Development (T&D) facility where so many iconic K-Pop stars have trained. Mission #2’s focus was to enhance the contestants’ artistry and teamwork beyond basic individual skills. Four more girls were eliminated after Mission #2 after which the remaining contestants flew back to Los Angeles for Mission #3 where the focus was to demonstrate artistry while executing various musical concepts. The third elimination solidified the top 10 contestants who performed at the November 17^th finale event. Performance videos from all three missions can be viewed here. 
 

Following “The Debut: Dream Academy” – Live Finale, KATSEYE will begin working on their forthcoming album, which will be released in 2024. Additionally, the three original and exclusive songs that debuted at the finale event, “Dirty Water”, “Girls Don’t Like”, and “All The Same”, are available now on YouTube. 

Photo credit: HYBE x Geffen Records

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About HYBE x Geffen Records:

In February 2021, HYBE (formerly Big Hit Entertainment) and UMG’s Geffen Records officially announced their strategic joint venture partnership — an unprecedented collaboration between an esteemed U.S. record label and the leading K-pop and entertainment lifestyle platform company, brought together to create the world's first U.S.-based, global girl group modeled on the world-renowned K-pop training & development system. This marked the first time a U.S. record label and a K-pop entertainment company were uniting to combine their expertise in artist discovery and development, and music production to assemble, develop, and introduce a group from ground zero. The November 2021 announcement of the first-ever HYBE x Geffen Global Girl Group Audition that followed kicked off the historic JV. Combining HYBE’s global expertise to lead the discovery, training, and development of the group, fan content production processes, and engagement with fans around the world, with Geffen Records' extensive industry network and partners to oversee the music production, marketing, and global distribution operations, the JV aims to debut a new girl group that will transcend national, cultural, and artistic boundaries.

About HYBE:

HYBE, rebranded from Big Hit Entertainment in March 2021, is a global entertainment lifestyle platform company that seeks boundless expansion in order to innovate the music industry. Ever since, HYBE has been expanding its multi-label system including BIGHIT MUSIC, BELIFT LAB, SOURCE MUSIC, PLEDIS Entertainment, KOZ ENTERTAINMENT, ADOR, HYBE LABELS JAPAN, NAECO, while HYBE AMERICA also manages its affiliate labels including Big Machine Label Group. In addition to the label business, HYBE established an integrated structure with its solution business that creates concert, video content, game, original story, and retail, as well as a platform business through Weverse, a global fandom platform. Composed of its three headquarters based in Korea, Japan, and the US, the company works towards bringing innovative change throughout the global music industry.

About Interscope Geffen A&M:

Combining the legacies of three of the most influential record labels in modern music history, Interscope Geffen A&M embarked on a new tradition of musical achievement with its unification on January 1, 1999. Headed by Chairman & CEO John Janick, Interscope Geffen A&M is a major force in global music, developing chart-topping artists across a wide range of musical genres including rock, rap, pop and alternative. Interscope Geffen A&M is part of Universal Music Group, the world’s largest music company.