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ANNOUNCEMENT: And the Winners of the Valentine 2013 YouTube Cover Carnival Winners Are…

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31 March 2013: The Pixel Project, the award-nominated global volunteer-led virtual non-profit social enterprise working to end Violence Against Women (VAW) worldwide, is proud to announce and warmly congratulate the three top winners of their Valentine 2013 YouTube Cover Carnival competition as selected by our all-star panel of judges – AHMIR, Ali Brustofski, J Rice and Lisa Lavie:

The Grand Prize Winner is Noah Rickertsen from the USA with his simple and elegant acoustic arrangement of “Little Things”. Noah will receive a comprehensive package worth at least US$3,000 including: Free production, mixing and mastering of one of their original songs courtesy of So So Def producer Mike Kalombo; A collaboration with J Rice; Placement of 3 songs on Lost Monkey’s catalogue for TV/Film licensing; and having his winning cover of ‘Little Things’ included in The Pixel Project’s year-end “16 For 16” charity digital album. His winning cover will also be featured on the YouTube homepage of The Pixel Project’s YouTube Music Ambassador – YouTube’s Number One R&B band, AHMIR  – for 3 days together with a video foreword from AHMIR.

YoutubeThe Second Prize Winner is Katie Hull, also from the USA who submitted a lovely, laidback cover of “Little Things”. She will receive a prize package as follows:

  • 2 original songs from her repertoire placed in Lost Monkey Studio’s licensing catalogue for potential TV/Film placement.
  • 1 autographed AHMIR CD and one AHMIR t-shirt.

Tara1The Third Prize Winner is Tara-Lynn Sharrock from the Australia with her powerful rendition of Whitney Houston’s “Greatest Love of All”. She will receive a prize package as follows:

  • 1 original song from the her repertoire placed in Lost Monkey Studio’s licensing catalogue for potential TV/Film placement.
  • 1 autographed AHMIR CD OR one AHMIR t-shirt.

Regina Yau, Founder and President of The Pixel Project said: “The YouTube Cover Carnival competition is one of our Music For Pixels campaign’s programmes designed to get YouTube artistes on board the cause to stop VAW. This is our second YouTube Cover Carnival and we are very pleased to see the level of support there is out there for the cause. YouTube artistes from 8 countries took part in the competition to help us spread our message about stopping VAW worldwide and 1,652 people voted in our 5 finalists from which we selected the final winners. Our next YouTube Cover Carnival will be in August 2013 and we hope that the competition will continue to grow and develop into a major global online platform for up-and-coming artistes from YouTube and beyond to say NO to VAW.”

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For further information, please contact:

The Music For Pixels campaign team – music4pixels@thepixelproject.net 

About the Music For Pixels Campaign (http://music4pixels.thepixelproject.net)

Music For Pixels ThumbnailMusic For Pixels, a campaign by The Pixel Project, is the first music-based social media campaign to exclusively collaborate with YouTube artistes speaking up to prevent and stop VAW through music video PSAs while raising funds for the cause via digital music downloads. All funds raised from song proceeds donated by artistes in 2013 will go towards supporting the Celebrity Male Role Model Pixel Reveal campaign in benefit of the USA’s National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, The Pixel Project and various anti-Violence Against Women nonprofits worldwide.

About The Pixel Project (www.thepixelproject.net)

FB LogoThe Pixel Project is a complete virtual, volunteer-led global 501(c)3 nonprofit organisation whose mission is to raise awareness, funds and volunteer power for the cause to end violence against women using social media and new technologies. Their first project is the Celebrity Male Role Model Pixel Reveal campaign which aims to turbo-charge global awareness about VAW using social media while raising US$1 million by getting a global audience to collectively unveil a million-pixel mystery collage of Celebrity Male Role Models at US$1 per pixel.

About AHMIR (www.youtube.com/ahmirTV)  

AHMIR_YouTube_LogoAs featured in Us Weekly, Billboard, Vibe.com and AOL Entertainment, AHMIR is the #1 Most Popular R&B Group on YouTube with over 70 million video views and comments by celebrities such as Ryan Seacrest, Ashton Kutcher, Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, Perez Hilton, P!nk and more. The group has used their success to bring awareness to charity organisations including Lucy’s Love Bus, Haiti Relief Fund, American Red Cross, American Cancer Society, YMCA, The Pixel Project, and Kevin Youkilis Hits for Kids. Their cover video of P!nk’s “Perfect” was named one of the top Anti-Bullying PSA’s by The Huffington Post. AHMIR is now signed to Robbins Entertainment and have just released their debut single entitled “WAR” to Top 40 radio nationwide. “WAR” is available now for purchase on iTunes.

About Ali Brustofski (http://www.youtube.com/user/AllisonBrustofski)

Ali Brustofski - 1_compressedcroppedAli Brustofski is a 19 year old singer/songwriter from Oakland, NJ. She was a finalist on “The Next” on the CW Network this fall, and won the 2011 Z100 Hometown Hero Award. Ali won the prestigious NY Songwriters Circle “Young Artist Award” in November, 2009 and she’s been writing and recording original songs and covers ever since.  At 10, Ali performed with Nick Jonas in the “Sound of Music”, and she was the voice of Piper O’Possum for Nick Jr. on Nickelodeon from 2003 to 2007.  Recently, Ali has been working with talented producers to develop her own distinctive sound and record her first EP. Her single “Rewind” was used on “The Voice” and in promos for “iCarly” on Nickelodeon.

About J.Rice (http://www.youtube.com/jriceproductions)

J Rice black jacket red mic_compressedcroppedJ Rice grew up listening to artists like Take 6, Boyz II Men, Brian Mcknight, Wynton Marsalis, Kenny G and many other R&B/Jazz greats. His parents taught him to work for everything he wanted and at about age 11 he was running a paper route to pay for his first trumpet. Later in high school he started taking his singing seriously and built his own studio in his bedroom. One day he started a YouTube channel and has since grown to over 170,000 subscribers and over 30,000,000 views. J is now working on producing and writing his own material for his 4th independent album along with writing and producing for other artists.

About Mike Kalombo (http://www.youtube.com/user/KlassicMaster)

KALOMBO MEDIA (PNG)Mike Kalombo is a music producer, songwriter and filmographer, best known for his music production on some of the most viral videos on YouTube. Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, he now resides in the United States. He has worked with both YouTube stars and music industry moguls, like Jermaine Dupri and quickly became one of the most sought after producers in the industry. Labeled the Quincy Jones of the digital era, he has collaborated with artistes such as Lisa Lavie, Sha Sha Jones, Destorm, Da Brat, Jenna Marbles , Ahmir, Erika David, Traphik, Shane Dawson, Alphacat, Wax and many more.

About Lisa Lavie (http://www.youtube.com/lisalavie1)

PROMO2aLisa Lavie is a Canadian singer and songwriter originally from LaSalle, Québec. Lavie is known for using the Internet to independently promote her music and concerts. Lavie’s vocals have appeared on soundtracks of major motion pictures, and her independently produced debut album “Everything or Nothing” was released on iTunes in 2008. Lavie has received national television coverage for her vocals, and for her production of the charity collaboration video “We Are the World 25 for Haiti (YouTube Edition).” She was chosen as a vocalist for Yanni’s 2010-2011 tours of South, Central, and North America.

About Lost Monkey Studio (www.lostmoneystudio.com)

lostmonkey-logo-arcLost Monkey is a 16-track Pro Tools studio in Hayward serving artists and bands seeking a comfortable environment in which to produce broadcast-quality sounds. The studio is owned and operated by Bay Area drummer Mike Stevens, who drew upon his experiences working in the area’s most venerable studios to open Lost Monkey in 2010. Lost Monkey is currently also building a solid roster of immensely talented West Coast artists who are working hard towards becoming some of the most seminal musicians in the world.

Interview with an Artiste: Tara-Lynn Sharrock

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As part of The Pixel Project‘s “Music For Pixels” campaign, we encourage artistes taking part in any “Music For Pixels” programme, be it as an Artiste of the Month or as a YouTube Cover Carnival contestant, to speak up about why they are using music to say NO to violence against women.

Today, we interview Australian YouTube artiste Tara-Lynn Sharrock who submitted her cover of Whitney Houston’s “Greatest Love of All” for our Valentine 2013 YouTube Cover Carnival contest which ends at 9PM EST, 14 March 2013.

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Tara1Tara-Lynn Sharrock was born in Durban, South Africa, 1986. Her first song was in Zulu at eighteen months old.  In 1992, Tara-Lynn moved with her parents, two brothers, and two sisters, to Australia, where she took part in several talent contests.  Then in 2004, she moved to USA, where she participated in two musicals along with fundraising concerts to support education programs.  In 2009, she returned to Australia, where she continued her music career.  She reached the Top 6 Under 25 Girls category on the X-Factor show in Australia 2011 but  had to withdraw due to visa issues. She loves music, art, science,  rugby union and classic cars.    

 

 1.  Tell us about yourself and why you decided to take part in the YouTube Cover Carnival.

I decided to take part in the Youtube Cover Carnival because violence against women is a very serious, and unfortunately, far too common blight across the world. As women, as musicians, as people, we must unite against such violence and one such way that I can do that is to take part in a competition that has people behind it, helping promoting it, and getting the word out. My voice is the best method I have for sending meaningful messages that will be heard across the world.    

2.  Why is ending Violence against Women important to you?

A very close female relative of mine was raped at age sixteen; she then endured nine years of domestic violence, before finally managing to escape. I witnessed the verbal and emotional abuse that she suffered during those years. She has been free from abuse since.  It was her vow to ‘never be a victim again’ that has inspired in me a strength and a desire to spread a message of love, support, and finding that strength in oneself.  Ending violence against women is so important to me because  I have seen firsthand just how damaging it can be to a person. No one should ever have to live in fear.

3.    In your opinion, how does music help in efforts to end violence against women?    

Music is one of the most, if not the single-most powerful methods by which to send messages of any kind to everyone. It transcends all languages and all borders and connects people on a deep emotional level. It can inspire them to hold one another, laugh with one another, cry with one another. It can move them to act and inspire them to make changes in society that need to be changed – such as stopping violence against women. There are many women and men who do not stand for such violence. All they need is a voice to inspire them, to unify them and give them that little kickstart to act.    

4.   In your opinion, how can musicians help encourage people to take an interest in and step up to help stop violence against women?

Musicians are public figures that have become role models whose fans and supporters look up to them.  Music has the power to transcend all and connects people who might not have been connected otherwise. It is a powerful force against division. Music unites. Musicians have the wonderful opportunity to be the voices of the world, reaching out to thousands of people through Youtube and other social media outlets that they might not have been able to reach otherwise. People are more likely to listen to the emotion and message delivered in a powerful song than they are to anything else. Music moves people and drives them to act; and musicians are the catalysts of that action.