Community Engagement > More Music @ The Moore
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2024 More Music @ the Moore Auditions & Performance
Save the date for the 23rd Annual More Music @ The Moore March 22, 2024.
Auditions will open in Fall 2023. Be sure to sign up for STG eNews and follow STG ECE on FB and Instagram for notices.
2023 More Music @ the Moore Artists
All Photos by Nate Watters
Alex Vile
Alex Vile as a project began as a solo endeavor led by Alexandra Vilenius, while teaching herself to play guitar at the onset of the 2020 pandemic. While developing her sound over the lockdown, Alex signed onto Avalanche Management, and brought on California native Kaelyn Stevens on bass, as well as Puyallup duo Evan Hartung on drums, and Leo Quale on lead guitar, all self-taught musicians. Once the full lineup was formed in August of 2022, Alex Vile performed over twenty-five gigs in five months across the West Coast, with many already planned in 2023. Alex Vile melds the heavy hitting rhythms of Grunge, Shoegaze, and Emo, whilst maintaining the energy of modern Alternative and Indie. With two singles out, and a handful more lined up for release, Alex Vile is forging a path forward in the classic Seattle Alt-Rock sound. @alexvile_
Anu Batbaatar
Anu Batbaatar (14, multi-instrumentalist, throat singer, leader of the ensemble Zje) was born in Minnesota, USA but her family moved to Mongolia when she was 6 years old to let her and twin brothers learn Mongolian music and culture. She studied Huuchir and piano at the Mongolian Children’s Palace, participated in numerous competitions, and performances in Mongolia. She also traveled with her ensemble “Melody” participated in International Children’s festival in Russia and concert tour in Japan in 2018. Her family moved back to U.S.A in September 2019 and settled in Mercer Island, WA. Since then she formed her family band “Zje”with her twin brothers performing throughout PNW. Zje performed with Wintergrass Youth Orchestra 2022, Seattle Jazzed summer program, and summer festivals throughout the region and Northwest folklife 50. Zje released first album Uuhai Album in January 2022 and already started working on their second album which will be released soon. Zje’s main focus is spread our heritage around the world through our abundant folk art. @zjemongol
Cherry Ferrari
Cherry Ferrari is a band of two teenagers, Emma Wang and Oliver Crosby making their way through life with music. From writing on the bedroom floor and producing in the home studio, to performing at venues like Barboza and the MoPop Sky Church, Cherry Ferrari’s music takes inspiration from disco funk greats and today's pop to capture their youthful energy. @cherryferrarimusic
Keira Hamalian
Keira began taking piano lessons at the age of 6 in West Seattle from Erin Rubin, now owner of Mode Music Studios and founder of Mode Music and Performing Arts (MMPA). She continued piano and voice lessons with Erin until she was 15 years old while taking advantage of performance opportunities at Mode sponsored community events, recitals, and their all-ages open mic at The Skylark next door. The creative foundation Erin and Keira built together allowed her to explore other musical mediums on her own such as songwriting, collaboration with local musicians, and independent instrument study. She fell in love with the writing process and hasn’t looked back since. @keirahamalianmusic
Maya Michelle
Maya Michelle Russell is a passionate artist and athlete, who loves singing, songwriting, and playing sports. Professional credits include ELEVATE (Seattle Theatre Group), Book-It Theatre (Childfinder), 5th Avenue Theatre (Annie), and Seattle's Teen Summer Musical. You can also spot her playing a young Crystal Dunn in a Powerade Commercial. When she's not busy performing or making music, Maya plays soccer for Washington Premier's Elite Clubs National League. She is 14 years old and a freshman at Holy Names Academy. @mayamichellerussell
MIDPAK
Midpak is an instrumental funk fueled experience being brought to you live from Seattle, Washington. The bands roots were planted when Nik Jordan and Ben Kinney met in an instrumental hip hop cover band in early 2022. As this band began to fade out, Nik and Ben decided to continue making music together hoping to find a universal groove that could get just about anyone dancing. Through many shows all around Seattle from the Sunset Tavern all the way to playing UW house shows Midpak has continued to make music, after about 6 other bass players Sam Holman finally joined the band. Now the three of them are working around the clock hours to learn music from around the world and develop their own music, to the best of their abilities. @middpakk
Ollie DeShae Gaines
Ollie DeShae a.k.a "Stix” is 16 years old and in love with everything about music. He has played the drums recreationally and professionally for over 15 years at various churches and events throughout Greater Seattle. Music is a passion of Ollie’s and runs down his bloodline.
Tazz Enrico
Tazz Enrico is a 19 years old Seattle Native. Tazz is a natural on stage as he’s been performing since 5 years old. He started rapping at 13 in talent shows and school events until he started performing at open mics at 14 and eventually joined The Residency at 15. The Residency is a Hip Hop focused program founded by, More Music @ The Moore 2001 alum, Macklemore. At The Residency, he received vocal training, performance training and more. With this training, Tazz started booking his own shows at venues like the Factory Luxe and the Mirkwood in Arlington, along with performing on live streams. In 2022, he once again joined The Residency and through this program was selected to open for Macklemore at a private event at the Seattle Convention Center. Recently, Tazz has performed at Café Racer, The Royal Esquire, and Rumba Notes.
Zahara Elan
Zahara Elan is a 15 year old singer-songwriter in the Seattle area. Blind from birth due to a fatal genetic disorder that required a life-saving bone-marrow transplant at the age of 1, Zahara’s focus naturally gravitated to music. A self-taught keyboardist with a powerful voice that belies her diminutive size, Zahara creates songs influenced by her love of jazz, blues, soul and a peppering of ear-candy pop. She has trained with notable area musical artists, including Alex Dugdale, Aaron Walters, Erin McGaughan, as well as various talented working musicians who teach at the Seattle Drum School. Whether singing solos at Seattle Unity’s Sunday services, jamming at various open mics, or performing in yearly musicals—most recently as Sharpay in her school production of High School Musical—Zahara simply loves performing. She has released 3 studio produced songs: Good Again, Dear Santa, and Hey Cooper—the music video of which was selected to tour the country in 2022 as part of the Seattle Children’s Film Festival’s “Best of the Fest” collection curated by the Northwest Film festival. As an autistic person, the challenges Zahara faces in social arenas all melt away in the realm of music making and performance. Whether jamming with seasoned musicians decades her senior, or playing with beginners, Zahara is in her element meeting and matching them at their wavelength. She is so incredibly thrilled to be part of this year’s MMATM cohort and can’t wait to jam with everyone! IG @zaharaelan /TikTok & YouTube @babyzenmama
2023 Music Director
Mike Elizondo
MIKE ELIZONDO IS A GRAMMY-AWARD WINNING PRODUCER, SONGWRITER, AND MUSICIAN who has collaborated with major artists across many genres. In addition to an 11-year partnership with Dr. Dre, Elizondo has produced songs for Eminem, Carrie Underwood, NF, Fiona Apple, 50 Cent, Keith Urban, Twenty-One Pilots, Ed Sheeran, Gary Clark Jr., and Regina Spektor. In 2016, Lin-Manuel Miranda asked him to produce three songs on the Hamilton Mixtape. His recent productions include Poppy, Madison Cunningham, Rag'n'Bone Man, Turnstile, Joy Oladokun, Jonas Brothers and reuniting with Lin-Manuel Miranda to co-produce the music for Disney’s ENCANTO, which he recently received a Grammy for Best Compilation for Visual Media. noexpectationsmusic.com/mike-elizondo
Mike Elizondo returns for his 2nd year as a Music Director for the 22nd annual More Music @ The Moore! Mr. Elizondo will mentor and perform alongside the artists in the performance on March 24, 2023
2023 More Music @ The Moore Mentors & Staff
Tap the names below to learn more!
Mentors
- Jovino Santos Neto – Education focused Mentor
- Shaina Shepherd - Vocal & Performance Mentor
- Sol - Hip Hop Focused Mentor
- Jimmy Scratch James – Guitar/Arrangement Focused Mentor
- Elan Wright – Hip Hop Focused Mentor
- Matt Badger - Rhythm Focused Mentor
- Camila Recchio - Vocal & Performance Mentor
Staff
- Sarah Strasbaugh – Line Producer & STG Assoc. Director of Community Programs
- Rachel McKinney - Project Assistant & Education and Community Engagement Coordinator
- Lailah Brown - Intern
- Michelle Rubenstein - Intern
What is More Music @ The Moore?
For 20 years More Music @ The Moore has featured exceptional young musicians mixing up diverse music styles with the opportunity to learn through group collaborations, mentorships from music industry professionals, as well as opportunities for production and promotional support. The program culminates with a live performance by the artists, joined by a Renowned Music Director.
More Music @ The Moore 2002- 2020:
35,000 Audience Members
600 Young Musician Participants
260+ Songs
115 Mentors
55+ Genres/cultural styles
8 Music Directors
Genres have include:
(A Cappella, Acoustic Pop, Ambient, Americana, Bluegrass, Brass Band, Celtic Folk , Chinese Erhu, Classical, Contemporary Classic, Country, Electronic, Electronic Dance Music (EDM), Filipino Gospel, Folk, Folk Harp, Funk, Gospel, Grunge, Hard Rock, Hip Hop, Indian Classical, Indie, Industrial, Jamaican Reggae, Japanese Classical, Japanese Taiko, Jazz, Klezmer, Latin Chant, Mariachi, Metal, Musical Theatre, Neo-Soul, New Age, Opera, Percussion, Pop, Progressive Pop, Punk Rock, R&B, Rock, Roots, Russian Gypsy, Samoan, Scottish Fiddle, Singer-Songwriter, Ska, Soul, Spoken Word, Steel Pan, Techno, Theatrical percussion, Tibetan Opera, Tongan, Vietnamese Pop, Zimbabwean Marimba)
As part of Moore Music @ The Moore, young artists have collaborated and performed with:
The Roots, Robert Glasper, Sheila E., Elvis Costello, Melissa Etheridge, Mike McCready, Jon Batiste and Stay Human, Meshell Ndegeocello, Michael Shrieve, Alan White, Maya Rudolph (Princess), and more!
Previous music industry mentors include:
Dr. Carlene Brown, Michael Shrieve, Ernestine Anderson, Bernadette Bascom, Jovino Santos Neto, Alan White, Sheldon Reynolds, Dave Dederer, Ryan "Nails" Leyva, Derrick Hodge, Ricardo Frazer, Wael “L” Abou-Zaki, Jill Wangsgard, Andrew Joslyn, SassyBlack, Faustine Hudson, Shaina Shepherd, Chong the Nomad, Megan Tweed, Sean Majors, Meli Darby, Kevin Sur, Adra Boo, Jonathan Plum, Jason Clackley, Stephanie Anne Johnson, Dan Droz, Shaina Foley, Sendai Mike and more! (previous music directors are listed below)
Past participants include:
Macklemore, ParisAlexa, Otieno Terry, Austin Jenckes, Emily Randolph of NBC’s "The Voice," international Opera star J'Nai Bridges, Benicio Bryant of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent,” members of Thunderpussy, members of Industrial Revelation, members of Blake Lewis' band, members of Visqueen, and numerous other touring artists, music teachers, and music professionals.
Alumni + Past Performances
Tap to expand the sections below and explore all of the artists who have participated in More Music @ The Moore!
2022, with Mike Elizondo as Music Director
Aurora Avenue
Aurora Ave. formed only a few months into the pandemic, honing their bright indie-rock pop songs in backyards and under carports. A culmination of the diverse music tastes of its members, Aurora Avenue blends their influences seamlessly into a sprawling, unique sound. Aurora Ave. is heading into 2022 strong as alumni of MoPop's SOUNDOFF 2021, playing as finalists in the Shorelake Battle of the Bands, and releasing their debut album "Aurora Avenue" at the end of 2021.
The Geoducks
Seattle natives, Hank Sebring (14), Henry Wine (14) and Diego Sotelo (15) began playing music as soon as they could pick up instruments. Now teenagers, Hank is first a classical violinist, Henry a jazz pianist, and Diego a jazz clarinetist. Together they are The Geoducks. The trio deliver a lively set of original and traditional tunes, drawing crowds at music festivals and events around the Pacific Northwest. The Geoducks have played to foot stomping audiences on stages at The Northwest Folklife Festival, The Old Schoolhouse Brewery in Winthrop, Sixknot Ciderhouse in Winthrop, while opening for the bands Pete’s Posse and Mud Junket, and at farmers markets throughout Seattle and beyond.
Osvaldo Ribas
Osvaldo Ribas, 15, has played violin for eleven years, but has been captivated by guitar for longer than he can remember. In 6th grade he discovered Andrew Foy’s fingerstyle arrangement of Despacito. Since then, he focused on fingerstyle guitar and discovered more artists like Sungha Jung, Luca Stricagnoli and Marcin Patrzalek. Osvaldo continues to learn and expand his musical interests. Currently he’s learning to play Flamenco and his favorite music to listen to is Reggaeton.
Priyal Sahai
Priyal Sahai is a 17 year old senior in high school, dancing queen and singer-songwriter. Her music is centered around storytelling, with the goal of impacting just one person with each song. Priyal dabbles in piano, though she’s primarily a jazz singer as well as has a diploma in Hindustani Classical Music. Priyal is thrilled that she will be attending NYU Tisch in the fall of 2022 as a musical theater double-major with political science! She was last seen at the Moore in DANCE This 2015 and 2019. She was also honored to be an STG Young Ambassador from 2019-2021. Outside of singing, songwriting, and piano, Priyal choreographs, acts and is making her directorial debut this year with Interlake High School’s Taste of Broadway! She hopes her music makes you feel something.
Samara Reign
Vocalist Samara Reign is 18 years old, yet she has been singing since the young age of 4. She began singing in public with her church choir at 11. Starting at 13, she began working with Teen Summer Musical. Samara continues to sing with her church and sings regularly at events around the area. She is currently working on making her own music and aims to continue sharing her art with the local community and beyond!
Shemar
Shemar is artist/stage performer. He was first brought onstage in school plays and musicals. He went on to be a part of the Teen Summer Musical in “Snow White and the Seven,” “Peter Pan,” “The Wiz,” and “Cinderella.” In his freshman year of high school at Garfield High School, he was introduced to a recording arts course that gave him his first experience with recording vocals and mixing a track. He took these skills with him to Franklin High where he graduated and was able to attract the attention of local artist Mike Davis. Shemar would be the first person he’d look to for opening acts and would eventually be the first one to give him a paid rap gig. After receiving a home studio setup for Christmas in 2017, he would go on to release his first EP, “Suddenly Shemar”. Shemar was also part of STG’s inaugural ELEVATE program.
2022 Music Director
Mike Elizondo
MIKE ELIZONDO IS A GRAMMY-AWARD WINNING PRODUCER, SONGWRITER, AND MUSICIAN who has collaborated with major artists across many genres. In addition to an 11-year partnership with Dr. Dre, Elizondo has produced songs for Eminem, Carrie Underwood, NF, Fiona Apple, 50 Cent, Keith Urban, Twenty-One Pilots, Ed Sheeran, Gary Clark Jr., and Regina Spektor. In 2016, Lin-Manuel Miranda asked him to produce three songs on the Hamilton Mixtape. His recent productions include Rag'n'Bone Man, Turnstile, Joy Oladokun, Jonas Brothers and reuniting with Lin-Manuel Miranda to co-produce the music for Disney’s ENCANTO. www.noexpectationsmusic.com/mike-elizondo
Mike Elizondo will mentor and perform alongside the artists in this year's 21st annual More Music @ The Moore. The performance on March 25, 2022 will feature exceptional young musicians mixing up diverse music styles showcasing the future of Seattle music. This dynamic performance celebrates the rich talent of top young artists in our community and provides these musicians, regardless of what style they play, the opportunity to make music together.
2022 More Music @ The Moore Mentors & Staff
Tap the names below to learn more!
2021 More Music @ The Moore Virtual 20th Anniversary Celebration
2021
STG is proud to celebrate the 20th anniversary of our signature music program, More Music @ The Moore. Thank you to all that joined us for the virtual celebration. The featured piece can still be seen at the YouTube link above. This celebration highlighting the impact this inspiring program has made for over two decades. Special thanks to our Education & Community Engagement partner Starbucks for their continued support.
Produced by STG's Education & Community Engagement department and videographer Kyle Seago, the virtual celebration features performance highlights and interviews with past More Music @ The Moore music directors Sheila E., Robert Glasper, Meshell Ndegeocello, Michael Shrieve, Matt Chamberlain, and Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR), plus past participants ParisAlexa, Ten Man Brass Band, Romaro Franceswa, and so many more. Hear their stories and watch highlights of their collaborative performances on the historic Moore Theatre stage.
Director and Videographer, Kyle Seago
The son of an acclaimed deaf actor, Seattle native Kyle Seago has been working as a documentary filmmaker for over 10 years. In high school, Kyle’s film projects earned awards at international film festivals. After cofounding NFFTY, the National Film Festival for Talented Youth, Kyle traveled to Los Angeles to attend film school at Loyola Marymount University. Shortly after, enticing job offers from MTV took him down the path of reality television, where he worked as a producer on shows such as CW’s “America’s Next Top Model” and MTV’s “The Phone.” As a TV producer, Kyle has produced over 30 hours of primetime television and traveled to Italy, Morocco, Greece, and Macau for international shoots. After moving back home to Seattle, Kyle produced global commercial campaigns for Volvo, McDonalds, and Microsoft, including the viral launch commercial for the Microsoft Surface.
For the past 7 years, he has owned and operated Seago Media, focusing on short and longform documentary projects. He primarily works on profiles of people & artists, and collaborates with many nonprofit organizations to help further their mission. Recent projects include a six-part series on prominent Alaskans called “Magnetic North” that premiered on PBS, two opera films in collaboration with Seattle Opera, several performance films for Symphony Tacoma and an educational series to help engage Deaf children in financial literacy.
Curriculum: Tap here to download / open the More Music @ The Moore Study Guide (pdf).
Tap to expand and learn more about all of the artists featured in the 20th Annual More Music @ The Moore: Virtual Celebration!
Get to know more about our artists
Amanda Hardy (2014 Artist, 2015 Young Mentor)
Amanda Hardy is a singer/guitarist from Seattle, Washington. She started performing at the age of 13 and hasn’t looked back, knowing that it was her passion. Now, at 24, she lives in Los Angeles where she is working on her latest project “Bexley.” Amanda created this character for herself to embody and write music that emits the darker side of emotions everyone feels. The music takes influence from bands such as Alice in Chains, Queens of the Stone Age, and Led Zeppelin to name a few. Amanda and her bandmates are set to release their first full length album early 2021. You can check out more about Bexley at www.bexleyofficial.com.
Bernadette Bascom (2009-2014)
Bernadette Bascom has produced, directed and taught young people all over the country. She has had an incredible career as a singer and performer. She was the first artist who Stevie Wonder signed and contracted to his record label. She has performed and worked with everyone who really mattered in the music industry for the past 40 years. Bernadette is also the subject of an Emmy Award Winning Documentary about her work with the Music Project program a special needs and music partnership program to assist students in developing relationships, communication, music skills and rules of personal engagement and to foster inclusion and compassion in the process. More at https://www.musicprojectnorthshore.com.
Dr. Carlene Brown (2004-2017 Project Director)
Dr. Carlene Brown was the Project Director for More Music @ The Moore for thirteen years. She is a musician, music educator, music therapist, and arts manager. Her early training began in Boston, Massachusetts, where she studied music education and music therapy, taught in the Boston Public School system, and worked several summers at Tanglewood, for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. She earned a doctorate degree in Systematic Musicology, with a focus on the Psychology of Music, from the University of Washington. Carlene is currently a Professor of Music at Seattle Pacific University. She is a Board-Certified Music Therapist (MT-BC) and director of the SPU Music Therapy Program, the first and only music therapy program in the state of Washington. Carlene is also serving as a consultant for the development of a master’s degree music therapy program at the National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu City, Taiwan. In 2004, Carlene joined the team at Seattle Theatre Group as a project manager to support the unique programming of More Music @ the Moore. She is grateful for the experience in working with extremely talented young artists and committed professionals in the music industry to pay it forward.
Chris LeVaughn (2010 Artist)
Chris LeVaughn is a Soul-pop singer/songwriter and producer from Seattle, Washington. With a sound like coffee, he is often compared vocally to John Legend. He currently produces and writes his own music with various music genres. LeVaughn has sung for Grammy-winning musicians and nominees such as Macklemore, Ryan Lewis, and Interscope records K. Flay. More at ChrisLeVaughn.com.
Chris Luquette (2010 Artist)
“Chris Luquette is one of the hardest working musicians originally from the Seattle music scene. Now living in Brooklyn-New York, you'd be hard pressed to find another musician seamlessly switching from International Music to Jazz and from Rock to Bluegrass so comfortably. He has even studied Brazilian Jazz with Seattle based legendary Brazilian Musician, Jovino Santos Neto.
Chris’ musicianship reflects the multitude of musical influences he turns to for inspiration. His acoustic guitar playing really stands out, but this virtuosic, multi-instrumentalist is equally at home playing mandolin, drums, bass, electric guitar, banjo, and Greek bouzouki.
In February of 2017 and March of 2019, Chris as a member Dirty Kitchen played on the world famous Grand Ole Opry! In addition, Chris was a founding member of Seattle based band Northern Departure, and has found himself performing onstage with the likes of Jerry Douglas, Emmylou Harris, Bryan Sutton, Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley, The Steep Canyon Rangers, Kenny and Amanda Smith, The Boxcars, Yogi and The Yogini's and many others." - From dirtykitchenband.com
Critical (2010 Artist)
Joseph "Critical" Perez is a Hip-Hop artist from Tacoma, Washington by way of Seattle. As a rapper, he's released numerous singles as well as multiple full length albums. His most recent release, "Breaking the Fourth Wall" is available on all platforms under TheCriticalShow. He also had the opportunity to open for Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube at the Paramount Theatre! Among other things, much of his records speak of themes of life, conquering struggle, and the chase for success. More at facebook.com/TheCriticalShow
Daniel Bernard Roumain aka DBR (2006-2011 More Music Music Director)
Daniel Bernard Roumain’s acclaimed work as a composer, performer, educator, and activist spans more than two decades, and he has been commissioned by venerable artists and institutions worldwide. “About as omnivorous as a contemporary artist gets” (NYT), DBR is perhaps the only composer whose collaborations span Philip Glass, Bill T. Jones, Savion Glover and Lady Gaga.
Known for his signature violin sounds infused with myriad electronic, urban, and African-American music influences, DBR takes his genre-bending music beyond the proscenium. He is a composer of chamber, orchestral, and operatic works; has won an Emmy for Outstanding Musical Composition for his collaborations with ESPN; featured as keynote performer at technology conferences; and created large scale, site-specific musical events for public spaces.
DBR is currently creating Cipher, a new pocket opera for the Philadelphia Boys Choir, with a libretto by Joseph, based on the incarceration of young, Black boys. More at danielroumain.com.
D’Vonne Lewis (2002-2003 Artist)
Winner of the 2013 and 2018 “NW Instrumentalist of the Year” honors in the Seattle Earshot Jazz Golden Ear Awards, D’Vonne Lewis (drums) is the grandson of the ‘Godfather’ of rock and roll/soul, 1950s-1960s Northwest organ legend, Dave Lewis. Lewis graduated from Seattle’s Roosevelt High School in 2002 and was a member of the award-winning jazz band, directed by SRJO trombonist, Scott Brown. While in high school, D’Vonne received the Essentially Ellington Drum soloist award for the years 2000, 2001 and 2002. Lewis resides in Seattle, WA, and extensively tours and performs various gigs in styles ranging from jazz, big band, funk, hip-hop, rock, Brazilian and African. He has recorded and performed with Macklemore and Ryan Lewis; Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra; Maria Schneider; Digable Planets; Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam; Source of Labor; Christian McBride and John Clayton; Skerik; George Porter, Jr. of the Meters; George Cables; Diane “Deedles” Schuur; Bucky Pizzarelli; Wycliffe Gordon; Floyd Standifer; Julian Priester; Hadley Caliman; and a number of other local and national artists. Lewis composes for his own band, ‘D’Vonne Lewis’ Limited Edition’ and the FOLKS TRIO.
He is also the Earshot Golden Ear Award winner for ‘Emerging Artist of the Year’ and the 2014 Stranger Magazine ‘Genius’ award recipient. More at: https://www.facebook.com/DLLEband/ and https://www.facebook.com/dvonne.lewis.
EriAm (2009 Artists)
EriAm is a vocal, R&B trio act who appeared as semifinalists of America's Got Talent. The sister group consists of Haben, Salina, and Lianda Abraham. 'EriAm' stands for Eritrean-American; the talented and diverse trio wanted a name that would highlight the uniqueness of their cultural makeup and the international aspect of their journey. The group has performed across the globe and their music viewed over 14 million times online. The talented trio has received a Key To The City of Renton in recognition of their extraordinary talent and musical contribution to the community.
Jawann Blanchey (2016 Artist & 2017 Young Mentor)
Jawann Blanchey has had the opportunity to perform with artists such as Sheila E, Robert Glasper, Questlove, and Kanye West. He is from Seattle, Washington and hopes to continue to share his gift with the world.
Josh Penner (2005 Artist)
Josh Penner is a More Music @ the Moore alumni who played with the band Bilateral. He took his love of writing and performing music and made a career in live audio engineering. He is the lead sound engineer at the Showbox and does audio at the Moore and Neptune Theatres. Josh also tours with bands including Phantogram, Big Grams, Garbage, and Empire of the Sun.
Mads Jacobsen (2011 Artist)
Mads Jacobsen is a multi-genre blending world travelling musician, singer songwriter and rapper. You might find him performing on a street corner in Zurich, Switzerland or for thousands of people at the Tacoma Dome. He might be serenading you with his guitar and harmonica and singing sweetly or dropping freestyle raps over beats or combining the two. His influences vary from the folk music of the 60s to the hip hop of the 90s and modern-day trap and pop coming out now. He has opened for Allen Stone at The Paramount Theatre and performed in festivals around Europe and has always stayed true to his heart and authentic message. He is currently in Zurich, Switzerland playing livestream concerts and recording. More at https://www.madsjacobsen.net/.
Max Levin (2013 Artist)
Max Levin is an LA-based producer and keys player, who is one half of the production duo max & kyle. Best known for creating original samples with exceptional sound design and ear-catching melodies, he has cuts with Travis Scott, Tinashe, Juicy J, & many more. Max has also toured with artists including Macklemore, Sol, Grieves, Kore Ionz, among others. Having grown up in the Seattle area, he is a former participant and mentor at More Music @ The Moore and UW graduate.
Merrily James (2004 + 2011 Artist)
The London-born, Seattle-raised songstress began honing her musical craft during her teen years — performing with the Total Experience Gospel Choir, competing as part of “Showtime at the Apollo," and learning songwriting through the Jimi Hendrix Experience. After earning her undergraduate degree from Berklee College of Music, she relocated to Brooklyn where she immersed herself within the burgeoning local scene. Over the course of her career, Merrily has shared the stage with industry icons such as Bobby McFerrin, Phillip Bailey (Earth, Wind, & Fire), Rocco Prestia (Tower of Power), Don Was, and Valerie Simpson. She is currently an Assistant Professor at Berklee College of Music. More at merrilyjames.com.
Meshell Ndegeocello (2013 & 2014 Music Director)
Meshell Ndegeocello has been trying her best since 1968.
meshell.com
Michael Shrieve (2002-2005 Music Director)
Michael Shrieve has had a long and interesting career as a rock drummer, percussionist, and progressive electronic composer. Gaining early recognition as the powerhouse drummer for Santana, the teenage Shrieve was launched into the popular culture maelstrom when he performed an extended drum solo during Santana's appearance at the legendary Woodstock festival. Over the years, Shrieve has continued to strive for innovative approaches to percussion-based music. His numerous collaborations include work with Stomu Yamash'ta, Klaus Schulze, Steve Roach, David Beal, David Torn, and Andy Summers, Mick Jagger, Pete Townshend, David Crosby to name a few. More at michaelshrieve.com.
Parisalexa (2015 Artist)
Seattle R&B singer/songwriter Parisalexa released her highly anticipated debut full-length project, 2 Real in 2020. After releasing her debut EPs in 2018, Parisalexa began to gain national praise from the likes of NPR, NYLON, and Blended, as well as festival spots all over the country.
After inking a publishing deal with Kobalt Music, spending a summer writing for other artists, Parisalexa returned with “2Real” in 2019, her first single to her upcoming project of the same name. Her follow-up single, “Chocolate” is a self-empowerment anthem, whose accompanying music video paid homage to black-owned businesses in the Emerald City, and earned placements on multiple Spotify, AppleMusic, Amazon Music and YouTubeMusic playlists.
Parisalexa was a featured contestant on NBC's hit show 'Songland' where her song, despite not being picked by the show's judges, was hailed by Billboard as "the best song of the entire season." Additionally, Parisalexa is featured on new releases from funk-duo Tuxedo, Travis Thompson, and Xavier Omär, who she supported on tour for a 10-date run earlier this year. More at https://www.parisalexamusic.com/.
Paul Stoot II (2008, 2011 Artist)
Paul Stoot II (aka STYQX) is a gifted music artist who’s been blessed to sing, play keys, bass guitar, and main instrument, the drums. He is not only playing in church and teaching drum lessons, but also currently playing for four local Seattle bands: SoundProof, The Ancient Robotz, Spencer Glen, and a Russian Jazz/pop Band. Paul desires that everyone who plays, sings, or has a desire, to step in and walk in an unfulfilled dream. He feels that music is very therapeutic to him….Little did he know that he was encouraging and touching many others lives with his playing, stage presents, personality, and skills.
Robert Glasper (2017-2018 Music Director)
Robert Glasper is the leader of a new sonic paradigm with a career that bridges musical and artistic genres. To date, he boasts 3 Grammy wins and 9 nominations across 6 categories, and an Emmy Award for his song for Ava Duvernay’s critically hailed documentary “13th” with Common and Karriem Riggins.
Evolution is his hallmark. Glasper’s breakout crossover album Black Radio changed the face of the genre and set a new expectation for what popular music could be. The album won him the Grammy for best R&B album and established him as the musician of choice for some of the world’s most iconic artists; notably playing keys throughout Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly, winning another Grammy for the elastic track “These Walls”. The ongoing Black Radio series has since become Glasper’s calling card, upholding a place at the heart of a trailblazing community: from long-time sonic brothers Mos Def and Bilal, to legends including Ledisi, Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West, Jill Scott, and Erykah Badu.
Whether producing a remix album or as a bandleader, Robert consistently defies the limits of the genre. This is evident in a portfolio that ranges from his acoustic jazz trio; which simultaneously defies and elevates the traditional idiom by uniting it effortlessly with electronics from visionary DJ Jahi Sundance, to August Greene; a collaboration with Common + Karriem Riggins, to R+R=Now; a supergroup at the crossroads of hip-hop and Jazz.
Glasper is an artist at the heart of a moment - and a movement - to champion Black music, Black people, and the possibility of a better future. More at robertglasper.com.
Romaro Franceswa (2015 Artist)
A product of Seattle, WA- by way of Federal Way, Franceswa started his musical journey around 9-years-old. Growing up as the younger cousin of Seattle rapper Fatal Lucciauno, Franceswa was routinely exposed to live shows and he earned a strong reputation freestyling backstage amongst many of the city's elite artists. After the release of 3 albums so far under the label Day One Ent. Franceswa looks toward the future of a new wave of not only thinking but musical approach. Franceswa has toured nationally with Grieves of Rhymesayers Ent, Sam Lachow and Dave B.
Ryan Leyva (2002-2020 Artist, House Band, Mentor)
Ryan Leyva (AKA Johnny Nails) is a touring multi-instrumentalist/songwriter who focuses on producing and mixing records for various artists when not on the road. Ryan's talents can be seen and heard in over 50 countries and on hundreds of records. He currently resides in Seattle, Wa and has been a part of nearly every More Music @ The Moore. More at https://www.nailsy.world/.
Sam Shrieve (2007, 2011 Artist)
Sam Shrieve is a musician, performer and songwriter. After graduating from Berklee College of Music, Shrieve has collaborated with world renowned artists including Hillary Duff, Tove Lo, Bebe Rhexa and more while writing songs on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and top 10 albums on the Billboard Top 200. Most recently, Shrieve has written and produced music for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, as well as syncs and ad campaigns for Balenciaga, NBC, CBS, ESPN, MTV, CNN, ABC, FOX, Bravo, ITV2 (Love Island) Netflix (Queer Eye, Love Is Blind) and original music for Disney Plus.
Sean Hutchinson (2003 Artist)
Sean Hutchinson is a touring & recording member of the band Bleachers (2014-Present). Over his 15-year career, Sean has shared the stage with some of the most notable artists of his generation-- performing with the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Lorde, St. Vincent, Carlie Rae Jepsen, the Broadway production of Hamilton, Darren Criss, High Highs, Doe Paoro, Cathedrals, and Francis & the Lights among many others.
Through his affiliation with Bleachers, Sean has also collaborated on many recording projects with Jack Antonoff including The Chicks, Lana Del Rey, Taylor Swift, Diana Ross, Robyn, and Tame Impala.
Sean, a Seattle native, studied Jazz Percussion at University of Southern California and received his Bachelor’s Degree in Jazz Percussion in 2007 from the prestigious New England Conservatory of Music.
In addition to drumming, Sean is an active Songwriter, Producer and Musical Director—he is an in-demand player as both Studio Collaborator and Musical Director for live performance.
Sheila E. ( 2015-2016 Music Director)
Sheila Escovedo picked up the drumsticks and started making music at the precocious age of three. Sheila delivered her first solo performance to a live audience two years later and has since established herself as one of the most talented percussionist/drummers and performers in the world. Best known to music fans as Sheila E., she became a top session and touring musician before the age of 20, performing and/or recording with George Duke, Herbie Hancock, Billy Cobham, Con Funk Shun, Marvin Gaye (on his final world tour), Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, Gloria Estefan, Patti LaBelle, and Steve Nicks among others.
Sheila E.'s producing, arranging, and performance talents have been showcased throughout the music and film industry with appearances on, The Academy Awards, The Latin Grammy Awards, BET Awards, The American Music Awards, The Kennedy Center Honors, The Summer Olympics, WOW Awards, ALMA's, and The Image Awards just to name a few. In 2014, Sheila released her literary biography Titled The Beat of My Own Drum, and her solo album, ICON.
Sheila E. continues to produce and perform music throughout the world. Her current single, No Line with the legendary Snoop Dogg, is Sheila's continued contribution to the music industry. The Queen of Percussion plans to release new music in 2020 Sheila E. is CEO of the entertainment company StilettoFlats Inc. located in Los Angeles California.
Sheldon Reynolds (2005 Guest Mentor)
For 14 years Sheldon Reynolds was lead vocalist and guitarist for Earth, Wind and Fire. He also was with The Commodores, Sun, and is a Grammy-nominated Songwriter and Producer.
Sky Sanoy Easterbrook & David Sanoy (2010 Artists)
Sky & David were part of the More Music @ The Moore 2010. They are siblings who grew up in a music-oriented family. Sky has been singing since she was 8 and David since he was 12. They both have been using their talents at church and have been involved in the Filipino community. They also had opportunities to sing at different Filipino events in Seattle and even Philippines through out the years.
Ten Man Brass Band (2014 Artists)
Ten Man Brass is Seattle’s New Orleans-style brass band. Founded at Seattle's own Roosevelt High School, the group has become a staple at the Northwest Folklife Festival and HonkWest. Over the past decade Ten Man has performed at brass festivals throughout the US and Europe, including HonkTX, the Bemmelse Dweildag, and Fête de la Musique. Ten Man Brass is the product of an outstanding public school music program and is passionate about passing it on and making music accessible.
Vicky Lee (2002-2020 Creator, Project Director + Advisor)
For the past 22 years Vicky Lee served as STG’s Director of Education & Performance Programs and recently retired from that position. Currently she continues her role as Curator for STG’s Silent Film Program. Under her leadership she established the Education and Community Programs Department, launching core programs which continue to this day. She placed a strong focus on young artist development resulting in More Music @ The Moore, celebrating 20 years of production in March 2021.
Making arts accessible is a guiding principle for her, both on the participant level and for audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Vicky formed significant regional and national partnerships with such organizations as Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AileyCamp), Disney Theatrical (Disney Musicals in Schools) and Mark Morris Dance Group (Dance for Parkinsons). She has produced many projects over the years on STG’s three stages and in diverse regional locations—connecting performing artists to community.
Prior to STG, she led programs in Seattle for King County Arts Commission (now 4 Culture), One Reel, Seattle Children’s Theatre and worked as a theatre teaching artist. She co-founded The Coterie Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri which still continues to this day. In addition to her work in the arts Vicky manages her family farm in Iowa.
Virginia Easthope (2009 Artist)
Virginia Easthope is a 29 year old Seattle-based songwriter. Her music, produced and orchestrated by her older brother Evan, exists in the intersection of folk rock, broadway, and gritty indie pop. Recent music is available at virginiaeasthope.bandcamp.com.
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