Patti Austin, Mary Wilson Join Tena Clark in MUSE/IQUE Uncorked Series, 3/11

MUSE/IQUE, an innovative cross-genre music organization curated by noted artistic director/conductor Rachael Worby, continues its popular Uncorked Series with "Powerhouse from the Firehouse: The Legendary Tena Clark Backstage," including special guests Patti Austin and Mary Wilson, on Monday, March 11, 2013, 7 pm, in an intimate setting on the Pasadena Civic Auditorium stage.

In keeping with its mission to embrace the unexpected, MUSE/IQUE seats guests at cocktail tables and on risers and bleachers for a close-up musical conversation with Tena Clark, a Grammy Award-winning songwriter/producer, who takes the audience inside the process of building a song from scratch, highlighted by performances by some of the artists who have been a part of her storied career.

Other special guests, in addition to Austin and Wilson, are Sara Niemietz, who played young Carol Burnett in the Broadway show Hollywood Arms, and Shelea Frazier, a rising songbird who, among other notable credits, performed at the White House as part of the 2012 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize festivities honoring Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Joining them are noted musicians John Pena, bass, James Harrah, guitar, Ricky Lawson, drums, and Tim Heintz, keyboards.

Worby ties it all together with unique insights that shed light on Clark's remarkable and varied star-studded music career that includes writing and producing hits for Patti LaBelle, Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Natalie Cole, Jennifer Holliday, Gladys Knight, CeCe Winans and Dionne Warwick, among others; programming music for Air Force One for Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama; composing NASA's theme song, "Way Up There," and the music for McDonald's national advertising campaign "Have You Had Your Break Today"; and writing musical scores for film, television and stage. Clark, who manages her worldwide impact from Firehouse Recording Studios, housed in Pasadena's original firehouse, has been described as "a dynamic firebrand" (Forbes) and "a rarity in the music industry" (Los Angeles Magazine). The evening begins at 7 pm with complimentary wine reception followed by the concert at 7:30 pm.

The Pasadena Civic Auditorium is located at 300 East Green Street, Pasadena, California 91101. Tickets are $60 per person. Tickets are also free with MUSE/IQUE membership, which start at $250 and includes a variety of special benefits. For tickets and membership information, call 626-539-7085 or visit www.muse-ique.com.

What musical touchstone does President Barack Obama, the most powerful leader in the world, share with Aretha Franklin, crowned the greatest singer of the rock era by Rolling Stone Magazine? The answer is the music expertise of TENA CLARK. The company she founded, DMI Music & Media Solutions, programs the President's music for Air Force One, and Clark also recently produced Aretha Franklin's most recent album. Patti LaBelle, Chaka Khan, Natalie Cole, Jennifer Holliday, Gladys Knight, CeCe Winans, Dionne Warwick, Patti Austin, Stephanie Mills, Yolanda Adams and Rev. Shirley Caesar are also among the iconic recording artists for whom Clark has written and/or produced. She executive produced Natalie Cole's GRAMMY-award-winning Still Unforgettable. Career highlights include penning award-winning country hits, contributing to multi-platinum movie soundtracks including Hope Floats, The Five Heart Beats, Where the Heart Is, and My Best Friend's Wedding, writing for television shows like Desperate Housewives, and creating the instantly recognizable national campaign theme, "Have You Had Your Break Today," for McDonald's. In homage to her musical and spiritual roots, Clark produced Church: Songs of Soul and Inspiration that included classic soul artists like Patti LaBelle and Chaka Khan plus contributions from Pulitzer Prize-winners Dr. Maya Angelou and Toni Morrison. A stratospheric anthem from this collection, "Way Up There," written and produced by Clark (originally commissioned by NASA as its theme song) and performed by Patti LaBelle, was nominated for a GRAMMY award. Clark is composer-lyricist for Twist: An American Musical, which debuted at the prestigious Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, GA, and broke box office records at the Pasadena Playhouse. Clark was commissioned to create "I Believed," a commemorative song to honor Former Secretary-of-State Hillary Rodham Clinton in celebration of the 100th Anniversary of International Women's Day. The song was performed for an audience that included First Lady Michelle Obama, among other eminent guests, at the 2011 International Women of Courage Awards. Recent notable awards are C200 Entrepreneurial Champion Award and Mosaic Award at the Diversity Women's national conference in Washington, D.C. Clark is CEO/Chief Creative Officer for DMI Music & Media Solutions, which is at the forefront of entertainment and music marketing, crafting strategies and activations for brands that include Build-A-Bear Workshop, Cisco, Delta Air Lines, General Mills, Kohl's and Lucky Jeans. From creating a brand's unique sound and driving audio strategy, to developing a brand campaign around a major entertainment property, DMI is a full service entertainment agency.

A professional since the age of five, PATTI AUSTIN was a protégé of Dinah Washington and Sammy Davis, Jr. A 1969 single for United Artists titled "Family Tree" cracked the R&B Top 50. Austin cut her debut LP, End of a Rainbow, for Creed Taylor's CTI label in 1976, followed by Havana Candy in 1977 and Body Language in 1980. She sang lead vocals for Japanese koto player Yutaka Yokokura on "Love Light" in 1978, did a duet with Michael Jackson on "It's the Falling in Love" for Off the Wall, and sang "The Closer I Get to You" on Tom Browne's album in 1979. Austin dueted with George Benson on "Moody's Mood for Love" in 1980. She sang backgrounds for sessions by Houston Person, Noel Pointer, Ralph McDonald, Angela Bofill, and Roberta Flack. Austin did vocals on Quincy Jones' The Dude LP in 1981, and was featured on the hit "Razzamatazz." She inked a solo deal on Jones' Qwest label, and her 1982 LP Every Home Should Have One included the number one pop hit (number nine R&B) "Baby, Come to Me," which got widespread exposure via the ABC soap opera General Hospital. The follow-up single, "How Do You Keep the Music Playing," was the theme for the film Best Friends. Both songs paired Austin with James Ingram. She continued recording for Jones' Qwest label through the '80s. Austin switched to GRP in 1990 and recorded Love Is Gonna Getcha, with the singles "Through the Test of Time" and "Good in Love." She subsequently recorded Carry On and Live in 1991 and 1992. Street of Dreams followed in 1999 and On the Way to Love appeared in summer 2001. Her tribute to Ella Fitzgerald, For Ella, appeared in spring 2002. Nearly five years later, Avant Gershwin was issued. After a decade on the jazz side of the fence, Austin returned more to the pop side with 2011's Sound Advice, produced by Greg Phillinganes.

MARY WILSON still performs with the same passion as she did singing with the original Supremes, but the world-renowned celebrity is now using her fame and flair to promote humanitarian efforts to end hunger, raise AIDS awareness and encourage world peace. While Wilson is best known as a founding member of the world's most famous female trio - they recorded 12 No.1 hits from 1964 to 1969 - the legendary singer's career did not stop there, and she continues to soar to untold heights. She is a best-selling author, motivational speaker, businesswoman, former U.S. Cultural Ambassador, the recipient of an Associate Degree from New York University in 2001, and an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Paine College in Augusta, Georgia. In 2007, Wilson was named international spokeswoman for the Humpty Dumpty Institute, a platform she uses to condemn the death and destruction caused by hidden landmines and unexploded ordnances in less developed countries. She has spread the Supremes' legacy from the world stage to international museums with a touring exhibit entitled, "The Story of the Supremes from the Mary Wilson Gown Collection," featuring their show-stopping gowns and coveted memorabilia. In 1988, Mary Wilson accepted the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of the Supremes when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1994, the Supremes received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and in 1998, they were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. In June 1977, Ms. Wilson embarked on her own solo career and toured Europe and Asia while raising three new babies. Ms. Wilson has recorded two solo albums, including her self-titled debut in 1979 with the single "Red Hot," and her 1990 release "Walk the Line." She is currently recording another album due for release in 2013 while helping to raise four of her 8 grandchildren.

RACHAEL WORBY is that rare conductor who is a skilled communicator with wide-ranging repertoire. Distinguished as a visionary in the orchestral world, she is celebrated internationally for her extraordinary talents and exuberant style, as well as her versatile command of all musical genres - symphonic, operatic, pops, classics, and 21st century. A dedicated orchestra builder, she is credited with the remarkable growth of organizations under her leadership. She is an unforgettable, inspiring and charismatic presence on the podium. Worby's dynamic energy, coupled with the highly successful results she has achieved with diverse organizations, has served to create a demand for her skills on the international level. As a guest conductor, she has led orchestras throughout Europe, South America, Australia and Asia. In March 2011, Ms. Worby founded MUSE/IQUE in order to bring fresh perspective to live music and multidisciplinary arts. During her tenure as Music Director of the Pasadena Pops Orchestra (2000-2010) Worby expanded the orchestra's performance season, as well as its national and local profiles. A hallmark of Worby's career has been activist belief that education and community engagement work is inseparable from and essential to main season offerings. In addition to appearing in grand concert halls, Worby has led some of the world's best musicians at locations ranging from the coal fields of West Virginia to community centers in Harlem and South Central Los Angeles. In 2006, at the invitation of acclaimed American soprano, Jessye Norman, Worby conducted both the China Philharmonic Orchestra in Beijing and the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, accompanying Norman in her first appearances in mainland China. They continue to appear together at music festivals and concert halls throughout the world. Other guest conducting positions have included the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Barcelona Opera Orchestra, Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, Brazilian Symphony Orchestra, Bucharest Philharmonic Orchestra, Halle Orchestra, Irish Chamber Orchestra, Israel Chamber Orchestra, Israel Opera Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra, National Romanian Opera Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia, New York City Ballet, Norddeutscher Rundfunk-Hannover, Orquesta Sinfonica de Medellin, Québec Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Seoul Philharmonic, Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz and Transylvania Philharmonic. Worby first rose to prominence during her 17-year tenure as music director and conductor of the Symphony Orchestra in Wheeling, West Virginia. She also served as music director and conductor of the Young Peoples' Concerts at Carnegie Hall and as assistant conductor for the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Worby served on the Honorary Committee of Carnegie Hall's HONOR! Festival, for which she served as artistic advisor for numerous events and as guest panelist. She has been honored with numerous awards, including the Spirit of Achievement from Albert Einstein College and the Women of Excellence award from the YWCA, the degree Doctor of Humanities, honorus causa from Marshall University, the degree of Doctor of Letters, honorus causa from Claremont University and the Presidential Medal of Honor for her consummate lifetime achievements from Claremont University. Worby received a four-year Presidential appointment to the National Council of the Arts. In 1990 she was nominated for an ACE Award for two programs she created, narrated and conducted for the Disney Channel. In addition, as First Lady of West Virginia (1990-1997), Worby created and hosted the nationally-acclaimed Arts and Letters Series broadcast on public television, which presented Carl Sagan, Tom Wicker, Jesse Jackson, Andrew Young, Bob Woodward, Taylor Branch, Harry Belafonte and dozens of other luminaries. She also led a ground-breaking state-wide campaign, "Thanks A Million," to raise one million dollars to eradicate illiteracy, and is responsible for the creation, in perpetuity, of The Governor's School for the Arts.

Photo courtesy of Tena Clark.

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