National Finalists Announced For 10th Songbook Academy

Now celebrating its 10th year, the Great American Songbook Foundation's Songbook Academy has announced the new class of national finalists who will participate in the annual summer music intensive July 13-20.

Hailing from 16 states coast to coast, these 40 high school students were among hundreds of young vocalists who submitted applications and video auditions to attend this life-changing week of workshops, masterclasses and mentoring from music industry professionals and respected university educators. Along with Songbook Foundation Founder Michael Feinstein, past mentors have included Broadway stars Laura Osnes, Jarrod Spector and Eden Espinosa, jazz diva Jane Monheit and the Manhattan Transfer's Cheryl Bentyne and Janis Siegel.

The only youth music program of its kind focused on the timeless standards of pop, jazz, Broadway and Hollywood, the Songbook Academy is sponsored nationally by the Efroymson Family Fund and takes place at the Songbook Foundation's headquarters, the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel.

Participants network with peers and pros, perform before live audiences and join the Songbook Academy Alumni Network to stay connected and informed about college programs, auditions and performance opportunities. The week culminates in the July 20 Songbook Academy Finals, a performance and competition presented by the Center for the Performing Arts in its acoustically superior 1,600-seat Palladium concert hall. Tickets go on sale Friday, June 7, at (317) 843-3800 or TheCenterPresents.org.

Awards are presented for excellence in several categories, and top performers are invited to represent the Songbook Foundation and sing with Michael Feinstein at such venues as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center and the nation's top cabaret clubs. Alumni include Maddie Baillio of League City, Texas, who claimed the 2014 Songbook Youth Ambassador title and has since appeared in NBC's Hairspray Live! broadcast and the Netflix movie Dumplin' with Jennifer Aniston.

About the Great American Songbook Foundation
The mission of the Great American Songbook Foundation, founded in 2007 by five-time Grammy Award nominee Michael Feinstein, is to inspire and educate by celebrating the Great American Songbook. Headquartered in Carmel, Indiana, the Foundation advances this rich legacy by curating physical artifacts of its creators, performers and publishers; operating a multimedia exhibit gallery; overseeing the Songbook Hall of Fame; offering public programs and research opportunities for scholars and artists; and providing educational opportunities for student musicians, including the annual Songbook Academy summer intensive. The Foundation is a Cultural Affiliate of the Los Angeles-based Grammy Museum. More information is available at www.TheSongbook.org.

This year's Songbook Academy finalists are:

• Robert Barksdale, Buffalo, NY
• Genevieve Basile, Santa Rosa, CA
• Brandon Beck, San Ramon, CA
• Lily Bogas, Mill Valley, CA
• Reese Carter, Las Vegas, NV
• Zach Connolly, Camas, WA
• Josephine Corrao, Oswego, IL
• Bella Cvengros, Larkspur, CA
• Luke Dailey, Lexington, KY
• Michael Di Leo, Waban, MA
• Jack Ducat, Carmel, IN
• Grace Elliott, Pittsburgh, PA
• Cassidy Ewert, Bossier City, LA
• Corinne Ferrer, Miami, FL
• Sadie Fridley, Fayetteville, NY
• Peter Fulton, Fishers, IN
• Sydney Greene, Carmel, IN
• Shaymus Hanlin, North Bend, OR
• Abigayle Harnum, Bordentown, NJ
• Daequan Horton, Claymont, DE
• Chloe Johnson, Los Angeles, CA
• Cynthia Kauffman, Zionsville, IN
• Morgan Koontz, Carmel, IN
• Natalie Leclair, Pittsford, NY
• Halle Lipton, Short Hills, NJ
• Noah Mond, Stony Brook, NY
• Grace Mozitis, Linwood, NJ
• Lilly Nowak, Geneva, IL
• Charlotte Ostrov, Wellington, FL
• Sierra Safran, Doylestown, PA
• Christopher Santiago, Royal Palm Beach, FL
• Griffin Scott, Carmel, IN
• Amia Shavaun, Wayne, PA
• Samantha Shelton, Avon, IN
• Lili Shires, Florence, KY
• Jonah Sorscher, Camp Dennison, OH
• Coen Sosa, Burbank, CA
• Grace Tucker, Zionsville, IN
• Trevor VanEaton, Shreveport, LA
• Nicole Wildy, West Friendship, MD

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