Lineup And Music Director Announced For The 23rd Annual MORE MUSIC @ THE MOORE

Seattle Theatre Group (STG) has announced the artist lineup and music director for the 23nd Annual More Music @ The Moore, the program that provides exceptional young local musicians ages 14-21, regardless of what style they play, the opportunity to make music together. The program culminates in a live performance on Friday, March 22, 2024, at 7:30 PM at the historic Moore Theatre.

This year's music director is Kim Burse, a seasoned music director with over two decades in the industry who has worked with music icons including Jennifer Lopez, Ciara, Beyonce, and Brandy. The lineup features R&B vocalist Alana Edwards, hip hop artist Gyasi, multi-instrumentalist and indie/jazz singer-songwriter Georgyne Agdeppa, neo-soul vocalist Isaiah Banks, sitar player Kaira Soin, pop/rock band Stargazy Pie, and alternative rock singer-songwriter Wyatt Silva. Learn more about this year's participating young artists at the bottom of this release.

Tickets start at $10 (not including fees) and are on sale now. They can be purchased online at www.stgpresents.org or in person at the Paramount Theatre Box Office at 911 Pine Street in Downtown Seattle. This is an all-ages event and seating is general admission.

“I'm excited that Seattle Theatre Group has selected a wonderful collective of talent for me to work with,” said Music Director Kim Burse. “When I was presented with the opportunity to pour back into these talented young people and put on a show, it instantly became a dream come true for me! I'm so excited and can't wait. This truly is an event where ‘EACH ONE WILL TEACH ONE!'”

For 23 years More Music @ The Moore has celebrated the rich talent of youth in the Seattle community. Participating young musicians learn through group collaborations, mentorships from music industry professionals, as well as opportunities for production and promotional support. Since its inception over 600 young musicians have participated in the program, 120 mentors and nine music directors have facilitated collaboration and programming, over 280 songs and 55 genres/cultural styles have been represented, and the final culminating performances have been attended by 35,000+ audience members. Alumni of this program include Seattle-based rapper Macklemore, Benicio Bryant, who was a contestant on America's Got Talent, and Metropolitan Opera star J'Nai Bridges.

MEET THE 2023 ARTISTS

Alana Edwards is a 17-year-old Seattle native who has been singing since she was two years old. She has sung all over Washington state in plays, musicals, sporting and community events, and at various churches. Alana has even been blessed to sing voice overs for various children's YouTube shows and most recently a music video. Alana's passion for singing and music in general is what drives her, and she is excited to expand her singing career. FB: @iamalanaedwards

Gyasi is a producer, songwriter, singer, hip hopper, and trumpeter, from Seattle. He has performed in New Orleans with The Residency, at the MLB All Stars event and The Crocodile, and many more. He's also worked as a sound engineer at The Residency to help record and mix all performing participants. A well-rounded artist, Gyasi plays the trumpet and continues to work on his already outstanding performance skills. IG: @ges.uno

Georyne Agdeppa is an emerging artist with an impressive talent at 15-years-old. She has had vocal/acting lessons with Seattle Talent from 5th to 7th grade, performed every year in her elementary school talent shows, and got to showcase as a surprise guest at Pink Salt Restaurant. IG: @georyne_agdeppa

Isaiah Banks is a 19-year-old singer-songwriter. He loves to create music to grow his emotional intelligence by getting feelings out and learning from them. Isaiah grew up singing in church and has performed in several musicals, including those with Teen Summer Musical. You can also catch him performing at venues in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. He hopes that audiences enjoy every part of his singing from lyrics to melody to beat and the tone of his voice.

Kaira Soin is a budding musician, training in the Indian classical string instrument, Sitar. She was born and raised in Seattle and has been learning music since the age of four. She discovered Sitar from her science teacher at the age of eight and has been training under his guidance and other accomplished Sitarists. Kaira has performed and won regional and international competitions in Indian Classical music and has performed at international venues like the Royal Albert Hall (London), Solitär Mozarteum (Salzburg), Kleine Zaal Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), and Carnegie Hall (New York). Kaira hopes to make fusion music, incorporating the sitar with various other instruments and styles of music. IG: @kairasoin

Stargazy Pie If the four guys in Stargazy Pie hadn't run into each other in 2018, they'd be in four wildly different bands by now. One would be tearing up the coffee-shop circuit, one would be arguing with police about noise ordinances, one would be discussing cape options with their prog band, and one would be doubling his jazz guitar solos on clarinet. Despite these different personalities, the four share a love of great songwriting, bringing all these influences together in an energetic power-pop band. Stargazypieband.com

Wyatt Silva is a 17-year-old multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter who wrote, recorded, and mixed his debut album, "Aurora," mostly in his basement in the fall of 2021. He was thrilled to record his drum parts at Soundhouse with Recording Engineer, Mike Sebring. Wyatt plays all the instruments on the record. He is influenced by classic and alternative rock and enjoys referring to himself in third person. (Hi Wyatt!) IG: @wyattsilvamusic

MEET THE MUSIC DIRECTOR

Kim Burse, a seasoned music director with over two decades in the industry, stands as a prominent figure amongst her fellow music directors and creatives alike. Working with distinguished figures such as Ricky Minor, Ray Chew, and Shelia E., Kim has honed her craft alongside the best. Her impressive portfolio boasts collaborations with music icons like Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Ciara, Brandy, and more. Kim's mark extends beyond individual artists, as she has contributed her music direction expertise to major network television specials for ABC/Disney, FOX, BET, HBO and most recently with Country Music Television being one of the first (if not the first) Black Women to hold the title of Music Director on the network. Kim notably was the Creative Music Director for the historical Grammy Performance with Beyonce and Tina Turner, and she was appointed as composer of the Musical Movie "Leave It on The Floor." BET's Black Girl's Rock brought her onboard in 2011 as the Creative Music Director where she continued the position for 8 years. Soon after, Disney approached Kim to bring musical magic for another 8 years with the annual Disney Holiday Special airing on ABC. With all mentioned, as Jennifer Lopez' MD for more than a decade, Kim can also add The Super Bowl and a sold-out "All I Have" Las Vegas residency to her already plentiful resume.

ABOUT SEATTLE THEATRE GROUP (STG)

Seattle Theatre Group (STG) is a nonprofit arts organization and independent event promoter that operates and stewards the historic Paramount, Moore, and Neptune theatres in Seattle and an outdoor venue at Remlinger Farms in Carnation, Washington. Every year, STG presents over 850 events that range from concerts of all genres, comedy and podcast shows, speakers, dance performances, and touring Broadway musicals with its Broadway at the Paramount series, serving a diverse community of nearly one million attendees from all over the Pacific Northwest. STG's flagship Education and Community Engagement Program is at the heart of its mission. The program serves over 40,000 students and community members through more than 500 events annually. These programs, which are largely at no cost to participants, provide opportunities to engage with artists, inspire youth and local artists through training and performance opportunities, and provide access to the arts through access initiatives. These programs deepen the significance of performances presented at STG venues. STG is also the producer of THING, an annual music and arts festival that was founded by Adam Zacks, STG's Chief Programming Officer and creator of the Sasquatch! Music Festival. THING is an eclectic, all ages experience that celebrates a diverse lineup of local to international musical acts, comedians, and podcasts, and features community workshops and performances from participants in STG's varying Education and Community Engagement programs.

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