Monday, October 28, 2013

Students Sought for First Night Sing-Off

Shaunda Miles, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
412-471-1578/Miles@TrustArts.org      
Diana Roth, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
412-471-8717/Roth@TrustArts.org
Scott Waitlevertch, Equitable Gas
(412) 395-2314

STUDENT STARS SOUGHT FOR EQUITABLE GAS SING-OFF
AT HIGHMARK FIRST NIGHT PITTSBURGH 2014
CASH AWARDS AVAILABLE FOR WINNER AND SCHOOL MUSIC PROGRAMS

October 18, 2013 (PITTSBURGH, PA) – Equitable Gas Company is searching for musically talented students to audition for the company’s fourth vocal competition celebrating the New Year. The Equitable Gas Sing-Off is part of the upcoming Highmark First Night Pittsburgh 2014, a production of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, and continues the company’s commitment to opening opportunities for young people in greater Pittsburgh.

The winner will perform live as the opening act for the Equitable Gas Marquee Performances at the Benedum Center during Highmark First Night Pittsburgh 2014. In addition the winner will receive a cash prize of $500 and the winner’s school will receive a cash prize of $1,500 designated to the music department, compliments of Equitable Gas Company. Finally, the winner will receive complimentary Highmark First Night Pittsburgh 2014 special edition 20th anniversary admission buttons.

Similar to a number of talent shows currently popular on television, students from grades 6 through 12 who are affiliated with a middle or high school in Southwestern Pennsylvania may submit a video audition performance of a song that conveys the spirit of the New Year. Individual students and groups of 20 or fewer should upload a video up to 5 minutes in length to YouTube, and then submit it to the Equitable Gas Sing-Off contestant page on the Highmark First Night Pittsburgh 2014 website. Additional contest information and the entry form are available on the Highmark First Night Pittsburgh 2014 website, TrustArts.org/FirstNightPgh. The application deadline is November 15, 2013.

“Now in its fourth year, the Equitable Gas Sing-Off provides students an opportunity to showcase their musical talents,” said Bill Lucas, President of Equitable Gas. “Last year’s record number of applications demonstrates there are many talented young people in greater Pittsburgh waiting to be discovered or looking for that first big break. The Equitable Gas Sing-Off winner performs on one of Pittsburgh’s biggest stages on New Year’s Eve helping an aspiring singer take a major step towards a career or a dream. We look forward to even more applications this year and it remains our privilege to sponsor First Night Pittsburgh 2014, with its many family-friendly activities, as well as the Equitable Gas Sing-Off.”

“Highmark First Night Pittsburgh is a great forum for expressing and celebrating the vitality and youthfulness of our city through the arts. We’re thrilled to continue this tradition of showcasing the talented students of our region and are grateful to Equitable Gas for their dedication to infusing energy into the Cultural District,” said Darcy Kucenic, Director of Highmark First Night Pittsburgh and Manager of Education & Operations for the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. “The Equitable Gas Sing-Off is a perfect complement to Highmark First Night Pittsburgh, powerfully depicting celebration, resolution, community and hope through song. We are particularly excited about the 20th year anniversary of this event, and look forward to celebrating this milestone within the region.”

A production of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Highmark First Night Pittsburgh is a unique, family-friendly New Year’s Eve celebration focused on the arts. Held in more than 200 cities worldwide, the festival is a wonderful way to bring in the New Year in an uplifting, alcohol-free atmosphere. Centered in the Cultural District, Highmark First Night Pittsburgh is a joyous celebration of the arts, featuring everything from children’s activities to performances by nationally-known musicians to installations by local artists and a spectacular fireworks finale. Highmark First Night Pittsburgh is a licensee of First Night® USA, the national association of community-based New Year’s Eve arts festivals.

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Equitable Gas Company is a provider of safe and dependable natural gas service to approximately 275,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers located mainly in the city of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. Its customer base also includes more than 200 municipalities in nine other counties in western Pennsylvania, 12 counties in central and northern West Virginia, and nine counties in eastern Kentucky. Additional information about Equitable Gas can be obtained through its website at www.equitablegas.com.
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has overseen one of Pittsburgh’s most historic transformations: turning a seedy red-light district into a magnet destination for arts lovers, residents, visitors, and business owners. Founded in 1984, The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is a non-profit arts organization whose mission is the cultural and economic revitalization of a 14-block arts and entertainment/residential neighborhood called the Cultural District. The District is one of the country’s largest land masses “curated” by a single nonprofit arts organization. A major catalytic force in the city, The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is a unique model of how public-private partnerships can reinvent a city with authenticity, innovation and creativity. Using the arts as an economic catalyst, The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has holistically created a world-renowned Cultural District that is revitalizing the city, improving the regional economy and enhancing Pittsburgh’s quality of life. Thanks to the support of foundations, corporations, government agencies and thousands of private citizens, the Trust stands as a national model of urban redevelopment through the arts.

Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

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