“Brown Bags to Stardom” TV Series Premieres Jan. 14
-- isles’ biggest high school music event leaves the auditorium for the airwaves --
January 10, 2007 Honolulu, HI— A generation ago, Brown Bags to Stardom began as a showcase of local high school talent. On Sunday, Jan. 14, Brown Bags returns, but as an eight-week TV series that will air on OC16 each Sunday at 7 p.m.
In addition to students from Aiea, Farrington, Kamehameha, Maui and Waianae, the Jan. 14 premiere will feature Jeff Coelho, director of the City Department of Customer Service and the founder of Brown Bags to Stardom, and entertainer and past winner Glenn Medeiros. The show will be repeated throughout the following week.
The Format
After a hiatus of five years, Brown Bags returns as an interactive contest to expose Hawai‘i’s youthful talent to an even wider audience.
Students from public, charter and private high schools throughout the islands were invited to document their talent in videos that feature their own original compositions. Five of these videos will be aired each week on the “Brown Bags to Stardom” TV series. Members of the public will vote for their favorites online at brownbagstostardom.com, through the Oceanic interactive remote control system or using their Mobi PCS phones. The top two videos each week will move on to the semi-finalist rounds beginning in episode six. The series will conclude March 11.
Brown Bags to Stardom is a community outreach program of the non-profit Music Foundation of Hawai‘i. The foundation’s goal for the competition is to support music education in the schools. As part of that mission, students from Mid-Pacific Institute are producing the series. Mid-Pac senior Aaron Katagiri serves as editor. Show hosts are Jo Takewara and former Miss Hawaii Teen USA Hannah Thomas, both seniors at Kamehameha.
The Prizes
The winning student will receive a $2,000 cash prize. The top vote-getter and the runner-up will both receive a Razr phone and one year of service from Mobi PCS (valued at $1,000).
The Concert
The top vote-getters will perform at the Brown Bags to Stardom Concert on Saturday, March 24 at 7 p.m. The event will be held at the Neal Blaisdell Arena, and will feature celebrity guests with special ties to the contest. Tickets are $10 for students to age 18, $20 for adults.
The Contest
Past winners of the contest include well-known musical entertainers including Na Leo Pilimehana, Glenn Medeiros, Kapena, Traci Toguchi and Troy Fernandez. But isle notables including Tia Carrere and KITV’s Robert Kekaula also first tasted success with Brown Bags.
Contest sponsors include Mobi PCS, OC16 and Honolulu Advertiser’s TGIF. Other sponsors include Mid-Pacific Institute, Easy Music Center, Sassy Magazine, GMag, Hawaii Promotions, Rhythm & Roots Records, Art & Signs, Brandon Ching Photography, Eh U Da Kine, Ah? and Air National Guard.
About the Music Foundation of Hawai‘i
The Music Foundation of Hawai‘i is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that supports music and music education in the islands. In addition to Brown Bags to Stardom, it produces the Hawai‘i Music Awards and the Legacy Awards.
For more information about Brown Bags to Stardom, see brownbagstostardom.com.
Contacts:
Renee Awana
Direct (808) 723-2015
renee.awana@mobipcs.com
Deborah Sharkey
Mobile (808) 349-8221
dsharkey@hawaii.rr.com
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