Michelle McGhee Wins Award!

             A Blair junior won the School-Jam Teen Field Reporter contest Monday that will allow her to attend the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Show and Battle of the Bands in Anaheim, California January 24^th to report on the different bands at the showcases.

 As the teen field reporter, NAMM and InTune have awarded Michelle McGhee an all expenses paid trip to the NAMM convention, a music product show catering to international instrument distributors. Manufacturers display both instruments and new music software lines, hoping to create business relationships and advertise for their companies. There are also panel presentations and discussions on the music industry’s current issues.

McGhee will also attend the Battle of the Bands, a competition that showcases teen bands and gives out cash prizes to top contestants’ school music programs. McGhee will review the bands’ performances throughout the competition. Her article will be published in the monthly issue of InTune magazine.

McGhee was introduced to the competition in her music technology class, a course she takes in addition to the symphonic band class. The class was required to write an article or make a video for the competition, although students were not required to submit them.

McGhee, however, enjoyed making her video on the influence and development of electronic music and instruments. She named it “Hacking Music” not in a negative sense, but because “taking chords and sounds apart can make music that is really cool and different,” said McGhee. Encouraged to submit her video by her teacher Ms. Roberts, and feeling confident in it herself, McGhee decided to take part in the national competition.

McGhee is very involved in the Blair Music Department. In her time at Blair, she has played baritone saxophone in the Symphonic band and bass guitar in the 2012 musical Les Misérables. McGhee also plays acoustic guitar, drums, and piano. Attending the NAMM convention and Battle of the Bands will give her a chance to explore today’s music industry on a national level, and expose her to other teen musicians’ talent and ideas.