Angel of Melody is finally in kickoff mode!

This post is rather long but please bare with me until the end. We need your help!

Angel has had to work hard for all that she has accomplished and though we have a roof over our head and food on the table, we don't always have the money to devote to Angel's music. Music lessons are out of our reach financially and Angel made payments on her second guitar so that she could purchase it. When she decided to attend Camp Electric last summer she had to find a job and make the payments herself so she could attend. We have to find sponsors when we travel for a competition. It doesn't come easy. So out of the realization that others have it even more difficult, Angel of Melody was born.

Angel and I have been brainstorming about this for over a year now. Angel would like to offer scholarships to underprivileged children so that they can attend summer music camps. She wants to help struggling musicians with entrance fees into competitions and maybe even provide instruments for them. We may even form partnerships with music teachers to provide music lessons for those who normally wouldn't be able to afford them.

In our travels with Angel we have seen some amazing talent in our region. There are some incredibly talented kids out there but unfortunately most have no idea how to promote themselves or get their name out there. They need help and direction  and of course encouragement. There goes the second purpose of Angel of Melody. Angel and I would like to have it as a talent listing service that showcases young talent and helps them find an outlet for their talent. This would not be an agency, though that could change in the future. A portion of all proceeds will be put into scholarships and such for needy kids.

We have also discovered that honest to goodness singing competitions are few and far between and even harder to find for those under the age of 18. Angel has competed in many competitions. She always has fun and enjoys the experience. We try to focus on the positive and remember that each time she's on stage she gets a little more comfortable. The issue we have encountered though is that most competitions are created with specific agendas such as finding talent for a local dinner theatre or play. They may be looking for someone with more of an opera or broadway type voice. Even open talent competitions are biased this way. Some even show preference to those who have competed before. Angel competed in 2 different competitions this weekend. Both were affiliated with theatres and both showed obvious preference to those who participated in their productions rather than to true talent or vocal ability.She did great, even going to semi-finals in one, but in the end the prize will go to an actress/actor/singer. We have plans to have a true singing competition, with awards given on vocal talent and not on prior affiliation with the group hosting the contest.

With all this being said, Angel of Melody is finally in it's beginning stages. We have started the Angel of Melody Talent page on Facebook to begin showcasing young talent. We will have our first meeting for the charity this month as well and hopefully form our board of directors at that time.

What can you do to help?  Do you know of any young talent out there that might need help promoting themselves and finding venues to perform at or use their talents? Send them over to http://www.facebook.com/angelofmelodytalent .  Do you know of someone who might be interested in joining us in our cause with the charity? Young adults and mature teens are welcome. This would make a great way to get in your community service hours. Please contact us at angelofmelodytalent@yahoo.com . We need your help! Even if you don't fall into one of those two categories, you can really help us out by going to the Facebook page for Angel of Melody Talent and liking it. Share it on Facebook and help us get the word out. We can't do this without you.