Power Pirate, DC’s Youngest Electronic Rock Band, Selected as Semi-Finalist of Nationwide Teen Battle of the Bands Competition
Teen Battle of the Bands Contest Aimed at Encouraging Music Making Among Teens and Helping School Music Programs
[Washington, DC], November 12, 2009— Power Pirate, DC’s youngest electronic rock band, has been selected by NAMM to move on to the semi-finals of the SchoolJam USA teen battle of the bands competition. To win this round, Power Pirate’s fans support them with votes at http://www.power-pirate.com/vote.
“Power Pirate is thrilled to move up to the semi-finals of the NAMM teen battle of the bands,” says Emily Pakulski. “Our audience is growing as we grow.”
Power Pirate recently released its first single “And We’re Off” on iTunes and other digital music stores. Since their formation two years ago, Power Pirate has found its place in the DC/MD/VA music scene through catchy melodies and complex instrumentation. Power Pirate’s sound combines hard rock with video game synths.
Power Pirate is a three-piece band from Washington, DC with Emily Pakulski (15, vocals & guitar), Michael Garate (17, keyboards), and Annika Monari (15, drums). The three attend DC-area high schools, Georgetown Prep and the International School.
The nationwide contest, sponsored by NAMM, the trade association of the international music products industry, is designed to encourage teen bands across the United States to demonstrate their musical talents and enjoy the many proven benefits of making music.
Power Pirate is included in the Online voting portion of the competition that began November 1, 2009, at www.schooljamusa.com. Everyone is encouraged to visit the site and vote for their favorite band. The top two bands in five designated regions that receive the most votes will be announced on Dec. 19, 2009, and will be invited to the live SchoolJam USA battle of the bands finals held at the NAMM Show on Saturday, January 16, 2010, in Anaheim, CA.
The SchoolJam USA Battle of the Bands helps highlight the best and most talented teens across the country, while supporting the bands’ school music education programs. The winning band will receive $750 toward new musical equipment and could win a trip to perform at the SchoolJam Germany live finals in Frankfurt, Germany, at the MusikMesse trade fair. The top band’s school music program will also receive $5,000 toward new musical equipment purchased at their local NAMM Member retailer of choice. The competition is sponsored with the help of MENC, the national association for music education; the Music Education National Conference; Music For All; the John Lennon Educational Bus; SchoolJam and InTune Monthly magazine.
Biography:
Power Pirate is a three-piece electronic rock band from Washington, DC formed in the fall of 2007 by Emily Pakulski (vocals & guitar), Michael Garate (keyboards), and Annika Monari (drums). The three met when Annika and Emily hosted an informal session to meet new musicians. Among them was Mike, who stayed with them with the goal of creating original music that fuses innovation and traditional musical theory.
The band is determined to employ a D.I.Y. (Do It Yourself) philosophy by recording and producing their music at home, which is available on iTunes, as well as doing all the graphic design, photography, promotion, and booking themselves. The members make a strong effort to spread their spirit of self-help to other artists.
Since their formation two years ago, Power Pirate has found its place in the DC/MD/VA music scene through catchy melodies and complex instrumentation. The group has played at popular local venues such as the Black Cat, the DC9 Nightclub, the Fort Reno summer concert series, the Santa Fe Cafe, and many more. Inspired by modern artists such as Muse, Infected Mushroom, and Daft Punk, this trio fuses 80s-styled techno synths with hard-rock drum beats and guitar riffs to create the new, uncategorized genre unique to Power Pirate.
About NAMM
NAMM is the not-for-profit association that unifies, leads and strengthens the international musical instruments and products industry. NAMM’s activities and programs are designed to promote music making to people of all ages. NAMM is comprised of approximately 9,000 Member companies. For more information about NAMM or the proven benefits of making music, interested parties can visit www.namm.org or call 800-767-NAMM (6266).
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November 13th, 2009 at 10:28 am
[...] the press release and check out their new video here. A bunch of us came out to see them rock out at DC9 last month, and we were impressed. Please [...]