Rubicon Theatre Company and Music2Life to Launch 'MUSIC FOR CHANGING TIMES' Festival

Rubicon Theatre Company, in association with Music2Life, presents a new weeklong series of events in Ventura, California, May 8 - 13, 2017, called MUSIC FOR CHANGING TIMES: LOOKING BACK/MOVING FORWARD.

The festival brings together three generations of artists of different genres to celebrate the power of music to effect positive social change. Events include concerts with legacy artists and emerging artists, a National Songwriting Competition for artists ages 18-38 with an evening of performances by the Top 10 finalists and an awards ceremony, a master class for artist activists, and the first public presentation of a theatrical concert in development. This inaugural series is curated and hosted by five-time Grammy Award-winner Noel Paul Stookey.

In addition to Stookey, artists scheduled to participate as performers, judges or instructors include Grammy winners Peter Yarrow (Peter, Paul and Mary) and George Grove (The Kingston Trio); Tony nominee and LADCC winner Dan Wheetman of Marley's Ghost; Jimmy Messina (Buffalo Springfield, Poco, and Loggins and Messina); Grammy nominaTEd Scottish songwriter Dave Gibson (whose new duet performed by Tim McGRaw and Faith Hill debuted on last Monday's CMA Awards); Golden Globe Award-winning singer/songwriter Amanda McBroom; Tariqh (music director for Josh Groban and Stevie Wonder); Grammy nominee Perla Battala (a long-time associate of Leonard Cohen and Ojai-based solo artist); spoken word artist Decora; Raptivist founder Aisha Fukushima, Eco-hip hop artist Tem Blessed, restorative justice artist Naima Shalhoub; Nuvi Mehta, Artistic Director of the Ventura Music Festival and Director of Special Projects, San Diego Symphony; Tony Award-winning producer and music manager Normand Kurtz of Dartmouth Management (Christina Aguilera, David Bowie); music manager Mark Hartley (Partner, Fitzgerald Hartley Co. - Brad Paisley, Olivia Newton-John, Kellie Pickler, Vince Gill); music agent Ira Goldenring of Paradigm Agency; and The Lonesome Travelers (Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominees).

Steering committee members for MUSIC FOR CHANGING TIMES: LOOKING BACK/MOVING FORWARD (in addition to many of the above), include Emmy Award-winning TV Producer and Director Steve Binder; Rancher Claire Bowman; Publisher David Comden; Journalist Ivor Davis, community leaders Doug Halter, Matty Park, Norbert Tan and Tracy Long; Music Producer Polly Hoganson, Entertainment Professional Julie Larson (Skeeziks, LLC - Rent) and Chair Jenny Sullivan, an Associate Artist and Director at Rubicon.

Says Rubicon Producing Artistic Director Karyl Lynn Burns, "The idea began a few years ago when we produced the World Premiere of Lonesome Traveler at Rubicon, which was a show about the history of folk music in America. At its essence, it was about how history made the music, and how the music affected and changed history. The show went to New York and was nominated for Outer Critics' Circle and Drama Desk Awards."

"Because of the show's roots and history," she continues, "we had the great privilege of getting to know Noel Paul Stookey and Peter Yarrow. Their lives and inspiration, and the tenor of the times inspired us to bring more 'music with a message' to the Rubicon stage.

"Our staff and board became very excited about the idea as it seemed a natural outgrowth of the work the company had been doing over the past two decades and our vision to create transformative experiences through storytelling. With each play or musical we produce, and in our education programs, it is important to us to find ways to extend and expand the experience of the play so that it becomes a life-event for the audience member or participant."

"We recognize that music can reach across social, racial or cultural divides to bring people together. To paraphrase Pete Seeger, 'When people lift their voices together in harmony, there is hope for the world.'

"What we hope to accomplish with this week of festivities," concludes Burns, "is to entertain and enrich audiences by bringing musicians of multiple generations and genres together; and to provide a forum for discussion about how we can all use our creativity to make our community and world a better place."

To create the event, Rubicon welcomed the guidance and partnership of Music2Life, a non-profit creative design group that builds activism through music and helps artists and socially conscious organizations achieve maximum impact and reach. The organization was founded by Stookey and daughter Elizabeth Stookey Sunde, who serves as Executive Director.

"Music - joyful, evocative and pervasive - infuses our daily lives," says Stookey. "But how well do we understand its power to foster a more inclusive, just and compassionate world?"

"We all have a sense of music's historical presence in moments of social change," adds Sunde, "particularly the anti-war and civil rights movements of the 1960s. Yet if we appreciate music's historical influence, we owe it to ourselves to explore how its organizing power continues today. Even in our fractured and multimedia-driven environment, music of conscience is alive and well, along with the inspiring artists who are giving a voice to a multitude of social issues."

These perspectives will be raised and explored during the week of events. Events and artists announced to date are below.

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MUSIC FOR CHANGING TIMES: LOOKING BACK/MOVING FORWARD:

May 8 - 13, 2017

THE FOLK-ROCK PROJECT

First Reading of a New Musical Play-in-Progress

Created by Grammy Award-winner George Grove (The Kingston Trio), Ovation Award-winner James O'Neil (Lonesome Traveler) and Tony nominee Dan Wheetman (Ain't Nothin' But the Blues)

Directed by James O'Neil

Musical Direction by Dan Wheetman

Monday, May 8 at 7:00 p.m. / Tuesday, May 9 at 2:00 & 7:00 p.m.

Single Tickets: $20

When folk icon, Bob Dylan went electric at Newport in '65, the world of popular music changed for good. A new genre, quickly dubbed "Folk-Rock," was born. Be a part of the development process as Rubicon develops a new concert experience -- an event that promises to be both entertaining and provocative, featuring the music of Peter, Paul and Mary; Joni Mitchell; Judy Collins; The Eagles; James Taylor; Crosby, Stills and Nash; Simon and Garfunkel; and many others. The production stars The Lonesome Travelers (Justine Bennett, Nicholas Mongiardo Cooper, Sylvie Davidson, Justin Flagg, Brendan Willing James, Anthony Manough, Jennifer Leigh Warren, and Trevor Wheetman).

Sponsored by Barbara Meister as Part of the Meister Musical Theatre Fund at Rubicon, and Shelley and Richard Bayer

MASTER CLASS AND SHOWCASE

Wednesday, May 10, 1 to 5 p.m.

Single Tickets: $20

A group of prominent composers and lyricists with deep roots in songwriting and social change music offer a live coaching session to emerging artists ages 18-38. Coaches announced to date include five-time Grammy Award-winner Noel Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary; Golden Globe Award-winner Amanda McBroom ("The Rose"); Tariqh (Music Director for Josh Groban and Stevie Wonder); Grammy nominaTEd Scottish composer Dave Gibson (who co-wrote "Speak to a Girl" which just debuted on the CMA awards and is the first single from the forthcoming Faith Hill and Tim McGRaw album; #1 album in 2016 in the U.K. for "Sermon"); and Tony nominee and LADCC Award-winner Dan Wheetman (known for Marley's Ghost and as co-creator of Ain't Nothin' But the Blues). Artists will benefit from first-hand knowledge of what it means to write songs that reflect current events and inspire change. Selected young artists (as identified through the Songwriting Competition - see below) will perform their original songs and receive feedback related to the quality and clarity of the composition, and the craft and power of their message. Registered applicants for the songwriting competition may attend for free. Aspiring artists and interested community members are welcome to attend as observers.

NATIONAL SONGWRITING COMPETITION* TOP 10 CONCERT AND AWARDS CEREMONY

Thursday, May 11, at 7 p.m.

Single Tickets: $20

The Top 10 Finalists in our National Songwriting Competition, ages 18-38, will perform their winning songs for audiences and a panel of esteemed music professionals, including music agent Ira Goldenring from Paradigm; Grammy nominee Perla Batalla (Leonard Cohen); Tariqh (music director for Josh Groban and Stevie Wonder), five-time Grammy Award-winner Noel Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary; and Grammy nominaTEd Scottish composer Dave Gibson (#1 album in U.K. in 2016 and hit U.S. single "Speak to a Girl" debuted on recent CMA Awards by Faith Hill and Tim McGRaw). All awards except the Audience Choice Award will have been decided prior to the evening and announced during the awards presentation. Other judges who will review and score submissions include Music Manager Mark Hartley of Fitzgerald Hartley, Tony Award-winner and Music Manager Normand Kurtz (Christina Aguilera, David Bowie and Rupert Holmes), Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award-winner George Grove of The Kingston Trio, Tony nominee and Ventura native Dan Wheetman (Aint' Nothin' But the Blues/Marley's Ghost), Nuvi Mehta (Artistic Director of the Ventura Music Festival and Director of Special Projects for San Diego Symphony). Each Top 10 artist receives comments from the judges. At the end of the evening, awards totaling $11,000 in cash will be presented, along with performance opportunities and other types of support. Wind-down after the concert and meet the artists for open mic night in our "pub."

*Details on how to enter the National Songwriting Competition are provided at the end of the press release. The submission deadline is April 22.

OPEN MIC NIGHT AT THE RUBICON PUB

Thursday, May 11, at 9:30 p.m.

Single Tickets: $20 (includes beverage voucher)

After the Top 10 Concert and Awards Ceremony, come downstairs to the Rubicon "pub" to congratulate the winners, relax and unwind over a glass of locally made wine or craft beer. If you have a song you want to share, send us an e-mail ahead of time or check in with our stage manager to sign up to perform at the open mic. Who knows who will be listening? The price includes one complimentary beverage. Light hors d'oeuvres will be available for purchase.

LOOKING BACK/MOVING FORWARD: PETER AND PAUL IN CONCERT

Friday, May 12, at 7:00 p.m.

Single Tickets: $75

Five-time Grammy Award-winners Peter Yarrow and Noel Paul Stookey take audiences on a musical journey back and forth in time, from their role on the front lines of the American Civil Rights Movement in Washington D.C. and Selma, to their present work with organizations like Peter's anti-bullying organization Operation Respect. Don't miss this rare opportunity to look back at landmark moments in history and music and experience the profound artistry of these two heroic artists.

MUSIC FOR CHANGING TIMES BENEFIT CONCERT

Saturday, May 13, at 7:00 p.m.

Single Tickets: $150 including tax-deductible contribution; 30 seats for those under 30 at $30 (with ID)

Can music change history, or is music a reflection of changing times? The week culminates with a landmark event bringing together multiple generations of artists to raise consciousness and pass the torch. Through the prism of music, multimedia and narrative, we will look at the intersection between music and issues of equality, peace and the environment. Performers include five-time Grammy Award-winner Noel Stookey and Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary; spoken word artist Decora; Raptivist founder Aisha Fukushima; Eco-hip hop artist Tem Blessed; restorative justice artist Naima Shalhoub; and top winners of the National Songwriting Competition (TBD). MILCK's rousing 2017 Women's March anthem will be performed by the Rubicon Harmonix. Net proceeds benefit Music2Life and Rubicon's Youth Education programs.

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Single tickets for all events are newly on sale and may be purchased in person through the Rubicon Theatre Company Box Office, 1006 E. Main Street, Ventura, CA at the corner of Main and Laurel in Ventura (Laurel entrance and downstairs). Information and tickets are also available online at www.rubicontheatre.org. To charge by phone, call 805.667.2900. Please note there is a $4 processing fee per ticket.

Attendees may also purchase one of two passes and enjoy VIP benefits, special seating with early admission, signed posters and more.

The SERIES PASS, priced at $225 for six events includes special seating with early admission and a savings of up to $75.

The PATRON PASS, priced at $500 per person (including a $200 tax-deductible contribution), includes VIP seating to any of the six events with early admission, a listing in the program, a commemorative signed poster, and one complimentary beverage for each event.

Series and Patron Passes are on sale now and are only available through the Box Office by phone or in-person. Subject to availability at the time of the purchase.

Rubicon Theatre Company is a not-for-profit professional theatre company founded in 1998. The company presents a diverse mainstage season of comedies, dramas and musicals, including world premieres, in an intimate 185-seat historic former church in Ventura's Downtown Cultural District. Additionally, Rubicon offers year-round education and enrichment programs for the community. Rubicon is committed to creating a nurturing environment for artists, where exploration and experimentation are encouraged and supported. The company has welcomed more than 400,000 audience members and 45,000 student participants to Rubiconproductions. Last year, three productions originated or developed at Rubicon played Off-Broadway, all of which garnered Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominations. Rubicon previously won the N.Y. Drama Desk Award for The Best is Yet to Come. Rubicon has also received multiple Ovation Awards and the L.A. Drama Critics Circle Margaret Harford Award for "Sustained Excellence."

Music2Life (M2L) is a non-profit creative consulting group that builds activism through music. M2L builds the long-term impact of music for change by supporting activist artists and partnering with socially conscious organizations in creating cause-music driven events and programs that energize people who are driving social, economic and environmental health, justice and equality for all.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL SONGWRITING COMPETITION:

Rubicon Theatre Company and Music2Life have announced a National Songwriting Competition with a submission deadline of April 22, 2017. Those who enter are eligible to win awards, cash prizes totaling $11,000, performance and networking opportunities, and participation in a free master class. The Competition is one facet of a weeklong festival taking place May 8 through 13 at Rubicon Theatre Company in Ventura, California entitled MUSIC FOR CHANGING TIMES: LOOKING BACK/MOVING FORWARD.

Says Festival Curator Noel Paul Stookey, "Music moves hearts and minds around social issues like no other medium. Musicians who create and deliver music of social change are vital catalysts, able to facilitate emotional connections to the issues of our time. Through this competition and the associated master class and concerts, we hope to be able to inspire artists to awaken their inner activist."

"We are looking forward to welcoming participants and new audience members to Rubicon through the competition and the series," says Rubicon Producing Artistic Director Karyl Lynn Burns.

Applications for the National Songwriting Competition are available online at www.rubicontheatre.org, with a deadline of April 22. The Top 10 finalists will each perform in a Concert on Thursday evening, May 11 at 7:00 p.m. have a chance to win these six prizes:

First Place Award

• $3,000 cash prize

• Onstage featured number in the "Music for Changing Times" Saturday night concert onstage with Noel Paul Stookey, Peter Yarrow and other legacy artists.

Second Place Award

• $2,000 cash prize

• Inclusion in "Music for Changing Times" Saturday night closing number

Third Place Award

• $1,000 cash prize

• Inclusion in "Music for Changing Times" Saturday night closing number

Special Activist Artist Award

Presented through Music2Life's new Artist Activist Fund to an individual in the Top 10 with a unique vision for how to use their song to affect social change.

• $5,000 cash prize to use towards implementing your vision

• Consulting and promotional support from Music2Life in making the winner's vision a reality

• Inclusion in "Music for Changing Times" Saturday night closing number

Folk Fest Award

Presented by OnestoWatchProductions.com and Santa Barbara Music Foundation to the top artist in the genres of Folk, Americana, Gospel, Roots, Country or Bluegrass.

• Featured slot in Topa Topa Folk Fest in Ojai, California on October 7, 2017

• Accommodations in Ojai for the weekend at The Lavender Inn Bed and Breakfast

Audience Choice Award

• Special Engraved Crystal Plaque from Custom Awards and Engraving

In order to qualify, songwriters must be between the ages of 18 and 38, residents of the U.S. and must be able to be present in Ventura if selected as one of the Top 10 finalists for rehearsal and performance on Thursday, May 11. Applicants must also be available for the Saturday evening concert on May 13. All music genres accepted and considered for all awards (except the Folk Fest Award which is limited to specific genres). Those who complete the application are invited to observe the Master Class on Wednesday, May 10 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. with Noel Paul Stookey, Amanda McBroom, Dan Wheetman, Dave Gibson, Tariqh and other professionals. At the judges' discretion, up to five artists will be invited from the submissions to participate onstage. Each Top 10 finalist will receive a pair of complimentary tickets for the Thursday, May 11, 7:00 p.m. "Songs for Changing Times Songwriting Competition Finals Top 10 Concert" in which they will perform. Winners (except for the Audience Choice Award-winner) will be pre-selected by the judges, whose decision is final. The Special Artist Activist Award-winner will be selected from the Top 10 and may also be the First, Second or Third Place recipient.

Details of how to enter and an application form may be found at www.rubicontheatre.org.

Applications and submissions must be received by 5 p.m. PST Saturday, April 22. The Top 10 applicants will be notified by May 2. If a Top 10 applicant is unable to participate in the finals for any reason, the next highest-scoring applicant will be invited to attend and participate.

The Application Review Committee members will include multiple Grammy Award-winners, Tony Award-winners, music managers and a music agents. Judges announced to date include five-time Grammy Award-winner Noel Paul Stookey, Grammy Award-winner George Grove (The Kingston Trio), Tony Award-winner and Music Manager Normand Kurtz (Christina Aguilera, David Bowie, etc.), Tony nominee and LADCC-winner Dan Wheetman, Tariqh (music director for Josh Groban and Stevie Wonder), songwriter Dave Gibson (whose new hit was just performed by Faith Hill and Tim McGRaw on Sunday's CMA Awards), and others. A full list of judges and their biographies will be posted on the Rubicon website by April 15.

NOTE TO ARTISTS OUTSIDE THE AGE LIMIT: We appreciate that the craft of writing and performing social change music knows no age. Through this particular competition, however, we seek to encourage those younger, emerging artists who are just beginning to find their voice in the social justice arena and who are seeking mentorship, guidance and opportunities to be heard.

Those more seasoned activist artists may sign up for our open mic night on May 11 at 9:30 p.m. in the Rubicon downstairs "pub."

Music2Life maintains a list of activist artists to whom they send various funding and programming opportunities as they arise. To join this list, send Music2Life an email (info@music2life.org) with your name, current city of residence and a link to your website, YouTube channel, LinkedIn or other online background site. Thank you to everyone who is using their voice, talents and passion to build a better world.