Madison Area Music Award News

2008 Album Releases

January 4, 2009

Below is a list of artists who released albums in 2008 and are eligible for the 2009 Madison Area Music Awards.

1. 8889
2. Aniv de la Rev
3. Aporia
4. Awesome Car Funmaker
5. BamFest
6. Blackout Jack
7. Butt Funnel
8. Butt Funnel (EP)
9. Cemetary Improvement Society
10. Clovis Mann
11. Collins, Courtney and others (Xmas album)
12. Colony of Watts
13. Compass Rose
14. Corpse Donor
15. Crane Your Swan Neck
16. Cribshitter
17. Curl, Amy and Dan Kennedy
18. Dead End Rejects
19. Dead Luke
20. DeVillebillies, The
21. Dick the Bruiser
22. DLO
23. Droid's Attack - Split 7" single
24. Dz, Rob
25. El Valiente
26. Eldon Caldder
27. Faces for Radio
28. Fedora
29. Felicia Alima
30. Feline Abortion
31. Fermata
32. Freighter
33. German Art Students - 7" single
34. Gladstone
35. Gomers
36. Harmonious Wail
37. Houndrunner
38. Jentri Colello
39. John Statz
40. Josh Harty
41. Judge Hydrogen
42. Ka-Boom Box!
43. Kill Junior
44. Killer Dolphin with Rabies
45. Kitty Rhombus
46. Know Boundaries
47. Larson, Kristy
48. Lorenzo's Music
49. Lucas Cates Band
50. Lucha Libre
51. Madison County
52. Madison for World Health (Compilation)
53. Mud Angels
54. National Beekepers Society
55. Natty Nation
56. Pale Young Gentlemen
57. Patchwork
58. Price, Herman
59. Pyroklast
60. Queenie & the Bluecats
61. Red Romero
62. Rising Gael
63. Schlosser, Art Paul
64. Sensous Enemy
65. SFN
66. Sharp & Harkins
67. Sleeping in the Aviary
68. Spires That in the Sunset Rise
69. Stinktank
70. The Arge
71. The Blueheels
72. The Cutouts
73. The God Damns
74. The Gusto
75. The Hussy
76. The Midwest Beat
77. The Runners-Up
78. The Takebacks
79. This Bright Apocalypse
80. Those Poor Bastards
81. Tim Whalen Nonet
82. Time Since Western
83. Trin Tran
84. United Sons of Toil
85. Whatfor
86. Yid Libert
87. Yid Viscious
88. Zola Jesus
89. Zola Jesus (two Eps in 08)

MAMAs Make $7,000 in New Donations

December 16, 2008

The MAMAs have given three substantial equipment grants over the summer and fall. We have been working closely with the East Madison Community Center and are establishing a music education program there. The first step is getting them some instruments. Earlier this summer, we were able to secure a piano donation from Geri Ager, wife of the late Joel Gersmann who had a long, outstanding career in theater, namely with the Broom Street Theatre. Gersmann left behind a turn-of-the-century upright piano, admittedly in need of refinishing, but which plays beautifully and sounds even better. In August the MAMAs donated the piano to the East Madison Community Center.

You’ve probably heard of the new Goodman Atwood Community Center. We have been working with them for several months as well, and have a couple of program ideas we hope to implement. Through our association with Electrovoice, we were able to get over $3,000 in P.A. equipment for the New Loft performance area. Additionally, we obtained two more power amps and a power conditioner that we granted to them, making the total donated well over $4,000. We’re working on finding other items to get the New Loft operational.

Ken Keeley, bassist with Bob Manor and the Getaway Drivers, donated a bass rig in addition to P.A. equipment. The P.A. stuff ended up at the Atwood Community Center and the bass rig found a home with the O’Keeffe Middle School Jazz Band. Thanks to Ken for helping us put giant smiles on the faces of these kids.

You can read about the MAMAs’ efforts in establishing programs in our community by clicking here. You can also see the complete history of the MAMAs’ giving to-date by clicking here. We are well on our way to making a real difference.

The MAMAs gladly accept used instruments and gear. It must be in working or near-working order. Contact us if interested. All donations to MAMA, Inc. qualify for tax deductibility.

MAMAs Take New Approach in Establishing Programs

December 16, 2008

This has been a year of significant change for the MAMAs organization. Traditionally, we have sought funding primarily through corporate sponsors. These businesses receive advertising time as part of their donation to the MAMAs. As you can imagine, these corporate sponsorships, at the level we need them, have been getting harder and harder to secure. We will still look for at least one corporate sponsor to partner with us each year. The MAMAs continues to gain recognition and status in the community, making us more of a viable organization with which to partner. Earlier this year, however, we decided to take on an entirely different approach, one that we’ve discussed for some time.

The MAMAs will now actively pursue grant money. That may sound like a no-brainer but grant applications are time-consuming and can be quite complicated. There is also a bit of a catch-22 in that we need to produce a track record of program work in order to attract the kind of grant money we need. A sticking point for us has always been finding the right grant writer, one with the experience and the time. This year we have succeeded in that and have also started working with several community groups and the schools to foster ongoing working relationships.

The MAMAs have always had a grand vision of establishing several programs. Now we are starting to realize some of those dreams, dreams that may also have an impact on local professionals as well as benefitting kids. Take the East Madison Community Center, where we are currently building an arsenal of instruments that will enable us to create a music education program. A similar type of project is in the making at the Goodman Atwood Community Center, where they have a recording room and wish to offer recording technology courses. We are currently working on equipment needs for that facility and a plan that will fund the educators annually. The educators will be locally based players and teachers and they will be paid to instruct. Additionally, we have helped to provide equipment for the New Loft at the Atwood location (the New Loft is an all-ages club located in the new Atwood Community Center). (You can see our complete history of giving by clicking here.)

There are other programs that we are working on with other community groups and the schools. If you are willing to donate any instruments or gear, contact us. It must be in working or near-working condition and donations qualify for tax deductibility. You can help us get these programs off the ground and make a real difference in your community.

Of course, in addition to seeking grants and sponsorships, the MAMAs rely on ticket sales, fundraisers, and membership and registration monies. We also accept cash donations, however, so if you know someone who may be willing to help us out in that regard, please have them contact us.

New Look for the Voting and Registration Site

October 8, 2008

This summer the MAMAs were presented with an opportunity to do some major work on the voting and registration site when Broadjam, who donates the online mechanism, made the decision to retool their entire website. Fans and artists will notice the difference immediately.

Navigation of the voting and registration has been streamlined and simplified. Here are some of the changes that you’ll find.

• Visitors to the site will first choose if they are an artist wishing to submit materials or a fan (or artist) wishing only to vote. These two “portals” to the MAMAs in Broadjam will make it much less confusing for voters, and they will no longer be routed to a profile page or back to Broadjam’s main page, which was confusing. Fans will simply be sent an email link once voting commences.
• Likewise for artists who are registering materials for awards consideration. Once you’ve become a member you won’t have to guess where to go next. You’ll be sent right to registration.
• Write-in categories will be filled in during the membership/registration signup period, which runs until January 10th. The write-ins getting the most votes will move to the first voting round.
• Simplifying the voting rounds makes registration much easier. Every category is consistent now and all are entered in the same way.
• A shopping cart has been added. In the past, payment for each entry of a song or album had to be processed before entering another song or album. Now you can enter all your songs, move to the checkout and make one simple payment.

See the article on changes to categories for more updates.

NEW CATEGORIES FOR 2009

October 8, 2008

New categories will be added for this year’s Madison Area Music Awards. Many of these new categories are in the instrumental awards, which we’ve expanded. The write-in process has also changed a great deal (see below).

Also, we will be tallying sub-genres and if enough entries are received in any particular sub-genre, we may break that out into its own award category. When registering materials for the MAMAs through Broadjam there are still a few required fields and sub-genre is one of those.

Changes to Write-in Categories Until January 10th – the end of registration – artists and fans will fill in the write-in slots when signing up. Voters in the first voting round (Jan 15 – March 1) will choose from a list of write-ins generated during the registration period. This is part of the streamlining makeover the MAMAs is going through in order to establish consistency and ease of voting.

Soundperson Knob-twiddlers, rejoice. There is now a category for Live Sound Engineer. This will be a write-in category.

New Instrumentalist Categories The former Instrumentalist of the Year category is being done away with and a new set of categories are being implemented for Guitarist, Bassist, Drummer/Percussionist, Keyboardist, Strings, Brass, Woodwind, Youth and Specialty Instrumentalists of the Year. The Vocalist categories remain unchanged (Male, Female, Ensemble and Youth).

Video For the first time, the MAMAs will be offering a video category. We’ve yet to spell out the parameters for this category but it is likely there will be a Video Single entry and a Video Collection category, similar to Songs and Albums.

Artist of the Year The Entertainer of the Year has been renamed Artist of the Year and will now include an extra set of goodies in addition to the MAMA award itself. This award is now sponsored by Smart Studios and will include a free day of studio time at Smart, an $800 value. We’ll throw in some other prizes to make this award worth a tidy Grand. We’ll also award a plaque instead of a statue. There is only one Artist of the Year award given and it can be from any genre.

Likewise, the Artist of the Year awards for each genre (Rock Artist, Jazz Artist, etc.) have been renamed Performer of the Year.

Effect of Category Changes on the Awards Show in May As you know, we are not able to present all of the awards in the same fashion at the MAMAs in May. Doing so would stretch a two-and-a-half hour show to five. We are looking for ways to cut another half-hour from the show as it is. These category changes create several new award categories. As we plan the main event we’ll post news about award presentations.

As always, keep an eye on this site for continuous updates.

Michael St. John Lifetime Achievement Award
Entertainer of the Year
Songs	Albums	Artist
Blues Classical Country/Bluegrass Electronic Folk/Americana Jazz Pop Rock Unique Urban/R&B World	Blues Classical Country/Bluegrass Electronic Folk/Americana Jazz Pop Rock Unique Urban/R&B World Compilation	Blues Classical Country/Bluegrass Electronic Folk/Americana Jazz Pop Rock Unique Urban/R&B World DJ Youth Ensemble New Artist Cover Band

Instrumentalist Awards	Vocal Awards
Guitarist Bassist Keyboardist Drummer/Percussionist Strings Brass Woodwinds Specialty Instrument Youth Instrumentalist	Male Vocalist Female Vocalist Ensemble Vocals Youth Vocalist

Student of the Year Teacher of the Year

Launchpad Awards

Live Music Venue Recording Studio Live Sound Engineer Local Recorded Music Store Local Radio Station Local Radio Personality