Sennheiser's HearIAm Contest Wraps CMW and Austin Phases with Paul Davidson and Darlingside

March 28, 2011 - PRLog -- Old Lyme, Conn. – March 24, 2011: Audio specialist Sennheiser announced the completion of the final two phases of its HearIAm  initiative, as winning artists took the stage at major music festivals in Toronto and in Austin this month. Paul Davidson, winner of the Canadian Music Week (CMW) phase of HearIAm, played to packed audiences in Toronto's Mod Club and The Library Bar earlier this month, while Darlingside served up their unique brand of 'string rock' to a capacity crowd at The Stage on Sixth in Austin last week. In addition to winning showcase opportunities at key festival venues, both Davidson and Darlingside also won $10,000 in Sennheiser gear as well as a chance to compete for the grand prize.

With the final two phases of HearIAm now completed, Sennheiser is gearing up for the final stage of its contest in which all five of the winning bands will now compete for a grand prize consisting of a three-song demo deal with Pick The Band, mastering and digital distribution with Universal Republic Records as well as an exclusive showcase at Universal Republic Records’ headquarters in New York. The winning band will be chosen by music fans through HearIAm.com as well as by a panel of accomplished judges from Sennheiser, Pick The Band.com and Universal Republic Records.

HearIAm: An Impressive Track Record
Since launching last spring, Sennheiser's HearIAm campaign -- launched in conjunction with PickTheBand.com -- has provided artists and musicians with a unique opportunity to expose their music to thousands of fans across the Americas. In addition, music fans registering on HearIAm.com have been exposed to a treasure trove of fresh, new music to discover and share. By participating, these fans have helped their favorite artists gain performance slots at prominent music showcases and become eligible to win music gear and other prizes. By registering and voting, these music fans have become eligible to win a range of prizes including trips to popular music festivals, Sennheiser headphones and other items. Following is a brief description of some of the key milestones over the course of the campaign:

   * In August 2010, Sennheiser completed the first phase of HearIAm as Kansas City-based rock band Trucker performed at Montreal's Osheaga 2010 festival alongside artists like Snoop Dogg and Sonic Youth.

   * In October 2010, Colombia's The Hall Effect won the second phase of HearIAm, playing a fully attended showcase at New York City's CMJ Music Marathon.

   * In December 2010, Mexico's Arquivolta won the third phase of HearIAm, 
performing in an exclusive, packed showcase for music fans in Mexico City.

   * In January 2011, Virginia-based Paul Davidson won the Canadian Music Week phase of the contest, gaining an opportunity to play at one of Toronto's hottest venues: The Mod Club.

   * In February 2011, Massachusetts-based Darlingside won the Austin phase of the contest, and was selected to play an exclusive showcase at The Stage on Sixth.

   * In April of 2011, the grand prize winner of the HearIAm initiative will be announced and will receive a three-song demo deal with Pick The Band, mastering and digital distribution with Universal Republic Records as well as an exclusive showcase at Universal Republic Records’ headquarters in New York.