Ria Jade was featured on MMID in April 2016. Ria is an 18-year-old multi-awarded singer, songwriter and musician from Vancouver, BC whose sound is a tasteful twist of alternative, blues and indie pop.  Some of Ria’s major and more recent achievements include the  2015 Musician of the Year Award from the Permanent Rain Press, speaking and performing at the Rogers Arena for the Balancing Our Minds Summit 2016, performing for She’s The One Emerging Artist at RBC Bluesfest Ottawa, Ontario; the 2015 Miss World Canada Goodwill Ambassador Award, and performing at the Miss World Canada 2014 and 2015 pageants and hosting the Q&A segments.  Ria is also a recipient of the Kelty Champion of Wellness Award for Community Involvement 2016 and Vancouver Canucks Defenceman Dan Hamhuis’ Hammer’s Heroes Award 2016.

Ria is the main host for the eveRIAthing TV show on SHAW TV and has been featured for her music on SHAW TV’s The RUSH, The Express , Go West Vancouver and the Permanent Rain Press.

Aside from being a very active musician performing numerous live sets around Greater Vancouver and in Victoria throughout the year, Ria also judges at talent competitions and is a passionate philanthropist and strong advocate for mental health, empowerment, equality and the LGBTQ community. On top of bringing the ‘eveRIAthing’ brand into the forefront, Ria is also the Founder of the Paint It Purple movement, the platform for her various causes;  and The Star Experience Canada, a songwriting competition for BC youth.  As a philanthropist, Ria has guested on the CBC Evening Show and was a panel member for CBC’s Age of Anxiety Series, hosted by Gloria Macarenko.

Listen to Ria’s MMID interview podcast on SwitchOn Radio

For more of Ria, visit her website, www.riajade.com, or follow her on social media:

Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/riajademusic

Twitter https://twitter.com/riajademusic

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/riajademusic

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/riajademusic

Ria is currently finishing her very first EP with producer Kaj Falch-Nielsen of Blue Light Studio, for release in the early summer of 2016.

Frankie Justin Lamprey is a rapidly, rising American country music singer and songwriter who was featured on MMID in 2015. He has been bursting on the scene in Nashville playing at legendary stages such as The Bluebird Café, The Nashville Palace, John A’s and Tootsie’s World Famous Orchid Lounge. A Connecticut native, Lamprey began his musical career in 2010 at the age of eleven. His band, Roughstock,  formed in 2011, consists of seasoned veterans in country, rock, jazz and Christian rock music. Constant exposure to country music, constant travel and the city of Nashville inspired Frankie to take extensive guitar lessons and to be on stage, continuously.

As a songwriter, Lamprey landed his first big break in Nashville, signing his first publishing deal in March 2015 with Brien Fisher Productions.  This has enabled Lamprey to have co-writes at Sony ATV Publishing on Music Row. Fisher is well known as a Grammy award winning producer receiving acclaim for much of the success of, The Kendalls.  As producer, Fisher is also working in a music project  with Lamprey.  Frankie has recorded with the same musicians that are on Luke Bryan, Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney and Dierks Bentley’s albums , as well as, George Jones and Alan Jackson’s back -up singers.

As a songwriter and entertainer, Frankie has won national awards for his songwriting, has achieved Male Vocalist and Male Entertainer of the year at the national level with NACMAI. (North American Country Music Association, International.) He is a member of both the CMA and ASCAP. For 2014 and 2015, Frankie has been a performer at the CMA Music Festival in June in Nashville. Influenced by artists such as George Strait, Luke Bryan and Kenny Chesney, Lamprey has been patterning himself after the all- around entertainer.  With a rich and powerful sound of his own, he has developed his stage show as one of high energy and one of interacting with the crowd. Always the crowd pleaser and a fair favorite, Lamprey delivers a great stage show. 

Currently, opening for headliners has been extremely beneficial in putting Frankie Justin Lamprey in the right places, such as, opening for Easton Corbin this Summer of 2015 at the legendary Indian Ranch in Webster, Mass. Frankie Justin Lamprey and Roughstock members are: Frankie Justin Lamprey, lead vocals ,rhythm guitar, lead guitar/ Matt Bureau, lead guitar/ Brian Hartley, lead guitar/ Wendy Barrett, bass guitar and Jay Wood, drums.  Single, “Country Baby,” is available on iTunes and places where MP3’s are available. EP is available for purchase on Frankie’s website. Tidal Wave  has been receiving positive response from radio airtime. “If This Guitar Could Talk,” a song from, Tidal Wave,  has a video available on YouTube and has a high number of views.

Frankie Justin can be found on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and his website, www.frankiejustinlamprey.com  www.facebook.com/Frankie-Justin-Lamprey

Young New Yorker, Rachel Arianna, was a Music Matters International Discoveries featured artist in early 2015, which ultimately led to her original song “Walking Away With Your Heart” being featured on the debut Music Matters IOA Charity Album. Rachel won the LA Music Critics Rising Star Award in 2013 for her fabulous song, which was also included in the score for the 2015 feature film ‘Lies I Told My Little Sister’, where Rachel plays the role of ‘Young Jane’. Now 12 years old, Rachel started writing music when she was 8 years old with some amazing people; one being her mentor, Erin Alden, in LA. She is always writing lyrics and music and working on ideas for new creations and she is currently working on an original album with Broadway Records in New York. Having performed at various charity events, the one Rachel is currently most excited about is the Anti-Bullying Public Service Announcement she just filmed at YouTube Studios in New York City, as she loves using her talent and music to make a difference.

Rachel is very passionate about the causes she supports and has started her own Anti-Bullying Program, “Words Can Soar”, which has now partnered with ‘Free2luv’. Rachel put together an Anti-Bullying Cabaret at the prestigious “54 Below” in NYC.  She cast her friends from the Broadway and TV/Film community playing to a sold out crowd. Rachel also loves acting and dancing and this year she had the opportunity to play one of her dream roles, Jane Banks in Mary Poppins.  She was recently in the recording studio working on demos for Heidi the Musical in the role of Heidi and Mommie Dearest in the role of Young Cristina. Her Off-Broadway credits include roles such as Ellen Rosen in Number the Stars, Minnie Mae Barry in Bend in the Road and Annika in Pippi Longstocking, as well as regional credits playing Susan Walker in Miracle on 34th Street and  Duffy in Annie. Rachel is represented by Dream Maker Talent in the  USA and her TV and movie credits include; Saturday Night Live, Sesame Street, Lies I Told My Little Sister, and a selection of short films, commercials and voice-overs.

rachelaweintraub.com