Student Spotlight & Studio News
Welcome to our Student Spotlight and Studio News Page! Our students are busy performing and doing amazing things and we want to share some things that have happened within the past year. We add to this page frequently, so check back to see our latest news!
MOST RECENT NEWS!
Congratulations to all of our Vocal Edge Studio Artists who have released singles and albums in recent months. Please check out our studio artist playlist on Spotify and follow these artists. Many of these artists are involved in the PCG Artist Development Program and some are independent artists. Please show them your support!
April 2024 - Congratulations to Aline Garza on the release of her latest single "Superhero" (an anti-bullying song)
and Sofie Angelia on her new release "Broken". Check them out on all platforms!
February 6, 2024
Singers - National Anthem auditions for the Round Rock Express 2024 season is at Kalahari! 5-9 pm!
February 2024
Congrats to Kate Angel on her new single release "Venom" It's available on all platforms! Watch the video here!
January 2024
Congrats to Aline Garza on her new single release "Day One" It's available on all platforms! Watch the video here!
June 23, 2022
Congrats to Jenny Cova on her new single release "I believe it" It's available on all platforms! Watch the video here!
Summer 2023
Congrats To Danielle Kaigler, who is playing the role of Miss Honey at the Summer 2023 Zilker Hillside Theater Production of "Matilda"
Fall 2023- February 2024
Congrats To Danielle Kaigler, who moved to New York and is performing around town and working on staff with the cast of the new production of Cabaret on Broadway! She's just got her foot in a huge door! So proud of her!
Congrats To Danielle Kaigler, who is playing the role of Medda Larkin/Nun at the Summer 2022 Zilker Hillside Theater Production of "Newsies"
WOW, What a week! (April 5, 2022)
WOW! We've had a lot going on within our studio just this week and I just wanted to give a shout out to several students who have been and will be doing some incredible things this month! So much is happening right now for our artists! I'm very excited for you all! Please find them on social media and download their singles, which on all streaming platforms.
Last weekend, Grace Sorensen, @realgraces - a recent graduate of Round Rock High School, opened up for the legendary, DIANA ROSS! (If you are young and don't know, Diana Ross was a member of the Supremes and she's a very popular singer/artist!) She sang at COTA's concert benefitting a children's organization called the Austin Child Guidance Center, in Austin, and Grace opened for her! The Austin American Statesman wrote an article about it! Congrats, Grace, that's amazing!
Parker Jensen, @parkerjensenmusic a young teen bluegrass musician, and his band will be performing two showcases at the IMBA-World of Bluegrass in September! This is a prestigious event and it's a huge deal for this young band! They will play where many top artists, Grammy winners perform! Congrats Parker!
Elle Townley - @elletownleymusic is filming two country music videos due to be released late summer, on April 16 for her two new singles "One Too Many Heartaches" and "Fighter". Also, Elle won the Old Settler's Music Festival Youth Competition last fall and will be performing at the Old Settlers Music Festival in Tilman, Texas on the Main Stage, April 23 from from 1:45-2:30 p.m. If you want to go, you can purchase tickets at www.oldsettlersmusicfest.org. The following day, April 24, she will perform at the Bluebonnet Festival in Burnet! Congrats, Elle! You are doing amazing things! #PCGUnivesal #Orbstudios
Chaely Zigmond - (San Antonio) @chaelyzigmond was just selected to open for Country Singer/YouTube Sensation, Bart Crow. He's performing at the Texas Pride BBQ Restaurant in Atkins, TX on Saturday, July 16th! Chaely applied to open for him, along with many elite artists from San Antonio, and she was chosen! This is so exciting and we are super proud of you, Chaely!
Lori Beth Wisian-Brooke - @loribethbrooke (my student as well as my good friend from college) has been singing, yodeling and playing accordion all over Texas. Last weekend, she was featured playing live on KWVH 94.3 LONESTAR OF THE DAY on OVER EASY WITH COACH! Lori is always performing, songwriting, doing showcases and her music often takes the #1 spot on many of the Western Swing Music Charts! Her songs are very well written, clever and she's a great entertainer! Y'all follow her and buy her CD at www.loribethbrooke.com
Kate Angel - @Kateangel has been recording at Orb Studios a lot recently and her latest single "Punk Persona", has been on the Los Angeles Indie Star Radio Top 21 charts, where she has been #2 for weeks. She also has 20,000 Spotify streams! Congrats Kate, keep going strong! So excited for you! #PCGUniversal #Orbstudios
While I'm at it, I'm going to highlight some of our other amazing commercial artists (of varying genres) who are currently song-writing performing live, recording and/or recently releasing music recorded through various studios. Y'all be sure to follow and show your support for all our artists so you don't miss anything. Many of them have songs released on all streaming platforms (or have works in progress), some have songs that will be released soon: @jordan_gamboa, @katwhitlock1, @michaelaismusic (ig:michaelaizmusic), @skyemusic.official, @jennycovaa, @lexilynnmusic, @ameliamaas_music, @anaisvictoria
Adults - If you enjoy live music, y'all be sure to follow these artists. They all perform frequently: @jenuinecello (South/Central Texas - Cello/vocals/Jazz/Pop/Rock), @loribethbrooke (Accordion/Vocals/Western Swing/German Folk- all over Texas/US), @johnniekay (singer-songwriter, rock, guitar/vocals -Austin). They are all frequent performers and put on great shows!
Congrats to Elle Townley for winning the Old Settlers Music Festival's Youth Competition, 2021! She will be performing at the Old Settlers Music Festival this spring!
Congrats to our most recent leading ladies!
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Congrats to Danielle Kaigler, for her role as "Sandy" in last fall's production of "Grease" at the Georgetown Palace Theater. Photo credit: Palace Theater
Congrats to Kate Smith for her role of "Amalie" in Leander High School's production of "Amalie", Jan 2022.
photo credit: Leander High School Theater Dept.
Congrats to Sarah Ferguson for her role as the "Wicked Witch" in the "Wizard of Oz" at Round Rock High School.
Dream Night Talent Search, sponsored by Mars Talent Agency, utopia artists, Texan Theater, Wendy Kay, was a wonderful competition in Greenville, Texas, November 2021
Laurie served as vocal coach, judge and clinician for the competition, alongside founder, Wendy Kay, Deb Phinney and celebrity judge, Landau Eugene Murphy, winner of 6th AGT season. Several Vocal Edge Students participated. Tony Barba, Aline Garza (Finalist) and our own worship artist, Jenny Cova was the overall winner!
Laurie was honored to speak two classes at the IVACON International Voice Teachers' Conference, April 12 & 13, 2021.
Congratulations to Lori Beth Brooke on her award winning songs & Album! She topped the Western Music charts and she won "Album of the year" for her record "Texas Star" Please follow her on Spotify and all streaming platforms. To purchase her CD, please go to www.loribethbrooke.com
PCG Universal - Nashville and PCG Austin came together to host a live staging workshop for emerging artists. Jennifer McGill, PCG Staging Coach and Former Mouseketeer, Matt Noveskey, Blue October's Bassist and Orb Studios Owner, Laurie Winckel, Vocal Edge Studios & Brian Curtis, Professional Guitarist and PCG Provider, Laina & Dylan Standard and Alyson Pirotina were industry panelists.
PCG VISIBLE Music College Partnership!
EARN COLLEGE CREDIT FOR VOICE LESSONS & ARTIST DEVELOPMENT!!
We are excited to announce our partnership with PCG Visible Music College! Artists have the option of attaining a one-year certification from PCG Visible in Artist Development at any of their campuses around the country or online! This program also comes with college credits and can be rolled into a four year degree program! Any Vocal Edge students who want to go through artist development and become a professional singer, songwriter, musician, etc, can enroll in this program! My students will be able to get college credit for their voice lessons! This is huge and provides several amazing options for commercial and worship artists. For more information, contact laurie@pcgnashville.com or chad@pcgnashille.com.
Read the article about PCG Visible in the Music Row website!
New Release!! Congrats to Lori Beth Brooke on the release of her Western Music CD "Texas Star"! Lori is a great singer, songwriter of Western and German Music! She is a world champion yodeler and she plays accordion! Her songs are delightful and she is a great entertainer! She and her band perform frequently at German and Western Music Festivals! You can purchase her CD for $20 via her website:
www.Loribethbrooke.com
CONGRATS TO OUR ARTISTS FOR THE RELEASE OF THEIR NEW SINGLES:
Michaela Watson - "Thank You" & "Breaking Free" Lyric Videos
Kat Whitlock - "Killing Time" Official Video
Skye - "Time Fly By" Official Video
All videos are shown on the homepage!
Look for releases soon by Elle Townley and Ava Marbry!
Studio Song Project - "Lean On Me" - week one!
Last week, due to the quarantine, I challenged my voice students to record their own individual versions of an Inspirational song that we could use to bring hope and peace to each other and the world in these difficult times. This video was released last night and this morning, we learned that Bill Withers passed. So in his honor, we want to dedicate this song back to him.
The students who participated sang this song in their own styles, totally unrehearsed, because the point of this project is not to be perfect in group singing, it is to unify us, to spread hope and a smile. We are all different ages, levels of experience and musical styles but we are coming together as one beautiful chorus of voices, showing our love for our music and our community! I hope you all enjoy! ❤️
I am so proud of these singers and I want to express my gratitude for them and the fact that I can work with great singers everyday.
I also want to give a big shout out for the medical heroes who are on the front lines fighting to heal people from this virus.
Announcing the First Annual Round Rock Singer/Songwriter Festival!
***RESCHEDULED** due to COVID-19!
Mark your calendars for the first Saturday in October! We have a full weekend of workshops, competitions, live performance opportunities and private sessions planned for artists of all ages! Learn from Industry Professionals from Austin and Nashville! You will have a full weekend of networking and polishing your skills in songwriting, stage-live performance, vocals, guitar and you will have the opportunity to sing in a competition with prizes for each category; kids, teens and adults! Then all participants will sing a thirty minute gig in a local restaurant, downtown Round Rock! Sunday, you will have the opportunity to take private sessions with our Nashville Songwriting and Staging coaches from PCG Universal. You can also take a private vocal/guitar lesson with local instructors who work with Nashville Execs from PCGUniversal.
For more info, Check out our eventbrite page. More Details to Follow!
Voice Students performed at Round Rock Market Days this weekend, March 7, 2020! Here are the highlights!
Congrats to Michaela Watson on the release of her new single "Breaking Free', which came out Friday February 21! Her music can be found on all major streaming platforms! Follow heron Facebook at: Michaelaismusic and on IG: Michaelaizmusic.
Round Rock Express - National Anthem Auditions!
February 10, 2020
Twelve Vocal Edge Students and members of Gradient Vocal Entertainment group auditioned to sing the National Anthem at a Round Rock Express Baseball Game during the 2020 Baseball Season. Vocal Edge Studio Owner, Laurie Winckel, was one of the judges for the third year in a row. Over the years, many of her students have sung at games. She started giving workshops to help auditionees prepare to face strict guidelines and stiff competition.
In preparation for the audition, Laurie and her student, Recording Artist, Kat Whitlock (www.katwhitlock.com) were interviewed by KVUE news, and Kat sang the National Anthem at 6 am, the Monday morning before the audition.
You can view that interview on Twitter, here: KVUE News National Anthem Interview
That evening, Kat and about 160 other singers gathered at the Dell Diamond to audition for the judges consisting of Laurie and Round Rock Express Representative, Steve Richards. Only 40 spots are open for the season.
KXAN news came to the audition and reported their story that evening. A Vocal Edge Student, Aline Garza was first to perform on the news, then another gentleman followed by Kat Whitlock and David Scarborough,our bass in Gradient. Other students/Gradient members who auditioned and performed really well were: Eric Panter, Dean Butler, Alayna Aguilar, Leslie Ann Lester, Lucy Welch, Kiki Shakespeare Thompson, Ava Walter, Michaela Watson (michaelaismusic), David Barron. Student Ray Cole and Gradient have an automatic pass to perform every year because of the number performances we've had in the past.
You can view the KXAN story at the Dell Diamond here.
Announcing our Charter Spotlight Artist Hub
Vocal Edge Spotlight Artist Development
We launched our Spotlight Artist Hub on January 17, 2020! We are super excited about all the opportunities for performance and growth in 2020! We're missing about 5-6 members in these pictures, but we are excited about our Charter class!
We're so excited to introduce our new artist development program for emerging artists and perfomers! Starting In January 2020, we will provide workshops, lessons, performance opportunities, photo shoots, glam days...everything you or your artist needs to enter the industry safely and directly. We will also be working hand in hand with our Nashville Family, PCG Uuniversal and Theatrical. For more information about how to join the program, click here.
Also, you are invited to come to our kick off concert on Saturday, November 2 from 9 am -4 p.m. at Round ROck Market Days @ Prete Plaza on Main Street Round Rock (Across from the Library.) Our current PCG Emerging Artists and artists who have been training and writing songs in Nashville will be performing!
PCG UNIVERSAL SUMMER BOOTCAMP, NASHVILLE, TN
A dozen Vocal Edge Students attended the PCG Universal Artist Development Bootcamp. Students were trained by top artists, producers, songwriters in the industry, including Multiple Grammy Winning Songwriter/Producer Keith Thomas, Songwriter Britton Cameron, Singer/Songwriter Margaret Becker, Author, Coach Jeri Bergdoll and Broadway Super Star, Tony Vincent (Toured with the band, Queen, performed lead in "We Will Rock You", "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "American Idiot" and was the protege of Andrew Lloyd Webber) & Jennifer McGill, former Mouseketeer (with Brittany Spears, Justin Timberlake, etc.)
Laurie team taught vocal and staging technique with Jennifer McGill, Tony Vincent and PCG Founder, Bernard Porter! It was an amazing experience! Our students performed very well at the end of the bootcamp on the PCG Stage at Opry Mills Mall.
SONGWRITING BASICS WORKSHOP!
We were blessed to have Nashville Songwriter/Producer, Britton Cameron teach a special virtual workshop for my students!