Song sung blue

Welcome to this week’s Reno News & Review.

As you know, the Reno News & Review is having our first ever songwriting contest: www.newsreview.com/reno/ballot/renomusicsubmission. (You can go here, too, just to read the rules and regs.) The last two days, I’ve been listening to the earliest entries, and I’ve got to tell you, I’m more than just pleased, I’m freaking blown away. Every one of the submissions—blues, rock, alt-folk, alternative, R&B—could sound great on the winners’ CD, the profits from which we’re going to give to charity. There are a couple of well-known music personalities who’ve already submitted, but most are people I’m unfamiliar with.

Anyway, the reason for this note is to announce our charity. We’ve chosen the Holland Project, an all-ages art and music initiative made for and by the young people in Northern Nevada, as the recipient for any and all profits we make from the sale of the CDs. If you’d like to see more information on the Holland Project, become their friend on Facebook, www.facebook.com/holland.reno or visit them on the interweb at http://hollandreno.zerominuszero.net.

Anyway, don’t forget to upload your songwriting submission.

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Hey, as long as we’re talking about Facebook and all that social networking crap, did you see there’s a new way to get your RN&R—sometimes even before you can pick it up on the newsstands? We’re doing an electronic newsletter that basically has links that take you to all the stories in the current paper. You’re getting it for the same cost as the newstand copy, and it even comes with a scintillating intro from me—written in the familiar tone of that brother-in-law who makes you cringe at the Thanksgiving table but somehow manages to keep the heat focused elsewhere. Simply click on the little red box over at the top right-hand side.