A group of local teen singers are getting ready to release their first album this summer, in a compilation CD of their own original music.
Richmond Hill singers Casey Fuse, Kerrie Keith, Lauren Maxwell and Lauren Trivitayakhun are all members of the teen vocal group Sing Savannah, which was created by lead singer Ginger Fawcett of the Savannah-based band Liquid Ginger. They became part of a team of seven girls, which also includes Christie Miltiades of Savannah, Taylor Haggerton of Pooler and Sarah Poole of Midway.
"The girls all meet individually with Ginger Fawcett to practice cover songs. Even more importantly, they brainstorm and write lyrics and music of their own from journals that Ginger gave them to record their feelings and experiences. The music really comes from their hearts," said Lauren Trivitayakhun’s mother Vinette. "Ginger has not only been a vocal coach to these girls, but she is also their friend, guidance counselor and mentor."
Fawcett created the Sing Savannah program last year for girls ages 7 to 17. For girls who aspire to be anything from a pop star to a jazz legend to a country star, Fawcett said Sing Savannah is a good starting place.
But the program isn’t solely about music – Fawcett’s mission is about coaching young girls on topics such as self esteem, confidence, motivation, peer pressure, community involvement and voice and stage development, she said.
"I had my regular MySpace page online and I had a lot of girls asking me questions not just about how to get started in a music career, but also questions about life," Fawcett said. "I decided to start the program and when I did, it was more about community leadership, stage presence and not being afraid of who you are."
Fawcett said she was impressed with the talent she saw in the group of girls and said that while most of them had never written their own lyrics, they all showed an immediate interest in working on original music.
"I showed them the basics on how to write a song," Fawcett said. "They were bringing me really good stuff. It’s really just blown me away."
From June 19-22, the group will be in Atlanta recording a compilation CD of their original songs, along with a sneak peek of new Liquid Ginger music.
Liquid Ginger guitar/keys player Rick Betz will be with them during the recording and the girls will also tour Treesound Studios, where stars such as Whitney Houston and Elton John have recorded albums. Vinette Trivitayakhun said a 5K run is currently being organized to help with the expense of the trip.
The 1st Annual Sing Savannah Original Music Showcase will be Saturday, July 19. This is the date their new album is scheduled to be released and the event will be the girls’ first performance of their original songs.
Liquid Ginger will also make an appearance and perform an acoustic set of new songs. Three mini-concerts will be held at Dadd’s Productions Studio off the Chatham Parkway with performances at 2 p.m., 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10; directions are available and tickets may be preordered at myspace.com/singsavannah and will also be available at the door.
As far as community involvement, Sing Savannah has fundraised for many local causes this past year. They helped raise over $7,000 for Judy McCorkle, a Richmond Hill resident who had a successful liver transplant, performed at the Chilibowl in Forsyth Park for "Save One of Ours" and sang carols in downtown Savannah at Christmastime with breast cancer awareness group Liblines, among several other events.
The upcoming 5K will help fund their trip to Atlanta, but additional funds raised will go to families of victims of the sugar refinery explosion.
To help support the girls’ recording trip or the music showcase, or to become a sponsor, contact Fawcett at 961-9037 or gingikins@aol.com.