MTonal Music Press Releases

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MARK TONELLI’S “IL MONDO” TAKES BRONZE
IN BILLBOARD MAGAZINE’S WORLD SONG CONTEST

Contact: Shaunna Tonelli
Phone: 972.412.9149
E-mail: mtonalmusic@aol.com
Website: www.mtonalmusic.com

Dallas, TX – Local musician receives songwriting award from entertainment company

Competing with songs submitted from around the world, “Il Mondo,” by guitarist and composer Mark Tonelli has won Third Place in the Jazz Category of Billboard Magazine’s Twelfth Annual World Song Contest. Mr. Tonelli was notified of the win by phone in late June from The Jim Halsey Company, which co-created and administers the contest and selects the winners through a blue-ribbon songwriting panel of judges. Among the prizes are inclusion on a winner’s CD distributed to industry professionals and an announcement on Billboard’s website. Mr. Tonelli recorded “Il Mondo” (“the world” in Italian) with The Mark Tonelli Group and plays guitar on the song. It appears on Chasing The Myth, released in September 2003 on the MTonal Music label.

Inspired by his mother’s Beatles and Miles Davis records, Mr. Tonelli began studying the guitar and violin at age 8 and began composing at 11. He continued to study and perform classical, rock and jazz music and eventually earned the master of music degree in jazz studies from The University of North Texas. He credits these different musical experiences as influencing his compositions. “All the music I’ve listened to and studied over the years gets funneled through me and comes out in my work as something new,” says Mr. Tonelli.

“Il Mondo” typifies this eclectic approach. “With “Il Mondo,” there’s a definite jazz foundation in terms of harmony and rhythm, particularly with the horns playing the melody. Plus we stretch out and play improvised solos,” says Mr. Tonelli. However, he points to the song’s range as part of its success. “There’s a funky groove coming from the rhythm section that gives it a broad appeal. And there are some unexpected twists that I think make the tune unique and fun to listen to.”

Mr. Tonelli is grateful to have received the Billboard award. “I’m more of a performer, and composing has always been something of a hobby. So I feel especially honored that “Il Mondo” has received this kind of attention. It’s nice when your work gets recognized.”

“Il Mondo” is the second song from Chasing The Myth to receive recognition; in September 2003, “Storm” was featured on National Public Radio’s (NPR) All Songs Considered. Visit www.mtonalmusic.com and click on the MTonal Music page for more information.

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#2

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MARK TONELLI GROUP FEATURED ON
INNOVATIVE CONCERT SERIES WEBSITE

Contact: Shaunna Tonelli
Phone: 845.446.3096
E-mail: mtonalmusic@aol.com
Website: www.mtonalmusic.com

Montclair, NJ- Jazz group performs and educates on cyber music series

Part of The Mark Tonelli Group's July 22nd performance on the Digital Café Tour (DCT) series and Broaden Your Band (BYB) educational clinic can now be viewed at the DCT’s website, www.digitalcafetour.com. "Free,"written by guitarist and composer Mark Tonelli, is available as a special, free preview of the concert filmed at Luna Stage in Montclair. From the group’s self-titled CD, “Free” won a composition award from Billboard Magazine. Tonelli discusses the acoustic vs. electric bass in jazz in the BYB segment. Both clips give viewers a taste of a longer performance and clinic, available on a pay-per-download basis in coming months.

The Digital Café Tour is a performance and educational venture that brings music to subscribers via broadband Internet, iPod, and cell phone media. Weekly concerts are filmed before a live, studio audience and edited for broadcast. Broaden Your Band, the DCT’s educational arm, features clinics with series’ performers discussing various aspects of the music industry. The DCT is sponsored by Fender, Audix Microphones, D’Addario Strings, Vic Firth, Sabian, Evans Drumheads, Ultrasone, QSC Audio Products, Tacoma Guitars, Guild Guitars, SWR Sound, Taylor Guitars, Peterson Tuners, Furman Sound, Pacific Drums & Percussion, Ultimate Support, Allen & Heath, DW Drums, Play-It Productions, Planet Waves, PreSonus, LR Baggs, PFS Marketwyse, Light House Lights, Avalon Studios, and Residence Inn.

Tonelli says of the performance, “We stretched out and focused on development, allowing the music to go where we were hearing it.” He praises the open format as a creative benefit resulting from the vision of the series’ creators, Tom Walker and Brian Jude. “Tom and Brian have cultivated an environment for artistic expression. We took advantage of it, and the audience really responded to what we were doing.”

Tonelli, a native of Belleville, NJ, received a bachelor’s in jazz performance from William Paterson University. He has been leading various groups for over a decade on the East Coast and in Texas, where he received a master of music in jazz studies from The University of North Texas. He has won numerous awards for his work, and his piece “Storm,” from the group’s Chasing The Myth CD, was featured on NPR’s All Songs Considered. More information about Mark Tonelli can be found at www.mtonalmusic.com.
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