LOS ANGELES, CA, July 02, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- On the heels of the runaway success of the hit song "Friday," Ark Music Factory has partnered with ABC-TV's Good Morning America to find and develop America's next viral music star. And Tuesday morning, June 28, GMA will reveal her: Lexi St. George. Good Morning America started a series of stories on the talent search and development June 27; it will host the world premiere of Lexi's debut music video, "Dancing to the Rhythm," on Thursday, June 30 (check local listings for stations and air times). The video will also be featured on Ark Music Factory's web site www.arkmusicfactory.com.
Ark Music Factory and Good Morning America recently embarked on a search to find a hidden pop music talent. Through a weekend's worth of word-of-mouth, online promotion, radio shout outs on Los Angeles' 97.1 FM AMP Radio and hosting auditions at LA malls, the Ark Music Factory team and GMA producers identified their candidate: fourteen year-old Lexi St.George of Palmdale, California.
Ark Music Factory founder Patrice Wilson co-wrote and produced the song, "Dancing to the Rhythm," with Steve Sulikowski in a few days leading up to the auditions. Over the course of only one week following, the Ark team rehearsed and recorded the song, choreographed and shot a music video at LA's famed Smashbox Studios with Suite 7 Productions, the producers of the "Friday" video. Lexi was choreographed by JR Taylor--who's worked with Rihanna, Chris Brown, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Hudson, Ashanti and others--and styled by Avo Yermagyan, who's worked with Sophia Bush and others. She worked with vocal coach Roger Love.
"We've been continually amazed by Lexi's raw talent, drive and determination," says Wilson. "It takes a rare kind of girl to hear the news that we'd chosen her at noon in her living room, and within a few hours, be 100 miles from home rehearsing a song at the historic Los Angeles studio The Village, where hundreds of hits have been recorded. She's truly come out of nowhere to show a rare star quality, and had the grit and stamina to turn out a hit song and video in a week." Wilson continues, "We've been lucky to surround ourselves with strong talent to support Lexi, both inside Ark Music Factory and with all the great team that stepped up to prepare her--all in a week."
Lexi, who starts high school in the fall, has long aspired to success but is the most part a pretty typical fourteen year-old. "My mom says I started singing when I was two," she recalls. "I'm too young to remember that, but I have always been singing, and have always wanted to. I've always wanted to BE something and my family and friends have supported it. My best friend's mom even encouraged me." She looks up to artists like Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez. "Taylor because she's so wholesome and I can relate to her story and her music," she says. "Selena, I've been watching her show on Disney since I was little. I love her music and songs as well."
The GMA joint venture marks the evolution of Ark Music Factory into a new kind of transmedia entertainment company. "Ark Music Factory is an online music platform that discovers, defines and delivers up and coming talent to the next level," explains executive Anita Camarata, who has come to Ark with a nearly 25-year career in music management and film production behind her. "Ark Music Factory works to provide new artists with the tools to progress in their careers, and we develop artists of our own." Ark will use both traditional and non-traditional means to work with artists. In some cases they will continue to do work for hire projects for those artists that want to take the assets Ark provides and seek their own management, label or production deals. In others, Ark will invest in artists themselves.
"We've been pleased with where we've come from and are so excited to be working with a new artist of Lexi's talent," Camarata concludes. "We're confident she represents the next stage in the future of our company and are so grateful to Good Morning America for partnering with us to launch her career."
GMA and Ark Music Factory--with the help of a great talent and a stellar team--made a pop star in one week. Who will it be next time? In few weeks, Ark plans a nationwide online talent search. Ark will choose finalists from the online submissions. For more information, fans should make sure to keep visiting http://abcnews.go.com/GMA and www.arkmusicfactory.com and get ready to become the next Ark Pop Star.
About Ark Music Factory
Ark Music Factory is a trans-media property created for tweens, teens, and families to connect with new friends and network with aspiring talent. Ark makes it possible for emerging artists from a variety of popular genres to be discovered, defined and delivered to a global audience.
Thirteen year-old sensation Rebecca Black--an artist discovered, defined, and delivered by Patrice Wilson, founder of ARK Music Factory--became an overnight pop sensation, gaining worldwide attention with the hit single "Friday." The song, first launched by Ark Music Factory, was a stupendous hit, and has since spawned dozens--maybe hundreds-of fan covers, parodies as well as professional covers--as well as more than 167 million views on YouTube.
Platform Media Group (PMG) specializes in food and beverage, consumer products, filmed entertainment, hospitality and media properties, and counts Blue Angel Spirits, Koloa Rum, AFI, Neoclassics Films, Porta Via and Vintage Bar Group among its clients, as well as undertaking production, film and branding work at Sundance and other industry convocations annually. PMG, Evolutionary Media Group, and Period Media recently formed a joint venture, The Communications Partnership. This joint venture brings together seasoned professionals from all arenas of communications disciplines in a potent combination of talent, experience, enthusiasm and client service.
Website: http://www.platformgrp.com
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