UMaine MFA Student Wins Grand Prize in John Lennon Songwriting Competition
Contact: Daniel Flannery, 249-8466
ORONO–Daniel Flannery of Bangor, a student in the University of Maine’s Intermedia master of fine arts program, has won a grand prize in the children’s music category of the prestigious John Lennon Songwriting Competition.
Flannery is a New Jersey native who moved to Maine to start a career in children’s media with his brother, Michael. The Flannery Brothers have previously won accolades in the Children’s Music Web Awards and the International Songwriting Contest. Their song “One Wasn’t Enough” is one of two grand prize winners for children’s music in the John Lennon competition. Entries were judged on originality, melody, composition and lyrics by a distinguished panel including legends such as Al Jarreau, Bob Weir, Robin Gibb and Lamont Dozier.
As a grand prize winner, the song is now a finalist for both the Lennon Award and the $20,000 Maxell song of the year award. Voting for the Lennon Award begins March 19 and continues until the end of April.
“We are really the underdogs here,” said Daniel Flannery. “If we win the whole thing, that basically means a career for us.”
The CD on which “One Wasn’t Enough” is featured is still a work in progress, and the Flannery Brothers are just getting started as a touring act. Their competition is a well-known professional who has won numerous awards and was declared best children’s performer by New York Magazine in 2008.
“Either way, having come this far is a great honor and will be a huge aid to the success of the Flannery Brothers,” Daniel Flannery says.
Though songwriting isn’t considered an Intermedia pursuit, Daniel Flannery’s studies have influenced the Flannery Brothers’ website–the sculptural site design consists mainly of clay. His experience at UMaine has also caused Daniel to take a more interactive approach to music.
“What’s more important is what’s about to happen,” Flannery says. “Soon, 4-.5- and 6-year olds will be able to upload their songs to The Flannery Brothers Website, and we will put music to their lyrics and melodies. In this way, our audience will also be our best collaborators.”
For more information about the John Lennon Songwriting Competition, visit www.jlsc.com.
To hear “One Wasn’t Enough,” visit www.jlsc.com/winners.
About the Intermedia MFA program at UMaine
The University of Maine is home to the region’s only master of fine arts degree program in Intermedia. The student-driven program blends arts courses with research in areas including but not limited to environmental studies, engineering, business, social sciences and new media. MFA director Owen Smith explains that this interdisciplinary approach encourages innovation and creative problem-solving in a way that is applicable to any industry or creative application.