Does performing and touring with a veterans' vocal group strike a chord with you?
If you're a veteran — or soon to be one — consider auditioning for 4TROOPS, a group formed in 2010 that has recorded an album and toured 50 U.S. cities. Their music came in at number 36 on the Billboard charts in May 2010.
Those eligible are U.S. military veterans with an honorable discharge and DD-214 discharge document; or active-duty service members separating from service or starting terminal leave by March 1. National Guard and reserve members are also eligible, if they can get permission to dedicate the time for recording and promotional and performance obligations.
The auditions are online by the Center for American Military Music Opportunities, which sponsors 4TROOPS. The technology for the online auditions is provided by PureSolo, a web company that specializes in music and vocal recording technology.
To audition, log on to www.cammomusic.org. For more information, contact casting@cammomusic.org.
4TROOPS vocalists perform aboard the USS Intrepid in New York City during the taping of a PBS television special. The former soldiers honed their craft in Army Entertainment Division programs run by Army Family, Morale and Recreation Command.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of CAMMO/Sony Music Entertainment
CAMMO is casting the entire group. The founding members have left for family reasons, and over the past three years, the group has consisted of rotating military veteran members who have continued to perform the songs on the first album.
The panelists for the auditions include:
Debra Byrd, vocal coach for American Idol for 11 seasons and current vocal coach for The Voice; Jay Landers, executive producer and arranger of music for dozens of artists including Mary J. Blige and Bette Midler; Joey Beebe, vocal coach for the first 4TROOPS album and CAMMO music director; Victor Hurtado, producer/writer/arranger for the first 4TROOPS album, and CAMMO creative director; Jeff Caulfield, producer and music business professional who has worked on projects for Universal, Sony, J Records and Def Jam; and Ron Henry, founding member of 4TROOPS and CAMMO inspirational division director.
page break
Karen has covered military families, quality of life and consumer issues for Military Times for more than 30 years, and is co-author of a chapter on media coverage of military families in the book "A Battle Plan for Supporting Military Families." She previously worked for newspapers in Guam, Norfolk, Jacksonville, Fla., and Athens, Ga.
