Sennheiser Sponsors SXSW Contest For Bands

Audio specialist Sennheiser announces the final phase of its HearIAm initiative this March, as the innovative campaign for artists and fans sets its sights on the southwest’s hotbed of music: Austin, Texas. Sennheiser’s HearIAm campaign, which launched last spring and has since provided an abundance of opportunity for bands to play at prominent music festivals throughout North America, is now providing an exquisite showcase opportunity in Austin as well as $10,000 in music equipment to the winning band of the last phase.

Bands: Submit Your Music Now!
Austin’s brand new music hotspot, The Stage on Sixth, will be the place to be on the evening of March 18th as Sennheiser hosts a very special showcase event featuring critically acclaimed Brooklyn, NY-based Indie act The Antlers. The high-profile music showcase will also feature a deserving band that submitted their music on HearIAm.com and was subsequently selected as winner by music fans and a panel of accomplished judges.

In addition to capturing a coveted spot in the Austin showcase and $10,000 in music equipment from Sennheiser, the winning artist/band will also receive complimentary travel arrangements and accommodations while in Austin. Bands interested in participating should visit http://www.heariam.com, where they can register for the contest and upload their music tracks. The submission period for this contest will end on February 1st and the winner will be announced on February 25th.

When the HearIAm initiative wraps up this spring, the finalists from each phase will compete for a grand prize, which includes a 3-song recording with a major producer from Pick The Band, a distribution deal from Universal Republic Records and an A&R showcase at Universal Republic’s headquarters in New York. Musicians and fans from all over North America and Latin America are encouraged to participate in HearIAm. To learn more, please visit http://www.heariam.com.

HearIAm: An Impressive Track Record

Sennheiser launched HearIAm last spring in conjunction with PickTheBand.com and Universal Republic Records. Since then, many hundreds of bands from all over North America and Latin America have submitted their music to the site, and thousands of fans have participated to discover and share new music. Following is a brief description of some of the key milestones over the course of the campaign:

In August 2010, Sennheiser completed the first phase of HearIAm as Kansas City-based rock band Trucker performed at Montreal’s Osheaga 2010 festival alongside artists like Snoop Dogg and Sonic Youth.
In October 2010, Columbia’s The Hall Effect won the second phase of HearIAm, playing a fully attended showcase at New York City’s CMJ Music and Film Marathon.
In December 2010, Mexico’s Arquivolta won the third phase of HearIAm, performing in an exclusive, sold-out showcase for music fans in Mexico City.
On January 28, 2011, the winner of the fourth phase will be announced and provided with an opportunity to perform a coveted showcase during Toronto’s Canadian Music Week in March.
In April of 2011, the grand-winner of the HearIAm initiative will be announced and will receive a private A&R showcase and distribution deal from Universal Republic Records among other prizes.

“Our HearIAm initiative has been an incredible success due to overwhelmingly positive participation by both bands and fans,” commented Stefanie Reichert, vice president of strategic marketing, Sennheiser USA. “The final phase of our campaign in Austin — which occurs during one of the most important music festivals in North America — is another tremendous opportunity for a deserving band to get their music heard.”

About Sennheiser
Sennheiser is a world-leading manufacturer of microphones, headphones and wireless transmission systems. Established in 1945 in Wedemark, Germany, Sennheiser is now a global brand represented in 60 countries around the world with U.S. headquarters in Old Lyme, Connecticut. Sennheiser’s pioneering excellence in technology has rewarded the company with numerous awards and accolades including an Emmy, a Grammy, and the Scientific and Engineering Award of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

You can find all the latest information on Sennheiser by visiting our website at http://www.sennheiserusa.com.