Latest News

WLOY Playlists posted!

(May 2008)-- As you may know, I am now hosting a local music radio show on WLOY-AM (1620) the Loyola College Radio Station on Saturday afternoons from 4 till 5 p.m. I have finally got around to posting the playlists, or at least some of them. For now I'm posting the playlists from Jaunuary 26, 2008 (my first show) through March 22, 2008. I will post the rest soon.

Here's a link to the playlists from January 26-March 22, 2008 ( opens as a Word Document)

In order to listen to future shows, you can listen online, and they offer three different streams to choose from.
http://www.wloy.org/listen.html

If you are a local musician and would like to send me a CD to play, just mail me a copy (preferably 2 copies, that way I can put the extra copy in the station library so that other hosts can play the CD besides just me) at:
*PLEASE INCLUDE A NEATLY TYPE (Not handwritten!) songlist along with your CD.

Michelle Murray (you need to put my name on there!)
WLOY-AM
Loyola College
4501 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21210

Also, here's a link to my show page on the site, complete with the playlist for my first show! I'll be providing links to the other playlists soon!
http://www.wloy.com/shows/openstage.html

Let me know if you get a chance to listen, and feel free to start sending me your CDs to play!

SAW Montgomery County Open Mic moves...again! Plus a new SAW showcase!

Caribou Coffee in Olney is now closed. The store closed on Monday, March 3.

The good news is, we will be moving the open mic, as well as beginning a new showcase event, at the Caribou Rockville at the Rock Creek Center, 5562 Norbeck Road, Rockville MD, 20853 - Phone: 301-460-0047.

Starting April 4, the first and second and third Friday Open Mic nights resume at 7:00 pm.

Hosts: Michelle Murray/Jeff Silberberg, (first Fridays) AtThisPoint (second Fridays) Tomy Wright (third Fridays)*Please note that in April, Tomy will be filling in for me on April 4, and I'll join Geri and Donate on April 11th.

15 minutes or 3 songs per performance, whichever comes first.
It's free, and tips are appreciated.

For more information on the open mics, call 301-460-0047 or e-mail michelle.murray6@verizon.net.

And a brand new songwriting showcase will be held every Fourth Friday from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, beginning March 28. The venue requires originals only. To sign up to do a showcase set, contact Jennifer Elcano at 301-594-6314.

The first showcase will feature several local musicians, most of whom work at NIH. They include Jennifer Elcano, Tomm Sibert, Curtis Balmer, Joe Frascella, and Dorie Hightower. Charles Tolbert will play some original fiddle tunes as well. When it's warm enough to move the show outside onto the large, luxurious patio, we'll add an open mic segment to the end of the 2 hours.

Michelle is on the radio!

(January 2008)I have some exciting news, and the fellow musicians will especially be interested!

I am now hosting a local music radio show on WLOY-AM (1620) the Loyola College Radio Station on Saturday afternoons from 4 till 5 p.m.. Unless you live in the general vicinity of the station, you won't be able to get the signal, but the good news is that you can listen online, and they offer three different streams to choose from.
http://www.wloy.org/listen.html

I am looking to play as many local musicians as I can, and since I know so many, I already have a decent collection of CDs. But if you would like to send me a CD to play, just mail me a copy (preferably 2 copies, that way I can put the extra copy in the station library so that other hosts can play the CD besides just me) at:

Michelle Murray (you need to put my name on there!)
WLOY-AM
Loyola College
4501 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21210

Also, here's a link to my show page on the site, complete with the playlist for my first show! I'll be providing links to the other playlists soon!
http://www.wloy.com/shows/openstage.html

Let me know if you get a chance to listen, and feel free to start sending me your CDs to play!

Chapter Three Gets Radio Airplay on WAMU!

(January 2008)One of the songs from Chapter Three's new CD, Synopsis received airplay on WAMU-FM 88.5 on Mary Cliff's Traditions show on January 5th. She was kind enough to play Wandering Heart, a song I wrote long ago, which Chapter Three just recently recorded. Our new CD, Synopsis, will be available at all live shows. To listen to Wandering Heart and some other songs from our new CD, just visit our MySpace page: http://myspace.com/chapterthreemusic. She also recently played "Find a New Way" from the Michelle Murray: Collection of Songs CD.

Chapter Three Debuts New CD!

(November 2007)Chapter Three (the trio of Michelle Murray, Rick Callender and Andrew Coupe) has now posted some original songs on http://myspace.com/chapterthreemusic . Take a listen and let us know what you think.

Also, we’re planning to launch our new (and first) CD of 6 original songs at the Bangkok Blues Café (http://www.bangkokbluesrestaurant.com) in Falls Church, VA on November 27th. We hope you can come out and see us perform.

We will perform from 8-9 p.m.
The showcase will also feature many other talented songwriters, including Kat Bartley, David Kitchen, Karen Collins and Larry Mediate &Tony Donnelly and the host with the most, Ron Goad.

The very next night we will be moving the CD release show to Focus Inn Concerts, where we will be opening for Chuck Brodsky. The show will be held at O'Brien's Pit Barbeque on E. Gude Drive in Rockville. For more info visit the Focus web site.

If you can’t make those shows, we will also be performing on the first Thursday of each month at the New Deal Café (http://newdealcafe.com) in Greenbelt, MD.

We’ve set up an email list for announcements. To join the email list, click on this email address ChapterThree-subscribe@yahoogroups.com and send a blank email message. We very much hope you can make it! For more details check my schedule page.

**UPDATE: SAW Montgomery County Open Mic is moving!!

(November 2007)Mario's is now closed, so there will no longer be a SAW open mic there.

The good news is, we will be starting up the open mic again in November at Caribou Coffee in Olney MD! For the time being, performers can ONLY DO THEIR OWN ORIGINAL MUSIC and everyone must sign a waiver (which will be on the sign up sheet) stating that he/she will perform original songs only.

The open mic will be held the first 3 Fridays a month, and eventually, we will make the fourth Friday a SAW songwriter's showcase. The open mike will debut next Friday, November 2nd! Please come out and support our new venue.

Here are the details:

SAW/Montgomery County Open Mic
Friday, November 2, 9 & 16
(first, second and third Fridays of each month)
at.. Caribou Coffee
Olney Village Mart Center
18101 Olney Village Mart Drive,
Olney, Maryland 20832
Signups begin at 7 p.m, open mike starts at 7:30 pm. Originals only!

Hosts: Michelle Murray/Jeff Silberberg, (first Fridays) AtThisPoint (second Fridays), TomyWright (third Fridays).

For information, e-mail michelle.murray6@verizon.net

The New Trio of Chapter Three

Left to right: Andrew Coupe, Rick Callender and Michelle Murray

The new trio, Chapter Three, features Michelle Murray, Rick Callender and Andrew Coupe. We've been jamming together for almost a year now (we met through various SAW events) and have finally decided to combine our talents and make an official trio! You get to hear not one, not two, but three songwriters combining their talents to make music and some really cool three-part harmonies! Under the name of Chapter Three, we each bring our own original music and present it in a fresh light. We have also started our own MySpace page but we haven't posted any music there yet. We will soon, though, so stay tuned! Check the schedule page for our upcoming shows!

(August 10, 2007) - Michelle's song "Unexpectedly" just won an Honorable Mention in the June 2007 Song of the Year Contest. See the full list of winners here. Listen to the song on my Sonicbids audio page.

(July 25, 2007) *UDPATE The SAW open mike at Mario's will still take place on the first Friday of each month, but will NO LONGER OCCUR ON A WEEKLY BASIS.

The next open mike is scheduled for Friday, September 7, 6:30 p.m.- 9:30 p.m.

Sign ups will be done ahead of time by e-mail, but 2-3 slots will be left open for walk-ins. Sign up by e-mailing michelle.murray6@verizon.net. Location details below:

SAW Montgomery County Open Mike
Mario's House of Steak and Cheese
15209 Frederick Rd.
Rockville, MD 20850
240-314-0200
(Across from Comcast on Route 355, just south of Gude Drive)

Sign ups start at 6p.m.

Original songs preferred. Music only, no poetry.
12 minutes or 3 songs per performance, whichever comes first.

For more information, E-mail: michelle.murray6@verizon.net.

It's free, and tips are appreciated.

Michelle Murray, and the trio of Murray, Crump & Hatley receive 2006 Wammie Nominations

(February 2007) Michelle's CD, "Collection of Songs" was nominated for best Contemporary Folk Recording, Murray, Crump & Hatley were nominated for best Contemporary Folk Duo/Group, and Les Hatley was nominated for  best Contemporary Folk instrumentalist! Very exciting news!

For a list of the nominees and winners, click here

SAW/Focus Montgomery County Open Mic and Showcase

(September 2006) Some good news! For now, we have a new venue for the SAW Montgomery County open mic..it will be at Mario's House of Steak and Cheese in Rockville, MD and we are teaming up with Focus Music on this open mic.

This weekly open mic will be hosted alternately by Michelle Murray (first Fridays), Tomy Wright (second Fridays), Don Bridges (third Fridays), Doug Alan Wilcox (fourth Fridays) and AtThisPoint-Gerri and Donate (fifth Fridays).


Here are the details:

SAW/Focus Montgomery County Open Mike
Every Friday night 7-9:30 p.m. at..
Mario's House of Steak and Cheese
15209 Frederick Rd.
Rockville, MD 20850
240-314-0200
(Across from Comcast on Route 355, just south of Gude Drive)

Original material preferred. Original songs, poems, comedy and improv are all welcome. 12 minutes or 3 songs per performance, whichever comes first.

For more information e-mail: openmics@focusmusic.org or michelle.murray6@verizon.net or visit www.saw.org.

Michelle featured on Omaemoda Productions' fundraising CD -- Omaemoda Productions, a D.C. based nonprofit (http://www.YouAreInvolved.org), has just created a mixed CD that features original songs that range from country, to rock, to acoustic to electric. Michelle Murray and 13 other talented musicians all donated songs to this fundraising CD, which will help Omaemoda to foster the arts and community involvement. Michelle donated her song, “Steady on the Wheel.”

Omaemoda Productions is a 100% volunteer-run non-profit organization that uses the performing arts to raise funds and awareness for local charities in the DC Metro area. Omaemoda also strives to develop and support local performing arts talent. Your purchase will empower them to give a larger percentage of their show proceeds to other charities including Brainfood, Project Northstar and Washington Animal Rescue League.
You can buy the CD (and hear excerpts from the songs) at http://www.cafepress.com/omaemoda.47284081

New Musical Trio -- Murray, Crump & Hatley: I am very excited to be part of this new musical trio, consisting of myself, Rick Crump and Les Hatley. Les, a very talented lead guitarist, has played numerous gigs with me throughout the last several years. Les also frequently plays with Don Bridges, as well as a gospel group called Seneca. Rick Crump, a fellow Olney-ite, is a talented songwriter, bass and guitar player and harmony singer who I've known for several years, in fact, he's one of the main reasons we moved to Olney! He's also a regular at the SAW open mike that I host a Caribou coffee each month. We've got several gigs lined up in the next few months, so check the schedule page for more information. Plus, a new CD sampler is in the works!

(March, 2006) Memorial Service: My singing partner, Anne Sucher, (the other half of Water's Edge) passed away on February 27th, 2006. The Sucher family held a memorial service in Silver Spring, MD on Saturday, March 25th.. After introductions and words from members of the Jewish and Buddhist traditions, friends read a number of Anne's poems as well as poems written to her; friends and family performed original songs written for her and beloved songs she often sang with others; and Anne's own voice was heard in a recording of her song "Water's Edge". I had the honor of singing Anne's song, "Edge of Smooth" with Rick Kanton and Jason Colton. Family members spoke, and other friends and loved ones shared thoughts and memories. The service lasted about two hours, and was attended by an estimated 200+ people, all of whom joined to celebrate the life of Anne and the bonds she shared with so many. It was a truly moving service.

Some of Anne's friends have begun a web site in her memory, and invite your contribution of photos, music, poems, or anything you wish to share. The address is http://jointhedance.org.

The Water's Edge CD "Make a Choice," featuring Michelle Murray and Anne Sucher, received a 2005 Washington Area Music Association (WAMA) "Wammie" nomination for Best Contemporary Folk Recording. Special thanks to Rick Kanton for producing and adding music to the CD, and to Midnite Bob for his encouragement, and for allowing us to record two of his wonderful songs on the CD. If it weren't for Rick and Bob, the CD would never have been possible.

Anne, myself, Midnite Bob and Rick Kanton often performed music together at Berwyn Cafe and at the New Deal Cafe. Here is a picture of all of us. We will all keep fond memories in our hearts of the music we made together.

Michelle also got a mention in the March 2005 Song of the Year Contest. She was listed as a suggested artist for her songs This Life and Married Women.

Comments on Wandering Heart:

"A good song, and it is even better when you listen to it a second time. Memorable...Very good ideas and songwriting in your song." 
- Song of the Year Critique Staff

Comments on This Life:

"This is a wonderful song that makes for a powerful anthem about moving on with life. Your lyrics are poignant and very descriptive of the pain left by open wounds of the heart." 
- Song of the Year Critique Staff

Michelle's song, "Married Women", was chosen as an Editor's Pick on Washington Post's MP3 site from the week of June 20th, 2005 through September 11, 2005. Check out the Washington Post write up on my reviews page here! Listen to the song here!

On the airwaves: Michelle's song "Tucker's Song" from the Water's Edge CD was aired recently on  Mary Cliff's show, "Traditions" on WETA- 90.9 FM. Some other of Michelle's songs from the CD, including "This Life" and "Steady on the Wheel" also received airplay on Damien Einstein's show on WRNR-FM, where he also hosted Michelle Murray and Anne Sucher in a live-in studio interview.