Samantha Smith

NEWPORT BEACH -- Samantha Smith's last name is common, but her musical
talent isn't.

Her first guitar was a gift from her father when she was 11. Now -- two
years later -- Smith hasn't started high school just yet, but she's
mature enough to have written more than a dozen original songs, she
performs alone and with a band, and she's in the running for honors at
the annual Orange County Music Awards in April.

An engaging but modest teenager in jeans and a Rolling Stones T-shirt
with long, reddish-blond hair falling around her face, Smith has no
qualms about grabbing a guitar and launching into one of her songs.

Her mother, Holly Smith, said the whole family is somewhat musical. Her
husband plays piano, she used to sing, and both daughters play guitar.
Many of Holly Smith's five brothers and sisters enjoy performing as
well, she said.

An eighth-grader at the Orange County High School of the Arts in Santa
Ana, Samantha had been playing piano for several years and then took up
voice lessons about a year before her father got her a guitar --
because, as Holly explained, "you can't lug a piano around with you."

When she first started guitar, Samantha said she had to work harder to
master it than she did with piano, but she liked it enough to play "till
my fingers bled."

She counts Led Zeppelin, Queen and Green Day among her favorite bands.
While that may show in the music of her band, Shades of Gray, her solo
songs are softer.

"I think it's kind of like folk-rock-pop. I'm kind of confused about
what they are," she said. "I'm not, like, an amazing guitar player
either, so most of them are kind of around the same chords."

Song topics are things happening in her life such as being stuck in the
middle of fights, missing her dad when he leaves the country for
business trips, and one about wanting the object of your love to notice
you, which was based on a character in a Chekhov play she read.

Another song, called "Stop the Rain," describes her sadness for her
friend Brian Slater, a now-retired Newport Beach paramedic who was
seriously injured in a 2003 body-surfing accident.

"He's like the nicest guy you could ever imagine," Samantha said. "I
wrote this song when he was still in a coma and we weren't really sure
if he would be OK."

She'll be playing some of those songs Tuesday when she makes her bid to
become a finalist in the live acoustic division of the Orange County
Music Awards.

It's unique to have someone so young competing in that category, which
can include as many as 50 entries, said Martin Brown, a producer of the
Orange County Music Awards. The 2006 awards, set for April 8, will be
the event's fifth year.

"She's very accomplished and mature for her age, but she's unlikely to
be a competitor in that area because she's competing against seasoned
performers who do it for a living and are in their 30s and have been
doing it for years," Brown said.

Samantha may have a better chance at an award with her band. Shades of
Gray grew out of a workshop offered by the Orange County Performing Arts
Guild. It's a classic four-piece -- Samantha plays rhythm guitar and
sings -- with members collaborating on original rock songs.

The band is one of 10 that will play at a March 5 showcase. Five of
those groups will be invited to the music awards, where the winner will
be named.

"It's a really good forum for high school musicians, and part of our
reason for doing this is to propel people who are just starting out into
some sort of limelight," Brown said.

Samantha will probably welcome that limelight. While she's managed to
keep a 4.0 grade-point average, she's also been in a few plays, has
performed hip-hop and tap dancing, and she's been playing at open mike
nights at Alta Coffee in Newport Beach.

Holly said she gets more anxious than her daughter does at show time.

"I get nervous, but, you know, she always seems to pull through," Holly
said. "She doesn't have an ounce of stage fright in her. It's amazing."

Maybe that's because of how it makes her feel. Samantha said it gives
her "a sense of completeness" to write a song or hear a song she likes.

"I feel like I have an understanding of music and where it's going," she
said. "It just gives me a totally good feeling when I play music."

- By Alicia Robinson, Daily Pilot, Monday February 20, 2006

NEWPORT BEACH -- Samantha Smith's last name is common, but her musical
talent isn't.

Her first guitar was a gift from her father when she was 11. Now -- two
years later -- Smith hasn't started high school just yet, but she's
mature enough to have written more than a dozen original songs, she
performs alone and with a band, and she's in the running for honors at
the annual Orange County Music Awards in April.

An engaging but modest teenager in jeans and a Rolling Stones T-shirt
with long, reddish-blond hair falling around her face, Smith has no
qualms about grabbing a guitar and launching into one of her songs.

Her mother, Holly Smith, said the whole family is somewhat musical. Her
husband plays piano, she used to sing, and both daughters play guitar.
Many of Holly Smith's five brothers and sisters enjoy performing as
well, she said.

An eighth-grader at the Orange County High School of the Arts in Santa
Ana, Samantha had been playing piano for several years and then took up
voice lessons about a year before her father got her a guitar --
because, as Holly explained, "you can't lug a piano around with you."

When she first started guitar, Samantha said she had to work harder to
master it than she did with piano, but she liked it enough to play "till
my fingers bled."

She counts Led Zeppelin, Queen and Green Day among her favorite bands.
While that may show in the music of her band, Shades of Gray, her solo
songs are softer.

"I think it's kind of like folk-rock-pop. I'm kind of confused about
what they are," she said. "I'm not, like, an amazing guitar player
either, so most of them are kind of around the same chords."

Song topics are things happening in her life such as being stuck in the
middle of fights, missing her dad when he leaves the country for
business trips, and one about wanting the object of your love to notice
you, which was based on a character in a Chekhov play she read.

Another song, called "Stop the Rain," describes her sadness for her
friend Brian Slater, a now-retired Newport Beach paramedic who was
seriously injured in a 2003 body-surfing accident.

"He's like the nicest guy you could ever imagine," Samantha said. "I
wrote this song when he was still in a coma and we weren't really sure
if he would be OK."

She'll be playing some of those songs Tuesday when she makes her bid to
become a finalist in the live acoustic division of the Orange County
Music Awards.

It's unique to have someone so young competing in that category, which
can include as many as 50 entries, said Martin Brown, a producer of the
Orange County Music Awards. The 2006 awards, set for April 8, will be
the event's fifth year.

"She's very accomplished and mature for her age, but she's unlikely to
be a competitor in that area because she's competing against seasoned
performers who do it for a living and are in their 30s and have been
doing it for years," Brown said.

Samantha may have a better chance at an award with her band. Shades of
Gray grew out of a workshop offered by the Orange County Performing Arts
Guild. It's a classic four-piece -- Samantha plays rhythm guitar and
sings -- with members collaborating on original rock songs.

The band is one of 10 that will play at a March 5 showcase. Five of
those groups will be invited to the music awards, where the winner will
be named.

"It's a really good forum for high school musicians, and part of our
reason for doing this is to propel people who are just starting out into
some sort of limelight," Brown said.

Samantha will probably welcome that limelight. While she's managed to
keep a 4.0 grade-point average, she's also been in a few plays, has
performed hip-hop and tap dancing, and she's been playing at open mike
nights at Alta Coffee in Newport Beach.

Holly said she gets more anxious than her daughter does at show time.

"I get nervous, but, you know, she always seems to pull through," Holly
said. "She doesn't have an ounce of stage fright in her. It's amazing."

Maybe that's because of how it makes her feel. Samantha said it gives
her "a sense of completeness" to write a song or hear a song she likes.

"I feel like I have an understanding of music and where it's going," she
said. "It just gives me a totally good feeling when I play music."

- By Alicia Robinson, Daily Pilot, Monday February 20, 2006

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=resources/lifestyle_community/kids&id=7187933

Danny Romero
More: Bio, Twitter, News Team LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Cool Kid Samantha Smith founded the Young Singers of Orange County, and her two goals are teaching the children music and exposing them to the importance of community service. Through music, Samantha sees a very important result.

"The growth of self-confidence in specific children, because music does miraculous things to how proud we are of ourselves," Samantha said.

When her group is involved in the community, the children feel great knowing that they could impact lives.

"A smile from a cute little 5-year-old is going to brighten your day, so I think already they are starting to understand that they can make a difference, despite their age," Samantha explained.


Related Content
More: ABC7 Cool Kids home page

More: Readers Are Leaders
Whether helping at a food collection center or singing at a hospital, Samantha's kids see how they make others feel.

"It also gives to the people in those places who really need someone like that to go in there and sing them a song and show them that they care," she said.

Samantha has started something special, and she is taking steps to make sure it continues even if she goes away to college.

"Right now, I'm training quite a few other high school kids who are musically inclined and want this leadership opportunity and this teaching opportunity to continue the organization," she said.

Giving a new generation the gift of music and teaching them the power of giving to others, she is our Cool Kid, Samantha Smith.

(Copyright ©2010 KABC-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
- Danny Romero, ABC Television,Thursday, December 17, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

SONGSTRESS SAM SMITH TO PERFORM ACOUSTIC SET FOR MAJOR LABELS AT A&R OPEN HOUSE SHOWCASE; ACCOMPLISHED15-YEAR OLD NEWPORT BEACH TEEN IS AMONG THE YOUNGEST EVER INVITED TO SHOWCASE HELD AT L.A.’S FAMOUS KEY CLUB

Smith’s original songs catch ears of talent scouts; family, travel, young love fuel original music influenced by classic and indie rock. Smith’s public showcase set for Saturday June 14th, 2008 @ 7 p.m. sharp.

June 9, 2008 (Los Angeles, CA) – When she steps on stage this Saturday night at the Key Club in Los Angeles, there are many things that’ll set Sam Smith apart from the other acts, not the least of which is her young age and her refreshing lack of pretension in this age of plastic pop princesses. The 15-year old Newport Beach native is among the youngest ever invited to an A&R Connection Showcase at L.A.’s famous Key Club, Saturday June 14th, 2008 @ 7 p.m. sharp.

No matter if she’s facing a panel of major A&R reps or playing her favorite Newport Beach coffee shop, Smith taps into her musicianship, dives into her songs and goes to a place where she can work things out in her own way. A boyfriend’s betrayal, personal doubt...all are delivered with simple chords and soulful lyrics like those in “Running Back to Folded Arms” and “Evergreen.”

While tall, thin, blond Smith has the looks to have joined the pop-princess clique, a family life immersed in music, culture and travel have cultivated in her a deeper appreciation of the world. Preferring jeans, T-shirts and Chucks over Lycra spandex-tops & spike heels, Smith has summered in France since her birth, is fluent in French, and has had the opportunity to play music festivals both here and abroad.

Playing piano since age 8, and guitar from age 11, she composes and performs original music but also sprinkles her favorite classic rock cover songs into her live sets. Last year, Smith embraced the chance to go up against much older contenders in the Southern California Music Awards, and began building beyond her local following via her MySpace.com site.

Academics are also important to Smith, a 4.2 GPA-student who recently made the decision to leave her local high school to attend an elite Orange Coast College program that will enable her to complete high school early and enter college at an advanced sophomore level.

(more)
With this exclusive showcase opportunity, Smith looks forward to the chance to play for her L.A.-based fans, and hopes the label executives will find her music interesting from a recording and/or song publishing point of view.

“I always appreciate the opportunity to get out there and share my music with more people,” Smith says.

Showcase tickets are $15 for the public and can be requested in advance at Smith’s MySpace site, or purchased at the Key Club box office.

Media requests for tickets should be directed to publicist Beth Ann Hilton (beth@theBcompany.com), or by phone at 310-560-8390 at least one day in advance of the event.

# # #

About The Artist: Singer/songwriter Samantha Smith is young but her lyrics have a maturity beyond her 15 years. Her voice has a soulful reminiscence of Jewel and Sarah McLachlan. Samantha performs on piano and guitar, her songs evoking strong emotions with beautiful melodies and poignant lyrics. She started writing on the piano and guitar at the age of 10, and has performed in both the U.S. and Europe. EPK available at www.sonicbid.com/samanthasmith. Also see www.myspace.com/samanthasmithmusic)

About A&R Connection:
A&R Open House showcase presented by A&R Connection. The A&R Connection is the most reputable music industry resource dedicated to helping artists achieve their goals. We provide direct access to the top music industry executives, allowing artists to get their music heard! Label Panel: Universal Records, Capitol Records, Hollywood Records, Warner Brothers Records.

About the Event:
Saturday June 14th 2008, 7pm
Key Club
9039 Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA


For further information or interview requests, contact Beth Ann Hilton, The B Company, at (310) 560-8390.
- By Beth Ann Hilton, The B Company: June 9, 2008 (Los Angeles, CA)

http://dailypilot.com/articles/2008/06/12/education/dpt-youngmusician061308.txt

Samantha Smith, 15, is a singer and songwriter chosen to play at the Key Club in Hollywood for the A&R Showcase.

Alta Coffee House regular, 15, will play Hollywood Key Club. She enjoys improvising in music, she said.

While playing at a house party some time ago, Samantha Smith messed up. She lost the lyric, missed the melody, did something wrong. There had been so many different versions of a particular song, that sometimes she forgot and stumbled. She was forced to improvise.

But that is what she loves about music.

Instead of getting nervous, or stopping and trying to correct the mistake, Samantha, Sam to some, inserted a new bridge to the song at that moment and continued forward.

“It ended up being the best part of the song,” she said.

Samantha likes the fluid openness that music brings. She isn’t heavy on lyrics, but instead is more about the sound, the melody she can create and then applies whatever lyrics she can think of, often just finding the word that best fits the sound she makes while singing to a tune.

“It’s my music, and I play music for the fun of it,” she said. “I say, ‘Let’s write about teen love because that is easy and because everything rhymes with it.’ ”

Samantha, 15, is regularly asked to play at Alta Coffee House and has begun to make a name for herself. At her young age, she has been asked to perform Saturday at the Rock Open House at the Key Club in Los Angeles for up-and-coming artists.

There she will reach audiences who had never heard of her before as well as meet record label producers who could propel her career.

“I like performing,” Samantha said. “Singing for myself doesn’t get me anywhere. It’s fun for me, the more places I can play.”

But Samantha isn’t getting ahead of herself. Despite being young, she keeps a level head about her singing ability and talent. While she wants to play for larger audiences and do more with her music, she isn’t beyond giving herself a reality check or poking fun at her success.

“I’m 15, I want the attention, right?” she said, slyly, of why she performs.

Her parents say she has always been three or four years ahead of others in her age group in terms of her ability, and they credit that to the way she has grown up.

Samantha lived in France for half a year and attended school there for two months. The experience helped her to learn the language, but being immersed in a foreign culture has done much for her character and her desire to challenge herself, her father said.

“She has always been used to mixing with different people,” Peter Smith said.

With her singing career starting to make headway and her ability to excel in academics, she recently decided to leave Newport Harbor High School, where she is a sophomore, and start at Orange Coast Middle College High School next year to get ahead in college. She was also looking for a school where she could learn Chinese.

“At [Newport Harbor High School] there are 2,400 kids, and I kind of got lost,” Samantha said.

She has always been somewhat outside the mainstream, her parents said. She doesn’t cave to peer pressure, she is independent, articulate and has somewhat outgrown her age group and the typical high school lifestyle, according to her parents.

She began singing at 8 years old right after she started learning the piano. At 10, she incorporated some guitar skills and now plays mostly acoustic folk rock.

“For me it’s the music thing,” she said. “I just like singing, I don’t care what I sing.”

But her parents say their honors student daughter with a 4.2 grade-point average is destined for more.

Despite Samantha’s disdain for writing music, her mother Holly said mirrors are filled with scribbles of lyrics, and her father said she has been impressing people with her voice from public squares in France to singing the National Anthem at many Newport Beach events.

“Music is probably the only thing I feel comfortable doing,” Samantha said.

GET TO KNOW SAMANTHA
AGE: 15
MUSIC SHE PLAYS: folk rock
ALBUM NAME: “Just Me”
FAVORITE BAND: Avenged Sevenfold
CAREER GOAL: professional musician or music therapist
MUSICAL QUOTE: “I like every genre of music. I don’t think there has ever been a song I utterly hated. Someone must’ve really loved the song to put their heart and soul into it.”

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Los Angeles Best Up and Coming Independent Artists of 2008

WHEN: Doors open at 6:45 p.m. Saturday.

WHERE: Hollywood Key Club, 9039 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles

ADMISSION: Presale tickets are $15, $20 at the door.



- By Daniel Tedford, Daily Pilot, Friday, June 13, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

SONGSTRESS SAM SMITH TO PERFORM ACOUSTIC SET FOR MAJOR LABELS AT A&R OPEN HOUSE SHOWCASE; ACCOMPLISHED15-YEAR OLD NEWPORT BEACH TEEN IS AMONG THE YOUNGEST EVER INVITED TO SHOWCASE HELD AT L.A.’S FAMOUS KEY CLUB

Smith’s original songs catch ears of talent scouts; family, travel, young love fuel original music influenced by classic and indie rock. Smith’s public showcase set for Saturday June 14th, 2008 @ 7 p.m. sharp.

June 9, 2008 (Los Angeles, CA) – When she steps on stage this Saturday night at the Key Club in Los Angeles, there are many things that’ll set Sam Smith apart from the other acts, not the least of which is her young age and her refreshing lack of pretension in this age of plastic pop princesses. The 15-year old Newport Beach native is among the youngest ever invited to an A&R Connection Showcase at L.A.’s famous Key Club, Saturday June 14th, 2008 @ 7 p.m. sharp.

No matter if she’s facing a panel of major A&R reps or playing her favorite Newport Beach coffee shop, Smith taps into her musicianship, dives into her songs and goes to a place where she can work things out in her own way. A boyfriend’s betrayal, personal doubt...all are delivered with simple chords and soulful lyrics like those in “Running Back to Folded Arms” and “Evergreen.”

While tall, thin, blond Smith has the looks to have joined the pop-princess clique, a family life immersed in music, culture and travel have cultivated in her a deeper appreciation of the world. Preferring jeans, T-shirts and Chucks over Lycra spandex-tops & spike heels, Smith has summered in France since her birth, is fluent in French, and has had the opportunity to play music festivals both here and abroad.

Playing piano since age 8, and guitar from age 11, she composes and performs original music but also sprinkles her favorite classic rock cover songs into her live sets. Last year, Smith embraced the chance to go up against much older contenders in the Southern California Music Awards, and began building beyond her local following via her MySpace.com site.

Academics are also important to Smith, a 4.2 GPA-student who recently made the decision to leave her local high school to attend an elite Orange Coast College program that will enable her to complete high school early and enter college at an advanced sophomore level.

(more)
With this exclusive showcase opportunity, Smith looks forward to the chance to play for her L.A.-based fans, and hopes the label executives will find her music interesting from a recording and/or song publishing point of view.

“I always appreciate the opportunity to get out there and share my music with more people,” Smith says.

Showcase tickets are $15 for the public and can be requested in advance at Smith’s MySpace site, or purchased at the Key Club box office.

Media requests for tickets should be directed to publicist Beth Ann Hilton (beth@theBcompany.com), or by phone at 310-560-8390 at least one day in advance of the event.

# # #

About The Artist: Singer/songwriter Samantha Smith is young but her lyrics have a maturity beyond her 15 years. Her voice has a soulful reminiscence of Jewel and Sarah McLachlan. Samantha performs on piano and guitar, her songs evoking strong emotions with beautiful melodies and poignant lyrics. She started writing on the piano and guitar at the age of 10, and has performed in both the U.S. and Europe. EPK available at www.sonicbid.com/samanthasmith. Also see www.myspace.com/samanthasmithmusic)

About A&R Connection:
A&R Open House showcase presented by A&R Connection. The A&R Connection is the most reputable music industry resource dedicated to helping artists achieve their goals. We provide direct access to the top music industry executives, allowing artists to get their music heard! Label Panel: Universal Records, Capitol Records, Hollywood Records, Warner Brothers Records.

About the Event:
Saturday June 14th 2008, 7pm
Key Club
9039 Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA


For further information or interview requests, contact Beth Ann Hilton, The B Company, at (310) 560-8390.
- By Beth Ann Hilton, The B Company: June 9, 2008 (Los Angeles, CA)

http://dailypilot.com/articles/2009/12/18/education/dpt-youngsingers121909.txt

Youth choir formed by local singer-songwriter Sam Smith will perform its first show Sunday.

A local high school senior wants to teach the world to sing.

Samantha “Sam” Smith formed a nonprofit choir, Young Singers of Orange County, which will perform its first gig Sunday.

The choir welcomes kids ages 5 to roughly 14 with no (or advanced) singing experience.

There is an annual $25 fee to join, which covers the costs of printed materials; members also receive a T-shirt.

Sam is an accomplished singer-songwriter with a long background in performance. She maintains a 4.2 grade-point average at Orange Coast Middle College High School.

Sam is the president of her nonprofit’s board and has no employees; everyone contributes their time and effort for free.

The group’s first performance will be Sunday at the Roosters Food Drive at the Second Harvest Food Bank in Irvine.

Sam has entertained the more than 400 volunteers at the event for the past three years, so it was a natural fit to bring her new singing group with her, said her father, Peter Smith.

Smith, who’s British, said his daughter’s efforts remind him of the promise of the American dream.

“People do have an opportunity in this country,” he said, even in times of educational budget cuts — in which the arts often are the first thing to go. “When the government falls down, there’s still plenty of people to step up.”

About 15 children showed up for the choir’s first rehearsal this week, including several boys. Most were family friends or classmates.

“I’ve known the Smiths for about 12 years,” parent Darcie Schott said. “Sam’s had so much experience, and I love that it’s nonprofit.”

Sam says her story is a product of fate.

A Rotarian asked her to sing the national anthem at a meeting when she was 8. There, a pastor asked her to sing at his church. The church choir director recruited her for the choir — and to lead the congregation. A jazz musician heard her at church and asked her to sing at his gigs.

She then became the musical director for her old elementary school’s plays when she was a freshman.

In her junior year, she revived Newport Elementary School’s choir with modern songs and guitar accompaniment. She takes the choir to perform at various events like the Balboa Island Home Walk.

Sam also performs at a retirement home in France each summer.

Sam’s goals for the choir are to inspire a love of the arts, and to build children’s skills, self-confidence and volunteerism.

Music is in the family; her sister Sophie performs with a song and dance group from the Orange County High School of the Arts.

Young Singers of Orange County rehearses from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays at the Costa Mesa Playhouse, 661 Hamilton St.

The choir is seeking private donations, sponsorships and grants and performance gigs.

For more information, call Sam at (949) 413-3914, e-mail samantha@youngsingersoc.org or visit youngsingersoc.org.



- By Candice Baker, Daily Pilot, Monday, December 21, 2009

Singer-Songwriter Samantha Smith To Open For Legendary Folk Musician Al Stewart At The Coach House In San Juan Capistrano

Busy Newport Beach teen Samantha Smith also competing in finals of socal music awards this Saturday. Balancing academics, philanthropy, and music pays off when legends like Al Stewart come to town

Published on March 25, 2010

by Beth Ann Hilton

(OfficialWire)

LOS ANGELES, CA



Singer-songwriter Samantha Smith
Orange County singer/songwriter Samantha Smith will open for the British folk legend Al Stewart at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on Saturday April 3rd. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the live show starts at 8:00 p.m. PST.

Smith’s poignant lyrics have a maturity beyond her 17 years, from the wistful “Isn’t It Strange” and dreamy “Evergreen,” to her latest composition, the upbeat “Go Go Go!” Her recorded tracks are soulfully reminiscent of Jewel in the early days: earnest, cautiously hopeful, yet refreshing in their rawness. But, it was her live performance that advanced Smith to the finals of the Southern California Music Awards, in which she’ll compete this Saturday at 6:20 p.m. at The Gypsy Den in Santa Ana, CA. The competition is open to the public.

While Smith is a regular performer in and around Newport Beach, this is her first appearance at The Coach House.

“I am incredibly excited to be opening for such a legendary act,” says Smith. “Al Stewart is an amazing singer, songwriter and his songs have been an inspiration! I’ll also have a full band playing with me, which adds a whole new dimension to my songs.”

Accompanying Smith will be Bart Broadnax, a renowned Orange County bass player who plays with Smith at jazz gigs as well as her original shows, drummer Franc Ortega and up-and-coming teenage guitarist Max Newsom. Dave Nachmanoff, who plays guitar with Stewart on his US tours, also plans to sit in with Smith. “I’m really thrilled that Dave wanted to play,” Smith says. “It’s really an honor that he’d want to join me.”

The April 3rd show offers the perfect opportunity to see Smith play live as she graduates to the next level of her career. Playing piano since age 8, and guitar from age 11, she composes and performs original music, but also sprinkles her favorite classic rock cover songs into her live sets. Last year, Smith embraced the chance to go up against much older contenders in the Southern California Music Awards, and began building beyond her local following via her Sonicbid.com and MySpace.com sites.

Smith works hard to balance her life, philanthropically and academically. She is founder of the non-profit organization, Young Singers of Orange County, a community-service organization that provides opportunity for children ages 5-14 to participate in a choir which performs concerts at schools, hospitals, elderly-care facilities and community events. On the academic front, Smith is a 4.2 GPA-student who left her local high school to attend an elite Orange Coast College program; next year, she will attend Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY, to study Music and International Philanthropy.

Reserved seating for The Coach House is available with dinner reservations; for any questions about the venue, or to make reservations, please call 949.496.8930. The Coach House is located at 33157 Camino Capistrano # C, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675-4828 (www.thecoachhouse.com).

Tickets are also available directly from Samantha Smith for $20 (with no service charge). Please contact Samantha Smith’s management by e-mail at: samavalon (at) gmail.com or at (949) 413 3914.

Gypsy Den Grand Central Cafe, 125 N Broadway, Santa Ana, CA (714) 835-8840 www.gypsyden.com

For media inquiries, please contact Beth Hilton at the B Company bethhilton(at)thebcompany.com

Links:
http://www.sonicbids.com/epk/epk.aspx?epk_id=54272

http://www.myspace.com/samanthasmithmusic

CONTACT:
The B Company
Beth Ann Hilton
bethhilton@thebcompany.com
Tel: +1 (310) 560-8390
- Beth Hilton - The B Company

http://dailypilot.com/articles/2009/03/18/entertainment/dpt-happs031909.txt

Concert featuring 27 acts to raise funds for 5-year-old who has been undergoing therapy for a brain tumor.

Newport Beach resident Samantha Smith, 16, has been busy the past few weeks teaching grade-schoolers at Newport Elementary School the words to “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing.”

The former Newport Elementary student, who also writes and performs her own folk songs, has volunteered to start a choir for kids in second through sixth grade at the school.

“I chose ‘I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing’ because it’s me teaching the kids to sing and how great music is,” Samantha said. “It’s also a very cute message for kids to get across.”

Samantha and her choir are a few of the 27 young musical acts slated to perform at the Jammin’ for Julian concert in Costa Mesa on Saturday to benefit the family of 5-year-old Newport Beach resident Julian Dunn.

Samantha also will perform two pop folk songs she wrote herself.

Kids from preschool age through high school will perform at the event to raise money to help pay for Julian’s medical expenses.

Doctors found a golf-ball sized tumor in Julian’s brain a few weeks before Christmas. After three surgeries and a seven-week hospital stay, doctors have given Julian about an 85% chance of survival. He is still undergoing 55 weeks of chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

“It feels good to actually put our talents to good use. It’s a great way to try to help,” Samantha said. “Music is so inspiring and it’s also a great opportunity to let all of the kids perform.”

Julian is slated to start a new round of chemotherapy next week. The treatments have nasty side effects that could damage Julian’s hearing and kidneys.

Although Julian knows he’s sick, the boy is still a happy child most of the time who enjoys drawing pictures of monster trucks and hearts and pretending he’s a tiger cub, his father, Richard Dunn said.

“We take it one day at a time and accept all of the love we’ve been given,” Dunn said. “His spirit and attitude inspire me. Attitude is the only thing we really have control over in this life.”

Julian’s parents decided to organized the Jammin’ For Julian event to help pay for their mounting medical bills.

Julian doesn’t quite grasp the concept of the small army of volunteers and child performers his parents have rallied to help with his medical bills, Dunn said.

“He just knows that Jammin’ for Julian is upon us,” he said.

From people willing to give money, bake cookies or work the door to the child pianists and singers, the Dunn family has been overwhelmed with offers of help.

So much so, plans are already in the works for a second Jammin’ for Julian concert, although no date has been set yet. The Dunns hope the event will grow into an annual fundraiser to help families with sick children pay for their medical expenses.

“We’ve been blown away and humbled by the support we’ve gotten,” Dunn said. “It will be a very emotional day.”

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Jammin’ for Julian, a children’s pop concert and expo to benefit 5-year-old Julian Dunn, who is undergoing treatment for a brain tumor.

WHERE: Newport Mesa Church, 2599 Newport Blvd., Costa Mesa.

WHEN: Doors open at 2 p.m. The concert begins at 2:30 p.m.

HOW MUCH: A $15 donation per person is suggested, with a maximum donation of $60 per family. - By Brianna Bailey, Daily Pilot, Wednesday, March 18, 2009

http://dailypilot.com/articles/2009/10/01/entertainment/dpt-festival100209.txt

International festival will feature Newport Beach’s city siblings from France, Japan and Mexico in a familial environment.

Taiko drummers, children dancing to traditional Mexican folk songs, and a French plein air painter will all be a part of the giant melting pot Sunday at the Newport Beach Sister City International Festival.

The free event will celebrate Newport’s relationship with the cities of Antibes, France, Okazaki, Japan, and Ensenada, Mexico.

“It’s going to be like an old-fashioned family day in the park,” said event organizer Connie Skibba, who has been a part of the Newport Beach Sister City Assn. since 1996. The group sponsors student exchange programs that allow local residents to experience life in other countries. Groups of foreign students also visit Newport each year.

“I think we are such a global society now that promoting our international community and culture with other people is important,” Skibba said.

Newport just celebrated 25 years of sister-city status with Okazaki.

The city of about 300,000, about 200 miles southwest of Tokyo, is famous for manufacturing fireworks.

Newport’s other sister cities include Antibes, a port city in southeastern France, and Ensenada, with which Newport co-hosts the annual Newport to Ensenada Yacht Race.

Sunday’s event will feature patriotic songs from the Harbor View Elementary School Chorus and drummers from the Taiko Center of Los Angeles. Local singer and songwriter Samantha Smith will perform the American, French and Japanese national anthems at the event.

Newport Beach Councilman Don Webb will act as emcee.

“This is an event the whole family can enjoy together,” said Cherri Penne-Myers, president of the Sister City Assn. “There will be lots of international games for children with an opportunity for them to learn about the different cultures of our sister cities and meet many of our members.”

If You Go:

What: The Newport Beach Sister City International Festival

When: Noon to 4 p.m. Sunday

Where: Mariners Park, 1300 Irvine Ave.

- By Brianna Bailey, Daily Pilot, Thursday, October 1, 2009

http://dailypilot.com/articles/2009/03/18/entertainment/dpt-happs031909.txt

Concert featuring 27 acts to raise funds for 5-year-old who has been undergoing therapy for a brain tumor.

Newport Beach resident Samantha Smith, 16, has been busy the past few weeks teaching grade-schoolers at Newport Elementary School the words to “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing.”

The former Newport Elementary student, who also writes and performs her own folk songs, has volunteered to start a choir for kids in second through sixth grade at the school.

“I chose ‘I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing’ because it’s me teaching the kids to sing and how great music is,” Samantha said. “It’s also a very cute message for kids to get across.”

Samantha and her choir are a few of the 27 young musical acts slated to perform at the Jammin’ for Julian concert in Costa Mesa on Saturday to benefit the family of 5-year-old Newport Beach resident Julian Dunn.

Samantha also will perform two pop folk songs she wrote herself.

Kids from preschool age through high school will perform at the event to raise money to help pay for Julian’s medical expenses.

Doctors found a golf-ball sized tumor in Julian’s brain a few weeks before Christmas. After three surgeries and a seven-week hospital stay, doctors have given Julian about an 85% chance of survival. He is still undergoing 55 weeks of chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

“It feels good to actually put our talents to good use. It’s a great way to try to help,” Samantha said. “Music is so inspiring and it’s also a great opportunity to let all of the kids perform.”

Julian is slated to start a new round of chemotherapy next week. The treatments have nasty side effects that could damage Julian’s hearing and kidneys.

Although Julian knows he’s sick, the boy is still a happy child most of the time who enjoys drawing pictures of monster trucks and hearts and pretending he’s a tiger cub, his father, Richard Dunn said.

“We take it one day at a time and accept all of the love we’ve been given,” Dunn said. “His spirit and attitude inspire me. Attitude is the only thing we really have control over in this life.”

Julian’s parents decided to organized the Jammin’ For Julian event to help pay for their mounting medical bills.

Julian doesn’t quite grasp the concept of the small army of volunteers and child performers his parents have rallied to help with his medical bills, Dunn said.

“He just knows that Jammin’ for Julian is upon us,” he said.

From people willing to give money, bake cookies or work the door to the child pianists and singers, the Dunn family has been overwhelmed with offers of help.

So much so, plans are already in the works for a second Jammin’ for Julian concert, although no date has been set yet. The Dunns hope the event will grow into an annual fundraiser to help families with sick children pay for their medical expenses.

“We’ve been blown away and humbled by the support we’ve gotten,” Dunn said. “It will be a very emotional day.”

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Jammin’ for Julian, a children’s pop concert and expo to benefit 5-year-old Julian Dunn, who is undergoing treatment for a brain tumor.

WHERE: Newport Mesa Church, 2599 Newport Blvd., Costa Mesa.

WHEN: Doors open at 2 p.m. The concert begins at 2:30 p.m.

HOW MUCH: A $15 donation per person is suggested, with a maximum donation of $60 per family. - By Brianna Bailey, Daily Pilot, Wednesday, March 18, 2009