Power! Range! Versatility! The Voice of CLARISSA Singer / Songwriter Indie ~ Alterna ~ Rock ~ Pop ~ Folk Clarissa began singing as a child everything from gospel to country to blues to rock 'n roll. She's a POWER singer! Her voice is unique, distinctive, versatile. And although she is technically a Mezzo Soprano (aka Dramatic Soprano), the voice packs an over three-octave range. Power, Range and Versatility are the words that best embrace her voice. She is originally from Knoxville, TN, grew up in VA and now resides in Baltimore, MD. Clarissa still studies voice and piano from various independent instructors from the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore. Additional background includes 10 years of classical training in jazz and modern dance and choreography, five years of ballet and three years of professional modeling in New York and Baltimore. She continues to study dance privately. The live touring schedule includes shows in Baltimore and up and down the East Coast. Plans are to widen the touring scope in 2005 and to continue integrating classical instruments into the live rock band's performances. Clarissa states that she has always been drawn to the sound of mixing it up with classical and rock instrumentation. Her music's core genre is Rock 'n Roll. But some of her songs have crossed over into other categories such as Pop, Folk and Alternative, obvious and further evidence of the Singer / Songwriter's versatility. Music Monthly Magazine said, "...and the singer seems quite at home mixing it up with the louder stuff. Whether it's the balladry of "Crimes" or the sonic sting of the aforementioned "Fall From Grace", on "Free To Be", CLARISSA seems to be at home in any musical setting." The Passion of Singing! Clarissa is a natural born live performer, whose voice is frequently described as "haunting" and "unique". Her high-energy shows are a spontaneous blend of her dance background, clear and powerful vocals and a sincere, emotional delivery of the message that is being conveyed through her lyrics. These are the reasons that her second album was recorded live. Music Monthly Magazine wrote, "...The lyrics are raw, kind of edgy, and so is her voice. It's freaky how her voice and the music go together--it's like they become one. Very interesting record, "Free To Be" is. If you like women who rock, and CLARISSA does, thought provoking lyrics, and pounding rhythms, you should check out CLARISSA." CD Street said, "CLARISSA Rocks! This band fronted by Clarissa Campbell has a rockin' groove, tight and edgy... Clarissa has a unique voice and combined with her band, they ROCK!" She is sometimes described as a cross between Debra Harry of Blondie, Melissa Etheridge and a female version of Kevin Martin of Candlebox. When asked what drives her to continue performing, writing and recording, her response is a matter of fact, "I can't NOT do it. Music is not a choice for me, the drive for it is unrelenting." She is the Co-Songwriter for both albums and is currently responsible for all of the band's bookings, it's management and promotional efforts. She Co-Produced "Free To Be" with former guitarist and songwriting partner, Mike Berger, and she Produced both the "CLARISSA Live!" album and music video. CLARISSA is a four - six member original rock band based out of Baltimore, MD. Clarissa Campbell, lead singer/songwriter, and Mike Berger, guitarist/songwriter originally joined forces and established a cover band in early 1999. Their band, Yellow #5, consistently toured the Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. circuit from early 1999 through the Spring of 2001. Clarissa and Mike, although continuing to play cover music in some venues, redirected their focus to concentrate on their original music. The debut CD, "Free To Be" was released in September 2001. This nine song CD features the collaborative efforts of Clarissa Campbell and Mike Berger. The music of this CD is a diverse blend of the melodic to the somewhat edgy. The overall theme of the music is "change"....... in life, love and the human experience. The lyrical content is honest and direct and the music written for it was designed to keep its integrity and support the message it sends. The overall sound of Clarissa's vocals and Mike's music is unmistakably their signature and therein lies the consistency that ties the entire collection together. 2002 was spent touring the East Coast on "Free To Be", increasing the music's exposure and diversifying it's audience. "Come See About Me", "Before" and "Free To Be", the debut CD's title track, have secured considerable airplay on both regular radio stations and web radio. Local Music Warehouse wrote, "...You must see this band live to fully appreciate their music... Clarissa sings from the heart and it's apparent in every track on "Free To Be". As a former Yellow #5 fan "Free To Be" is a must have CD.........." Again, in late 2002 and 2003, Campbell and Berger wrote and arranged the songs for the about to be released, "CLARISSA Live!" CD, which was recorded "live in front of a studio audience" on January 16, 2004 at NP Productions in Towson, MD. Music Monthly Magazine released in late 2002, "Clarissa is busy working on her next CD.... She's a very smart lady, with a very good voice. And, she was born to do music, which is what she does. Thank God, if she didn't what a waste it would be." The release of "CLARISSA Live!" will be in the Fall of 2004, followed by the "CLARISSA Live!" music video in late 2004, which was recorded simultaneously with the CD. "CLARISSA Live!" consists of eight new songs and five from the "Free To Be" album. The entire CD features additional classical instrumentation, violin and flute, and some new arrangements on the re-recorded tracks. "CLARISSA Live!" contains the same diversity of "Free To Be", with increased and intensified emotionalism, beautiful melody and dynamic, yet driving music. Types Of Shows: We do it all!!!!! CLARISSA and her band perform both full electric band shows - originals and covers - and acoustic/unplugged (2 - 4 piece) shows depending on the needs of the venue. Shows vary in length between one and four hours. "Free To Be" and "CLARISSA Live!" are both recordings of the full rock band, however a taste of the acoustic style can be heard in such tracks as: "Voice Inside"; "Come See About Me" and "Before". BAND FACTS: Style: Indie / Alternative / Rock / Pop / Folk Location: Baltimore, Maryland, USA Number of Members: 4 - 6 Band Beginnings: Founded in 1999 by Clarissa Campbell and Mike Berger DISCOGRAPHY: CLARISSA Live! 2004 FREE TO BE 2001 WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING: MUSIC MONTHLY MAGAZINE "...The lyrics are raw, kind of edgy, and so is her voice.... Very interesting record, Free To Be is. If you like women who rock, and Clarissa does, thought provoking lyrics, and pounding rhythms, you should check out CLARISSA..." "...She's got a great set of pipes..." "...Now look for CLARISSA, named after the phenomenal lead singer, vocalist Clarissa Campbell... she has a wonderful voice!" "...CLARISSA has a bunch of cool things happening for her, like an East Coast tour. She recently gigged in Florida and everyone loved her. Look for more and more out-of-town dates, and a lot of cool stuff from this multi-talented woman..." "On Free To Be, singer/songwriter Clarissa displays a number of styles and influences. That makes for an interesting listen, as she moves from flavor to flavor without effort... the singer seems quite at home mixing it up with the louder stuff. Whether it's the balladry of "Crimes" or the sonic sting of the aforementioned "Fall From Grace", on Free To Be, Clarissa seems to be at home in any musical setting." "Clarissa is busy working on her next CD.... She's a very smart lady, with a very good voice. And, she was born to do music, which is what she does. Thank God, if she didn't what a waste it would be." INDIE ARTIST RADIO "...Uniquely alternative rock from a female artist who sings of life, love and the human experience with an edge." DONIRYREED RECORDS "...Doniryreed Records announces CLARISSA to be one of the finalists in their 2003 Indie Band Talent Search, for her debut CD, Free To Be." LOCAL MUSIC WAREHOUSE "...You must see this band live to fully appreciate their music as it evokes emotion and thought in its listeners. Clarissa sings from the heart and it's apparent in every track on Free To Be. As a former Yellow #5 fan Free To Be is a must have CD...." JAXX CONCERT HALL & NIGHT CLUB "Great band and it is a tough biz - keep pluggin." SONGPRIZE.COM "...CLARISSA won "Honorable Mention" in SongPrize.com's 2003 International Songwriting Competition for "Free To Be", her debut CD's title track." CDSTREET.COM "CLARISSA Rocks! This band fronted by Clarissa has a rockin' groove. Tight, edgy and provoking lyrics. Clarissa has a unique voice..." CDBABY.COM "The South is about to find out what the North already knows... This four-piece alternative rock band from Baltimore, MD is led by the dynamic vocals of Clarissa Campbell... Touring with their debut CD, Free To Be , their summer showcasing begins in Central and South Florida in June, then back home to Baltimore, Philadelphia and The Shenandoah Valley of VA. There will be many stops throughout the summer up and down the East Coast and the dates are still coming in. They don't know what's coming. What's coming is one of Baltimore's and the Mid- Atlantic Region's BEST Artists --- CLARISSA... Pretty soon, CLARISSA will be a household name from Florida to Canada and everywhere in between.... Audiences can expect to get rocked like they have never been rocked before...." PERFORMANCES Events Music Monthly's 20th Anniversary Celebration, Baltimore, MD Special Olympics Benefit Festival, Staunton, VA CLARISSA Live! Recording of the second album, NP Productions, Towson, MD Sugarloaf Craft Festival, Prince William County Fairgrounds, Manassas, VA Opening For: Ronnie Milsap & Tammy Cochran Madison Celebrates 10th Annual, "Taste of the Mountains" Main Street Festival, Madison, VA Staunton's Annual 4th Of July Weekend Celebration, Gypsy Hill Park, Staunton, VA Morrell Park Block Party, Baltimore, MD Conferences Dewey Beach Music Conference 2002, Dewey Beach, DE Millenium Music Conference 2003, Harrisburg, PA Venues Maryland: 8X10 Club, Baltimore After Deck Sports Bar, Pasadena Alexander's, Columbia Bare Bones Grill & Brewery, Ellicott City Bay Café, Baltimore Bayou Blues, White Marsh Brannan's Pub, Baltimore Brass Monkey Saloon, Baltimore Cacao Lane, Ellicott City Cafe Tattoo, Baltimore Charles Village Pub, Towson City Lights, Baltimore Corner Stable Inn, Baltimore Decoy Lounge, Clinton Diamond Grille, Gaithersburg Dock Of The Bay, Edgemere DuClaw Brewing Co., Bel Air Fells Point Café, Fells Point Fireside Inn, Glen Burnie Fishbowl Inn, Arbutus The Funk Box, Baltimore Gator's Pub, Baltimore Golden's Sports Bar, Ellicott City Jimmy O'Donnell's Pub, Baltimore Junction Station, Catonsville Lagoon's Island Grill, Chesapeake Beach The Landing, Fallston Magic Cue Club, Germantown McCooley's, Elkton Michael's Pub, Jessup Mike's Crab House, Annapolis Nabbs Creek Café, Pasadena O'Brien's, Annapolis Old Mill Tavern, Dundalk Oliver's Saloon, Laurel Paloma's, Baltimore Sparta Inn, Dundalk Starlight Station, Reisterstown Stone Cellar, Ellicott City Timber Creek Café, Perry Hall Towne Tavern, Cockeysville Trader's, Chesapeake Beach The Vault, Baltimore Village Tavern, Chestertown Weber's Landing, Fallston Windows on the Bay, Pasadena Windsor Inn, Baltimore Wyatt's 1614 Lounge, Baltimore The Zu, Dundalk Virginia and Washington, DC: The Biltmore Grill, Harrisonburg JAXX Concert Hall & Nite Club, Springfield Main Street Bar & Grill, Harrisonburg Poe's Pub, Richmond The Pullman, Staunton The Shark Club, Centreville Sharp Shooters, Manassas The Spotlight, Woodbridge Sugarloaf Craft Festival, Manassas Sully's, Chantilly Zig's Bar & Grill, Alexandria The Grog & Tankard, Washington, DC Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts: Rusty Rudder, Dewey Beach Shakey's Sports Bar, Hershey Club DOS!, Philadelphia J. T. Croc N Berry's, Harrisburg Faneuil Hall Market Place, Boston Florida: Fisherman's Wharf, Pompano Beach Scruffy Murphy's Irish Pub, Orlando Brass Mug, Tampa Club M, Hollywood Cricketers Arms, Orlando Dante's Music Room, Orlando AWARDS June 2004 IAR Network's Indie Artist Radio launched its first ever "Indie Limelight" radio show, which featured the band's title track "Free To Be" from the debut CD. http://www.indieartistradio.com Indie Artist Radio Weaverville, NC February 2004 Doniryreed Records just announced CLARISSA to be one of the finalists in their 2003 Indie Band Talent Search, for the debut CD, "Free To Be". The winners will be chosen in April 2004. http://www.doniryeed.com/ Doniryreed Records Boston, MA February 2004 CLARISSA and Mike Berger won "Honorable Mention" in SongPrize.com's 2003 International Songwriting Competition for "Free To Be", their debut CD's title track. First, Second and Third Prizes went to Independent Artists in Seltjarnarnes, Iceland; Portland, Oregon; and Amsterdam, Netherlands. See THE GLOBAL PRESS RELEASE for Radio, TV and Internet Outlets on http://www.songprize.com http://www.presshog.com or http://www.sonicbids.com for more information. January 2004 Voted by Music Monthly Magazine's Mid-Atlantic Readers' Poll 2003, Jan. 2004 issue, Honorable Mention in: BEST IN REGION: "Artist"; BEST IN GENRE: "Rock"; BEST INSTRUMENTAL: "Female Vocals"; "Female Front" categories. Music Monthly "Best Of..." - Baltimore, MD February 2003 Voted by Music Monthly Magazine's Mid-Atlantic Readers' Poll 2002, Feb. 2003 issue, Honorable Mention in: BEST IN REGION: "Artist"; "Live Show"; "Attitude"; "Most Likely To Succeed"; "Songwriter"; BEST IN GENRE: "Rock"; BEST INSTRUMENTAL: "Female Vocals" (CLARISSA) ; "Drums"; "Guitar" (Mike Berger) categories. Music Monthly "Best Of..." - Baltimore, MD December 2002 SPA Records ("SPA") in conjunction with 2 Generations SPA Music Management, Inc. ("2G") released its Film & TV Compilation series, Volume III on November 8, 2002. This compilation CD featured CLARISSA's song "Before". "Mid-tempo female adult rock; song seeking to recollect the time before certain important life experiences." Lisa Weissberg SPA Records - New York, NY January 2002 Voted by Music Monthly Magazine's Mid-Atlantic Readers' Poll 2001, Jan. 2002 issue, Third Place In: BEST IN REGION: "New Artist" and BEST INSTRUMENTAL: "Female Voice" categories. Honorable Mention in: BEST IN GENRE: "Rock" category. Music Monthly "Best Of..." - Baltimore, MD INITIATIVES * Participant in the 6th Annual Grills & Grapes / Monticello 2004 Charity Event by donating copies of "Free To Be". The events purpose is to benefit the children of Camp Heartland, a children's camp for kids impacted with HIV/AIDS. Participation is sponsored by Broadjam. September 2004 Monticello, Wisconsin * Performance at Music Monthly's 20th Anniversary Celebration. All event proceeds go to Music Monthly Magazine to assist in their ongoing efforts to support local music in the Mid-Atlantic Region. September 2004 Baltimore, MD * Performance at The Special Olympics Benefit Festival. CLARISSA's performance and all sales proceeds from the "Free To Be" CDs and t-shirts were donated to The Special Olympics. July 2004 Staunton, VA * "Involved Artist" in Radio Devil's and One World Beat's "Keep A Child Alive" program of 2004 by donating copies of "Free To Be". This is an initiative of AAAW (Artists Against AIDS Worldwide). The one week event was broadcasted by Radio Devil. March 2004 Worldwide Contact and Booking Information: Clarissa L. Campbell, Singer / Songwriter Baltimore, MD 410-935-0364 info@clarissamusic.com http://www.clarissamusic.com