Michelle Raitzin was born on Long Island, New York on February 7, 1992 to Janice and Michael Raitzin. Michelle is the younger sister to Brian, who is an accomplished cellist and a pre-med student at Georgia’s Emory University. Michelle’s early years were greatly influenced by her father’s multi-cultural background. Michael Raitzin was born in Russia, lived in Europe for fifteen years and later settled in the United States. Early Years While growing up, Michelle was introduced to different genres of music including the music of those artists that had a strong influence on her father when he lived abroad. Michelle’s passion for music and her appreciation of the arts was further enhanced when her late grandmother, Hadassah Futernick, began spending evenings with her granddaughter listening to taped performances of the late Misha Raitzin, who was a principal tenor at New York City’s Metropolitan Opera House and Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre. Misha Raitzin is Michelle’s great uncle. In 2002, at the age of ten, Michelle began taking singing lessons at the Long Island Conservatory where she was trained classically. That year, Michelle entered her first singing contest at Long Island’s Morgan Park in the Young Performers talent competition. She was the youngest contestant in the junior division, and at the age of ten, receiving the honorary mention award for her performance of the national anthem a cappella was an exciting moment for young Michelle. After her performance, while sitting on her mother’s lap, Michelle whispered in her ear, “Now I know for sure, this is what I want to do.” Professional Recordings In June of 2008, Michelle made her second debut performance singing the lead vocal on Tears of the Sun on Denmark’s Royal Hunt Collision Course CD. That summer, Michelle spent two weeks in Sweden rehearsing with the band for their world tour, and in June, she performed live to thousands of enthused fans in Osaka and Tokyo, the two largest cities of Japan. On the next leg of the tour, Michelle performed at one of Europe’s largest rock festivals, Solvesborg’s Sweden Rock Festival. Michelle was warmly embraced by the fans, and she appreciatively responded back by signing autographs at the different venues. In 2006, Nickelodeon hired Michelle to do voiceovers where she narrated several of Zoey 101 and Barbie Diaries television commercials. Plus, she was hired to do “demos” of television and radio jingles for Crayola, Hess Truck, MasterCard, Mays Department Stores, Oreos and Reese’s Puffs Cereal. Michelle’s teen years continued to be successful and those in the music industry admired her work ethics. She was described as, “The one with the beautiful voice.” In 2005, Michelle made an enthralling debut performance singing two lead vocals, Boogie Woogie Santa Claus and You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch, on Pottery Barn Kid’s CD, A Very Kid’s Christmas! She sang a duet, Zat You, Santa Claus? with Harrison Chad, and she sang in the chorus of the CD with the Snow Kidz. The CD was sold around the United States in 2005 and in 2006 for the holiday season. In 2003, Michelle was hired to sing in the chorus of the movie soundtrack, The Littlest Light, starring James Naughton and Jane Seymour; and during the next three years she was hired to sing on two Barbie Hits CD’S and nine Kidz Bop CD’S. Awards In June of 2008, Michelle, a sophomore at Great Neck South High School, was proudly crowned WOR radio’s shining star by WOR radio hosts, Donna Hanover and Joe Bartlett, for her exquisite performance of Celine Dion’s hit song, The Power of Love. Michelle’s performance was dedicated to her late grandmother, Hadassah Futernick, Michelle’s mentor and her greatest supporter up until the time of her death in May 2008. Paul Siebold, who is the marketing director of WOR said: “There are so many incredibly talented students across the tri-state area. With one thousand submissions this year and sixty thousand listener votes, it’s a huge accomplishment to have won the competition.” For Michelle’s success in WOR radio’s shining star competition, Great Neck South High School was awarded $10,000.00 that benefited the music department, and a very proud Michelle received a beautiful trophy and a very generous check. Michael Ebert, of Long Island’s Newsday newspaper, selected Michelle as Newsday’s Way to Go! student for her musical achievement in WOR’S competition. Bruce Zipes, owner of Great Neck’s Bruce’s Baker to the Stars restaurant and bakery, proudly inducted Michelle on to the restaurant’s wall of fame. There, she is beautifully pictured among such celebrities as Robert Redford, Cindy Crawford, Sarah Hughes and Mickey Mantle…to name just a few stars. In September of 2007, Michelle placed third at Memphis, Tennessee’s Star of the Fair singing competition. There, she magnificently sang a rendition of songwriter Yip Harburg’s, Over the Rainbow. Michelle was awarded a beautiful trophy and a very generous check for her success in the competition. She was the only female singer to place in the contest. School Performances In 2007, Michelle began taking ballet and hip-hop lessons at Long Island’s Zawacki Dance Center. And at Great Neck South High School, where the performing arts department was named a 2009 Grammy finalist, Michelle has confidently honed her art, singing, dancing and acting. Her stellar performances at South High’s Theatre South include her role of Muzzy in Thoroughly Modern Millie; The Witch in Into the Woods; and Elaine in Arsenic and Old Lace. In 2005, at Great Neck South Middle School, Michelle gave an outstanding performance in her star role as Reno Sweeney in Cole Porter’s musical, Anything Goes. Porter’s hit song, Blow Gabriel Blow was Michelle’s signature song and today, when she sings the great number, Michelle still brings the house down with her magnificent, soulful voice. Gabriel Carras, South Middle School theatre director said: “After Michelle sang Blow Gabriel Blow, the audience gave the longest and loudest sustained applause I’ve heard in the five years of doing shows at South Middle.” In 1997, young Michelle gave her first staged ballet performance for the Great Neck School of Dance at Great Neck’s South Middle School. There, dressed as a green grasshopper, the ballerina delighted the audience with her graceful steps. Volunteer Work Since the age of eleven, Michelle has volunteered her time singing at many worthy non-profit organizations year-round. Whether it is singing the national anthem at a Special Olympics event, performing Blow Gabriel Blow to a crowd of three hundred and forty supporters including young cancer survivors at Winthrop’s Cancer Center for Kids annual ball, or singing at Schneider Children’s Hospital, sharing her voice and warming the hearts of her audience has made Michelle a very special person to many children and their families. ♫ Michelle purchased an electric keyboard to benefit the Child Life program of Schneider Children’s Hospital with a portion of the money she was awarded from WOR ♫ Michelle Raitzin: Self-Titled Solo Debut Album Genre: Pop Rock In 2009, Long Island’s rising star, Michelle Raitzin, is living a beautiful dream. In her solo debut album, the multi-talented artist co-wrote the lyrics and the music to seven of the eleven songs on the album; and for her first time around, solo, the rising star indeed “shines.” The album is to be released in the United States and abroad in the late summer and the early fall of 2009, and it will be available to be purchased through the internet. A Note from the Singer It has been an amazing year working on my solo debut album. I feel blessed; and I’m very thankful to have had the opportunity to work with such talented artists in the music industry: Andre´ Andersen; Sean Hurley; Tim Pierce; and Los Angeles producer, Bill Malina. They are truly the heartbeat of the album. I hope the songs will touch your heart; lift your spirits; inspire; and empower you. Learning to trust our feelings and to value our uniqueness is the heart and soul of the album, and I’m thrilled to share my debut album with my dedicated fans, and, to those who are listening to my music for the first time. Enjoy! Michelle CREDITS Andre Andersen, musician and songwriter of Denmark’s Royal Hunt. Michelle Raitzin and Michael Raitzin co-wrote Be Prepared with Andersen. Sean Hurley, Los Angeles based musician and songwriter (Vertical Horizon & Robin Thicke). Michelle Raitzin co-wrote Running Away with Hurley. Paul Laine, Canadian singer and songwriter, wrote Shame and Everybody Knows. Tim Pierce, Los Angeles based, and legendary session guitarist. Pierce is the guitarist on Michelle Raitzin’s debut album. Pierces’ work credits include Miley Cryus, Bon Jovi, Rick Springfield, Bruce Springsteen, and many other popular artists. Pro J, Los Angeles based producer, did the programming on Michelle Raitzin’s debut album. Pro J has collaborated with Robin Thicke, and co-produced tracks with Thicke by artists, Christina Aguilera, Usher and En Vogue. Bruno Ravel & Steve West, New York based musicians and songwriters (Danger Danger) wrote Feels like Love. John Reid, United Kingdom singer and songwriter (Nightcrawlers) and Sean Hurley co-wrote Still Not Over You. Bill Malina, executive producer of Michelle Raitzin’s solo debut album. Malina, of Los Angeles, has worked with recording artists, Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey, Barry Manilow, Katy Perry and Ringo Starr, as well as many other successful artists in the music industry.