Omaha Teen Band Strikes a Chord with BBC Producers, Prepares to Jam in London (Including the Mount's own Chris Antonelli)

Eight Local Musicians Poised to Become “The Next Big Thing” as Finalists in BBC World Service’s International Band Competition

Omaha, NE, November 29, 2006 – For a group of local musicians known as MLK and the Dreamers, the dream of becoming a world-famous band is so close they can … hear it. Literally. This month, their original song, “Great Man,” has been featured on-air and online as part of the BBC’s “The Next Big Thing.” The Omaha teens have received nearly 4,000 online votes from listeners across the globe in the three weeks since the band advanced to the top 20 in a worldwide competition that began with more than 1,100 bands. Today, the band became the only U.S. group to advance to the final six, which means traveling to London on Saturday for a jam-packed week of sight-seeing, shopping, and most importantly, working with BBC producers and recording in BBC's legendary Maida Vale studios.

“The Next Big Thing” represents the BBC's search for the best young band in the world, and was open to groups and solo artists worldwide aged 18 and under, performing original music in any genre. The competition aims to give a helping hand to young artists who may not have access to the music industry. Finalists are picked by online voters, a panel of music industry experts, and BBC producers.

"There's fantastic musical talent all over the world but many people struggle to get that first break, and that's where we come in", says Project Director, Ben Williams. "It's something new and very exciting that we've never tried before."

This is sweet music to the 16 ears of these young Omahans, poised to compete for the title of “The World's Best Young Band.” These individualists dare to dream a collective dream. While steadfastly mimicking no band, each member fiercely cherishes his or her own divergent tastes. They prefer to characterize themselves as a loose, eclectic collective of friends, drawn together by their love of all music. They describe their sound as "original, playful, and energetic.”

MLK and the Dreamers comprises eight young men and women ages 15-17 from Central, Duchesne, Prep, and Mt. Michael High Schools in Omaha. The band formed at the end of the summer and entered the BBC contest a few weeks later. Their berth into the final six is being announced today and tomorrow on BBC World Service's “The Beat” broadcast. Finalists will each play a live session for BBC World Service’s Grand Jury (DJs, artists, record industry bosses and music journalists). Some sessions will be recorded at the BBC's studios in London, and some bands will be pre-recorded in their own countries. On December 9, one act will become The World's Best Young Band, and have their music played to the BBC’s 164 million listeners worldwide.

For more about “The Next Big Thing”: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/thenextbigthing