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Cheryl B. Engelhardt Named January “Best Vocalist Of The Month” With Her Song “Keep”
By Dale Kawashima
Cheryl B. Engelhardt, a talented rock/pop singer/songwriter
& pianist based in New York, NY, has won the January SingerUniverse “Best
Vocalist Of The Month” Competition, for her performance of her song “Keep”.
This is one of six cuts which will be included on her upcoming EP, which will
be her first release since her 2004, full 12-song CD, Shoes Off And Run.
Cheryl B. Engelhardt
“Keep” is a powerful, midtempo rock tune, which not only
showcases Engelhardt’s clear, assertive vocals, but also her songwriting and
production skills. The song starts off with a graceful piano intro, then
gradually builds towards a soaring, radio-ready chorus. The recording was
expertly produced by Engelhardt, and she also plays keyboards, does the
programming, and contributes solid harmony vocals in the chorus.
Engelhardt was born in Mt. Kisco, NY, and grew up in
Connecticut. She began playing piano and writing songs at a very young age.
Engelhardt enjoyed listening to jazz and classical music, and to such rock
& pop artists as U2, Dave Matthews Band, Alanis Morissette and Sarah
McLachlan. In high school, she sang in a Madrigal choral group, which performed
at the White House. And for college, she attended Cornell University in NY,
where she subsequently graduated with majors in both Biology & Society and
Music. It was also at Cornell that she took a poetry class, which inspired her
to focus on her lyric writing
Following college, Engelhardt seriously pursued her music
career, and she wrote and recorded the songs for her 2004 debut album, Shoes
Off And Run. This CD has since sold about 1,500 units, and it has led to
her receiving several accolades. Last year Engelhardt was named by Keyboard
magazine as their “Unsigned Artist Of The Month,” and she has also been a
finalist in some major, songwriting competitions.
Cheryl B. Engelhardt performing live onstage.
Her song “Keep” is definitely a key cut on her upcoming EP,
which she hopes will generate further exposure, and help her build a team for
her music career. “I loved doing the indie route [and promoting my career on my
own},” said Engelhardt. “But if I could build a team that could take on
booking, managing, or even financing, that would be amazing, as long as they
can do a better job than I can.”
Thus far, Engelhardt has been doing a terrific job of
promoting her music. She has assembled a band, and they have toured the
Northeast, the west coast, plus played showsin Texas and Nashville. In addition, she recently traveled to
Switzerland, where she performed solo gigs, and established new connections for
herself and her band.
In addition, here are four, talented vocalists/artists who complete our Top Five Vocalists honorees list for this month's competition, with their credits, plus their e-mail and website links:
Shay Dillon
"Happy." (blues/rock). Performed by Shay Dillon of Nevada City, CA. Written by Shay Dillon and Paul Kraushaar.