On April 1st, Maine Art Scene (www.maineartscene.com) will introduce Maine's first statewide music performers on www.maineartscene.com. Cellardoor Vineyard of Lincolnville (www.mainewine.com) is sponsoring this unique event.

True to the mission of the magazine, the music performers showcase is aimed at helping Maine professional songwriters, vocalists, musicians, and composers gain greater visibility. The event is open to all professional music performers who are at least part-time Maine residents and have recorded an album within the last five years.

"Once again, we are excited to have so many artists participating in our second statewide online event," says Brenda Bonneville, editor of Maine Art Scene. "The response has been incredible and really highlights the enormous musical talent that exists here in Maine."

"When we think of Maine and art, we tend to think of visual artists, particularly painters," says Thierry Bonneville, media director. "After viewing and listening to Maine's music performers showcase, you might start to think otherwise. We find the breadth and quality of Maine music artistry to be quite astonishing".

The list of over twenty five musical performers participating in the showcase includes: Ellen Tipper and Emelia Dahlin, both talented singers and songwriters, who recently performed at the Camden Opera House as part of the "Sweet Sounds of Spring: An Evening with Maine's Finest Female Artists" show; Steve Grover, a well known jazz drummer and band leader, as well as adjunct music faculty member at Bowdoin College, Bates College, and the University of Maine at Augusta; Evergreen, Maine's leading American Roots music ensemble, with the distinction of having appeared in hundreds of events throughout the state; Tom Snow, an international jazz pianist and frequent music lecturer at Bates College; and Hiroya Miura, conductor of the Bates College orchestra, teacher of composition and music theory, and recipient of various awards and fellowships including those from the Mellon Foundation, the Atlantic Center for the Arts, and the American Composers Forum.

Each participating artist, band and vocal ensemble have their own page on maineartscene.com to display their latest work (three mp3 samples), a statement, list their upcoming performances, and link to websites where their CDs can be purchased.

Maine Art Scene has garnered an enthusiastic response from artists and arts organizations, and our closely monitored readership has tripled in the last six months. In addition to press releases and events coverage (posted by artists and arts organizations for a nominal fee), the search engine-optimized website offers a statewide art directory, multi-media artist profiles (slideshows, podcasts and streaming videos), and a blog "artTalk" where anyone can post Maine art-related comments. The goal of the publication is to enable Maine artists and arts organizations to promote themselves, their artwork, and their message, and to serve as a resource for those who love the arts.