P’ville Singer Among Leaders in National Online Music Competition

Molly Adele Brown has had a knack for getting noticed. Growing up in South Salem as the youngest of three girls in her household, Brown wasn’t afraid to stand up in front of her family and perform. It’s something that she learned to do naturally.

“When I was younger I was definitely the one that was looking for attention. That was me,” Brown said. “I grew up in a family of three sisters, so there was a lot of singing and dancing at home.”

Her love for performing led to dance lessons as a young child, then roles at the Lighthouse Youth Theater Company’s production of “A Chorus Line” and in “The Music Man” and “A Christmas Carol” at Westchester Broadway Theatre. Brown also participated extensively in theater at her high school, St. Luke’s in Connecticut.

As a teenager, she displayed her musical side by taking out her mother’s old guitar to play–before her mom bought her one of her own.

Brown, 21, a theater performance major at Wagner College in Staten Island who will be graduating this spring, has since added singing and songwriting to her repertoire.

The latest step forward for the country music lover was her decision last fall to enter a new national online music competition called Bands4Good Challenge, a North Carolina-based program that looks to help aspiring artists further their careers while raising money for children’s music programs across the United States.

The competition requires contestants to submit a sample of their work to be judged by a panel of recording industry professionals ranging from producers to singer/songwriters. Brown was one of 12 finalists selected in the Adult Open Division.

Scoring for the finalists, which concludes on Wednesday, consists of a combination of judges’ evaluation, online public votes and monetary donations by the public made to the charity of a contestant’s choice.

Brown, the daughter of Renee and Charles Brown, founders of the Armonk general contracting firm C.W. Brown, said when she learned of the competition it sounded exciting and a good way for more people to listen to her music. But it also was in line with her mission of having her music help others. She chose to benefit Little Kids Rock, a New Jersey organization that partners with public school districts in mainly disadvantaged areas to bring music programs to children.

“When I was younger I worked really hard to make it a point to help out others and I am happy to see how I can still keep giving back while doing what I love,” said Brown, whose family downsized and moved to Pleasantville after her father passed away a few years ago.

At the end of last week, Brown was sitting in third place. The winner receives career development and coaching, recording studio sessions, performance opportunities and introductions to industry professionals.

Regardless of what happens with the competition, Brown may have received her biggest break during a college internship at the Casting House in Manhattan. Her mentor, whose husband is in the music industry, had a conversation with her about what she wanted to do after school.

When Brown told her about her musical aspirations, she was asked why she wasn’t writing her own music. That was the impetus for Brown to start writing her own lyrics, many of them about her own feelings and experiences, which can be an intimidating process, she said.

The couple began writing music to accompany some of her lyrics, which has helped Brown to refine her sound. So far she has a full book of lyrics and has finished recording five songs.

“It’s all about making connections in this business and I just was fortunate to have this one,” said Brown, who started enjoying country music by listening  to Luke Bryan, Kacey Musgraves and Carrie Underwood.

Sometime after graduation, Brown hopes to make more connections by heading to Nashville and being part of the scene in the country music capital.

She also intends to keep as many options available by keeping her eye out for additional theater roles.

“I’ve been very, very lucky in that I’ve been able to do what I love to do and go at it full throttle,” she said.

To vote for Brown in the Bands4Good Challenge, visit https://adultopen2014.bands4good.com/MollyABrown. To learn more about Bands4Good Challenge, visit www.bands4good.com.