Huntington Arts Council Brings Grammy Winner
Chrisette Michele to Central Islip Senior High School

CENTRAL ISLIP, 14 May 2009 - The Huntington Arts Council yesterday presented to the students at Central Islip Senior High School a special performance by former student Chrisette Michele, whose just-released second album "Epiphany" reached No. 1 in sales in its first week. The Grammy-winning jazz and R&B singer sang, played piano and answered questions in the auditorium. The hour-long event was part of the Arts Council's Journey Arts-in-Education program.

While Michele is on a nationwide promotional tour for the new album, she made the time for this school appearance because she wants to give young musicians the message that hard work and education pay off. "My album being No. 1 is a tribute not to me, but to all of our music roots, including jazz, Broadway, Bach and soul. I studied them, and they all influenced my music and my songwriting. If you do the work, you can reach the stars."

Long Islanders will be able to see Chrisette Michele's dynamic performance on the Chapin Rainbow Stage on Friday, July 24. Her appearance is part of the 44th Annual Huntington Summer Arts Festival, which the Huntington Arts Council produces. The 44 evenings of entertainment, which begin on June 27 and go through August 16, are free to the public. Details will be at www.huntingtonarts.org on June 1 or call 631-271-8423.

This local talent, a Patchogue resident and a performance major at Five Towns College, achieved acclaim in 2006 by singing on Jay-Z's "Lost One" and Nas' "Can't Forget About You." Her record deal with Def Jam Records resulted in her debut "I Am," a gold-certified album nominated for two Grammys, winner of one, as well as her nomination for a BET Award for Best New Artist. She has been described as a "soulful songbird" by Entertainment Weekly.

Singer-songwriter Ne-Yo became a major fan after hearing that first album, which Michele wrote as well as performed. In an interview with Newsday's Glenn Gamboa, Ne-Yo proclaimed, "There's so much phony floating around in this business that when you come across real, you know right off the top and I knew that about her." Her new album includes a duet with Ne-Yo, "What You Do." Ne-Yo and Chuck Harmony collaborated on the title track "Epiphany," putting Michele in a league which includes Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Janet Jackson and Celine Dion. The sultry-voiced singer explains, "I wanted to raise the bar and step out of my comfort zone. I wanted to make songs that are more edgy, youthful and urban." In a recent appearance at B.B. King's, she performed a hip-hop style reading of her poetry with musical collaboration from her backup band.

The Huntington Arts Council's programs reach over 750,000 Long Island residents, and it serves the entire region with its cultural listings at www.huntingtonarts.org. The Council is the official arts coordinating agency for the Town of Huntington, and serves as the primary regranting agency in Suffolk County for the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), in addition to its services to over 600 member cultural organizations and individual artist members.