The annual Central Florida Tiny Desk contest showcase is here! Tonight, Thursday, June 6 at 7pm, the five unsigned local artists that you voted for will take the stage at the Social in downtown Orlando.
This year the five artists who will be performing are: Cammila Musica, Mike Quick, Revival Music (the brand-new name for 3rd Day Music), Christina Vukel, and DNA.
As the big night gets underway, they all share a little about themselves, their music, and what inspired them to bring their songs to you…live!
The event is sold out, but you can stream it live from cfpublic.org/tinydesk starting at 7pm.
Cammila Musica
My first song is “By My Side.” The song is about wanting to be enough for someone, and just remembering how everything used to be, and really wishing to go back to that.
When I was younger, I used to say every afternoon and like the front porch of my grandma's house, hoping that like someone will like walk by and just be like, “Oh my God, you sing amazing! And you dance amazing! Can you come and I'll sign you and you're gonna be famous!” [laughs] And I used to do that every afternoon. Just hoping that one day that might happen.
Mike Quick
The song that I submitted was “All Fascist Kings Will Fall.” I thought it was important to talk about it – that fascism and dictators are not cool. So I want to remind myself, I want to remind others, I want to be an inspiration not to fall down that dark path. I want to be in that conversation. I want to be taken seriously.
I think the music I grew up on was always quite serious and forward thinking. And when I grew up listening to music, a song or an artist could literally change the way you look at the world. It could change your mind.
I also write about my life as well. My experiences, my wife, my kids…I also have fun!
Keith Anthoni
I'm part of the band formerly known as 3rd Day Music, making our appearance as Revival Music. A lot of the music we play is my own personal music that I've written. The song we did for the Tiny Desk submission was “Beautiful Morning.” “Beautiful Morning” actually stemmed from the Bible verse Lamentations 3:22-23, which says, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.”
Basically, that song, when I made it, I was just in a dark place and didn't really know God, and then finally met Him before that song was made. And…I was homeless for a little bit. I was doing drugs and doing things to survive on the street, like selling drugs. But “his mercies never come to an end.” So, “Beautiful Morning” means that every day you wake up is a chance to choose Him.
I lived near Washington., D.C., and grew up watching Tiny Desk on YouTube and just enjoying Tiny Desk, so to be a part of it as an artist would be amazing!
Christina Vukel
I've been singing and songwriting since I was about two years old. I started releasing music when I was in middle school.
My song “Things I Do” is about being selfless and realizing that you need to give to yourself before you can give to other people. I was inspired to write this song because it was a reoccurring theme in my life, that I was trying to please everyone, and I needed to step back and focus on myself instead.
Making music has always been so important to me. It's how I express my emotions and thoughts and it's how I relate to other people.
At the age of 16, I opened for Air Supply. At 17, I opened for Sara Evans. And this year I opened for Gypsy Kings. The Tiny Desk contest has been a favorite in my family, since we first heard about it on an NPR radio station many years ago. I'm so grateful to have been given the opportunity to perform at the Social for this contest, and I know it will be an amazing experience.
Sean Shakespeare of DNA
We've been doing DNA for about two to three years. The collaboration process felt good so we just kept making more music and that turned into DNA. “Crowded Graves” is about the condition in people's minds in these seemingly apocalyptic times, who we are as a society and as a group. The society feels so divided and tired and lost all the time.
It's important to make music for me personally because music is kind of a pressure valve for me psychologically. It's the filter through which I process life experiences in general.
My friends and I watched various artists perform Tiny Desk concerts pretty often just excited to share our music with more people.
Below is the video recording from the showcase event
