Recording Artist Heather Schmid Finds New Ways to Promote Music and Brand as GRAMMY(R) Awards Turn 50

Industry's Changing Economics Drive Trend Toward Label Independence and Innovative Promotion Strategies


LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwire - February 6, 2008) - As the 50th annual GRAMMY Awards are being celebrated at key events throughout Los Angeles this week, recording artist, Heather Schmid, joins a growing list of artists experimenting with new ways of distributing their music and brand both in and out of the United States. Schmid, as a new member of The Recording Academy®, is attending this week's GRAMMY Awards and voted for this year's nominees. As Schmid prepares to celebrate the best of the music industry, she remains committed to being independent and pursuing an unconventional path.

"As we all now know, the music industry is changing dramatically," offered Keith Garde, former Aerosmith co-manager and current manager to Schmid as well as several other well-known recording artists. "Artists need to employ alternate methods of building their careers as traditional avenues of marketing, promotion and distribution become less and less viable. Promoting her music in new and innovative ways is exactly what Heather is doing -- and she is doing it beautifully."

"Heather has chosen to perform internationally as a means to promote her new album, 'The Goddess Within,'" added producer and co-writer Rich Balmer, recognized for his work with Kayne West, Beyonce and Destiny's Child. "Heather's 3 1/2 octave range allows her to develop a very robust and rich sound that can move across music genres."

Recognizing that China has the fastest growing economy in the world, Schmid has chosen to perform in various parts of the country. She performed in front of a Chinese audience of more than 20,000 people this past November -- becoming the first U.S. artist to perform in the Jianxi province of China. She donated a significant portion of her concert proceeds to a local orphanage. She has also started hosting a popular TV show that airs on China's CCTV called "The Ambassador" and is seen by more than 200 million viewers throughout the country. Additionally, MTV China and Hunan TV profiled her commitment to charitable causes. She has donated a part of her proceeds to local charities wherever she has performed including Pakistan and India.

"This integration of music, TV and charity is a unique approach for broadening Heather's appeal to a worldwide audience," added Garde. "Heather is pushing the envelope in terms of innovative promotional strategy."

Editor's Note:

--  Headshot available
--  Interviews available for pre-GRAMMY and Red Carpet
    

About Heather Schmid

Schmid is performing "The Goddess Within" for 20,000 seat arenas worldwide. Recent shows were performed in Shanghai, Beijing, and Ningbo, China. She has also performed in Pakistan, Las Vegas and New York City and has seen tremendous success in all aspects of the entertainment industry. Schmid is a classically trained opera singer and displays a 3 1/2 octave range. She recently formed Goddess Inc., an organization that takes advantage of this new entertainment model with Harvard University Faculty member and brand specialist Dr. Rafay Medhi. More information about Heather Schmid is available at http://www.heatherschmid.com or http://www.myspace.com/heatherschmidgoddess.

Contact Information: Media Contact: Mara Stefan Bartucca Emerge PR 781-771-6911 mbartucca@emergepr.com Goddess Inc. Brand Specialist: Dr. Rafay Medhi Harvard University Faculty member 646-290-8763