Music & Arts Names Local Hemet Resident a Finalist in National Contest

FREDERICK, MD--(Marketwire - Feb 16, 2012) - On Monday, Feb. 13 Music & Arts, Yamaha, and Greyson Chance named Beth Jimenez, age 17, and a resident from Hemet, Calif. as a finalist in its first-ever national 'Find Your Voice' Facebook music video contest. The contest asked aspiring musicians between the ages of 13 and 17 to submit videos of themselves covering one of 12 songs on an instrument. YouTube singing sensation Greyson Chance and an expert panel of judges were tasked with reviewing the hundreds of entries and selecting the most talented musicians based on their artistry, technicality and stage presence. Jimenez won the judges over with her skilled acoustic guitar playing.

The judges, who are music professionals themselves, selected six young performers from across the nation, after several rounds of evaluation. Other finalists include Alissa Musto (age 15) from Rehoboth, Mass.; Brenna Skallet (age 16) from Thief River Falls, Minn.; Evan Johnson (age 17) from Columbia, Md.; Mitchell Fairweather (age 13) from Carmel, Ind.; and Rylie Brown (age 14) from Great Falls, Mont.

Now it's your turn to help choose the winner! Head to http://www.facebook.com/musicandarts and vote for your favorite submission, now through February 26^th. The video with the highest number of votes will win a trip for two to meet Greyson Chance and experience the day in the life of a pop music sensation! This inside-look at the music industry is a priceless opportunity to trade tips, learn from Greyson's experience and get to know the incredibly gifted singer, songwriter and pianist. The Grand Prize winner will also receive $2,000 toward a Yamaha instrument that Music & Arts carries, a year of free music lessons up to a value of $1,500 and a spot in Music & Arts advertising!

The five runners-up will each win $1,000 toward a Yamaha instrument and six months of free music lessons.

For additional contest details and all official contest guidelines and entry rules, please visit www.MusicArts.com/findyourvoice.

For more information on Greyson Chance, please visit his website at www.greyson-official.com or follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/greysonchance or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GreysonChance.

About Music & Arts
Music & Arts has served students, teachers, and families through retail stores and school representatives since 1952. Based in Frederick, Md., the company specializes in sales and rentals of music instruments, instrument repairs, and music lessons -- especially for the beginning and student musician. Music & Arts now has more than 100 retail locations across 20 states.