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DAVID KEELEY singing “Since You’ve Been Gone”

Posted by Ayhan Sahin on
Forget Wine & Roses: 
Celebrate Valentine’s Day With Breakup Redemption Single 
‘Since You’ve Been Gone’ from Award-Winning Artist David Keeley  
Second single from upcoming album “Pop” is commandeered by 
NYC-based label Young Pals Music’s founder & executive producer Ayhan Sahin. 
Just in time for Valentine’s Day! But perhaps it’s not what you think. Celebrating the fact that not everyone’s Valentine’s is filled with candy hearts and romantic rose petals is radio-ready single “Since You’ve Been Gone,” a deliciously satisfying opus of post-breakup redemption.
Sung by award-winning rock n’roll singer/songwriter and film/Broadway actor David Keeley, the track conjures the timeless ballads of British singer/songwriter Robbie Williams. Released by Young Pals Music, “Since You’ve Been Gone” is the second single from upcoming album “Pop,” the first solo album from New York City-based songwriter and producer Ayhan Sahin.
Meshing organic instrumentation with contemporary production, the 10-track collection launched in January with “New Year’s Eve At Home,” which celebrates the joy of cozying up to a loved one for the holiday. The uptempo song offered full-on country flavor courtesy of vocalist Christi Bauerlee, a Nashville-based singer, actress and model.
The album “Pop” features 12+ diverse vocalists and musicians across a myriad of styles, including R&B & soul, dance, jazz, country and of course… pop. All songs are co-written and co-produced by Sahin with hit songwriter Bernadette O’Reilly, who has also worked for three decades in artist relations, management and song placement.
Each subsequent month, a new single will be released from “Pop” on all digital platforms, to celebrate an accompanying holiday—featuring a different vocalist among the project’s rich roster of artists. In February, we have Keeley’s “Since You’ve Been Gone,” and in March, “Drink,” featuring vocalist Denny Blake, will raise a glass to St. Patrick’s Day.
For Valentine’s, via “Since You’ve Been Gone,” Keeley celebrates his healing after a rough and tumble breakup, singing, “No I’m not traumatized, everything’s just fine, you haven’t crossed my mind/Since you’ve been gone, I’ve moved along, I’m happy all the time/Since you’ve been gone, my life’s not yours, it’s mine.”
As a veteran actor who has worked across stage and screen, Keeley starred in the original Broadway production of “Mamma Mia!,” and held the role of evil Evan Anderson in “The Manchurian Candidate,” opposite Meryl Streep and Denzel Washington. He also played “Dad” in Toronto’s stage production of “Billy Elliot,” and has starred in numerous TV shows, including “Due South,” with Paul Gross. The pair ultimately formed a successful rock band in their native Canada. While starring in “Mamma Mia,” Keeley and Sahin found musical kinship in New York, and together, wrote and composed full-length musical “The Conqueror” which tells the story of a family trapped in the Middle East conflict, with original authentic music.
All instrumentation for “Since You’ve Been Gone” was recorded live with renowned New York musicians, including Dennis DelGaudio and Gene Blank on guitars, piano & keyboards from Rob Preuss, Mike Sorrentino on drums, and bassist Michael Stanzilis. It was mixed by Sahin and mastered at the famous Sterling Sound in New York.
For information, contact:

 

“Let’s Spend This New Year’s Eve At Home” by CHRISTI BAUERLEE

Posted by Ayhan Sahin on
Pop The Cork! 
 
Welcome 2016 With Original Single 
 
from Burgeoning Country Act 
Launch single from upcoming album “Pop” is commandeered by NYC-based label Young Pals Music’s founder & executive producer Ayhan Sahin. 
Just add champagne. The New Year’s spirit is in full swing with an originally composed new single from New York City-based Young Pals Music. “Let’s Spend This New Year’s Eve At Home” celebrates the joys of cozying up with loved ones via full-on country flavor, courtesy of vocalist Christi Bauerlee.
The joyous uptempo radio-ready single proclaims: “Five private parties, four invitations
three club choices, too many options/Got a revelation… one night only, private celebration, Let’s have this one night alone/Spend this New Year’s Eve at home.”

 

Vocalist Bauerlee is renowned as a singer, actress and model, with appearances in such TV shows and films as “Something about Mary,” “Days of Our Lives,” “Lawless,” “Jake 2.0,” “Family Law,” “Striptease” and “Gilmore Girls.” She has performed on “Jay Leno,” “The Late Night Show” and the Grand Ole Opry; and notably, is also known to much of America—without seeing her face—as the vocalist behind the theme song for CBS-TV’s hit series “Family Law,” where she sings a cover of the Edwin Starr classic “War.”
As a contestant on the beloved “Star Search,” Bauerlee was seen and heard on 250 syndicated TV stations around the country. In addition to being invited to record background vocals for Neil Young, solo achievements include the 2010 single and accompanying music video for the country-flavored “Show Me Who You Are.”
“New Years Eve At Home” was produced and written by Ayhan Sahin—the founder & executive producer of Young Pals Music—and industry veteran Bernadette O’Reilly, with additional lyrics from award-winning Billboard writer & editor Chuck Taylor. Musicians comprise: Mike Sorrentino on drums, bassist Carras Paton, guitarist Boo Refiners, Rob Preuss on keyboards, Tom Gallaher on piano, and saxist Carras Paton. Jerri Bocchino and Keith Fluitt provide backing vocals.
Bauerlee and Sahin’s initial meeting defines the essence of serendipity. Both were vacationing in Costa

Rico, when she overheard him talking about his 15 years of songwriting and production over dinner at the next table. When he rose, she asked if he was Turkish—because she had previously hosted a TV show in Istanbul. They remained closely in touch, and finally this year in 2015, their bond was etched… through the magic of music collaboration.

“New Year’s” is the launch single from “Pop,” the debut solo album from Sahin. The 10-track collective brings together 12+ diverse vocalists and musicians, blending organic instrumentation amid a myriad of styles, including R&B; soul, dance, rock, latin, country and of course… pop. All songs are written and co-produced with O’Reilly, who has also worked for three decades in artist relations, management and hit song placement.

 

The “Pop” album is due for release in first-quarter 2016.

 

Production Album “Pop” in its Final Phase: MIXING

Posted by Ayhan Sahin on

We are almost done with recording phase of our upcoming production album “Pop” which is composed of 12 songs written by Bernadette O’Reilly and Ayhan Sahin among other co-writers. The talent that are involved in this massive, detailed work is tremendous ranging from Broadway musicians/acts like David Keeley, Thomas Gallaher, Rob Preuss, Mike Sorrentino to renowned vocalists like Christi Bauerlee, Keith Fluitt, Denny Blake, P.J. Griffith; from new rising artists like Luis Cooper, Joi Joy Jones, Dan DelVecchio to Young Pals Music regulars Emre Yilmaz, Carras Paton, Joi Joy Jones.

Everything is laid on the table. The hard part now is to connect pieces together and bring the production to the level of the talent. That’s what the summer of 2015 is here for.

Stay tuned and look for our Autumn release from Young Pals Music! Exciting!

MELIS AKER CONJURES TIME-TESTED MUSICAL HEROINES WITH DEBUT ALBUM RELEASE

Posted by Ayhan Sahin on
Alt-soul project, produced by NYC’s Young Pals Music Founder Ayhan Sahin, combines vintage female singer/songwriter acoustics with Turkish influences
What happens when you mesh such American musical heroines as Joni Mitchell, Patti Smith and Cat Power with an artist who was born and raised in Turkey? In a word… Melis.
Stage performer, actress, singer and songwriter Melis Aker—now based in New York City—is preparing to share with the world a unique melodic mélange, with the release of her debut album “Dirt,” via NYC’s Young Pals Music. The project comprises acoustically driven original songs, performed with guitars, piano and violin, and lyrical themes based on Melis’ observations of human nature, relationships, and life in the big city.
Contributing instrumentalists include Turkish guitarist Emre Yilmaz, Broadway pianist Tom Gallaher, percussionist Mike Sorrentino, double-bassist Evan Gregor, and Broadway musician Marshall Coid on violin. Melis wrote the majority of the collection’s titles, with one track composed with Young Pals’ Founder Ayhan Sahin (also Turkish). He arranged and produced “Dirt.”
Among highlights of the album is the tender “Dirt,” which offers an ode to hard-learned life lessons. Melis notes: “This is about coming to terms with those things I can’t change and accepting my own limitations—in a positive way.” Equally plaintive ballads “Take” and “These Days” are gentle acoustic strummers that hearken her many cultural influences.
The moody, ethereal “Height” offers an emotive call for personal harmony, as she sings: “I’m living in my head but I’m high up in the mountain/I’m trying to get back to the ground, you know it ain’t easy.” The song is actually a metaphor about a relationship that’s not quite on equal footing. She says: “You have a connection with a person, but you realize you’re not on the same level, and there’s pressure to come to terms with the differences. There are never any certainties, so you have to be content with where each of you stands.”
When composing her music, Melis begins with a melody, either on piano or guitar. From there, “the music tells me what the story will become. It’s almost like a soundtrack, where the lyrics come from the mood of the notes.”

And there’s so much more to Melis’ inspiration as a performer—beginning with childhood. As a young girl, she had a habit of hiding underneath her grandparent’s dining room table and observing shadows that moved with the afternoon sun. As these “shadow puppets” came to life, she created live characters. Meanwhile, her grandfather played piano for two hours every day after work, and readily taught her chords and melody.
By high school, Melis was active in theater, all the while teaching herself to play guitar, conjuring heroines Joni Mitchell and Nina Simone. But this was more than a pastime: She studied drama at the International Baccalaureate in Turkey, and then began to discover the world, earning a certificate in Classical Acting from London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. Next came the U.S., with studies in Drama & Philosophy at Boston’s Tufts University.
She says, “Growing up in Turkey, it’s hard not to be political. Performance and theater bring diverse groups of people together. It’s an art, but it’s also part of an overall movement. As I traveled more and learned more, I realized it was time to just let life guide me.”
Melis then had her breakthrough role, originating the lead of Roya in Charles Randolph-Wright’s play “Love in Afghanistan” at Washington, D.C.’s Arena Stage. She has also performed throughout the States, at Signature Theatre, New Dramatists, Phoenix Theatre Ensemble, PEN World Voices Festival, Boston’s Arts Emerson and the Players Club.
“These experiences were a reminder of my roots and how privileged I was to be in the States as an artist,” Melis notes. “It also drove me to realize that I wanted to share my music. A lot of what I want to say is rooted in my own culture—and elements of nature and nostalgia.”
“Dirt” is the ultimate result of those life influences, blended into a beautifully textured musical entity that tells her story—while relating tales that are at once universal to those who have the courage to take forward strides and escape our innate comfort zone.
“I guess I’m very sensitive. I’m affected by everything I see and hear and experience,” she adds. “Sometimes, it’s a personal and intimate connection, but you can just as often be impacted through interaction with a stranger. I want people to listen to this album and feel the intimacy of connecting with others.”
For more information, contact 
Ayhan Sahin
ayhan@youngpalsmusic.com

Manhattan-Based Young Pals Music Ushers In 2015 With Four Upcoming Album Releases

Posted by Ayhan Sahin on
While 2015 may be designated as the year of the sheep, Manhattan-based independent record label Young Pals Music is forging ahead like a lion. Celebrating nearly 10 years as a full-service music & publishing company, the label continues to expand its versatile musical palette with R&B, rock, pop, dance, musical theater & jazz projects.

Topping the list of upcoming releases is Turkish-born, NYC-based performer, actress & songwriter Melis Aker, whose debut EP launches this spring. Collaborating with Young Pals Music Founder & Producer Ayhan Sahin, the project comprises acoustically driven original songs, performed with guitars, piano and violin, with lyrical themes based on Aker’s observations of life in the big city. Contributing instrumentalists include Turkish guitarist i Yilmaz, Broadway pianist Tom Gallaher, legendary percussionist Mike Sorrentino (Rainbow, Deep Purple) and double-bassist Evan Gregor.

In addition, Sahin is ushering in the new year as co-producer of the live show “Groovist,” a monthly

residency at Manhattan’s East Village club Drom (as well as other New York City venues), featuring Young Pals Music artist, singer, songwriter & guitarist (and longtime mutual collaborator) Emre Yilmaz. He will deliver popular covers and original songs in a festive, party atmosphere. Sahin is assisting in track production, as well as assisting in Emre’s live ensemble.

Young Pals Music is also prepping the sophomore release from award-winning Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter & guitarist Michael Benedetto, due in early summer. With its pop, dance & electronic template, the album represents an evolution from his traditional alt-folk roots. What remains is the artist’s savvy for traditional lyrical storytelling. 
Produced by Sahin, Benedetto’s CD follows 2012 debut “Burnt Hill Road,” which was dedicated to raising money for children’s charities, and profiled in the New York Daily News. He is a two-time winner of the West Coast Songwriters Association Awards (Best Song & Best Performance), and a regular performer throughout NYC’s illustrious downtown club scene. 
Also coming in the first half of 2015: a revival of Sahin’s original stage musical “1453,” which documents the fall of Constantinople. With a new staging in his native Turkey, the production will be followed with a freshly conceived concept soundtrack. Originally titled “The Conqueror,” the show was staged and performed nearly a dozen times across Europe and the Middle East. Sahin & Onur Orkut originated the story.

Later this year, Ayhan Sahin will release his first-ever solo album, which brings together 12+ award-winning vocalists and musicians. The 10-track opus is tentatively titled “POP,” blending organic instrumentation with contemporary production. All songs are written with and co-produced by hit songwriter Bernadette O’Reilly, the founder of Breaking Records, who has also worked in artist relations, management and song placement.

ABOUT YOUNG PALS MUSIC
Independent record label Young Pals Music was founded in 2007 by producer & songwriter Ayhan Sahin, with a global focus on artist development, songwriting & collaboration, vocal & instrumental recording, mixing, merchandising & consultancy services. 
With a Master’s degree from NYU’s prestigious Tisch School of the arts, Sahin has staged original theatrical works in his native Turkey, Europe, the Middle East and the U.S. Now based in New York City, his full-service company has worked with the likes of Olivia Newton-John, Melba Moore, Phoebe Snow, Sezen Aksu and Sandra Bernhard. Sahin has been profiled in more than two dozen newspapers, magazines and online publications, including the Los Angeles Times, Billboard, Fox News, MTV, VH1, Yahoo Music and Life magazine.

In 2014, Young Pals Music achieved its greatest success to date, with the May release of the debut solo album from Mexican star Bianca Marroquin. She is renowned for her leading role as Roxie Hart in Broadway’s “Chicago,” and as a judge on TV’s “Mira Quien Baila” (the Spanish-language version of “Dancing With the Stars”). Marroquin’s full-length “El Mundo Era Mio” was courted by the Latin and Broadway press, including a live performance on Univision.

For more information, contact:
Ayhan Sahin
917-693 2688

VALENTINE’S DAY SPECIAL

Posted by Ayhan Sahin on

Young Pals Music is proud to offer a Valentine’s Day Gift.

Jeri Bokeno’s dance single “My Love is Yours”

is now available for downloads at

FOR ONE DAY ONLY

Share this song for a special occasion with your special one.

Written by Bokeno, Susanne White and Ayhan Sahin, the dance song pledges never-ending love with poetic refrains sung and spoken in French and English. These three successful songwriters have joined forces to create another potential hit that universally speaks to lovers the world over.

Jerri Bokeno has collaborated and worked with superstars ranging from Phil Spector to Cher. She has served as lead vocalist for numerous dance groove groups, including El Coco, Downtown Girls and Coney Island Chorus Girls, as well as a featured vocalist for jazz aficionado David Benoit.

“The Resilience of Love” – A Novel by Stephen B. Anderson

Posted by Ayhan Sahin on

 

Now available at Amazon

 
The way others perceive you inevitably influences the way you perceive yourself—so, when those around you don’t approve of where your life is headed, it can be easy for you to lose track. But even if this happens, there is still hope. You can rise above the obstacles, reclaim your direction, and find meaning and value in your life.
 
“The Resilience of Love” follows three gay men, each of whom has different levels of awareness and acceptance of their lifestyle. Carlo is openly gay and has his mother’s support along with his father’s condemnation. Martin is still “in the closet,” as far as his parents are concerned. And Howard’s repression of his gay disposition has provoked amnesia. He has lost all sight of who, and what, he is.
 
Each man has issues he must confront, and together, they are about to explore unchartered territory that could make or break them—and their relationships.
 
As traditional values and matters of orientation, personality, and relationships collide in this compelling literary novel, the things these men learn about themselves, one another, and their families is sure to amaze you and teach you valuable lessons about love, identity, and the integrity of the human spirit.
 
 
 
 
Stephen B. Anderson is an open-minded, openly gay man who has experienced firsthand the difficulties associated with “coming out” to others and coming to terms with his own sexual orientation. He grew up in Iowa in a setting that epitomized conventional American values and studied for the Christian ministry for several years before resigning due to his emerging sexuality.
 
Anderson subsequently entered into a gay partnership that has lasted more than forty years and recently culminated in marriage. His parents initially were traumatized by his lifestyle, though they eventually came to accept, appreciate, and cherish the love and togetherness of his relationship.
 
Professionally, Anderson worked in an innovative rehabilitation program for people with mental illness about which he has published two books. His writing is drawn from personal experience and reflects insights he has gleaned about the hardiness of the human spirit.
 
 
“The Resilience of Love” is also available on Barnes & Noble. 

BIANCA MARROQUIN ROCKS 54 BELOW

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photo-4

What a joy!! Last night at 54 Below, Bianca Marroquin put on a show! An autobiographical celebration of her 12+ years in the business with little sketches of almost everything she has done since today.

Talk about a career filled with passion, talent, love, heartbreak, faith, persistence, victory and inevitable success. From back alleys of Broadway theaters to dance floors, or from  dressing rooms of syndicated TV shows to recording vocal booths, she has been everywhere with her own vision and integrity.  And we were there at the legendary building of Studio 54 in New York City to witness her exciting, inspiring journey.

10353642_499190020211574_2075068757297320406_nHer theatre achievements were showcased with her musical director Tom Gallaher on piano, who designed and architected this show together with Marroquin. From being a swing at “Rent” to being the star of a Disney “Marry Poppins..” Or from being a dance coach at “Phantom of the Opera” in Mexico CIty to being the “One and Only” Roxie Hart of “Chicago” on Broadway, she carried us through her way with laughter and heart beat.

And that was only the first portion of the full magic. Next, she showcased her versatility by transfering into her TV career where she talked and danced about her successful 4 year run of “Mira Quien Baila” (Latin franchise of “Dancing with the Stars”) and the anthem from her telenovela “Pequenos Gigantes.”  The song ”Esperanza del Corazon” carried us into her latest adventure when the moment finally came and she whispered the words “And then I decided to do an album.”

That was her introduction to the next part of her show where she performed songs from her first album “El Mundo Era Mio.” She sang live 6 tracks “One Lie,” “Miss Out On You,” “Something More Than Sideways” as well as the title track with precise perfection of a recording. The full band accompanied her with Tom Gallaher on piano, Dennis DelGaudio on guitars, Steve Singer on drums, Vincent Fay on bass and Marshall Coid on violin.

At the end of the show, she announced her new upcoming album in September which is composed of Mexican traditional folk songs. She sang two numbers from her new project “Perfidio” and “Toda Una Vida” .

10474856_10152113340817854_9090457918114408551_nIn overall, the audience was amazed and electrified with her energy, her versatility as well as her personality on stage. A Broadway star, a famous TV personality, a dancer and a recording artist.. What more is in the horizon? It is for us to witness while we enjoy the joyride. Congratulations Bianca, you are a true star!!