Daya is Pittsburgh-Area's Newest Music Celebrity
The Mt. Lebanon teen's single "Hide Away" has more than 2 million views on YouTube and hit No. 24 on the pop songs chart.
A Mt. Lebanon high school senior is riding the fast track to pop music stardom.
17-year-old Grace Tandon, better known as Daya, is climbing the American Top 40 with her hit single “Hide Away.” In the six months since the single's release, Daya has been on the road, often flying to Los Angeles or New York to perform and work on the rest of her album. But, she still relishes her trips back home.
“The fact that I'm able to still go on a boat ride like I did with my senior class, and go to the football games for my high school, it's just fun and it takes me back to just being kinda Grace,” she told WTAE.
Grace Tandon began her music career playing the piano at the age of three and was performing local gigs around Pittsburgh by age 10.
Most recently, she opened the 96.1 KISS Halloween Show at Stage AE, which sold out.
Because of her burgeoning music career, Tandon will finish her final high school courses online and graduate in 2016.
To keep tabs on this Pittsburgh gem, you can follow her on Twitter or just keep your eyes on the U.S. Top 40 charts. She’ll be there again. Her EP and “Hide Away” single are available on Itunes.
Photo courtesy of the Three Rivers Arts Festival
#TimetoApply: Three Rivers Arts Festival
It may be November, but the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is looking ahead to next summer and the 57th annual Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival. Applications are now officially being accepted.
Because every artist has his or her own goals, there are a number of sub-categories within the festival.
The Artist Market is for the artists who want to share their work, circulate their name and actually turn a profit. The market is really well attended, so for artists new to the field, this is a great place to get your paintbrush wet.
The Juried Visual Art Exhibition is for the artists who want the gallery experience. The exhibition will be in an indoor gallery with the opportunity for press coverage and interested buyers. Best in Show winners take home $2,500. The Curator's’ Award and People’s Choice awards are worth $500 each.
The Emerging Artist Scholarship Program is for the bright-eyed-and-bushy-tailed artist who wants to get their foot in the door. Local artists can receive advice and financial assistance in producing their first booth in an outdoor show.
The Music and Performing Arts component is for the musician, dancer, actor, writer or performer who wants a stage.
The Special Project and Collaborations component is for the experimental-minded artist who wants to collaborate with other multidisciplinary creatives to produce original concepts.
The 2016 festival is scheduled for June 3-12, 2016. Click here for more information. All applications must be submitted by Jan. 31, 2016.
photo provided
#WorldwideProps: UPMC Executive and Leader Diane P. Holder
One of Pittsburgh's most prominent leaders is just one of 12 women worldwide to receive the “International Women’s Forum 2015 Women Who Make a Difference Award” at the IWF 2015 World Leadership Conference.
Diane P. Holder is the President and CEO of UPMC Health Plan and an Executive Vice President of UPMC. She is also the founding CEO of Community Care Behavioral Health, the largest nonprofit behavioral health management company in the United States. She also serves as a faculty member of the University of Pittsburgh's School of Medicine.
The Governor recognized her as one of the “Best 50 Pennsylvania Women in Business” in 2008.
The International Women’s Forum comprised on more than 6,000 dynamic women leaders in thirty three countries and on six continents around the world. Past awardees have included Ann Richards, former Governor of Texas; Donna Shalala, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services; Christine Todd Witman, former U.S. Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and former Governor of New Jersey.
