Pop | RIVENMASTER ARCHIVES 2009-2016

â€œIâ€™m so ready for this â€“ I feel like Iâ€™ve been ready for this for years.â€

Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Sam Verlinden Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â

Of all the artists that have graced this site, Sam Verlinden is one of the longest and most featured talents on Rivenmasterâ€™s Place.Â Samâ€™s first article ran on September 30, 2009, only a few weeks after the sites conception, and he shares the honor of being one of two artists who were featured nearly every day for an entire month.Â

Sam Verlinden has always demonstrated a vocal talent that exceeds his years of experience.Â He has amazed millions through his YouTube Site and excited audiences numbering in the thousands at outdoor concert events held in New Zealand.Â While the ocean is the only thing that has kept him from a recent visit to the United States his fame has not been hindered, reaching across several continents resulting in an ever growing fan base. Â Â

Samâ€™s last article published here was in 2011 not long after he performed at the legendary Parachute Festival on the Main stage. This performance really gave him a boost to his local fan numbers and set the stage for even bigger things.

Sam has never stopped working, performing and singing, and like most young singers grabs every opportunity to perform.Â There was also the move to College, (High School in New Zealand), which tripled the amount of homework that goes with that territory, as well as his active involvement in rugby.Â Saying Sam was busy would be an understatement when it comes to his everyday life activities.

Continue reading “Sam Verlinden Debuts Original Song and Music Video â€œI Want Yaâ€”

Soon to be 14-year-old Sawyer Christopher Fredericks was born March 31, 1999, on a blue moon. He lived in Connecticut, first in Newtown, then in Roxbury, with his mother, father and two older brothers until 2007, when they moved to upstate NY and bought a small family farm.

Like many young talented musicians, Sawyer was singing before he could even speak, basically singing with perfect pitch. While his words I’m told were nonsensical (baby scat), there was no doubt that he had already found his vocal gift. Not only was his singing notable, but Sawyer was quick to pick up melodies that he heard and also began to create his own melodies.

While no one in his immediate family has ever pursued a career in music, there is certainly a great love for listening to and creating music.

Sawyer’s grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins all show signs of being musically inclined or talented. Sawyer’s own unique talents have blossomed in an encouraging and rich musical environment. As he got a little older, he became self-conscious of his singing and would only sing in front of people in his immediate family, but no matter where he was or what he was doing; there was always a song in his heart and on his lips.

It wasn’t until he was 11 years old that he decided he might be ready to sing in front of others and joined a local summer children’s choir. The director of the choir was local accomplished singer-songwriter Katy Cole who is also an elementary school music teacher. In addition to being enrolled in Katy’s choir, Sawyer began taking vocal lessons from her. Katy believes Sawyer is a musical prodigy of sorts, and the singing seems to come naturally. The only problem was Sawyer’s stage fright and shyness – he would sing so quietly; it was almost a whisper. To get him to relax, Katy allowed him to sing down the hall where he couldn’t be seen. After quite a while, Sawyer developed enough courage to show what he could do. Surprising everyone, Sawyer chose to perform a short solo during the choir recital.

Continue reading “Sawyer Fredericks from Stage Fright to Spot Light a Young Artists Journey”