New Addition to A Night of Inspiration to Showcase Teens in Positive Light

 TALENTED YOUTH TO VIE FOR TEEN SENSATION TITLE

University Park, Illinois - June 4, 2009 - A trio of youngsters from the Chicago area will vie for the title of Teen Sensation, which is a new and exciting addition to the motivational program, A Night of Inspiration.  The competition marks one of the highlights of this second annual event, which takes place June 27 from 7-9 PM at Prairie State College, 212 S. Halsted.

According to Mack McGhee, founder of A Night of Inspiration, the Teen Sensation competition was added to showcase the talent of today’s youth and to give them an opportunity to share their gift in front of a live audience. It is also an opportunity, says McGhee, to remind the public of the endless dreams, aspirations and potential in this world’s greatest resource: our children.

“With so much going on in our communities with our youth,” said McGhee, “all, too often our they are depicted as troublemakers, gangbangers and violent. This competition will not only disprove that but also provide a platform and an opportunity where they can inspire hope and inspiration to the larger community through their talent. Ultimately, the Teen Inspiration Sensation is a competition that purposes to find the next local Teen Inspiration that can inspire hope through their voice.”

The three teens made it to the finals after meeting stringent requirements.  To enter the competition, each contestant had to:

•Maintain regular school attendance.
•Achieve and maintain a GPA of 2.0 or higher.
•Agree to volunteer 52 community service hours with the 100 Men Association of University Park, IL.

Over 20 teens from all over Chicago met the above criteria and then auditioned before a five-judge panel that included 
Eugenia Bishop  - Vocalist and Voice Coach, 
Lee Glover - Co-Founder of Joshua Generations Youth Choir
Corey Harvey – Songwriter
Nina Shelton -Member of Joshua Generation Youth Choir 
Karen Gillespie – youth volunteer.

The final three, who emerged as finalists for the title of Teen Sensation after two rounds of judging, are:

•     Ava Davis, 18, a recent graduate of Crete Monee High School, is a singer who was drawn to music as a way to “draw in more souls to the kingdom of God.” She will attend Columbia College in Downtown Chicago in the fall where she will study musical theater with a minor in vocal performance.


•     Kameron Lloyd Davis, 16, is a student at Hillcrest High School and a resident of Hazel Crest, Illinois.  He aspires to be a singer and to use his voice as a way to “minister to those who are broken and in need of mending and inspiration.”

•Meghan Lindsay Mullins, 12, of Park Forest and a student at Matteson School District 162, is an up-and-coming singer who performs in her church gospel choir.  She also loves acting and has landed roles in local production.  Meghan is also fluent in Spanish.

The contestants will be judged by a panel of celebrity judges including Eric Rideout from EMI Gospel, Walter Thomas from Tyscot Records and Rahman Dukes from MTV with the winner selected according to the judges’ scoring criteria.

In addition to the title of Teen Sensation, the winner receives: 
∑ A $500 cash Prize
∑ Teen Inspiration Sensation Trophy

The winner will have numerous opportunities to share his/her talent with a broader audience.  For starters, the Teen Sensation will serve as the headliner at all events sponsored by Transforming Lives, International, whose president is Mack McGhee, founder of A Night of Inspiration.

The victor will also perform as an opening act for the accomplished artists at the following events:
       
            •     Chicago Promotional Tour for artist Kiki Sheard 
          •     Concert featuring Tye Tribbett – Griffith, Indiana – July 14, 2009
          •     St. Paul Baptist Church concert – Joliet, Illinois – July 17, 2009 

The winner will also be a featured artist at the King’s Island Gospel Fest in Cincinnati on July 25, 2009, which is sponsored by EMI Gospel records. 

The competition is one of the highlights of the second annual A Night of Inspiration, an evening devoted to galvanizing South Suburban residents to find solutions to strengthen communities. The Teen Sensation competition is an uplifting addition to the event as it provides a creative forum to applaud youth and their phenomenal talents.

Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door.  Discounted family packs are also available.  To order, call 1-888-624-4333 or log on to www.AnightOfInspiration.com to purchase tickets on line.  Proceeds will benefit the 100 Men Association of University Park, an agency devoted to uplifting youth and finding remedies to strengthen the family bond.