Vote for Shayna Zaid!

Catching up with Joel Dean

MUSIC: Former Falls songsmith likes producing, too

Posted By JOHN LAW, REVIEW STAFF WRITER

Life is one big music contest for former Niagara Falls songsmith Joel Dean.

Five years ago, he placed second in a John Lennon Scholarship songwriting competition co-sponsored by Lennon's estate. He split the $5,000 prize with one of his classmates at the Berklee School of Music.

His latest contest could have a bigger pay-off: A performance on FOX's nationally syndicated Fearless Music show.

Airing at 12:30 a. m. Saturdays in New York, the musical showcase is seen on 200 other stations and several college TV stations. Now in its seventh season, it's regarded as a launching pad for indie acts on the rise. Past guests include Metric, Gym Class Heroes and Elbow.

To get there, Dean's band Shayna Zaid & The Catch must first nab the most votes in an online contest at www.fearlessmusic.com.The competition ends Sunday.

"It's really, really good exposure," says Dean, the band's guitarist and producer.

As of Friday, Shayna Zaid & The Catch ( myspace.com/shaynazaid)was the website's top-rated band of the week, continuing its recent roll.

In addition to eight songs featured on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless, the group was heard in a commercial for McDonald's. In Zaid's home country of Malaysia, the group has had three No. 1 singles.

"She was actually a star growing up there," says Dean, who met her while attending Berklee. "She hosted a TV show when she was 15 in Malaysia."

The band's 2007 debut CD Au Fait was a huge hit back home and now they're slowly gaining momentum in North America. On March 11, the band performs a major showcase for Atlantic records at New York's Rockwood Music Hall.

"Things are definitely going good," says Dean. "We've been lucky. A lot of people here are getting job cuts and stuff, but our work is picking up. We're getting busier and busier."

Despite his songwriting pedigree, Dean has no interest bring front and centre. He's content with Zaid in the spotlight.

"It never interested me to be the centre of attention," he says. "I like organizing things behind the scenes.

"I like that about producing - you never get stuck doing one thing all the time

well what are you waiting for?? Please vote for Shayna Zaid to perform Live on FOX here!

Vote Shayna Zaid for International Songwriting Competition

Shayna Zaid & the Catch been selected as finalists in the International Songwriting Competition for the song 'its you'. Among the panel judges this year are Chaka Khan, Tom Waits, KT Tunstall, Rob Thomas, John Scofield and many other wonderful artists and composers.please place how-many ever votes you'd like here:

http://www.songwritingcompetition.com/PVWelcome2008.htm