Local Musicians Need Your Votes

Moorestown's Megan Madara wants to take her band on the road and she wants you to help her.

Madara, a 2010 Moorestown High School graduate, has been nominated for Taylor Guitars/Elixir Strings Test Drive 2010, a competition for independent bands. The band that gets the most votes by 11:59 p.m. EST Dec. 22 will get the opportunity to perform at Summerfest in Milwaukee, WI.

Madara, who considers her music part of the folk rock genre, and her band, guitarist Nate Lord, drummer Jamie Hagerty and bassist Antonio Gandia, have been playing together for two years. Madara, Lord and Hagerty were classmates at Moorestown High School; Gandia was Madara's guitar teacher. The four recorded Madara's second album, "Finally There," in 2010. Her first album, "Along the Way," was released in 2008. Both were self-released.

"I'm doing it all by myself, all the marketing, promotion, songwriting," Madara said. "I did record my album in a studio and had it professionally mastered, but I don't have a manager, label or booking agent."

That's why this contest is so important to the band.

"Winning this contest would mean a lot to us," Madara said. "We would be able to perform at a huge festival. It really would just get the music out to the people who need to hear it and would help us be better performers."

Madara has been singing since she was 5 and playing the guitar since she was 9. While she counts Crosby, Stills ad Nash; Sheryl Crow and Phish among her musical influences, she says the music she listens to and the people with whom she performs influence her.

"Since starting my college experience at Berklee (College of Music), I have gained a lot from the people I've met and their talent," she said.

Vote for Megan Madara and her band at Test Drive 2010.