I’ll admit, I tend to get nervous when I hear people talk about the next great child musician.

Maybe it’s the choreographed waves and clenched smiles of Miley Cyrus; or the prepackaged plasticity of the Jonas Brothers. Maybe it’s the awkwardness of watching child stars like the Hanson brothers grow up; or watching grown-up former child stars fall apart (i.e. Michael Jackson and Britney Spears). With overbearing parents and manipulative record execs, it’s easy to see why so many end up on the front page of tabloids.

But from what I can tell, Timmy Whiting is the exception to the rule. Listen to “Into Battle,” the song that put him and his brothers in the OurStage semifinals, and you’ll see that this 13-year-old kid from Philadelphia is anything but prepackaged. Sure there’s a connection to the laid-back blues of Jack Johnson and G. Love. There are also references to Christianity (his family belongs to a group called Christian Surfers). But what sets these songs apart is the unique simplicity and authenticity with which they were recorded.

Oh yeah, and as for overbearing parents thrusting him into the spotlight? Trust me, after talking to his mom Bobbie, there’s no need to worry. She was reluctant to even let him post his songs online. In fact, the only reason his songs ended up on OurStage was our Bonnaroo contest. Turns out, the Whitings were planning to attend Bonnaroo as a family (coolest family ever?) and entered the contest on a whim.

I caught up with Timmy to talk about school, music, family, and surfing in Pennsylvania(!):

Quinn Strassel: How did you get into playing music?

Timmy Whiting: I have always liked music and have been moved by it on some level. When I was little and others kids were listening to “Trout Fishing in America” and “Raffi” (don’t get me wrong, they rock!) my parents were listening to music they liked and I grew to like it too. I began asking – begging, really – for a guitar when I was like four. Since my parents don’t really have a connection to music other than their appreciation for it, they were sure my desire for a guitar would fade. Finally, on my 9th birthday, they broke and got me a cheapy guitar. To their surprise, I took to it immediately. I’ve been playing and writing ever since. My teacher and mentor is Justin King of “Quiet Jack.” His passion for all things musical has been an inspiration. My first concert was Jack Johnson, Donavon, and G. Love. It was the first of many live performances I’ve been lucky enough to see. For my 12th birthday we were 8th row for Red Hot Chili Peppers! Live music inspires me.

QS: You made the Quarterfinals last month with you song “Into Battle.” What’s that song about?

TW: I like people to interpret my music in their own way. Everyone brings unique experiences to how they hear music. “The Battle” is about the battle we all fight to do the right thing every day.

QS: Your profile says you’re from Pennsylvania and that you’re into surfing. I didn’t even know you could surf in Pennsylvania.

TW: My grandparents own a house in Jersey, so I surf all summer there. My family also spends a few weeks in Hatteras, NC (my favorite place on the planet!) every year. We also belong to a group called “Christian Surfers” and travel yearly to different Central American countries where we help the communities we visit and squeeze in a little surfing at the same time. Last year I had the opportunity to play my music for an orphanage in El Salvador – surfing, music, and service – what could be better?! I’ve been lucky enough to be chosen to attend the “Panama Prep School” this summer. Only 35 kids across the U.S. get to go. We’ll be surfing and training in our faith. Tom Curran will be there and I am stoked!

QS: Looking at one of your pictures on your profile, there’s some writing on your guitar. What does it say?

TW: It’s signed by Jeffery Gaines. It says “Rock on, Timmy” “Make your life EXTROIDINARY!” Cool, huh? My mom and dad won the guitar at a benefit for cancer they were involved in. Jeffery Gaines was the entertainer at the benefit. They asked him to sign it and later I had a chance to meet him and have my picture taken with him. I love his style of acoustic folk. He plays at a lot of smaller venues in Philly and we always try to go.

QS: What do kids at school think of your music? Have they even heard you play?

TW: I go to a Waldorf school. It’s the kind of place where you learn through the arts and kids are encouraged to express themselves creatively. My teacher is a musician too and totally into my music, which is really fun. As for the kids, I try to keep it low-key. My closest friends are really into it. When I play at local coffee houses, they show up with their families and we have a great time.

QS: Is it true you don’t write your lyrics down?

TW: It’s true. It drives my mom crazy. Whenever I try out some new lyrics on her, she says, “Quick! Write that down, before you forget it!” I don’t forget though. It just comes naturally.

QS: What do you do when you’re not playing music?

TW: Well, I’m totally into surfing or anything you can do at the beach but, like you said… I live in Pennsylvania. I also really enjoy lacrosse, snowboarding and skateboarding, and just hanging out with family and friends.

QS: Talk about your siblings and what they bring to the music.

TW: Ben is 11 and he kicks it on the bass. He is my right-hand bro. Sam is 8 and learning on drums. That kid’s a love-magnet. Ellie is 6 and just started piano. She holds her own with us boys and she’s the sweetest thing you’ll ever meet. We’re a tight family. Alata love goin’ on in our house and I try to bring that to my music.

At midnight last night, Jillian Goldin landed at the very top of the OurStage music charts, winning our Grand Prize of $5,000 for her song, “Hajime.” I caught up with her this afternoon to talk about New Age stereotypes, video games, and sharing her prize with collaborator/boyfriend, Andrew (Zircon).

Quinn: So Jillian, first of all, have you slept at all since winning?

Jillian: I was up until almost 5:00 a.m. last night from all the excitement, so I haven’t gotten much sleep yet! The news still feels quite surreal. But my family, friends, and fans have been incredibly supportive and that is really the best feeling of all. I can’t thank them enough.

Q: In yesterday’s blog, I pointed out that you were featured in two songs in the final round. But I didn’t realize that Zircon (Andrew Aversa) was more than just your collaborator on “Breathing You In.” You two are a couple! How does he feel about landing just below your song in the rankings?!

J: Andrew is my biggest fan of all, so he is extremely happy for me. He even called his parents in New York after midnight to tell them the news. And a third place win ain’t too shabby either, so you can bet we are both on Cloud 9 at the moment! As an artist who is already quite established with four albums under his belt, I think he has been quite the gentleman in recognizing that I could use a little jump start myself. He is the most selfless person I know.

Q: I’m sure everyone wants to know what you’re going to do with the $5,000. Have you had time to process this? Is there a plan?

J: At this point in my life, I would like to save as much of it as possible. I’ll be graduating from Peabody Conservatory of Music next month, and have a world to face! A large portion will be going to Andrew, however, as he not only mixed & mastered “Hajime” but also the rest of the tracks on my upcoming album, Origins – and even collaborated on some of them. I will also be making a donation to the community of OverClocked ReMix, because my friends and fans there have given both of us so much over the years. (Even the 4th place winner this month, sgx, is an established musician there! We are all a bunch of geeks.)

Q: With your new album Origins coming out in three weeks, seems like the timing of this win and the exposure from it is potentially more valuable than the cash.

J: I certainly hope so! Origins is really a culmination of ancient and contemporary elements – a tribute to the beautiful music of Loreena McKennitt in many ways, but with that extra modern twist. Daniel Palmer [OurStage VP of Community] described me as a sort of “Celtic Bjork,” and I think there is some accuracy to that statement, as funny as it sounds! My goal with the album is to transport the listener on a sort of magical journey through the wilderness.

Q: From what I can tell, “Hajime” means “Beginning” in Japanese? That would make sense since your song seems to be about some kind of organic renewal. Is that right?

J: Yes, very good! The word (pronounced “HA-jee-may”) means just that, and I thought it would be fitting not only as the “beginning” track on Origins, but to represent the theme of organic renewal as you mentioned. It really sets the stage for the rest of the album. Q: What drew you to New Age music?

J: Thanks to my baby boomer neuroscientist parents, I grew up listening to artists like Andreas Vollenweider, Ray Lynch, and Ayman. I consider New Age much like the “classical” of today’s society, although it sometimes earns a bad rep for being meditation music. There is so much more to the genre if you really listen. It has always drawn me with its uplifting spirit and magical creativity.

Q: Are you trying to distinguish yourself from other New Age artists in any way?

J: I have always felt that there is too little New Age music out there which actually features the voice in a prominent way, so I am attempting to remedy that situation with my vocally driven songs. Many people out there seem to think that the genre does not lend itself well to lyrics, particularly English ones, but I disagree. As I have described on my website, “Words are a natural extension of the human voice, and it just so happens to be the only instrument capable of using them—why limit the possibilities!” I truly believe that the right lyrics can send such a powerful message, so I will always be striving to reach out to people that way.

Q: What do you do when you’re not making music?

When I’m not making music or doing schoolwork… Well, let’s just say I have a number of nerdy interests. I watch Home & Garden Television religiously, enjoy a number of video games, and I am probably one of the biggest Trekkies you will ever meet!

Q: That’s funny you mention video games. I noticed your voice has been featured in the video game Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword. How did you land that?

J: I had the lucky opportunity to get involved with Civ IV: Beyond the Sword initially when a nearby music studio contacted Peabody Conservatory, looking for classical singers to lend their voices to the main theme. It was truly serendipitous for me, as someone who has been remixing video game tunes for a few years now… So when I told the composer about my hobby, he seemed pleasantly surprised – and asked me to sing solo for another track being released with the game!

I think the video game industry is becoming quite a platform for [up-and-coming] musicians out there. I have friends my age who are already scoring some pretty big titles – even one of zircon’s remixes is going to be featured in Super Street Fighter II Turbo: HD Remix for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3! (You can hear his music playing in this trailer.) I’ve even discovered a great new artist named Hayley Westenra, just from playing the game Endless Ocean on my Wii.

Q: Well thanks Jillian for taking the time. Congrats! And get some sleep!

J: Thanks again to all the people who make OurStage possible. You are doing artists and fans out there a true service by providing this community!

This blog is written and maintained by Quinn Strassel.

**Special Note: In honor of the last day of Finals Week, we (Alyssa, Julie, and Quinn) are profiling the artists who made it to the number one spot in their respective channels.

How good is Adam Arcuragi?

Let’s just say good enough to keep a weary blogger with calloused fingertips up late to write one last post on a #1 artist.

It’s easy to see why people have fallen for Arcuragi’s “People and Private Music” (#1 in Acoustic). With a casual baritone (think Will Sheff of Okkervil River) drifting over skillfully strummed strings of all kinds, occasional handclaps, and subtle dose of piano, it’s it’s the kind of music that makes you want to fall in love.

And clearly the OurStage fans love Adam Arcuragi. Landing #1 in a channel of 854 entries is no small feat. With only an hour and fifteen minutes left in March, it’ll take a major wave of Arcuragi support to lift him to the top spot overall. But I get the feeling, we’ll be hearing from this young Philadelphian in the coming months (and years?) no matter what happens tonight.

But of course, who cares what I think. If you want to learn more about Adam, check out his profile and join his fanclub. And if you want to help him rise to the top (in the little remaining time!), start judging now!

**Special Note: In honor of the last day of Finals Week, we (Alyssa, Julie, and Quinn) are profiling the artists who made it to the number one spot in their respective channels.

It’s rare that I find myself writing about Hip-Hop and Rock artists in the same post. But it’s impossible to ignore a connection between two of this month’s number ones: Overcoming difficult times.

It starts with five-time(!) top-ten artist Dean Silva, who teamed up with Brian McKever to record “Kiss Another Day Good-by,” a song he admits he wrote during a very difficult time.

“I wrote it when I was deep in heroin addiction and could find no way out. At that time, my life seemed hopeless and the song ‘Kiss another day Good-by’ became a way of life. Today I am 18 months clean and have a new chance in my life and with my music.”

Congrats Dean on staying clean. It’s clear the fans identified with your struggle and appreciate your song. It’s certainly no small feat when you end up #1 in a channel of 1,363 entries!

Another artist who’s turned struggle into success is the Rap Channel’s number one artist Mixture, the Florida based MC who made it to the top with “Invicible,” an autobiographical walk through a life full of obstacles.

From his opening line, Mixture sets the tone:

I will not lose/ ‘cause I choose/ to live by my rules/ I’ve paid my dues/ Walk a mile in my shoes/ Lil’ n!##a lied to/ So now I don’t even know/ Even if the sky’s blue/ So I left high school/

From there, with spitfire intensity, he embarks on a chronological journey through a troubled life. But like Silva, Mixture turns his dark time into a source of strength. By the end, he returns to the line that started the whole song: “I will not lose.”

To find out more about Dean Silva, check out his profile and join his fanclub.

For more on Mixture and Knight-Time Productions, go to his profile and do the same.

To judge either of these artists to the top (and the grand prize of $5,000!), start judging now!

**Special Note: In honor of the last day of Finals Week, we (Alyssa, Julie, and Quinn) are profiling the artists who made it to the number one spot in their respective channels.

With $5,000 on the line, I’m sure most artists in the Music Finals channel would love to add another song to double their chances of winning the big prize.

As it turns out, Jillian Goldin is one step ahead of the pack.

With her own hypnotic track, “Hajime,” topping the World channel, Jillian is in the running for the music Grand Prize.

But if you look closely, you’ll realize that Jillian appears twice in this month’s list of number ones. Head over to the Techno/Club/Dance channel and you’ll find another trance-like track, “Breathing You In,” with electronica artist and frequent collaborator Zircon (real name: Andrew Aversa).

But unlike “Hajime” which maintains a sense of calm throughout, “Breathing You In” drifts into a breakbeat barrage, giving it an entirely different feel.

Congrats to both of you for your combined success. But I only have one question: How do you split the money if “Breathing You In” wins?

As for the fans, why don’t you head over to Jillian’s and Andrew’s profiles. Join their fanclubs, and if you like what you hear, judge them to the top!