Winner - 2004 Kerrville Folk Festival: New Folk Competition
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TOM PRASADA-RAO
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+ Journal
+ Discography
+ Favorites
+ Moments
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Animated Video of "Turn Me On"
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The Dreamsicles
 - Tom_prasada-rao
Buy Out of the Blue / Tom Prasada-Rao

Be sure to check out Tom's myspace page!!
Tom is one of the most oustanding musicians I have ever met. He has not only inspired me with his playing, but my own approach to music has changed after listening to him. —Ed King, Lynyrd Skynyrd

Tom Prasada-Rao / BIO
Tom Prasada-Rao teaches songwriting, produces records, and plays live every weekend as a Solo Artist and with The Dreamsicles.
Award Winning Songs
TPR has won numerous awards - among them Kerrvilles' New Folk and 14 Wammies including Songwriter of the Year. His songs have been recorded by David Wilcox, Randy Travis, actor Ronny Cox, Christian artist Bob Bennett, and world music tabla master Broto Roy.
Powerful Recordings
In addition to his solo CDs and The Dreamsicles, Tom has produced for Rachel Bissex, The Sherpas, Cary Cooper, Michael Bowers, and Annie Wenz. Most recently he produced Cary Coopers' "Yellow" which charted at #7 in Oct 05, and "Remembering Rachel" which raised over $50,000 for the children of the late Rachel Bissex and included Dar Williams, The Kennedys, Groovelily, Patty Larkin, and Catie Curtis.
Experienced Teacher
Tom teaches every summer at the University of Virginias' Young Writers' Workshops, and at song camps nationwide. At Young Writers he takes young high school poets and fiction writers and turns them into songwriters complete with a CD of their own song when they leave. He specializes in teaching novice songwriters, as well as advanced guitar classes and song editing techniques.

A virtual world music ensemble rolled into one guy. His voice weaves incantations, and the guitar is a magic wand in the hands of this extraordinary musician —The Takoma Park Folk Festival

Amazing Performer
In performance Toms' contemporaries acknowledge him as the groovemiester. He plays acoustic guitar like it's a band in a box, along with piano, violin, and sitar. His style varies between Marvin Gaye, Joni Mitchell, and Ravi Shankar. Tom Prasada-Rao is not a screamer -- he gets his point across with soaring melodies, engaging stories, poetry, and undulating spirituality.
Details:
Born: in Ethiopia of Indian parents
Educated: in Maryland, England, and India
Albums: 5 Solo CDs, 2 Group CDs, over 25,000 copies sold
Awards: ---1993 Kerrville New Folk Winner
---------------Falcon Ridge Most Wanted
----------------WAMA Songwriter of the Year
-----------------Kerrville Indie Album of the Year
Home: Dallas,TX (formerly Takoma Park, MD)
Sign: Aries
Religion: Rumi

"One of the great things about Tom Prasada-Rao's live appearances is that ya never know who will turn up to play (or sing) with him. During his set in the first half he called his sister Patti, and Betsy Dake up to join him on vocals as well as Walter Parks of The Nudes to play some guitar parts. Don't know how he does it but Tom always manages to find some of the finest singers around and Patti and Betsy were just amazing, adding soulful harmonies to Falling Star, and Sleeping Beauty and Ella's Angel and a wonderful new song that I don't remember hearing before. Wish I knew the name. From the moment Tom starting singing he held everyone's attention. There is someting truly charming and gentle about this man and his songs, and universal in a way that is original and emotionally powerful without ever dipping into excess. The audience immediatly connected with him. And can this guy play a guitar? They don't call him "the groove-meister" for nothin. During his set he noted that after a couple of sad songs he should play one to lighten the mood. "But let's face it, I'm a folk singer". With that he launched into "Falling Star", my own personal favorite, and one of the best songs about one-way love I have ever heard. I was spellbound."

-- Jeff Nuttle, The Avalon Theater, Easton, MD


Interview with Pierce Pettis taped October 22 99 upstairs of Bodles' Opera House in Chester, New York before his performance there that night:

A: If you were going to put together a festival of songwiters, I'd love to know who you'd want there.

P: Boy, that is a tough question, because I'll start naming names I'm gonna leave people...

A: I realize that...

P: You mentioned Ellis and John and those are certainly two contenders. I love Dana Cooper. I like Sally Barris - there are just a lot of great writers. Too many to mention. I love Tom Kimmell and Tom Prasada-Rao I think is one of the most brilliant writers ever and boy... I don't know...

A: Not that you are leaving people out because you don't like them, I just wanted to hear some names from you.

P: It is cuz I can't remember them right at this moment.

A: But that is helpful, just to know. While I am airing this I will just cut into a Tom...song...say his last name I never say that right.

P: (quickly) Pass ah duh rah

A: (copying) Pass ah duh rah

P: Tom Prasada-Rao.

4. Tom PrasadaRao - Sleeping Beauty / Hear You Laughing

P: If you have to stop and think about Tom's name you can't say it

A: Pass ah duh rah

P: You have to just sort of go with it. Tom Prasada-Rao. Tom will hear this and he'll hurt me probably. (laughter dies)

http://www.wjffradio.org/FolkPlus/interviews/PPettis.html





aboutTomPrasadaRao


—AWARDS
WAMMIES - Washington Area Music Awards:
WAMA Best Male Vocalist '02 - '94
WAMA Songwriter of the Year ‘97
WAMA Song of the Year ‘97
Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Winner ‘93
Falcon Ridge Top 3 Most Wanted ‘98
Indie Album/CD/Tape of the Year -
The Kerrville Music Awards ‘98
Mid Atlantic Song Contest -
1st place Jazz and Folk ’95

—PERFORMED WITH
Janis Ian
Peter Yarrow
Michael Hedges
Ani Difranco
Odetta
David Wilcox
Ritchie Havens

—RECORDED WITH
Ed King of Lynyrd Skynyrd
Mark Heard
Eva Cassidy
Chris Biondo

—PRODUCED
The Dreamsicles
The Sherpas
Cary Cooper
Rachel Bissex
Michael Bowers
Annie Wenz
Ranjit Masilamani
Carey Creed
The Prasada-Rao Family

—SELECT PERFORMANCES
Festivals:
Ottowa
Rocky Mountain
Philadelphia
Kerrville
Falcon Ridge
Wildflower
Woody Guthrie
South Florida
Boston
New Song
Performance Halls:
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Kennedy Center
Clubs:
The Birchmere
The Bottom Line
The Iron Horse
The Ram’s Head
The Freight and Salvage
The Main Street Cafe
Six Strings (Raleigh, NC)
Coffeehouses:
Uncle Calvin’s
Caf矌ena
Swallow Hill
JamminJava
Godfrey Daniels
Concert Series:
The Listening Room
The Evening Star
Six Strings (Columbus, OH)
House Concerts:
Fox Run
The Panzers
Rouse House
Flowers in the Desert

TEACHING / SONG SCHOOLS
Rocky Mountain Folks Festival
Kerrville Folk Festival
University of Virginia Young Writers Workshops
Summer Songs
Lamb’s Retreat
Guitar Clinics for Breedlove Guitars

TOM PRASADA-RAO CDs
Luv Songs for Grown-Ups / The Dreamsicles
Out of the Blue / Tom Prasada-Rao
The Dreamsicles / The Dreamsicles
Honor Among Thieves / The Sherpas
Christmas in the Ashram / Tom Prasada-Rao
Hear You Laughing / Tom Prasada-Rao
The Way of the World / Tom Prasada-Rao
Incoming / Tom Prasada-Rao
--(Produced by the late Mark Heard)

OTHER CD'S PRODUCED BY TPR
Yellow / Cary Cooper
Remembering Rachel / Various Artists
Andrew Gregory / Andrew Gregory
In White Light / Rachel Bissex
Here Now / Kristin DeWitt
Reluctant Believer / Michael Bowers
Gypsy Train / Cary Cooper
Poet's Dance / Annie Wenz
Falling Ashes / Ranjith

TPR CUTS
Last One Gone / David Wilcox
The View from Here / Bob Bennet
From the Dust / Ronny Cox
Whisper of the Wheels / David Wilcox
Rishi's Garden / Broto Roy
Sleeping Beauty / Lauren Kilgore
See Myself in You / Randy Travis
Hard to Walk Out on a Deal / Tom Kimmel
Doin' It for You / Michael Lille
Lefty's Boys / SGGL
Darlene / Penny Nichols
Mrs Whitney / Don Conoscenti
One Another / Rachel Bissex
Someone's Got to Pay / Chris Chandler
Falling Star / Kristin DeWitt
Falling Star / Jay Be
Falling Star / Jerry Bresee
Incoming / Natalie Withers