dustinburke Band wins Momentum Award

(NASHVILLE, TENN.) -- dustinburke Band, an independent Christian group from Dayton, Ohio, was awarded Indieheaven's first MOMENTUM Scholarship at the annual CIA SUMMIT conference in Nashville. The $20,000 MOMENTUM Scholarship awards one artist or band with an all-expenses-paid ten song album project produced by Jim Cooper, and mixed by Tony Palacios.

Indieheaven president, Keith Mohr states, "When I sensed the Lord leading me to offer a scholarship project to an Indieheaven artist, I immediately thought of Jim Cooper to handle the production. Jim was the producer of the smash hit record, Glory Defined for the group Building 429, who happen to be alumni of Indieheaven. Not only did Building 429 win the GMA Music Award for New Artist of the Year in 2005, but the title track was the fastest rising song to #1 in CCM history."

To find a recipient, the Indieheaven staff searched for a full-time artist or band that was actively pursuing passion and excellence in their music mission. Qualifications included having a strong work ethic, a consistent live performance schedule, and a heart for ministry. As part of the agreement, the group will remain independent until April 1, 2007.

"As far as we know, this is the first time an artist has been signed to stay indie!" says Mohr. "The band keeps their publishing, keeps their copyrights, and keeps the money from sales of their music."

dustinburke Band performed over 65 concerts in 2005, and will exceed that number this year. In addition to the recorded project, the band will receive additional marketing and tour support as part of the MOMENTUM Scholarship package.

Mohr took a groundbreaking approach to this project, inviting members of his Indieheaven community to help cover the costs of the project in exchange for promotional opportunities. Several companies and organizations have also partnered with Indieheaven to fund the project, including Compassion International and CCM Magazine. Mohr states, "This is the future of music, where partnerships and alliances are created with artists to provide them resources in exchange for promotion. We're showing it can be done!"

"I think the most exciting thing about receiving this scholarship is being a part of something so ground-breaking to the music industry," says the groups founder Dustin Burke. "Never before have two independent entities partnered to be such a force in the industry. It's awesome to be the first band to sign a deal to stay independent. The fact that we get to record a record with someone of Jim Cooper's caliber only makes this an even bigger reason for the industry to recognize the impact independent bands like ours will make to the Christian music community."

Adds Mohr, "It is our hope that the dustinburke Band's album is the first of many, many excellent projects that come out of this revolutionary concept!"

For more information, visit dustinburkeband.com or indieheaven.com