More than 750 people auditioned for the premiere season of the Ragged Road web series, but only five were chosen to take the ride of a lifetime. The group will travel over 5,000 miles around the country meeting music industry innovators as they make their own path towards achieving their goals.
With music interests ranging from performing to producing, the cast members–Janelle, Rian, Derek, Jessica and Laura–have traveled to nine cities to visit famous locales and historic venues, including: Warner Bros. Records and Universal Music Publishing in L.A., Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and New Orleans’ Musicians Village. From spending time with well-known musicians Joel and Benji Madden of Good Charlotte and Of A Revolution (aka O. A. R.) to production group Blackout Movement, the group had the opportunity to meet with significant industry players and discuss their achievements, challenges and successes, and learn more about what it takes to make it in the business.
The web series began September 29th and will run through October 29th. This documentary web series will chronicle the cast’s journey during 10 episodes that will air online twice a week on Mondays and Wednesdays. Check out the first episode below, and make sure to visit http://www.youtube.com/raggedroad for more information and future episodes.
In the first episode, we meet the five cast members as they converge in New York for a Teen Vogue shoot and then head to Seattle to kick off the musical journey.
About the Cast
Janelle Kroll / 20 / Northbrook, IL
This young singer recorded a 3-track demo just before hitting the road. She hopes to develop her career on her own terms, like the artists she emulates: Lauryn Hill and Corinne Bailey Rae. Janelle celebrated her 21st birthday on the road, during the cast’s stop in Nashville.
Rian Beriones / 21 / Houston, TX
Inspired by industry leaders Pharrell Williams and Kanye West, beatmaker Beriones is fueled by a passion for various aspects of music composition–vocals, production, and instrumentation. Like his heroes, Rian dreams of “doing it all” including production, film, and clothing design.
Laura Nicely / 22 / Bowling Green, OH
This singer-songwriter is a novice at performing. She looks forward to sharing her passion for country music with her fellow “Ragged Road” riders. Laura, who most looks forward to the cast’s stop in the country music capital of Nashville, hopes the trip will bring clarity to her music aspirations.
Derek Scott / 21 /Waxahachie, TX
Derek found his way to Ragged Road after his stepdad saw a poster for the open call at their local Macy’s. Some day he’d like to be a touring musician, so Derek can’t wait to get on the open road. He is also an accomplished visual artist, and seeks to build a career marrying his two passions: art and music.
Jessica Martinez / 23 / Sacramento, CA
This Cali girl wants to infiltrate the business side of the industry, eventually developing artists and exposing their energy and talent to the world. At last year’s SXSW Music Festival, Jessica missed Ben Harper’s performance to audition for the open casting call. She had just been asking herself, “What am I going to do with my life?”
Bookmark http://www.youtube.com/raggedroad and keep watching!
