Nashville, TN -- (ReleaseWire) -- 03/09/2007 --Voice coach to the stars Renee Grant-Williams announces the panelists for her 9th Annual Vocal Master Class. This year’s intensive all-day workshop titled “Live Performance: Launching Pad for a Lasting Career” will be held on Saturday, April 14th in nearby Brentwood, Tennessee.

Grant-Williams, who is in constant demand by major record labels and entertainers, has created a unique, activity-packed seminar that has proven to be invaluable not only to singers, but has also benefited public speakers, record producers, audio engineers, and others interested in honing their vocal abilities. From 9am to 5pm, students will participate in technical training and hands-on instruction with Grant-Williams. The host for the daytime portion of the Master Class is Country Weekly journalist David Scarlett. The afternoon will feature a blue-ribbon panel discussion.

The panel of highly respected music executives and artists will focus their discussion on the importance of live performance in preparing for a lasting career.

The panel will help participants learn how to gain experience as a performer: how to find people and events that allow them to perform early in their career, how to use live performance to build a following, how to put together and manage a band, how to get free exposure, how to get paid for performing, how live performance can help gain the attention of major record labels, and much more.

“You have to take charge of your own artist development by learning the craft and business of performing,” says Grant-Williams, “A true performer is obsessed with making music whether anyone else hears them or not. If they were stranded on a desert island they’d be singing to the coconuts.”

Featured on this year’s panel are: Bo Bice, southern rocker and American Idol favorite; Bill Puryear, president of talent and booking agency Crescent Moon Talent and John Taylor, entertainment director of World Famous Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge.

Past panels have included Paul Worley (producer – Big & Rich, Dixie Chicks, Warner Bros. label head), Mark Bright (producer – Rascal Flatts), Harold Shedd (producer – Alabama, Toby Keith) David Malloy (producer – Reba McEntire), Rod Essig (Booking Agent – Tim McGraw, Faith Hill), Ted Greene (Manager – Diamond Rio), Bob Regan (hit songwriter and NSAI past president), Larry Pareigis (Sony Records executive), David Ross (Publisher – Music Row Magazine), Pat Higdon (Universal Music Publishing executive) and music business attorney, Jim Harris.

During the evening, attendees will have the opportunity to perform and will receive a written evaluation from a distinguished panel of music industry professionals. The performance showcase takes place from 7:00 pm to 11:30 pm.

Grant-Williams’ client list reads like a “who’s who” in contemporary music, and includes the Dixie Chicks, Miley Cyrus (Disney’s Hannah Montana), Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Keith Urban, Faith Hill, Christina Aguilera, Ben Folds, and Kenny Chesney. She is a graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and was later on the faculty there, as well as at the University of California, Berkeley, where she served as the Director of the Division of Vocal Music.

Grant-Williams has appeared on numerous broadcast outlets including ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, Bravo, Bloomberg, MTV, BBC, PBS, GAC, CMT, NPR, and has been quoted by and written for numerous print publications including Cosmopolitan, New York Times, Chicago Tribune, TV Guide, US Weekly, and Country Weekly. Grant-Williams was featured on NBC’s “Three Wishes”.

Registration for this year’s Vocal Master Class with Renee Grant-Williams, “Live Performance: Launching Pad for a Lasting Career” is $299 and tickets can be purchased by calling (615) 244-3280 or at www.MyVoiceCoach.com.