Billboard Announces First Music App Awards At Mobile Entertainment Live!

NEW YORK, April 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Billboard – the world's premier music brand - announced today that it will

hold its first-ever Music App Awards at Mobile Entertainment Live!: The Music App Summit on October 5, 2010. The event will take place in conjunction with the CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment 2010, Fall Show, in San Francisco, CA.

The first-ever Billboard Music App Awards will reward the most innovative music-focused apps created for the iPhone, BlackBerry, Android and Nokia platforms. A panel of industry visionaries will choose finalists and winners, and Billboard is encouraging any developers and companies creating music applications to apply at www.MobileEntertainmentLiveFall.com.

"There have been plenty of app awards, but none have focused solely on music-specific apps," said Antony Bruno, Billboard's Executive Director of Content and Programming for Digital/Mobile. "Given how important the mobile and app market is to the music industry, Billboard wanted to showcase the most innovative apps out there from the artists and services defining the opportunity today.We're looking forward to seeing what people have come up with, and giving the best of the best their rightful due."

Selected finalists will be featured in a pre-show special section of Billboard magazine, and will have the opportunity to demonstrate their apps in Billboard's "App Lounge" at Mobile Entertainment Live!: The Music App Summit.

Any app built for the iPhone, BlackBerry, Android and Nokia platforms are eligible if they were released between July 1, 2009 and July 30, 2010. The participating apps must be available for sale to the public by the submission deadline. Companies may submit as many apps as they like, but cannot nominate the same app for multiple categories.

The deadline for all submissions is July 30, 2010, and finalists in each category will be announced on September 1, 2010. The winners will be revealed at Mobile Entertainment Live!: The Music App Summit on October 5. To submit an app or for more information about the awards, please visit: www.MobileEntertainmentLiveFall.com.

Sounds of Jazz, Calypso, Brazilian and Gospel Music to Highlight Fourth Festival of Universal Sacred Music

NEW YORK, April 15 /PRNewswire/ -- A unique concert featuring jazz, calypso, gospel, and Brazilian music will highlight the Fourth Festival of Universal Sacred Music on Sunday, April 25, when composer/pianist and president of

The Society for Universal Sacred Music (http://www.universalsacredmusic.org), Roger Davidson (http://www.rogerdavidsonmusic.net), will be joined by a talented and acclaimed group of musicians who will showcase original works that are sure to have the audience tapping their feet and singing along.

"Be United, All Humanity" is a new feature to the 2010 Festival for Universal Sacred Music taking place on April 24 & 25 at the Kaufman Center at Merkin Hall in New York City. Performing alongside Mr. Davidson will be several well-known musicians and renowned jazz and blues singer - and lead vocalist for the event - Catherine Russell (http://www.catherinerussell.net).

Ms. Russell has been a hit at such major events as the Chicago Blues Festival and the Tanglewood Jazz Festival, has appeared on nationally syndicated shows on PBS-TV and NPR, and her performances and recordings have been reviewed by critics from The Wall Street Journal, the Boston Herald and the Chicago Sun Times.

Pablo Aslan, artistic director for the concert, is an Argentine bassist who directs Avantango (http://www.avantango.com), a tango-jazz ensemble featuring Argentine musicians and dancers, and has performed and recorded with such greats as Yo-Yo Ma, Wynton Marsalis, Shakira, among many others.

For tickets, visit http://www.merkinconcerthall.org or call 212-501-3330. Tickets are priced at $25 per person per performance or $60 for the series (all three performances). Group rates for parties of 10 or more at $15 per performance. Seniors and student ticket prices are $15 per performance. For additional information, contact the Society for Universal Sacred Music at 914-241-0303.

Houghton College P.A.C.E. Program Offers Minors To Adult Learners

Houghton, NY (Vocus) April 14, 2010 -- Houghton College is pleased to announce the addition of degree minors within the framework of the college’s P.A.C.E. (Program for Accelerating College Education) adult degree

completion (http://www.houghton.edu) program. Minors in Leadership, Human Resource Management and Marketing will be offered to students at all six program locations (Arcade, Dansville, Jamestown, Olean, West Seneca and Williamsville) starting July 2010. Houghton College is the only higher education institution in Western New York to offer minors to adult learners (http://www.houghton.edu).

In 1991, after two years of study and preparation, Houghton College offered its first accelerated course through P.A.C.E. (http://www.houghton.edu) The program provided a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management. By offering these additional courses, in both classroom and online formats, the college anticipates serving existing and prospective students through specialization. With these minors, students can seek ways to distinguish themselves from other job candidates and can receive further training in their own areas of expertise. Students will also benefit from curriculum which provides them with immediate opportunities for workplace application.

“Based on a 2009 survey, we learned that our student and alumni value specialization as well as management training and knowledge,” remarks Ronald Mahurin, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College. “As we looked at our regional competitors and national sister schools, we discovered that many offer specialized degrees, but none offer minors.”

Minors will be offered in Human Resource Management, Leadership and Marketing. Courses within the Human Resource Management minor will include employment law, conflict management or employee relations, business ethics, performance management or employee training and development. Leadership minors will focus on social psychology or psychology of personality, leadership development, conflict management and business ethics. Those minoring in Marketing will take courses that include marketing principles, advertising principles, marketing research and business ethics.

“I am thrilled that Houghton’s Program for Accelerating College Education in Management is adding a minor in Leadership,” remarks Monica Thompson, a current P.A.C.E. student studying in Olean. “This program has exceeded my expectations and by adding the Leadership curriculum it will enable me to become an effective manager in the administrative field and a respected leader in my community.”

Houghton College P.A.C.E. offers a Bachelor of Science in Management in a convenient format for working adults. If you have approximately two years of college credits and are 25 or older, P.A.C.E. will allow you to conveniently complete your bachelor’s degree. Call us today at 1.888.874.P.A.C.E. or send us an e-mail at pace(at)houghton(dot)edu.