The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Want to go to SXSW or next year’s Super Bowl?
ChooseATL and the DeKalb Entertainment Commission are teaming up for “ChooseATL Tracklanta,” a competition that will send one aspiring musician to the ChooseATL House at the SXSW festival on March 12 in Austin, Texas.
Submissions will be accepted via SoundCloud through Feb. 23. There is no entry fee, but entrants must be at least 21, amateur, unsigned and not associated with a label or distribution company. And you must hail from the Atlanta area.
The winner earns a performance slot at SXSW in addition to rehearsal time at Atlanta’s Stage Audio Production in advance of SXSW with Grammy Award-winning, Atlantabased music/audio engineer Bill Zimmerman at Callanwolde’s new recording and mixing studio at the Rick Baker School of Music and Music Recording. Zimmerman works as a freelance engineer and assistant to Phil Tan, where he has assisted on recent projects for Fifth Harmony, Coldplay, Zara Larsson and others.
Record executive, songwriter and record producer Kawan “KP” Prather, head of music at I Am Other (Pharrell Williams’ record label), will judge submissions. The winner will be announced March 1.
ChooseATL was launched by the Metro Atlanta Chamber in 2015 to showcase Atlanta as a leading world destination, and celebrates its unique community, inclusive culture, and expanding business opportunities across all industries. For details and the submission link, see chooseatl.com and scroll down to the “Tracklanta” section.
In other opportunities news, the Super Bowl comes back to Atlanta next year, and organizers will need lots of hands on deck.
Civic-minded sports fans can apply now to secure a volunteer spot. Note: This does not in any way guarantee you’ll be watching the game or taking selfies with whoever the halftime show headliner is.
The call for volunteers reads: “As Atlanta gears up to welcome the NFL in 2019, we will be looking for a group of high energy, passionate volunteers. These super-friendly and dedicated ambassadors for our city will be responsible for making the kind of lasting impressions that are forever memorable. Our goal with the volunteer program is to take the words ‘Southern hospitality’ to new heights and provide the kind of warm, hearty welcome to all visitors that is synonymous with Atlanta. Interested? Sign up today to be the first to receive exclusive volunteer news and updates.”
The big event is Feb. 3, 2019, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. See atlsuperbowl53.com/getinvolved to offer your services.
Jennifer Garner turns heads while selling Girl Scout cookies
Jennifer Garner, who appears in the upcoming Atlanta-filmed “Love, Simon,” posted a cute photo of a guy who took notice of her Girl Scout cookie enterprise outside a grocery store. Clearly, he was agape at the prospect of a Thin Mint.
A mom of three, Garner started her career in Atlanta, as a summer intern for the Georgia Shakespeare festival. In recent years, she’s been back in town for other movies including “The Odd Life of Timothy Green” and “Miracles From Heaven.” The latter, she said, led her to start going to church again.
“Joy comes from the smallest things,” she said during a 2016 interview to promote “Miracles From Heaven” on “Good Morning Texas.” “If you don’t find it in the small things and you only wait for big moments, then you’ll just not be a happy person.”