Marce

Artist Information

Biography

"What do you think about plastic surgery?" the record executive asked her. "We love your music, we love your sound, But the market wants petite and blond." With a smile, Marce politely picked up her guitar and walked out. She hasn't looked back since.

"A Folksinger On a Mission", Marce has successfully toured the Eastern United States, packing venues ranging from intimate coffee houses to trendy nightclubs. When she sings solo, her words and music make you feel like you are getting a private concert in your living room. With her band, she takes an inspirational message and moves your body and feet to the rhythm of her songs. In February, May and September of 2006 , Marce was named the Folk Category Winner for "Song of the Year", sponsoring VH-1 "Save The Music" Foundation. A reviewer for the contest said that Marce "takes the listener into a state of sensuality. Both melody and voice have the power that will make you remember the song and the performance." Show after show confirms the fact that Marce's music and her honesty touch a chord deep within her audience

Raised between the United States and Colombia, she's seen enough war to develop a healthy sarcastic edge and enough love to make her a romantic! Her motto is "Start a Revolution Where You Are!"and she continues to live up to it by staying true to herself with every word she sings.

Marce learned the piano at age 8, composed her first song at age 9, picked up the guitar at 15, and has been performing and writing ever since. Her professional music career began after much prompting from friends and family, actively seeking to "get her songs out there!" She was asked to write a song for a production of the Vagina Monologues in Miami. The single, "D is for Denial" became an instant hit with locals! In response to the demand, she self-produced her debut album in 2002 and sold out within two weeks! Her fan base continued to grow at her home college: Florida International University, and rehearsal/jam sessions in the student Union became standing-room only events. Soon enough, she was playing regular gigs around town accompanied by congas and bass.

In 2002, she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor's Degree in Women's Studies and a minor in History. Many of her songs reflect her focus on the untold stories of everyday women. Her artwork, available at www.marceonline.com, also shares this theme.

To stay in touch with Marce, join her mailing list through her websites at www.marceonline.com or www.myspace.com/marceonline !

Awards
===========================
* 2006 Singer/Songwriter Awards - Honorable Mention
* 2006 Independent Music Awards - Finalist
* Overall Song of the Year, 2006 - Winner (Folk)
* Song of the Year, September 2006 - Winner (Folk)
* Song of the Year, May 2006 - Winner (Folk)
* Song of the Year, February 2006 - Winner (Folk)

Festivals/Showcases
=======================
* Folk Alliance, 2008
* Folk Alliance, 2007
* NYC Chick Singer Night, 2007
* LadyFest South, 2007
* Dewey Beach Music Conference, 2006
* First Coast Pride Festival, 2006
* Miami Chick Singer Night, 2006

Instrumentation

Marce - Lead Vocals, Guitar, Piano
Denise Burnsed - Bass, Backup Vocals
Nadav Mer - Guitar

Discography

Debut album, "Marce", available on iTunes, MSN Music, CDBaby.com, and more!

"Piece of Mind" - Limited Release 2008
"East Coast Chill-Out" - 2008
"Hear My Voice" - 2007
"Marce" - 2002

Songs are available for preview at marceonline.com website or myspace.com/marceonline!

Links

• Visit Marce on MySpace

Audio

• I Told You So
  Listen  
• Make My Move
  Listen  
• Ocean
  Listen  
• Magdalene
  Listen  
• Hush
  Listen  
• Trembling
  Listen  
• The Blind
  Listen  
• White Lies
  Listen  
• Nameless
  Listen  
• Jenny
  Listen  
• Strong
  Listen  

Lyrics

• I Told You So
• Make My Move
• Ocean
• Magdalene
• The Blind
• White Lies

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• What People Say About Marce [+ Show ]
  

  "Absolutely beautiful music! Marce is a rare gem in the sea of independent singer/songwriters." - ..."Absolutely beautiful music! Marce is a rare gem in the sea of independent singer/songwriters."
  - Madalyn Sklar, GoGirlsMusic.com
  
  "Grab a cup of tea and listen intently to the life experience from this artist. This CD just became one of my top picks for 2006."
  - RedjMusic (BMI)
  
  
  "A folksinger on a mission!"
  - The Gainesville Sun
  
  
  "As she plays, it's impossible not to become immersed in the music... and when she finishes, you feel empowered and satisfied."
  - InSite Magazine
  
  
  "Gainesville's Joni Mitchell!"
  - The Sun Collective, Manchester, UK
  
  
  "Her lyrics create strong images of surreal thoughts. The production is astounding and absolutely perfect."
  - Reviewer, "Song of the Year"
  
  
  "Her sound is compelling, her music honest and her voice true. We need more songwriters like Marce!"
  - Jack Solano, Chick Singers Night Miami
  
  
  "Acoustic folk explosion!...Soul inspiring vocal mastery, matched perfectly with a rhythmically intense acoustic guitar."
  - FYI Weekly
  
  
  "It's refreshing to see someone take a chance and bare herself, her talents and her imperfections, so fully and sincerely that we can lose ourselves in something real and filled with the kind of hope that reminds us that anything is possible."
  - The Beacon
  
  
  "Her voice carries through the air until it sinks into your soul. It is AMAZING!"
  - Rachael Middleton,
  Producer "Vagina Monologues"
  
  

• She's a folk singer on a mission [+ Show ]
  

  As she waves goodbye to a small group of friends, Marce picks at the remaining half of her bagel and...As she waves goodbye to a small group of friends, Marce picks at the remaining half of her bagel and sits back comfortably in the booth at Panera Bread. She smiles frequently at her husband and seems content, albeit modest, in discussing her career as an up-and-coming folk singer.
  
  Marcela Pineros, 31, better known as Marce (pronounced mar-say), is an increasingly familiar face among Gainesville's bevy of singers. She has written original lyrics for about 50 folk songs, having been inspired by introspection, women's stories and political and social issues. She gained recent exposure by winning the VH1 "Song of the Year" contest for February in the folk category with the song "I Told You So."
  
  "The tricky thing is, I never saw myself doing this," Marce says.
  
  Growing up in a music-friendly environment, first in her native Colombia and later in South Florida, Marce says everyone in her family played an instrument. Both sets of grandparents, her parents, siblings, uncles, aunts and cousins tapped into some musical talent. The requirement was so engrained in Marce's family, she remembers when a prior boyfriend said his musical talent was clapping, he had a hard time fitting in.
  
  "Needless to say, it didn't work out," Marce says with a smile.
  
  Nomadic childhood
  Born in Bogota before moving as a youth to Miami, Marce grew up with parents who were "nomads," two sisters and one brother. Her father was "jack of all trades," working at various times as a race car driver, deep sea diver and gas station manager.
  
  Although she has never lived in the same house for more than three years, Marce learned about the stability of love early on. At age 9, she composed her first song, titled "Recuerda," on the piano. She quit playing the piano at age 11, because she wanted to be a kid, and it stopped being fun for her. Her musical inclination drew her back to composing, however, and by age 15 she had written 12 songs, mostly focusing on heartbreak or being in love.
  
  "I was always a romantic," Marce says. "My friends would joke and say I was in love with love."
  
  At 15, Marce felt the desire to make her music more portable, so she picked up the guitar. She taught herself to play, and she eventually began composing music on the guitar as well as the piano.
  
  Although the popular music of the day was gangsta rap and grunge, Marce continued to compose introspective, emotion-based lyrics, which often exposed her deepest fears. As she grew in her songwriting, Marce began to focus on women's issues, even obtaining a bachelor's degree in women's studies at Florida International University in Miami.
  
  "I'm fascinated with women's lives," Marce says.
  
  She looks for empowering women's stories, rather than focusing on sad situations. She told the story of Mary Magdalene in a song titled "Da Vinci Code Blues," which includes lyrics such as, "It's crazy when your only flaw is that you're God's daughter-in-law."
  
  In "I Told You So," she uses the phrase "sweet land of misery," which she says refers to the inequity of wealth and privilege in the United States.
  
  "From very little, she's been an educator," says Maria Torres, 52, Marce's mother and confidant. "Her music teaches - she has hope in the world and hope in humanity."
  
  Gabriela Blohm, a close friend, says Marce's political passion convinced Blohm to become involved with Women in Science and Engineering, or WISE. As president of the organization, Blohm has scheduled a benefit in the fall, at which Marce is scheduled to perform.
  
  Small venues
  Marce feels her music is most appreciated in coffee houses, where it is quiet enough to hear and understand her often complex lyrics.
  
  "It's not a foot thumpin' type of thing," she says. "It's introspection."
  
  Bass player Jian Beckford, 34, played with Marce and percussionist Lee Pugh from 2002 to 2005. He says he, Marce and Pugh had "amazing chemistry," and he describes their collaborations as being like a party. During their time together, Beckford, Pugh and Marce played a few covers, such as a "very sexy" version of "Tainted Love," and an a capella version of "Come Together" by the Beatles. Beckford says Marce's songwriting was what impressed him, however, because her lyrics were personal, real and honest.
  
  "I think she writes things that other people may be thinking but are afraid to say themselves," Beckford says.
  
  Although she has been writing honest and personal lyrics for years, she says she only recently has learned to convey them more effectively, with the help of her husband of a little more than a year, Allen Guthier, 23. He is teaching her to sing with her eyes open, Marce says. She usually sings with them closed, but she now looks for her husband in the crowd and sings to him.
  
  It was because Guthier was in Gainesville that Marce relocated here from South Florida. Guthier often takes the role of Marce's personal manager, but they consider each other business partners. Above all, Marce says, he is a built-in fan club for her.
  
  At least once a month, Marce performs in Lincoln Road in Miami, where Guthier's family lives. Marce and Guthier pack her 1995 black Honda Civic full of equipment, which includes an amp system, speakers, speaker stands and two guitars.
  
  When Marce entered VH1's international Song of the Year contest in February, she was less than confident about her songwriting abilities.
  
  "I didn't think I had a chance in hell," she says with a laugh.
  
  Nevertheless, Marce submitted three songs to the contest. A panel of judges, including Grammy Award winners and Rolling Stone magazine employees, filled out a form and rated each of her songs. "I Told You So" was rated the highest, and Marce won in the Folk category for February. She has been submitting songs each month, with hope that she will win again, and she was recently informed that she won for May 2006 with the song "Beginning of an End."
  
  "We're still doing cartwheels," she says.
  
  At the end of the year, she will go up against 10 other people, each of whom won for the other 10 months of the year in the Folk category, and whoever wins will represent their category against the nine other categories in the contest.
  
  Meantime, Marce will continue to perform in Gainesville, at places such as Coffee Culture on 13th Street, where she enjoys performing during the open-microphone night on Fridays. Along with performing, Marce spends time with her mother, Blohm and Guthier.
  
  Since she came to town for Marce's wedding, Torres decided to stay in Gainesville to be closer to her daughter.
  
  "My other kids say that we share a brain," Torres says. "I think she's the sister of my soul."
  
  In October, Marce will start her tour of Florida, which will be based out of Gainesville. She is looking to book venues in 15 cities.
  
  Along with her equipment and a laptop, Marce always has a good book with her on the road.
  
  "I'm a bookworm," she says, citing "Anne of Green Gables" and Roald Dahl books among her favorites.
  
  Before they leave for the Florida tour, Marce and Guthier will sell their home, which they refer to as their "secret garden," because it is "very zen," according to Marce.
  
  Marce takes her guitar outside Panera bread and plays "Gust of Wind," a political song she wrote that connects the Iraq war, unemployment, consumerism and globalization. She smiles frequently at Guthier, and mostly keeps her eyes open.
  
  "I'm impatient," he tells her. "I want to hear your song on the radio."
  
  

• graveconcernsezine.com [+ Show ]
  

  "Grab a cup of tea and listen intently to the life experience from this artist. This CD just became ..."Grab a cup of tea and listen intently to the life experience from this artist. This CD just became one of my top picks for 2006."
  
  August 2006

• Upcoming Gainesville Songwriter Scores Big! [+ Show ]
  

  Gainesville singer/songwriter, Marce recently received the honor of being named Winner by the Song o...Gainesville singer/songwriter, Marce recently received the honor of being named Winner by the Song of the Year ( http://www.songoftheyear.com/ ) songwriting contest. Song of the Year is an international songwriting contest supporting the VH-1™ Save the Music Foundation. The Song of the Year judges are some of the biggest names in music including many Grammy Award winners.
  
  Song of the Year is excited to recognize Marce for her exceptional songwriting ability for the song "I Told You So". Marce competed against songwriters from all over the world for this honor. When asked what inspired the song, Marce commented: "this song is for all the underdogs, every person in the world who has been pushed around and suddenly found an enormous strength within themselves they had forgotten they had."
  
  Currently, Marce is concentrating on her songwriting career and hopes to "secure a record deal that will allow her to follow her personal motto: Start a revolution where you are!"
  
  You can find more information about Marce by visiting http://www.marceonline.com.
  
  

• Acoustic folk explosion! [+ Show ]
  

  Acoustic folk explosion! The self-titled debut from Marce is a superb collection of soul-inspiring v...Acoustic folk explosion! The self-titled debut from Marce is a superb collection of soul-inspiring vocal mastery, matched perfectly with a rhythmically intense acoustic guitar. This Gainesville local brings forth musical honesty and a refreshing breath of social consciousness in her first full-length record. She draws the listener into her world of activism and personal experience to create a thoughtful mix of anger, love and confusion. All this from just a voice and guitar.
  
  Marce follows the motto, "Start a revolution where you are." A very good credo indeed, and this is exactly what this young woman is doing through her music and art. I mention art because she is not only a talented songwriter but is skilled in the arts of drawing, digital imaging, and photography. Marce combines her music and art to present a feminist/humanist point of view that she hopes will open the eyes of those who do not really see the reality of what is going on in the world today.
  
  The opening track of this 13-song gem is "Change the Station" This song, describes the portrayal of love and relationships on the television screen and the strangeness of watching an intense romance turn into a commercial for insurance, and just how that commercialism can destroy such an important feeling.
  
  "D is for Denial" is up next, and is the most powerful tune on this CD. In this song Marce tells the story of domestic violence and the intense pain it causes. Her lyrics shout out a call to action. "Open up your eyes/See the woman hiding in the June Cleaver disguise/You know you can’t turn back/You know you can’t stand still/You know you gotta stay and fight cause no one ever will."
  
  The next song that stands out on this record is “Imperfection.” This tune is a perfect example of how this artist presents herself to the world. Unrefined and truthful are two words that come to mind. Without an army of effects processors or a big band to fill in any holes, Marce embraces her music in its purest form and revels in the fact that there may be a mistake or two but it’s the mistake themselves that make this music real. "I know what I should say/I know how to be strong/I know how to be brave/But at this point, imperfection seems perfect to me."
  
  This record is filled with enchanting melodies and intelligent lyrics and is an uplifting assembly of music that does not follow the major label commercial success formula. It is hones and it is yet another step in the right direction for this town’s music scene. Get out of your house and go support this local musician when she plays at Borders Bookstore in Gainesville on April 12. You can also catch Marce every Wednesday at The Shamrock for open mic night and every Thursday at the Civic Media Center’s Poetry Jam. You can get CD’s at her shows or if you can’t wait until then, check out her Website, www.marcesmusic.com or purchase CD’s at www.cdbaby.com/marce.
  
  

• Refreshing [+ Show ]
  

  In a world of music dominated by studio-produced shams constantly forced down our throats, FIU's own...In a world of music dominated by studio-produced shams constantly forced down our throats, FIU's own Marcela Piñeros' first album, Marce, is a refreshing reminder of what true talent really is. Like Jewel's debut Pieces of You, Marce is a collection of soulful folk ballads suffused with an underdog charm. Substituting big studio glitter with raw talent, Piñeros puts together a solid album that reminds us why the independent music industry merits our support. (The album is available only through her site, www.marcesmusic.com.)
  
  The twelve tracks consist mostly of vocals and guitar and demonstrate Piñeros' innate lyrical ability that despite an impressive debut, seems to have only broken the surface. "Imperfection," "The Cynic's Song" and "Drowning in a Tear Drop," a one and half minute flash of precocious folk wisdom ("sitting high on the edge of madness/don't look up 'cause the sun will blind you"), are each self-reflective ballads with a somewhat conversational structure reminiscent of the almost rambling sagacity of Ani Difranco.
  
  In "D is for Denial," Piñeros deals with the issue of domestic violence and manages to pull off the use of the alphabet theme without sounding childish by coupling it with a good melody and poetic lyrics like: "In a dimly lit room you see her stripped down to the truth/Playing songs on a stringless guitar that reminds her of her youth." Rather than seeming sensationalist, the song creates an interesting parallel between domestic violence and stifled youth.
  
  Staying true to her folk style, Piñeros' becomes an avid storyteller in many of the songs, including "Lunch" and "Anyway" which are each brief tales of love – finding it, losing it, and all the baggage in between.
  
  Although not perfect (an idea which Piñeros seems to have no qualms about if the song "Imperfection" is any indication), Marce is an impressive debut and display of musical talent. But it's the fact that the album is not perfect that gives it so much of its charm. We're so surrounded by packaged "artists" that we try to perfect someone until they become nothing but a shell of marketing tactics. Marcela Piñeros is not a packaged performer and Marce is no one else's but her own. It's refreshing to see someone take a chance and bare herself, her talents and her imperfections, so fully and sincerely that we can lose ourselves in something real and filled with the kind of hope that reminds us that anything is possible.
  
  

Setlist

Marce's sets average about 50 minutes, with up to 4 sets per gig.

* Originals *

I Told You So
The Blind
Imperfection
White Lies
Trembling
Nameless
Hush
Ocean
Jenny
Things will Change
Make My Move
Change the Station

.... and about 30 more.

* Covers *

Marce also performs over 50 cover songs, including songs by the following artists:

Annie Lennox
The Beatles
Bob Marley
Carol King
Cyndi Lauper
Dido
James Taylor
Joni Mitchell
KT Tunstall
Marvin Gaye
Maroon 5
The Police
Santana
Sarah McLachlan
Smash Mouth
Stevie Wonder
Sting
Tracy Chapman
U2

... and many more!

Basic Requirements

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