Artist Information Biography New York City born Margaret Bernstein is an award winning singer-songwriter, composer and flutist with a unique voice, dynamic lyrics, and a positive and compelling message. Unlike many other songwriters of the pop-rock genre, Margaret is a classically trained musician who is an accomplished instrumental performer as well as a composer. Her musical compositions, which include elements from a diverse spectrum of styles and genres, have been inspired not only by her personal experiences and travels including four pilgrimages to India but also by her Scottish and Russian/Jewish roots. Her live performances are a testament to Margaret’s amazing versatility, as she quickly segues from playing a Bach Partita on her flute, to accompanying herself on the piano while passionately singing an upbeat pop/rock song. What makes Margaret stand out, however, is not only her eclectic and interesting background and level of accomplishment as a musician, but also her ability to communicate honestly and personally with her audience at heart level through her songs and music. Performing and creating socially awakened songs and uplifting Instrumentals, Margaret is an artist who continues to inspire while generating continued interest from film directors, producers, publishers and a growing audience of fans worldwide. As Margaret herself says: “Keep an open heart and mind and the possibilities are endless.” In her recordings and live performances, Margaret strives to embrace humanity with love and compassion through the gift of her music and the messages of her songs. Margaret’s most recent release, “Bricks in the Wall” includes eleven original songs in addition to a DVD of the music video of the title song, which Margaret co-produced with Manhattan Theatre Source, and in which she made her professional acting debut. “Bricks in the Wall” is her personal tribute to her transformation from a domestic violence situation and proceeds from the CD/DVD benefit the SAFE program, an educational program that Margaret created for middle school students through Azalea Blossom Incorporated, her not for profit organization aimed at the awareness, education and prevention of domestic violence through the use of music, multimedia and the arts. Margaret engaged in careers as both a classical/New Age freelance flutist in the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as a public school pre-k and general music teacher in upstate New York before launching her full time career as a singer-songwriter. Her virtuosity on the flute earned her two degrees in performance (Oberlin Conservatory, BM; and Arizona State University, MM), won her several awards and scholarships, and led her to performances as a solo, chamber, and orchestral player throughout the United States and abroad including an opera season with the Albany (New York) Symphony and a five season stint as flutist with the Oakland, California based Dance Brigade’s “Nutcracker Sweetie” production. Her recording appearances as a solo flutist include a compilation album produced by The Who's Pete Townsend in addition to two instrumental albums, ("Full Circle" and "On the Threshold Of Change") featuring her original compositions for flute with her own piano accompaniment. Growing up into a family of professional dancers, Margaret was exposed to the arts from an early age. With support and encouragement of her creative endeavors, Margaret began composing short instrumental compositions and writing poetry by age seven. Margaret's musical compositions have earned her international recognition through repeated awards from UNISONG, West Coast Songwriters’ Organization, and ASCAP. Margaret has also written two original children's musicals (“The Little Seed” and “The Trees' Song for Peace”) in addition to scores of songs for children and school choruses, all of which have been performed at public, private, and charter schools throughout the United States. Having resided in San Francisco and West Marin County for ten years, Margaret has an appreciative audience for her music throughout Northern California as well as in her current home bases of New York City and upstate New York. She continues to gain exposure for her music via touring the northeast United States as well as through the “Bricks in the Wall” music video, which has been generating attention through You Tube and airings on independent television stations. In addition, Margaret has created a dynamic online presence for herself and her music through her websites: www.gamusic.com, www.myspace.com/MargaretBernstein and www.AzaleaBlossom.com. Despite her engaging career, Margaret manages to balance her musical endeavors with her other responsibilities and interests, which include a full time stint as single mother to eleven-year-old Julian Song Jacobs, a budding percussionist and violinist. As a certified teacher, Margaret is the founder of the Youth Sahavas, a retreat for teenagers held annually in South Carolina. When not working on her music, Margaret enjoys hiking, cross-country skiing, and riding her horse, Reba. Instrumentation Margaret Bernstein: Vocals, Piano, Flute Julien Augier: Percussion Marla Bracco: Violin Iris Ornig:  Bass Sue Taylor:  Guitar Discography "Full Circle" "On the Threshold Of Change" "Bricks in the Wall" "Cinderella Falling" single "The Awakening" (Featured flute soloist on Raphael Rudd's album produced by Pete Townshend) Yes, tracks with streaming and radio airplay Links http://www.gamusic.com Growing Azalea Music Azalea Blossom Incorporated MySpace