It's my very own name! :)

Of course I play LIVE! :)you can catch me at open mikes around the city . I will post any upcoming dates...and you can always find my most recent schedule at www.myspace.com/melaniefontana
I don't have a band yet, so I use background tracks. Hopefully I will have a band soon for LIVE music. I LOVE to perform! I have performed at many awesome locations, coast to coast! The Apollo Theatre in Harlem, Camden Yards for 38,000 fans of the Baltimore Orioles, the MTV Beach House, Justin's Restaurant in NYC, MTV's "TRL", on MORE94 FM Radio, in the Bahamas and I just recording a Paris Hilton Parody song for WTIC-FM in Hartford, CT which was aired from coast to coast as a single...just to name a few of the highlights of my career so far.

I LOVE mp3's and am *gulp" guilty of downloading some from the less than up and up sites, but mostly I pay and use ITUNES. HONEST!! I also TOTALLY respect the record companies and artists and understand why they want to charge! AND...with some of the "bootleg" downloaded Mp3's you don't get quality..and on ALL downloads..you lose owning the actual CD, the cover with pictures, the lyrics, the producers, thank yous, etc.... I like those things on a CD.

YES! YES! YES! YES! That is my ultimate goal, and what I am hoping and praying for! :)

I've been told that I started singing long before I could even speak in full sentences. At the age of 2, I was memorizing and singing full songs with great ease. My mother credits some of this to a Monkees reunion concert she “carried” me to, when she was 8 months pregnant with me. :o) I always had loved music as a baby and as I got older, always thought that there was some special plan for me; something having to do with music. I had a full library of “Kid Songs” and Disney sing-a-long videos. My favorite TV shows as a pre-schooler were “The Elephant Show” and “The Fred Penner Show” on early Nickelodeon TV, both “musical” shows. My first concert was the “Sharon, Lois and Bram Elephant Show Tour”! In elementary school, I stayed as normal as I possibly could. (Which still wasn't very normal.) I'd sing in class while the teacher was trying to speak, I'd hum during tests and even make up songs while I'd be eating lunch. I guess my music teacher took notice, because by 1st grade, I was performing numbers in the school talent shows, and nabbing solos in choral concerts. I used to go home everyday and listen songs such as “Walk Like an Egyptian” by the Bangles. I choreographed a dance to it and sang it incessantly. I would watch MTV all the time as well. I was inspired by all of the wonderful music from the Disney movies, such as “The Little Mermaid”, "The Lion King", “Pocahontas” and “Aladdin”. I was also inspired by the music of Tina Turner and Mariah Carey and yes, even Michael Jackson, at that time. By 5th and 6th grade, I was getting some serious attention for singing. I really didn't think I was all that good, which is why it all surprised me. I got involved in musical theater, and acting lessons and vocal lessons and received parts in musicals such as “Carousel” and a lead in “Music Man” as Amaryllis. I had always liked to be in musicals, but Pop music is what I really liked to sing. Finally, when I reached 7th grade things started to truly piece together for me. I remember it clearly. I was sitting in front of the TV watching a debut video on TRL. It turned out to be the infamous “Baby One More Time” video by Britney Spears. It was then I felt inspired, and decided I wanted to become a professional singer. Soon after that, Christina Aguilera came bursting into the music industry with her catchy “Genie in a Bottle” and Mandy Moore as well. They also served as inspiration for me to chase my dream. 8th grade was a difficult year for me, because I had just transferred from a huge public middle school to a tiny private middle school called Mooreland Hill. It was hard to fit in, but eventually I got used to it, and it was at that school where I spent my 8th and 9th grade years. I was in all the musicals during my years at Mooreland, and then starred in both school musicals (Grizzabella in “CATS”, and Mary Collins in “45 Minutes from Broadway”) when I was in 9th grade. Even though I seemed fine at school, I really didn't feel like I fit in (anywhere!). I bounced from high school to high school and finally in February of 2003, I was pulled out of high school to do home-school and create more time to pursue my music career. My songwriting and singing was my escape from the harsh criticism I sometimes received from kids at school. Rewind now a bit to November of the year 2000. By a strange twist of fate, I met my first manager. He introduced me to the world of talent showcases, where I would perform and win awards for both my singing and songwriting. Things snowballed from there. I met agents from New York City and Los Angeles. My accomplishments since then include performing the National Anthem at Camden Yards for the Baltimore Orioles when I was only 15, appearing several times at the World Famous Apollo Theater in Harlem, NYC and actually winning first place at their live Amateur Night competition. Another accomplishment was being named the FIRST "Connecticut Idol" in 2002 by Craig and Company; the morning team from 96.5 WTIC-FM Radio and Fox- 61 Television. In June-July of 2003 I appeared as a weekly winner and semi-finalist on MTV’s “Say WHAT Karaoke”. It was one of the greatest experiences of my entire life and I met the most amazing people ever.I met Ashlee Simpson, Aaron Carter, and Kenan Thompson, just to name a few, who were judges on the show during my appearances. In the summer of 2003 I went to Los Angeles/Santa Monica/ Hollywood for the first time and ended up singing karaoke at the famous Mel's Diner one night. Another 2003 performance was at a showcase at Justin's Restaurant(owned by the one and only Puff Daddy) in NYC where I sang songs for a recording and songwriting company that I sing demo's for. No, P.Diddy wasn't in attendance, but it was still awesome! Most recently, I auditioned for the role of Laurie Partridge on Vh-1's new reality series, "The Search for the New Partridge Family". Danny Bonaduce, the original Danny and Shirley Jones, the original "mom" both made appearances at the audition. I made the lst call backs, and made it to the top 14 Laurie contenders, but didn't move on to the L.A. finals. Its all good tho'. Unfortunately, my vocal and acting auditions obviously ended up on the cutting room floor, I guess..as there wasn't even one clip of me during the "Audition" episode.The audition was still lots of fun and I made some awesome friends during those two days. Oh well... I think would have been fun to be a Laurie finalist, but I've moved forward and on to other COOL things! I had the pleasure of meeting "Teh top DAWG" himself... Randy Jackson TWICE in one week. HOPE it's a SIGN! Met him at a Mariah Carey performance I attended AND then LIVE on MTV's "TRL" (along w/the beautiful Paula Abdul) the following week! I am working with the Carson,Adler Agency in NYC, and thanks to my agent, Shirley...I am working with an AWESOME producer and we are working on some AWESOME material/music with some AWESOME people. :o) Also, this job has brought me into NYC to LIVE full time!! I am studying acting and dancing at two very prestigious schools in NYC while I continue to record and continue my quest; my dream, to secure a recording contract. I will update this as necessary.

It started with greats like Tina Turner and Mariah Carey and YES, even Michael Jackson. I enjoy Donny Hathaway and Luther Vandross, Etta James and others as well. I was totally inspired to try to get into the biz by the pop stars like Britney, Christina as well as Jessica and Mandy Moore, tho' they weren't really my 'inspirations' vocally.I LOVE to sing
R & B, POP, you name it...but I listen to and enjoy ALL kinds of music.
Right now, one of my dreams is to meet and sing with Christina Aquilera..her vocals are awesome.

It's a toss up right now...busy NYC where I currently live, or the ocean and mountains of the Pacific out in Santa Monica, CA.

I just use a good Sennheiser mike and a Fender sound system in Connecticut and the same mike, but a Phonix Compact System in NYC.

I LOVE TO SING! I LOVE TO PERFORM! I LOVE TO WRITE SONGS!
You can find out more about me by visiting the following websites:
www.myspace.com/melaniefontana
www.melaniefontana.com
www.geocities.com/melaniefansite - US fan site- the first and original
www.freewebs.com/melfontana - UK fan site
Check them All OUT!!!