About Tom Prasada-Rao and Cary Cooper

Tom Prasada-Rao and Cary Cooper are not only musical partners, but life partners as husband and wife. Each is an amazing musician in his and her own right and together they will blow you away. Below is more information about each of them.

About Tom Prasada-Rao

Tom Prasada-Rao is a singer-songwriter of breathtaking vision. His voice belies his musicianship and his extraordinary songs. From Rishi’s Garden with it’s homage to Ravi Shankar to the groove of Sleeping Beauty , Tom’s music is melodic, ambitious, and reverent.

Since the fall of 2007 Tom has been on hiatus from touring - staying home, producing records, raising two stepdaughters, and walking one rather large Golden Doodle named Thurman. In addition to producing, he’s a teacher, currently at White Rock Montessori in Dallas, formerly of The University of Virginia’s Young Writer’s Workshops - where he created the songwriting curriculum and taught for eight years.

From headlining major festivals 15 years ago, to the relative obscurity of his recording studio - Tom has continued to mature as an artist. That work has blossomed into an impressive resume of producing credits as well as cuts (his songs covered by other artists). 2009 will mark Tom’s first solo release in 10 years.

Tom Prasada-Rao was born in Ethiopia of Indian parents and raised in Washington DC. He moved to Texas in 2003 and is married to singer-songwriter Cary Cooper.

A virtual world music ensemble rolled into one guy. His voice weaves incantations, and the guitar is a magic wand in the hands of this extraordinary musician.
—The Takoma Park Folk Festival

Visually and musically, Tom is the most compelling presence to emerge in the singer-songwriter genre as I've seen in a long time.
—Jim Bessman, Billboard

The most moving, pointed and memorable songs reflect Prasada-Rao's indebtedness to Bruce Cockburn, Bob Dylan, and Richard Thompson, and other singer songwriters who have something to say, and a distinctive way of saying it.
—Mike Joyce, The Washington Post

Prasada-Rao gives his folk songs an R&B flavor. George Benson, Grover Washington Jr, Marvin Gaye and a number of other Motown greats come to mind when listening to Hear You Laughing.
—Charlene J. Arsenault, The Boston Globe

Tom Prasada-Rao is a rare and brilliant performer. His fine voice and thrilling guitar work hold you spellbound while he heals your heart.
—David Wilcox, Singer-Songwriter

Tom Prasada-Rao is as far from boring folk music as you can get and still be holding an acoustic guitar.
—The Free Times, (Columbia, SC)

More at: http://www.tomprasadarao.com

About Cary Cooper

Cary Cooper is a woman to watch. She is turning heads and opening hearts everywhere she goes. Cary has spent the last ten years rediscovering her passion, perfecting her craft and learning to tell the truth. The fruit of her labor is shamelessly clear on her new 2009 release, DIRTY LITTLE SECRET.

On DLS, Cary eloquently says the things we ALL think, but rarely have the courage to say; and she does so within the framework of hauntingly beautiful melodies and hip grooves.

Mary Gauthier met Cary in 2007 at the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival where Cary was a finalist in the Songwriters Showcase. Mary sings background vocals on one of the songs on DLS and has this to say about Cary's latest project:

"Cary Cooper's new CD has captured me. It is so very well written, well sung and well recorded that I've found myself listening over and over again for the sheer pleasure of it, and the songs now sit in my heart like old friends. Her song stories are tales of a woman's hard earned wisdom as she embarks on that lonely spiritual journey that leads her to her self. Cary's voice is disarming and seductive, beautiful and inviting, but beware, these tales are not all easy to swallow. The road is rocky and the lessons come hard. But what an honest ride she takes us on! This is a wonderful record, and I hope that people will discover it and fall in love with it like I have." (Mary Gauthier)

Along with Mary Gauthier, Cary hosts an impressive cast of guest artists on her new release. Tom Prasada-Rao serves as producer and plays everything from guitar, to piano, to strings. With Jagoda on drums and percussion, there's also guitar work by Jonathan Byrd, Michael Lille and Tim Burlingame; and background vocals by Dave Crossland, Molly Venter, Emory Joseph, Sarah Sample, Kate Graves and Melanie Hersh. Jeffrey Barnes (Brave Combo) is featured on flute, along with Dirje Smith and Gordon McLeod (on cello and penny whistle, respectively).

In addition to being named a 2007 finalist at the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Songwriter Showcase, Cary has also been an Emerging Artist at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, a finalist at the Mountain Stage Newsong Contest and a 2004 WINNER of the Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Competition.

Cary loves to teach almost as much as she loves to write and perform, and has had many opportunities around the country to hone her teaching skills. She has served as one of the songwriting teachers for Young Writer's Workshop at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. She has taught at Summersongs both in New York and California. She currently works with Paul Reisler helping conduct "Kid Pan Alley" workshops across the country as well as with the Dallas writer's organization, Writer's Garret where she is an artist in residence.

She makes her home in Dallas, TX with her husband and musical partner, Tom Prasada-Rao, her daughters, 14 year old Caroline and 10 year old Hannah Kate, and Thurman, an obnoxiously large and unusually lovable, Goldendoodle.

WINNER Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Competiton 2004
FINALIST Sisters Folk Festival Dave Carter Memorial Songwriting Contest 2009 & 2010
FINALIST Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Songwriter Showcase 2007
FINALIST Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Emerging Artist Showcase 2004
FINALIST Mountain Stage Newsong Festival Songwriter Competition 2004

More at: http://www.carycooper.com