Emerging from the heart of the Appalachian Mountains in East Tennessee, Radda's founder, Michelle Schodowski, once faced the challenge of pursuing her dreams as a pianist in an area with limited access to top-tier instruction. The expansive reach of the internet closed this gap, allowing her to advance with guidance from experts located miles away. This transformative experience sowed the seeds for what would become Radda.
Our Mission
At Radda, we're in tune with the aspirations of musicians. Our platform is a launchpad for growth, driven by valuable feedback, dedicated mentorship, and strategic career advancement tools. From Radda Reviews to spirited competitions and custom websites for artists, we provide musicians with the compass they need on their journey to success. Our mission? To create a platform where every musician, irrespective of their stage, is empowered, recognized, and poised to make their mark. With Radda, every note counts, and every artist has the potential to rise as a musician.
“The Radda Rise Competition is one of a kind. As a pianist, I have come across a few online competitions and I have entered students in some of them. I found the Radda Rise Competition to be the most complete experience of all. They provide reviewers that give the participants the opportunity to improve their performance and re-submit their videos within a few days; helping the young artists to grow musically. The jurors provide live feedback by video at the end of the competition, which gives a very personal touch. All of this is very encouraging for the students! Going beyond the competition stage, the director herself looks to promote the participants by finding performance opportunities in master classes and music festivals. My daughters participated in this past competition. They both had a wonderful experience, and after the competition was over, they were greatly motivated to continue working on new repertoire. I would highly recommend this competition to anyone!”
“The video feedback both before and after judging was incredibly thorough, constructive, and encouraging. It helped me understand what I did, what I could improve in my performance, what I should continue doing, and what I should add to my training. It was very educational and nurturing, and I've learned so much in such a short time! The bio revision was also very helpful. I've never participated in a vocal competition that has given me such extensive feedback, and I'm so glad I participated. The entirety of my competition experience has been nothing short of wonderful and supportive, and I am very grateful for it! I hope the competition will continue and grow in the coming years.”
“Radda Rise International Competition got me really excited about singing again. Thanks to the comments being provided in video form, I could get their insightful advice on my vocal skills, and also "see" how they felt about my singing. Some videos actually demonstrated specific vocal techniques, which will be very helpful in improving my singing. Also, their feedback on interpretation and presentation of music pieces made me think about how I can improve my performance beyond just singing the notes on the page. This entire Radda competition experience was truly invaluable to move my mindset for singing to the next level. I greatly appreciate the reviewers, adjudicators, and the Radda team for providing me this wonderful opportunity.”
“Radda allowed me to interact with professional musicians logistically inaccessible. Video feedback from Jurors was excellent, always encouraging me to continue fearlessly pursuing my skills and capacity as a young double bass player. Radda expert reviews were powerful testaments revealing that all observations were solely dedicated to supporting my musicianship. I greatly appreciate the time, expertise, and wise guidance imparted through working with Radda, including designing my website which is a transparent and authentic representation of my current context as a young double bass player at the very start of freelancing professionally. Radda’s borderless professional team has been powerfully impactful and accessible. Ultimately I look forward to Radda continuing to impact many young musicians' trajectories internationally.”
“Entering the Radda Rise International Competition was a great experience. Review round was more like a mini masterclass rather than just a “comment” and with all the practice tips he has received, my son’s practice has become more efficient. As a parent, I was touched by Radda’s thoughtful way of approaching the young artists throughout the competition and I am thankful for that. In my 9yo son’s words: ‘It was like competing against yourself, you receive a masterclass on your pieces, and you just have to beat your first recording. After the review round I knew I was making progress, and that feeling was super cool.’"