FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

44084 Saxony Terrace Ashburn, VA 20147 Contact: Wes Hagood  (703) 723-1176 Pager: (703) 816-1193 

LAX Girl tickles officials’ fancy 

   Song selected as semi-finalist in national song contest 

LAX Girl-LAX World, the first song ever recorded about lacrosse, was recently selected as a semi-finalist in the Great American Song Contest.  The song tells the story of a girl’s lacrosse game from the players point of view.  It captures the excitement and intensity of the game and the passion that girls have for the sport.   

“Excellent chorus selection—original lyric—solid composition,” said the song contest.  Although the officials or judges of the national song contest loved the song, the song was very controversial among some in the lacrosse community.  Elaine Knobloch, who works for the Washington Lacrosse Umpires Association, said she was “concerned about the two lines involving the referees.  She was referring to the couplet that says: 

            Referees upset, hey-ey, she carded me again
           
You’d think an aggressive play-ay, was the original sin
 

“It seemed that the song was making the referees the bad guys and they definitely are not, said Knobloch.”  And Hagood agreed saying “the officials are always the goods guys. However, the lyrics of the song deal more with the ‘feelings experienced by the player on the inside’ and are not meant to advocate any untoward action outwardly on their part.”  He also added, “I have seen players behave in an unsportsman-like manner when they do not agree with the official’s call, but personally believe they should always comply with it, no matter how they feel on the inside.” 

Over 900 songs were submitted by songwriters from around the world for judging by such national songwriting experts as Pat Pattison of Berklee College of Music.  One third of the songs were entered in the rock category alone.  LAX Girl was entered in the rock category because the song really rocks,” said Hagood.  Hagood manages the teen female vocal group, By Chanz, who recorded LAX Girl, its first cassette single released in January 2000. 

By Chanz recently completed a spring tour performing their first cassette single LAX Girl, other original songs, and selected top 40 hits at holiday festivals, sporting events, and restaurants throughout Maryland and Virginia.  They performed for more than 2,100 fans and received very positive feedback.  

By Chanz released LAX Girl while working with Ernesto Phillips, President of Longevity Records and the independent producer who helped launch the careers of other talented vocalists such as Toni Braxton (Arista Records), the Braxton Sisters (WEA/Atlantic), and Kimberly Scott (Columbia Records).  By Chanz is also working with Phillips to develop a demonstration tape to showcase their vocal abilities in hopes of landing a record contract with a major label.  By Chanz recently recorded three original love songs entitled Beat of Your Heart, Love's Deeper Than An Ocean, and I Can’t Breathe. 

A cassette copy can be purchased directly from the group by sending a $5.00 check made payable to By Chanz to:  

By Chanz
(c/o Wes Hagood)
44084 Saxony Terrace
Ashburn, VA 21047
 

By Chanz recently performed at The Planet Club, a teen nightclub in Chantilly, VA on December 8th and 9th and at First Night Leesburg on December 31st, 2000.  By Chanz will perform at the Upper Room in Leesburg on February 10th at 8:30 PM and at the Leesburg Flower and Garden Festival on April 21, 2001 at 1:00 PM.  On February 6th they will videotape several original songs for Fairfax TV Channel 10 that will air on the NOOZ show, a local Saturday Night Live-type comedy show, over the next several months. 

To learn more about By Chanz, and see additional photographs, go to their web page www.bychanz.com