Meredith O'Connor

... They decided to cast some kids who have actually gone through bullying -- including O'Connor, who says she was bullied in middle school for being an outcast. In the movie, she plays head cheerleader and high school senior Melissa Evans.
First public screening
"It was a crazy experience to play such a mean person," says O'Connor, who added that she remembered the evil stares of the girls who bullied her for being tall and skinny, and she tried to re-create them in the movie. "It was weird to be on the other end of it.".... - Newsday

“I like to be living proof that ignoring bullies and doing what you love regardless will come and serve you in the long run,” Meredith says. And it does seem that her message is reaching those for whom she is aiming – parents and teachers are always asking how to handle specific scenarios. However she also feels that if she helps a kid to continue to love her/himself and others through all the pain, then things are going to be OK." - Womens' Life Link

Welcome to “The Intro,” a new show by iMoveiLive Online Music Magazine. The concept is to introduce music lovers to fast raising talent outside of our typical Pittsburgh, PA focus area. This Intro is a cooperation between Sonicbids and iMoveiLive Online Music Magazine. On this episode we speak with Meredith O’Connor of Long Island, New York.
Meredith O’Connor Bio:
Meredith O’Connor is a singer songwriter and anti bullying activist. She has four songs that are distributed world wide and she speaks publicly about her experiences with bullying to high schools, letting kids know there are many ways to cope with it. find her music on itunes, youtube and amazon. - imoveilive

Interview for upcoming movie role in "frapper avec amour" to be released fall, 2013 - Radio 102.1 Freeport, Bahamas

Meredith discusses her starring role in the upcoming horror film Red-Head Randy, to be released October 2013 - Raymond Deane Productions

audio interview - Blog Talk Radio

Meredith O'Connor, a 17-year-old Cold Spring Harbor native, is hosting her EP release party and show at the Vibe Lounge Sunday night.

O'Connor, a singer/songwriter has found great success with her first released music video "Celebrity" now playing on her YouTube channel "meredithter."

She also serves as an anti-bullying spokesperson and one of her songs on the EP, "The Game," will be featured in an upcoming film about bullying, in which O'Connor has a starring role.

According to her manager Rick Galvin, "Meredith is an anti-bullying advocate who has gone from being bullied in school to a model/singer/songwriter and spokesperson for those who have suffered from this growing problem we are faced with today."

O'Connor represented Huntington in the 2012 Miss Teen USA/NY Pageant and will graduate from Cold Spring Harbor High School in June of this year.

O'Connor and her band go on at the Vibe Lounge at 8 p.m. The lounge is located at 60 North Park Ave. Tickets available at the door for $10 -- ages 16-plus with ID or parent.

Vibe Lounge
60 N Park Ave, Rockville Centre, NY
- Rockville Centre Patch

Meredith O'Connor, a 17-year-old Cold Spring Harbor native, is hosting her EP release party and show at the Vibe Lounge Sunday night.

O'Connor, a singer/songwriter has found great success with her first released music video "Celebrity" now playing on her YouTube channel "meredithter."

She also serves as an anti-bullying spokesperson and one of her songs on the EP, "The Game," will be featured in an upcoming film about bullying, in which O'Connor has a starring role.

According to her manager Rick Galvin, "Meredith is an anti-bullying advocate who has gone from being bullied in school to a model/singer/songwriter and spokesperson for those who have suffered from this growing problem we are faced with today."

O'Connor represented Huntington in the 2012 Miss Teen USA/NY Pageant and will graduate from Cold Spring Harbor High School in June of this year.

O'Connor and her band go on at the Vibe Lounge at 8 p.m. The lounge is located at 60 North Park Ave. Tickets available at the door for $10 -- ages 16-plus with ID or parent.

Vibe Lounge
60 N Park Ave, Rockville Centre, NY
- Rockville Centre Patch

Meredith O’Connor is 17 years old and has already been trained in classical, Broadway, and pop vocals as well as theater and dance. She has also performed in productions such as “Annie”, “Grease”, and “Little Shop of Horrors”.
After spending middle school as an outsider, she was discovered by a Miss Teen/USA scout who put her to work as a model, actress, and (obviously) a singer.
Meredith’s songs speak to young people who are deciding who they want to be. ”Celebrity” beautifully expresses her “prove them wrong” attitude when it comes to people who have treated you unfairly.
She has been hard at work in the studio and her self-titled EP is now available.

- Middle Tennessee Music

As a seventeen year-old artist who has only recently entered the music industry, there is some growing and developing that is still left to be done for Meredith O’Connor. That being said, she is on the right track; there is plenty of talent to be seen in her first release, a self-titled EP consisting of four tracks. O’Connor’s sound is one that will appeal to a younger audience above all else. Her EP is smothered in pop melodies that are undeniably catchy, and her sound is one that will grow on you with every listen - a sound that is perfect for the radio. These songs will be stuck in your head whether you want them in there or not.
“Celebrity” kicks off the EP and could easily serve as a single. The track is about how once O’Connor becomes a celebrity her ex will realize his mistake, ask for her back, and she will happily decline his request. “14 Miles” makes use of the same resentful, vindicated tone, but this time she sings about her ex’s newest relationship and how it will inevitably end because this new girlfriend would never go out of her way to help him like she would. O’Connor has that youthful, pop meets country, Avril Lavigne meets Taylor Swift type sound to her music. The same bitterness the two musicians employ is evident within her lyrics and tone as well. But if there’s one thing that is always made clear, no matter what her subject, it is that she is better off now than she ever was when the incident was occurring, which puts an uplifting twist on her material.
It is clear that “The Game” has a special significance to O’Connor. Her lyrics speak to the struggles of bullying and trying to fit in that many teenagers face. She focuses on how a person’s future has nothing to do with the challenges they faced during high school, singing, “Remember that we all were challenged from the start.” It is motivational, encouraging students to aspire to something greater. And by writing a song that has to do with something other than boys and heartbreak she has separated herself from other pop musicians her age. It’s a refreshing change to hear a musician speaking up for a group whose voice has been diminished.
O’Connor has a specific niche style that has been geared toward the younger generation. That is not to say that older generations will not enjoy her music, only that the subject matter is such that teenagers will be better able to relate to it. She has put her emotions and convictions on the line with this release, and in doing so she could very easily become an example to those searching for inspiration.
Review by Alec Cunningham
Rating: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
- Good Vibes

One of my passions has always been helping teens, especially girls who have been through rough childhoods, abuse, bullying, addictions, etc. So, when I was introduced to Meredith O’Connor, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to tell her story and bring it and her amazing musical talent to you. Meredith is a singer/songwriter based in Long Island, New York and a young woman who was bullied during her childhood and early teen years. Pushing way beyond the personal pain she endured from verbal bullying and rejection, she now reaches out to other young people by sharing her inspiring story through interviews, at live shows, and her song lyrics. She’s taken the abusive situation of being ridiculed and exiled by her friends for being an “artistic soul” and turned it into a thriving modeling/acting and music career at a young age.
Meredith has an undying love of the theater, both Broadway and off Broadway. She became accustomed to being in front of people while working in plays and shows – a source of inspiration for her music, she said. It’s not something you would expect an ego bruised kid to do, but instead of denying her right to be different, she stayed the course by immersing herself in the arts and in friendships with those who understood and appreciated her. After years of developing her crafts, she finally realized that the bullying was not her fault and she had every right to be who she was. Artists like Freddy Mercury, Taylor Swift, and Lea Michelle, those who speak the ongoing message of individuality and rising above challenges, inspire her greatly to overcome and share her victories with others. ”You can be who you want to be, not what those who judge you label you as,” Meredith said.
Bullying is common and ranges in severity and method, sometimes just brushing kids without lasting emotional damage; however, she considers herself one of the victims that had a particularly hard time recovering from it. ”It took me a while to gain back any confidence I lost, because I thought it was my fault I was being harassed,” she admitted. School bullying statistics alone in the United States show that about one in four kids in the U.S. are bullied on a regular basis if you consider live events and texts, according to bullyingstatistics.org. This is a fact that Meredith O’Connor wants to see change. With some of her original music on her debut album, such as, The Game, that focuses specifically on bullying, she hopes to reach those young people with a message of hope and change. She was also cast to star in an upcoming film called Red Head Randy, a story about a bullied teen.
All these creative projects will help to spread awareness and encouragement, but for personal relationships, she sticks by the Golden Rule, as she promises to never purposely “betray or hurt a friend”. She is also more empathetic these days, as she understands how profoundly you can be hurt by mere words and judgement. ”Before I had confidence, I felt unlovable. I’m over that now, and it’s little things that make me want to change the world. For the first time, in 2012, I spoke about bullying to kids after a show, something I used to be embarrassed about. Now, I know its not my fault, and I will see to it that I teach young girls and boys that its not their fault either,” Meredith said.
- Women's Life Link Magazine

One of my passions has always been helping teens, especially girls who have been through rough childhoods, abuse, bullying, addictions, etc. So, when I was introduced to Meredith O’Connor, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to tell her story and bring it and her amazing musical talent to you. Meredith is a singer/songwriter based in Long Island, New York and a young woman who was bullied during her childhood and early teen years. Pushing way beyond the personal pain she endured from verbal bullying and rejection, she now reaches out to other young people by sharing her inspiring story through interviews, at live shows, and her song lyrics. She’s taken the abusive situation of being ridiculed and exiled by her friends for being an “artistic soul” and turned it into a thriving modeling/acting and music career at a young age.
Meredith has an undying love of the theater, both Broadway and off Broadway. She became accustomed to being in front of people while working in plays and shows – a source of inspiration for her music, she said. It’s not something you would expect an ego bruised kid to do, but instead of denying her right to be different, she stayed the course by immersing herself in the arts and in friendships with those who understood and appreciated her. After years of developing her crafts, she finally realized that the bullying was not her fault and she had every right to be who she was. Artists like Freddy Mercury, Taylor Swift, and Lea Michelle, those who speak the ongoing message of individuality and rising above challenges, inspire her greatly to overcome and share her victories with others. ”You can be who you want to be, not what those who judge you label you as,” Meredith said.
Bullying is common and ranges in severity and method, sometimes just brushing kids without lasting emotional damage; however, she considers herself one of the victims that had a particularly hard time recovering from it. ”It took me a while to gain back any confidence I lost, because I thought it was my fault I was being harassed,” she admitted. School bullying statistics alone in the United States show that about one in four kids in the U.S. are bullied on a regular basis if you consider live events and texts, according to bullyingstatistics.org. This is a fact that Meredith O’Connor wants to see change. With some of her original music on her debut album, such as, The Game, that focuses specifically on bullying, she hopes to reach those young people with a message of hope and change. She was also cast to star in an upcoming film called Red Head Randy, a story about a bullied teen.
All these creative projects will help to spread awareness and encouragement, but for personal relationships, she sticks by the Golden Rule, as she promises to never purposely “betray or hurt a friend”. She is also more empathetic these days, as she understands how profoundly you can be hurt by mere words and judgement. ”Before I had confidence, I felt unlovable. I’m over that now, and it’s little things that make me want to change the world. For the first time, in 2012, I spoke about bullying to kids after a show, something I used to be embarrassed about. Now, I know its not my fault, and I will see to it that I teach young girls and boys that its not their fault either,” Meredith said.
- Women's Life Link Magazine

Bully Victim to
a viral YouTube Singing Sensation

Meredith O'Connor
grew up a theater kid, singing in community shows and theater companies since the age of 8. She never had time for sports or trying to fit in. From the start, she felt like an outcast and never thought that she’d have the courage to publicly speak about it but she realized how important it was.
Meredith was called names and harassed in school.
Though she gave in to the taunting, she never gave up on her passion to become a singer and actress. At age 14 a scout was in the audience for a matinée and started her modeling career. She remembers coming home from shoots and looking in the mirror and thinking,
“what the hell are they talking about?” She was able to meet true friends and better her self esteem. She decided to make her mission, helping teens, children and bullying victims to see themselves for who THEY are. Soon after starting to model, she landed her first major role in a film, “Red Head Randy” about verbal abuse towards a gay kid named, Mat Hew. She will be playing the Queen Bee, which she found very ironic. Before the premiere of the film in October, she will be attending many press events to talk about her role as well as what bullying means to her.
Meredith’s music career is taking off
as well. Recently, she recorded and
shot a music video of her new song,
“Celebrity.” That was the first song
she every wrote. It became an overnight success reaching over 1 million
views on Youtube. She started being
approached by bloggers, news shows
and many people wanting to write a
story about it. She was so excited
about her success but with every excitement
comes disappointment.
Meredith started receiving hate comments on
the song and just as it started going
viral, it was taken down by Youtube.
She thought her career was over but
it’s back up on YouTube and fans are
looking forward to more music!
Meredith also recorded the original song for the movie, “Red head Randy” called “the Game” about bullying. She sings because of her training as a child that once made her stand out. She can model because of her unique appearance that was once mocked and she can speak about it because she overcame the pain of bullying and she decided to make it her mission to help other come to their empowering realizations. Her next project is set to be about anti-bullying.
- Gossip meets Couture, by Leigh Merrill

friday, february 22, 2013

Review: Meredith O'Connor - Meredith O'Connor EP

So many artists gracing the radio waves these days are simply content to craft a catchy hook and ride the wave. For so many, it’s about getting folks moving on the dance floor and setting a mood, all while they race to the world of fame and fortune. And while there’s nothing exactly wrong with that, some music simply is just that, it’s fairly refreshing to run across an artist, and a young one at that, who has something positive to say.

Meet Meredith O’Connor.
O’Connor is a seventeen year-old singer/songwriter hailing from the hallowed streets of New York. While studying the arts, working on classical, Broadway, and pop voice training as well as theatrical work, performing in local and professional productions of shows like “Annie” and “Little Shop of Horrors,” the artist found her life in school rocky. Bullied throughout middle and high school, O’Connor’s fortunes changed when discovered by a Miss Teen USA scout and she soon found herself starting out on a successful and multifaceted career as a model, singer, and actress.

Now the artist is set to harness her passion and drive for music alongside her desire to offer encouragement and hope to those facing bullying as she did through the release of her debut EP.
Four songs in length, O’Connor presents a pretty diverse package, both lyrically and musically. Through “14 Miles” the artist combines edgy guitars and slick production that allows her to emotively growl through lyrics that speak hope to a young person in a relationship being taken advantage of. Its rock-edge works nicely and provides the artist’s solid vocals a nice template to shine.

“Celebrity” is a track that takes things in an entirely different direction, finding the young artist channeling another hit-maker in Taylor Swift. A playful pop-country vibe infects this song with its message of growing stronger through adversity holding strong throughout. The production is solid and again O’Connor’s vocals manage effectively here.
“Face That’s Perfect” is a more middle of the road release, offering up a pop-friendly soundscape and jangling guitars and something of a whimsical, retro arrangement. It also finds O’Connor shifting lyrical tones as she allows herself to step into the role of a teenager, pledging love and devotion to a lover on this sun-kissed track.

“The Game” is the artist’s lyrical opus, truly encapsulating her anti-bullying message and offering encouragement and hope, as well as challenging others to stand up against such injustices. She frames it within a keyboard and synth-laden frame, some insistent percussion keeping things moving forward. And we’re not the only ones that think so as this track has been tapped to be featured in the upcoming indie film, Red-Headed Randy, which will also star O’Connor in a leading role.
Meredith O’Connor is a great upcoming talent, showcasing an ability to write and perform. And the fact that she does so in a way that also allows her to bring hope and encouragement to others just solidifies the impression that this young woman makes. While there’s always room for growth, O’Connor is an artist who shows great promise. Stay tuned; you’re bound to hear more from her very soon.
posted by andrew greenhalgh at 6:42 am
labels: meredith o'connor, meredith o'connor ep, music, review
- Along the Journey

Meredith O'Connor – EP
2012, Meredith O’Connor
Beware the wallflower. Meredith O’Connor never fit in. Ostracized in school for being different, O’Connor has used her differences to become truly unique. Singer, songwriter, model and actress, the 17-year old is on a steady rise. Her heart is in the right place too, as O’Connor still finds time to be an official advisor for www.reachout.com, an online information and support service for teens and young adults. O’Connor is about to release her debut EP, featuring four original songs culled from her personal experiences and beliefs. It is generally a pragmatic and positive look at the problems of a modern young adult.

O'Connor opens with "Celebrity", a straight up, candy coated kiss off song about making it big and rubbing it in the face of the one who dropped her. There's almost a country sensibility here, but the synth affirms the song's bubblegum pedigree. "14 Miles" finds O'Connor warning her crush that his girlfriend is going to hit the road. There is a good intent feel to this, but there's an obvious conflict of interest. The arrangement is straight ahead and solid. "Face That's Perfect" is an uncomplicated yet edgy pop crush song. O'Connor displays a keen pop sensibility here that's part Belinda Carlisle. "The Game" is an odd song of belief in another. It starts off steeped in singer/songwriter pastiche but moves into a chorus that sounds like it was inspired by Debbie Boone. It's an unsettled sound that doesn't quite fit O'Connor's voice.

Meredith O'Connor is an intriguing young artist. Her bound wire alto voice is pleasant but with a steely edge. As a songwriter O'Connor shows her young age. She has yet to find her voice as a writer, and is still playing musical dress up to find which style and sound fits her. There's little doubt, however, that she has the potential to be an impact artist one day.
Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)
Learn more at www.meredithoconnorhome.com. - Wildy's World

Meredith O'Connor

Meredith O'Connor EP

Review by G. W. Hill
The easiest answer to describing this album would be to compare it to Taylor Swift. That would be the lazy way to describe it, though. Sure, there are definitely comparisons to be made. But this really stretches over quite a bit of musical territory. Each song has a unique and powerful identity. This is a great set of music. The only real complaint is that, I wish there was more to it. The four songs leave me wanting to hear more from O’Connor. She’s certainly got material here that would work well on pop radio, but everything is meaty and her songs and performances show a lot of passion and versatility.




Track by Track Review

Celebrity
The keyboards that wash over the introduction here have an almost progressive rock vibe to them. The main song, though, is a mid-tempo pop rock number. This is quite modern and the kind of thing that would be quite at home on pop radio. That said, it doesn’t suffer from the auto-tune and artificial stuff that’s so common in pop “music” these days. That makes this much better than most of that pop stuff. It’s real music. The angry lyrics are catchy. That keyboard sound really dances over the top of the later parts of this. That’s a nice touch.


14 Miles
There’s sort of an alternative rock meets psychedelia vibe on the opening to this. As it powers out it really has a lot of energy and charisma. While the opening tune was strong, this rocker is more potent yet. In fact, of the four songs here, this one is arguably the best. It has some of that modern pop (think Taylor Swift) vibe (mostly on the vocal hooks), but overall this is meatier than that would indicate. It’s quite an effective song on an alternative rock scale, while still working in terms of pop music. This is great. There’s a cool little symphonic styled drop down mid-track that’s a little predictable, but very effective.


Face That's Perfect
While there are hints of country music on the opening of this, it really makes me think of some of the bubble gum pop of the mid to late 1960s. That said, this is meatier than that. Perhaps comparisons to The Monkees’ best stuff, if they had a female singer, would be appropriate. This isn’t as strong as the previous cut, but it stands tall. Additionally, it’s great because three songs in there has been no repetition in style or sound. Yet, this all feels like it fits together quite well.


The Game
Perhaps the most mature song of the set, this has a soaring rock sound. Other than “14 Miles,” this is the standout. It’s a mid-tempo rocker that has a great construction. The arrangement is powerful and the vocal delivery works really well. This is a great way to end the set in style - Music Street Journal

As you may already know, October is National Bullying Prevention Month. In honor of that, today's blog post comes from Meredith O'Connor, a young singer-songwriter who has adopted a platform of anti-bullying and even incorporated that theme into some of her music. Below, she explains how personal experience inspired that choice. For more, check out her debut single, "The Game," and her bio below. - Reachout magazine