Cassandra Kubinski
Cassandra Kubinski is an American pop artist, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her piano-driven blend of soulful, theatrically tinged music evocative of singer-songwriters like Billy Joel, Carole King, Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson. Kubinski has collaborated on song releases or performances with the Goo Goo Dolls[1], 10,000 Maniacs[2], Chris Botti, Jill Sobule, Caroline Jones, Anna Nalick and more. Her music has also been used in many TV shows, most notably 9 song placements on Lifetime's hit show Dance Moms. The EP titled Dreams was released in October 2019.
Cassandra Kubinski | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Cassandra Kubinski |
| Born | August 21, 1983 Enfield, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Origin | New York City |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, record producer |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Labels |
|
| Website | CassandraKubinski.com |
Early life and education
Cassandra Kubinski grew up in Enfield CT, and then graduated from Florida State University with a BA in Theatre. She began her professional career as the lead role[3] in the musical "Annie", at Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut. Cassandra won the Straw Hat Award for Best Musical Actress in the show "Mirette",[4] also at Goodspeed.
Career
In 2005, Kubinski launched her debut album Hiding Underneath (2005) setting her transition from Broadway/Musical Theater to pop singer songwriter. Kubinski's second album, Hold the Sun (2007), established her on the singer/songwriter scene in NYC, Germany, Jamaica and elsewhere, as she toured the US (Borders Books and Music national “Artist to Watch” 2008). Kubinski opened for the likes of Anna Nalick, Dickie Betts, and Ingram Hill. Her music also started receiving radio airplay and placement on TV channels such as MTV, Lifetime, Food Network, Bravo as well as in films such as Dare, Red Hook, Life’s Passing Me By. Subsequently, Kubinski and Billy Joel collaborated on the lyrics for the song "No Hard Feelings", as reference in Mr Joel's biography written by Fred Schruers.[5]
In 2009, the movie Clear Blue Tuesday, a rock movie/musical following the lives of 11 New York city residents in the 7 years post-9/11, was released. The movie featured Kubinski's work as a singer, songwriter and actress. The following year, Kubinski's work in Nashville was released in a double album feature entitled LIVE at Camp Nashville.
Her 4th album, Just Being Myself (2014), was produced by Edd Kalehoff, the composer/producer behind the music of Monday Night Football, The View, Good Morning America, and artists like Faith Hill, Britney Spears, and Sarah Vaughn. The album was a collaboration with pop/jazz trumpeter Chris Botti, who is featured on the track “Je T’aime”, and in the re-imagined version of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance.”
Kubinski has used her songs to benefit numerous philanthropic causes, including autism spectrum disorder. One of her songs, Not So Different, was re-recorded in collaboration with the Goo Goo Dolls and Mary Ramsey from 10,000 Maniacs, and the release show raised $25,000 for the Institute for Autism Research in upstate NY.[6] Not So Different later appeared on Kubinski's EP Onward, which was her Billboard Heatseekers debut.
Holiday Magic, Kubinski's 6th album, also hit the Billboard Heatseekers chart and featured 3 original holiday songs as well as re-imagined covers of Little Drummer Boy, Sleigh Ride (featuring Matt Cusson), and a mashup of I'll Be Home for Christmas and Homeward Bound.
Kubinski was the bandleader and musical director for the first 2 seasons of Emmy-winning new media TV show, The Never Settle Show hosted by Mario Armstrong.[7]
Kubinski's work as a voice-over actress is frequently heard on commercials and promos, for brands like Snickers [8](Superbowl Brady Bunch spot featuring Danny Trejo and Steve Buscemi), Tampax[9], Hershey's[10], and Nature Valley[11].
She serves as Global Co-Chair of Membership for international music industry organization Women in Music.[12]
Discography
Albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US | Worldwide | ||
| Hiding Underneath |
|
— | — |
| Hold The Sun |
|
— | — |
| LIVE at Camp Nashville |
|
— | — |
| Just Being Myself |
|
— | — |
| Holiday Magic |
|
#46 on Billboard Heatseekers chart in November 2017[13] | — |
| Dreams |
|
— | — |
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions |
Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | Worldwide | |||
| 2012 | Save You Tonight | — | — | Hiding Underneath |
| 2012 | Twisted | — | — | Hold the Sun |
| 2012 | Somebody Told Me | — | — | |
| 2012 | Halfway To Heaven | — | — | |
| 2012 | On My Way Home | — | — | |
| 2013 | Not So Different | — | — | Onward |
| 2013 | Swim: Open Waters | — | — | — |
| 2015 | Believe | — | — | — |
| 2015 | Oceans Away | — | — | — |
| 2015 | Deeper | — | — | — |
| 2015 | Barcode | — | — | — |
| 2016 | New Year Comin' | — | — | Holiday Magic |
| 2016 | Not So Different (Ladies First featuring John Rzeznik)[14] | — | — | — |
| 2018 | Calling All Angels We Have Heard On High | — | — | — |
| 2019 | You Get Me | — | — | Dreams |
| 2019 | Dreams | — | — | |
Awards
2016 Women in Sync Award - Best Original Music in a TV Show[15]
References
- "Goo Goo Dolls Headline Concert for Canisius". Canisius College. 2016-03-31. Retrieved 2019-09-21.
- "10,000 Maniacs / Casandra Kubinski @ Highline Ballroom |". www.concertarchives.org. Retrieved 2019-09-21.
- Critic, MALCOLM JOHNSON; Courant Theater. "`ANNIE' ENSURES ROSY TOMORROW AT GOODSPEED". courant.com. Retrieved 2019-09-21.
- "STAGESTRUCK by Peter Filichia: My 1998 Straw Hat Awards". Playbill. 1998-09-09. Retrieved 2019-09-21.
- Schruers, Fred (2014). Billy Joel: The Definitive Biography. Crown/Archetype. p. 314. ISBN 9780804140201.
- "The Artists For Autism benefit concert featuring the Goo Goo Dolls, Mary Ramsey, and Cassandra Kubinski raised $25,000 for the Institute for Autism Research at Canisius College". Retrieved 2019-09-22.
- Riewerts, Pamela K.; Esq. (2018-05-08). ""Never Settle Show" Wins Emmy Award". Oliver & Grimsley, LLC. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
- "Snickers Super Bowl 2015 TV Commercial, 'The Brady Bunch' Featuring Danny Trejo". iSpot.tv. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
- "Tampax Pearl Active TV Commercial, '20 Percent Slimmer'". iSpot.tv. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
- "Hershey's TV Commercial, 'Chocolate, Caramel and a Little Something Extra'". iSpot.tv. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
- "Nature Valley Crunchy Bar TV Commercial, 'Easier to Bite' Song by The Damned". iSpot.tv. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
- Sobhraj, Jessica (2018-02-03). "SPOTLIGHT ON CASSANDRA KUBINSKI". Medium. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
- "Heatseekers Albums: Up and Coming Musicians Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
- "Goo Goo Dolls to headline 'Artists for Autism' benefit". The Buffalo News. 2016-03-14. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
- "And the Women in Sync Awards winners are..." SyncSummit. Retrieved 2019-09-22.