SunCal Cos. announces second installment of program to help build community with one aspiring OC voice.

Music From Home-Orange County, SunCal Cos.' original-music sponsorship and emerging-artist support program, is seeking singers/songwriters based in Orange County. On Thursday the SunCal Cos. began conducting a search for the finest, freshest voice in the area and provide that person $10,000 to help them achieve wider exposure. SunCal launched the search with a press conference at The Irvine Spectrum and Indie-rock band The Future (winners of Music From Home-Antelope Valley, the first installment of the competition), performed at the press conference.

Orange County singers/songwriters interested in submitting up to two songs can visit the official Music From Home Web site at http://www.MusicFromHomeOC.com for entry rules and other information. The deadline for submissions to Music From Home-Orange County is Aug. 10.

The winner of Music From Home-Orange County will perform in conjunction with SunCal's Marblehead Coastal (San Clemente) and Pacifica San Juan (San Juan Capistrano) communities. A special festival concert featuring the winner will be held at Pacifica San Juan on a date to be announced. Music From Home-Orange County is part of the Music From Home emerging-artist support program created by SunCal Cos., which designs and builds smartly planned communities throughout California and the West. SunCal identifies the best aspiring artists in local cities and towns and supports them through significant sponsorships and opportunities for expression.

"We develop more than just land," said David Soyka, SunCal's senior vice president of marketing. "We build community, and for us, it begins with helping local artists reach their potential by giving them the platform upon which to express themselves. There's more to our communities than just the homes, parks, schools and shops: It's what goes on inside that matters most."

In addition to the $10,000 music sponsorship, SunCal will provide the winner of Music From Home-Orange County with one year's assistance from the Music From Home Artist Advisory Council, which SunCal has established to provide sustained support to the competition's winner. The Council includes individuals who will meet with the winner on a quarterly basis and function in a general advisory role with post-recording needs such as marketing, public relations and other relevant artist and repertoire areas.

"Orange County has become a force in the music industry. Bands such as No Doubt (and Gwen Stefani) hail from this area, and we're certain there are many more extremely talented Orange County singer/songwriters who have significantly developed their craft and deserve a platform for it to be heard," Soyka said.

"We believe the winner of Music From Home-Orange County will express a sense of promise and discovery and this is precisely the point of Music From Home — to redefine what it means to develop a community. This process which engages not just SunCal, but the entire Orange County region is a part of SunCal's philosophy: To encourage strong social values and give our communities a level of depth you won't find in other places."

To read about and listen to submissions from Music From Home in Antelope Valley, visit the Web site http://www.RitterRanchLife.com and click on the red Music From Home icon.

To learn more about Pacifica San Juan or Marblehead Coastal, visit PacificaSanJuan.com or MarbleheadOnTheCoast.com.

For more information about SunCal Cos., visit http://www.SunCal.com.