Album Notes

Willem Dicke is a Washington, DC-based singer/songwriter/guitarist whose original songs have won awards from organizations such as Billboard Magazine, the Songwriter's Association of Washington and UNISONG. His live performances and songwriting success have earned him feature stories in local publications and on television news.

Having displayed a passion for music since early childhood, Dutch-born Willem was raised in Houston, TX and attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he began playing live music at local venues. Moving to Washington, DC to attend graduate school at American University, Willem played solo at area bars and small concert venues, opening for acts such as Vertical Horizon.

Willem released his first CD in 1997, the self-titled Willem Dicke, which won several songwriting awards. In 1998, Willem and three of his musical colleagues formed "Dusk To Dawn," a band that played both cover and original songs at local venues. The Washington Area Music Association (WAMA) nominated Dusk to Dawn for best rock band in 2000. In 2001, the band split up and Willem joined "The FBI", a quirky cover/original band whose unique performance antics won them praise from several local media.

Willem began work on his second CD, "Familiar Ground," in late 2000. Based on the submission of several completed songs, Willem was invited to perform at the prestigious 2001 Philadelphia Music Conference as a showcase artist. Billboard Magazine awarded Willem second place for songwriting in the rock category for "Candlelight Turned Fire" in its 2001 contest. Four other songs from the new CD also won awards in the Billboard contest, having been selected from thousands of entries. Willem attended the Nashville, TN ceremony where he received recognition for the winning songs. Other prestigious songwriting awards include fourth place in the rock category for the 2001 UNISONG Song Contest and the 2000 Mid-Atlantic Song Contest for "Someone Somewhere", as well as third and forth place for "Standing There" and "Too Soon", respectively, in the 2001 Mid-Atlantic Song Contest. Selected from thousands of entries in each contest, the songs from Familiar Ground have earned a truly notable reputation in the songwriting community.

With recognition from the top songwriting organizations in the music industry, Willem created a buzz among Washington area media. The local FOX affiliate covered Willem's success in a feature story and conducted a live interview with his band, the FBI. The Georgetown Current newspaper and The Review arts magazine published feature stories on Willem's music, with The Review noting his "commanding stage presence and passionate showmanship".

"Familiar Ground" was released in July 2002. The CD features a full-band sound that takes its musical cues from classic rock influences like the Beatles, as well as current-day artists such as the Wallflowers, Counting Crows, Train and Sheryl Crow.

To learn more about singer/songwriter Willem Dicke and view his media coverage, visit the "press" section of his band's Web site at www.fbiband.com.

"Familiar Ground"
Willem Dicke's Familiar Ground was produced by Ariel Francis and mastered by Gene Eichelberger, whose credits include Jewel, Bob Seger and Neil Young. The following list provides a rundown of the awards given to date for the CD's songs:

Save Me (Track 1)
Billboard Song Contest 2001: Finalist rock category
Someone Somewhere (Track 2)
Unisong Song Contest 2001: 4th place rock category
Mid-Atlantic Songwriting Contest 4th place alternative rock category
Standing There (Track 3)
Mid-Atlantic Song Contest 2001: 3rd place adult contemporary category
Mid-Atlantic Song Contest 2001: Finalist rock category
3 a.m. Dream (Track 4)
Billboard Song Contest 2001: Finalist rock category
Rain Down (Track 5)
Unisong Song Contest 2001: Finalist rock category
Mid-Atlantic Song Contest 2000: Finalist rock category
Billboard Song Contest 2001: Finalist rock category
Too Soon (Track 6)
Unisong Song Contest 2001: Finalist rock category
Mid-Atlantic Song Contest 2001: Finalist rock category
Watching the World (Track 8)
Mid-Atlantic Song Contest 1999: 5th place rock category
Candlelight Turned Fire (Track 10)
Billboard Song Contest 2001: 2nd place rock category