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Interlochen Arts Academy singer-songwriter students, alumna to open for Five for Fighting

Current students Zinnia Dungjen and Audrey Mason and 2023 graduate Clara Devey will perform prior to the platinum-selling balladeer’s July 23 concert at Corson Auditorium.

Five for Fighting

Three locally based Interlochen Arts Academy singer-songwriters will open for Five for Fighting during this summer’s Interlochen Arts Festival.

Current students Zinnia Dungjen and Audrey Mason and 2023 graduate Clara Devey will perform prior to the Grammy-nominated balladeer’s concert in Corson Auditorium on Sunday, July 23. Tickets for the performance start at $46.

“Students from the songwriting program at Interlochen are thrilled to have the chance to open for Five for Fighting,” said Courtney Kaiser-Sandler, Associate Director of Contemporary Music & Collaborative Programs at Interlochen Center for the Arts. “This is an incredible opportunity for three students who are local to the Traverse City area.”

Five for Fighting also asked for student openers during his previous visit to Interlochen in the summer of 2014.

“It really shows how important it is to Five for Fighting to give back to young artists,” Kaiser-Sandler said. “The two students who performed in 2014 have gone on to successful careers in the music industry: Lauren Jones of the rising band Trousdale and Rett Madison, who just signed her first record deal with Warner Records.”

Devey, 18, graduated from the Academy in May as a four-year singer-songwriter major. A resident of Interlochen, Devey plays piano, guitar, and horn and describes her songwriting style as “a folky, jazzy, indie type of vibe.” She recently released her debut EP, Perspective, under the name clara bryn.

Dungjen, 16, is a Cedar-based artist who will be a second-year junior at Interlochen Arts Academy in the fall. Dungeon has been writing songs and singing at open mics since she was three years old. Her songs are a unique blend of alternative, jazz, and indie pop styles.

Mason, 15, is a singer/songwriter based in Traverse City. Mason’s indie, folk, and alternative-influenced music flows like the Great Lakes by which she was raised. She hopes her songs create unity, power, and joy for the people that listen to them.

8/21/2023 Update: Follow the trio as they conduct their sound check, perform in Corson Auditorium, and reflect on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

On July 23, 2023, Arts Academy singer-songwriters Audrey, Clara, and Zinnia opened for platinum-selling balladeer Five for Fighting.