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HOLIDAY MUSIC MOTEL COMBINES ARTISTIC CREATION WITH LODGING COMFORT AND CONVENIENT LOCATION

STURGEON BAY, WISCONSIN. The opening of the Holiday Music Motel on May 1st will make both music and motel history. The facility is the first ever to combine the comfort and charm of a historic motel with the mission of inspiring and facilitating the creation of original music. First opened in 1952, the motel has recently been renovated with an emphasis on preserving the historic look while adding an uncommon component—a full recording studio.

The unusual theme evolved when the Holiday Motel in historic downtown Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, became the headquarters for the inaugural Steel Bridge Songfest in 2005. "Steel Bridge" is the brainchild of Christie Weber, president of Citizens for Our Bridge, and noted singer/songwriter pat mAcdonald. The brother/sister team created the SongFest to raise money and awareness for the preservation of the Michigan Street Bridge in Sturgeon Bay. The Holiday Motel sits at the approach to the bridge and was a convenient gathering point for the singers and songwriters who performed at the festival, including noted musician Jackson Browne.

For the Songfest's second season, mAcdonald added a component for songwriters called The Construction Zone. Twenty-five songwriters were invited to a week-long collaborative workshop where they wrote and recorded their original songs. The idea was so successful, it was made a permanent feature of the festival. In 2006 and 2007, some 150 songs were written and recorded at the Holiday Motel. One CD of songs written at the motel has been released and another is under way.

The enthusiasm and creative output of the songwriters set a force in motion. Anna Sacks, one of the original songwriters at The Construction Zone, was so moved by her experience that she wanted others to have the same opportunity. When she expressed this, pat mentioned that the motel was for sale and would make an ideal permanent home for The Construction Zone.

A group of 20 like-minded music lovers, including Sacks, mAcdonald and Jackson Browne, formed Holiday Motel Management LLC and purchased the motel in June of 2007. After a 10-month renovation focusing on preserving the 1950s look and feel of the building and greening the facility for environmental friendliness, the newly christened Holiday Music Motel is ready to open.

Guests can expect comfortable, sound-treated rooms with the original 1950 bedroom suites in pristine condition. Some rooms have been custom-designed by music legends such as Jane Wiedlin of The Go-Go's. The motel is located in the heart of the Sturgeon Bay Historic District within walking distance of restaurants, bars, art museums, the ship canal, and historic sites including the Sturgeon Bay Bridge. It is also a convenient gateway to all of Door County, a popular vacation destination for visitors from Milwaukee and Chicago. Environmentalists will rest comfortably knowing that the hotel is on its way to being a LEED-certified structure.

"We hope to make the Holiday Music Motel the catalyst for a songwriting renaissance in northeastern Wisconsin" said mAcdonald. "The place has already inspired songwriters from across the nation. We want it to be a little mecca for creative minds—and that could be anyone. Artists, songwriters, people who just love music, or just love a great classic motel, should all feel at home here."