News Update

The Confetti Clatter – September 2020

Posted on by John Giotto

It was a good season!

The group performed twice in August, concluding another summer of performances. Although the season was short, it was successful none-the-less.

Ed and Steve prepare to load onto the portable stage at Silver lake Drive-in.

First off, we added a new member to the group. Ella did a great job getting up-to-speed with Emma and Frankie. Also, by practicing familiar songs, we strengthened and sharpened some of the vocal arrangements in our repertoire.  

Secondly, we brought “The Boy Next Door,” “Sway,” and “The Loco-motion” back into the setlist, while adding “Lollipop.” These songs seemed to go over well, and they were fun to learn.

Emma, Frankie, and Ella perform in Branchport for a private party on Keuka Lake.

Finally, we experimented with four horn players for our Charcoal Corral/ Silver Lake Drive-in show. Matt Doi and Dave Burlone covered some songs where baritone and tenor sax play at the same time. Also, on “I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do” by ABBA, both players played tenor saxophone, and boy, did it sound good! I think this format has merit though we have to tweak it for next year. Dave recommended a dedicated baritone saxophone book as a suggestion.

Recording resumes in August

Another positive in 2020 was the resumption of recording. We began working on some of these tracks back in 2015, and it felt good to get the ball rolling again. With singers in college, we have a three-month window to prepare for live performances and record tracks. Suffice it to say this has been a real challenge. 

One person, in particular, Michael Lynch, has been extremely patient with us. Micheal provided two songs for us to record. One of these songs is entitled “Mister Sunshine.” I thought something was missing in our initial music tracks, so this summer, we added harpsichord. James created the part we recorded, and it sounds excellent. We shot the video below after James tuned the instrument. Here he is playing a Bach piece.

 

Emma is coming into the studio to record vocals early this month, and with photos already taken of the new group, we hope to have at least a single release soon. We will keep you posted on our progress in the October issue of The Confetti Clatter. Thanks for reading, and please feel free to add a comment or question.

The Confetti Clatter – August 2020

Posted on by John Giotto

Welcome Ella, as we return to the stage

We will place our historical look-back this month on hold to announce that Ella, a high school student from the Rochester area, is joining the group this year. Ella, Emma, and Frankie performed on the driveway of our practice home on August 2 as a dress rehearsal for our only public appearance in 2020. That show will take place on Tuesday, August 4, from 6-8 PM at the Charcoal Corral in Perry, NY. Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, the weather forecast is not favorable for this outdoor event — fingers crossed.

Emma, Ella & Frankie after completing our dress rehearsal

If you have been to one of our shows at the Charcoal Corral in the past, this year’s concert will have a different, shall I say 2020 look. Instead of the regular band stage, we will perform in front of one of the two drive-in theater screens. You may watch the band on the lawn in front of the stage, or, if you prefer, in your car, where you can tune-in the performance on FM radio.

This event should be at least a unique moment in the long history of our group, hope to see you there!

04aug6:00 pm8:00 pmCharcoal Corral Concert Series

The Confetti Clatter – July 2020

Posted on by John Giotto

Show postponed

The performance at Dairy Queen Greece set initially for Sunday, July 5, is cancelled. The Town of Greece is not issuing entertainment permits at this time. Both the owner of Dairy Queen and I are hoping to reschedule this event sometime in August when restrictions may relax. It appears that the group will not be performing at all this July.

Group look-back: 1987

1987 was both a transitional and successful year for the band. The following recollections come from the recently-discovered wall calendar for It’s My Party 1987, and the elephant memory of Paul Kanack, whom I leaned on more than once to create this article.

At the turn of the new year, the members of the band included Kelly, Patty, and Charlene on vocals, along with musicians Ken, Paul, Terry, and myself. This formation of the group had yet to perform and included newcomers Patty, Charlene, Terry, and Paul. An interesting note on the calendar from January 15 states, “20 songs.”  I’m not sure if that stood for a goal or an achievement, but to play bars, a band needed in the neighborhood of 35 to 40 tunes. Our first show was on January 24 at Short’s Bar, and here Paul reminded me that we shared the night with the house-band, the Earthlings since we did not have enough songs to cover a full night. Short’s was always welcoming to us, and we would end up performing five more times there in 1987.

In March, we performed for the first time at Rumours in Rochester’s South Wedge neighborhood, an area known for its Bohemian flavor. This show, on March 7, also featured the band Slightly Psychedelic, a great group of guys with whom we formed long-lasting friendships. Bob, Tom, and George were undoubtedly talented. George, the bassist, made a guest appearance with It’s My Party on trumpet that night. We performed four more times at Rumours throughout 1987.

Paul, Charlene (in motion), Patty, Terry, Kelly, and Ken at Rumours

George looks on as Paul takes a rare vocal at Rumours. From L-R: George, Paul, Charlene, John, Patty & Terry

The next venue we returned to often was Shnozz’s in the East Avenue & Goodman area of Rochester. On April 18, we shared the stage with The Swingset, a group featuring Walt O’Brien, who could play British Invasion like it was nobody’s business. We were invited back on May 1, this time performing with The Earthlings in what was billed as “All ’50s & ’60s” night. Schnozz’s guaranteed us an astonishing $115 versus the door! The following video is Patty singing at one of our Schnozz’s shows in 1987.

Well, in between the two shows at Schnozz’s was the infamous show at Scoops on Lyell Ave, directly across the street from the old AC Delco plant. With some performances under our belts and feeling confident, we decided to invite Jerry Falzone, former bassist with the successful band Pearl and now a talent agent to watch us. While Jerry had plenty of positive reflections, let’s say his revue was mixed. Jerry knew what it took to get to the level Pearl had accomplished, and yes, we were far from that point. Regarding our cover of The Shirelles’ classic, he stated, “Baby, it’s not you.” This critique marked a turning point, up until this gig the band had always been about fun, now I started to question whether this formation was a step back from the successful original group. Paul and I were driven by the thought that we could not only make music our vocation but that eventually our group could make waves in the industry. To a lesser degree, perhaps Ken held those dreams too. I can not speak for the others, but I would think they had more sense than Paul and I had. For one guy fresh out of college and another working at a pizza parlor, what would you expect?

One of the best memories of being a part of It’s My Party was our May 22 performance at the Renaissance Theater Club on Liberty Pole Way as part of the Lilac Festival. It’s My Party, and two other local groups opened for Danny and the Juniors and The Regents. If you are not familiar with these acts, Danny and the Juniors are famous for “At the Hop,” which was the name the Lilac Festival used to bill the event. The Regents performed the original version of “Barbara Ann,” which earned a spot on the soundtrack of American Grafitti. These groups were consummate professionals and lent us some good advice. Joe Terry, then lead singer for Danny and the Juniors, wondered why we played “The Boy Next Door” sung by The Secrets and co-written by David White, an original member of Danny and the Juniors. Terry called it a good tune, but a marginal hit. The way he saw it, our road to success was playing recognizable hits exclusively. My thought at the time, and by now Paul had also become a ’60s girl group enthusiast, was that there were so many great songs that didn’t necessarily break the top 20, why not play them as well? Unfortunately, for whatever reason, the band has never supported a principal ’60s act since in the Rochester area. Sad, so sad, we have so much to give!

In the last issue of the Confetti Clatter, I mentioned that Kelly discussed joining the group with her husband in 1986; looking over the 1987 calendar, I was wrong. Kelly went on her honeymoon from June 10 to June 20 in 1987. After Kelly came home, we returned to Rumours, Schnozz’z, and Shorts in July, all successful shows.

With seeds of doubt sewn in my mind, I reached out to our then manager, Ron Stein, and asked him what the band was missing. Ron replied, “To make this sound work correctly, you need teenaged singers interpreting the music. The women on your band are not living the lyrics like the teenagers who sang them in the sixties. Teenaged singers would give the group the ring of authenticity.” To which I replied, “Where do we find teenaged singers?” Ron’s response was to go to the local high school musicals.  It just so happened that the Irondequoit Summer Theatre was putting on Leader of the Pack, the Ellie Greenwich Musical from August 6 through 8 – perfect! Ron and I made a point of attending one of those shows. Irondequoit Summer Theatre was a vehicle for high school students to perform over the summer, and at this show, we heard one girl group song after another sung by some very talented teens. When the play broke into “Wait ’til My Bobby Comes Home,” Ron turned to me and said, “There’s your singer!”

Going through the proper channels, we spoke to both that girl, Tricia, and her mother after the performance. She seemed both flattered and interested in seeing our group, so we invited her to attend our afternoon Panorama Plaza show on August 15.

On August 7, we performed at Idols, one of downtown Rochester’s college radio clubs. This show turned out to be a disaster. The crowd was not into our music, and we received a cold reception. I was volunteering as a DJ at RIT’s WITR radio and this time, and that is how most likely we got the show. There was, frankly, a ton of college radio snobbery at that time. DJs and listeners tended to look down on any music that didn’t fit their mold. Not to lump everyone into that category, there were many great and open-minded DJs at WITR, and I enjoyed my time there. I would like to especially like to recognize Bart, the program director at the time, for his open-mindedness and how he smoothly ran that station. Back to the story, enter Terry with some quick thinking to cut the tension of the night. Reaching into one of our gig bags, Terry found a beachball, inflated it, and tossed it out into the audience. People started punching it around and having a good time, so we were able to leave with some sense of dignity. As a Parthian shot, the house DJ played a song I believe by the Cure that had something to the effect of “Never again” in the lyrics as we exited with our gear, touche!

Tricia and her mother attended the Panorama show, a beautiful day for an outside event, as I recall. She was very impressed and expressed her interest in joining the group. On August 25, Kelly parted ways with the band, and two days later, Tricia joined.

Tricia’s first gig with the band was on October 3 at Schnozz’s. Her energy was palpable, everything that Ron said we needed. Some of Tricia’s signature songs were “Kids in America” by Kim Wilde, the aforementioned “The Boy Next Door,” and her lead from the musical “Wait ‘Til My Bobby Comes Home.” However, Halloween night ended up being our second and final performance for this lineup at Short’s bar. Terry moved to New York City, and Patty decided to leave the band.  She spoke with me soon after that show and said, “I see where you are taking this band, and I don’t feel I fit in.” Her words were a crushing blow to me; I wanted her to stay so badly. We all liked Patty very much and loved what she brought to the table. She was referring to Tricia and a younger look and sound.

By November 17, we recruited two new members to replace Terry and Patty. Josh Winston was a friend of Paul Kanack’s. A talented multi-instrumentalist, Josh played not only keyboards but brought the saxophone to the table, something ubiquitous to the ’60s sound. Jennie was a high school friend of Tricia’s. A talented singer who could cover the middle and low parts of the vocal ensemble, Jennie’s sound was complementary to Tricia and Charlene’s voices. 

This new lineup would not perform until early 1988. There were some cool events in store for It’s My Party in that year. I will reminisce about 1988 in the August edition of the Confetti Clatter. 

 

 

The Confetti Clatter – June 2020

Posted on by John Giotto

2020 performance season update

Following a successful 2019 performance season was a hard act to follow this year. I did not hear back from numerous venues from last year regarding this year for whatever reason. There was the golden anniversary for Marge’s Lakeside performance talked about two years ago that never materialized. And Joan from Lyons, NY decided to retire, passing the baton to someone unfamiliar with the group. Everything felt a bit off right from the getgo. And then things came to a screeching halt in February, which is usually the time the last-minute shows materialize.  When all was said and done, we ended up with a half-dozen events, three of which event organizers have subsequently cancelled. Although I do not possess a crystal ball, I predict that we will play live for you this summer. Alternative ideas are in the works, and more details will follow. Please refer to our events section for cancellations and possible additions.

Group history – 1986

I will go on record as admitting that I have a sweet spot for nostalgia. With uncanny foresight, I know what to save and what to chuck. Most rational people would throw everything out. However, if, for any reason, I feel an artifact chronicles my life, I keep it for future reference. The problem is my organization of said artifacts leads something to be desired. While digging around in the garage loft — for something else of course — I stumbled upon a motherload of group artifacts: photos, recordings, flyers, banners, posters, setlists, and yearly calendars.

It was one of the yearly calendars from 1986 that will form the basis of this article. Let me begin by telling you that these calendars were incredibly detailed, much to the delight of my 2020 eyes! They record performance dates, some of which document the fee we agreed to, practice days, when band members came and left, sometimes with the reason, and vacation times for specific bandmates. I will use the term band for It’s My Party at this stage. To my way of thinking, a band is a self-contained entity, with the same performers at every show, think the Beatles. A group is a vocal ensemble backed by varying musicians from show to show. For our history, we were a band from 1985 through 1988, and then again from the early ’90s through 2003. 2004 started our group era with more complex and elaborate orchestration by various musicians. 

1986 saw three incarnations of the band. January 1 through May 4 was the original band, June 30 through August 4 was a short-lived second formation, and October 23 to the end of the year marked the beginning of the third iteration of It’s My Party, the beginning of the Paul Kanack Era.

Without going into too much detail, the original band performed seven times in 1986, once at Shnozz’s, three times at the Casablanca, twice at Red Creek, and once at the Island Cottage. All of these venues are now defunct. My memory must be slipping because I had no idea the original band played at Shnozz’s, or Red Creek more than once. I do not remember the third show at Casablanca on May 3, which turned out to be the last for the original It’s My Party. The following day Gary Skinner, Dave Carroll, and Liz Collins departed.

Liz, Sonia & Sharon perform at Red Creek on April 19, 1986. The building is now a MacGregor’s

On June 30, we put the band back together. I give Jim Basile, our bassist, and Sharon and Sonia, our remaining singers, all kinds of credit for sticking it out, the original band had incredible esprit de corps. It took a lot of fortitude to persevere. Without those members sticktoitiveness, It’s My Party would have folded. Vocalist Kelly Donovan and Guitarists Ken Peters and Larry Goss joined Sharon, Sonia, Jim, and me on that final day of June in 1986. We were ready to embark on a new adventure.

Just a quick background on Ken and Kelly, Ken was a fan and follower of the group. He would always approach the stage at the end of the show and thank us. One time he mentioned that he played bass as his primary instrument, but that he also played guitar, and that if we ever needed one or the other in the band to look him up. So, sure enough, I did, and Ken was thrilled to join us. Ken brought a degree of enthusiasm and original material that he had crafted through the years. He was also an advocate of Brodesser Guitars, custom-built guitars and basses by Ryan Brodesser in nearby Brockport, NY.

Kelly was known to me from the girl group Girl Talk, an act that also included Liz Collins at one time before Liz moved on to Transistor Sister. After talking it over with her husband, Kelly joined the group. Kelly brought a sense of theater and professionalism that were not a part of the original band. The original It’s My Party ran on pure adrenaline, spontaneity, and talent, with fun being the prime objective. 

Larry Goss

Larry is doubling on maracas at the MDC performance during the song, “I Want Candy.”

Larry Goss, to my knowledge, had never been in a band before, nor do I think he had performed live. Larry is someone I have stayed in touch with through these years, just a great guy, and he still follows IMP. Larry and I go way back to the days of the band Montage. I played drums in Montage beginning in 1974, and Larry, being from East Penfield and knowing some of the band members, started following us. Larry was also a fan of my band Tempest in the late ’70s. Larry most likely also followed It’s My Party, as he was a big fan of Dave Carroll’s guitar playing. Dave also played in Montage and Tempest before It’s My Party. Larry cites Dave Carroll and Bud Covert, a Penfield guitar legend, as two of his early inspirations. Since Larry is a humble guy, I think that I approached him to join the group, and I am so glad I did! I must have been pretty convincing because Larry was getting married just six days later on July 6 and honeymooned through July 20, leaving only six days after his return before our first performance.

Version two of It’ My Party performed twice. The first show was on July 26 at 2 PM at Panorama Plaza off Penfield Road under a festival-style tent. I remember it set up somewhere near where the AutoZone now stands. Then on August 3 from 1 to 5 PM, we played at the Monroe Developmental Center on Westfall Road in Rochester. Sharon worked at MDC and arranged the gig for us. I remember it being a successful show all the way around with organizers, band members, and attendees, albeit a hot and humid August afternoon with a few sprinkles.

Monroe Development Center Performance August 3, 1986

Monroe Development Center Performance, August 3, 1986. From L-R Ken, John, Kelly, Sonia, Jim, Sharon & Larry

Sadly as quickly as IMP 2.0 came together, it split up. On August 4, the day after the MDC gig, Larry moved out-of-state while Sharon, Sonia, and Jim decided to depart. I remember speaking with Sharon at our practice facility that day, we had gone through a lot over the past year, and I was upset by her departure.

Now I practically stood alone, for the first time since the idea for this band hatched with then Lakeshore Record Exchange owner, Ron Stein back in 1984.  Fortunately, Ken Peters and Kelly Donovan decided to stick with the band, and again, without there support and belief, I don’t think I would have pursued another attempt at reforming the project. I should also note the Ron Stein was still supportive and, at this point, took on a more active, managerial role. It’s astonishing that when you need people most, they are there for you.

On October 23, singers Patty Angie and Charlene Scarpula joined the band. I remember Patty being at our Island Cottage show on May 5. She approached me, much like Ken, and said that if I ever needed a singer, she was interested. She also confidently stated that she could bring a different twist to the band. Previously, Patty had acted in one of the Frank LaLoggia directed movies filmed locally. Answering an advertisement in the Freetime Magazine, our one-time local entertainment staple, Charlene impressed with a strong audition. 

Now we needed to round out the instrumental ensemble, again relying on Freetime Magazine we placed an ad for a keyboardist and bassist. Terry Farrow, having just been a part of the pit orchestra for the play Pippin, answered our ad and convinced the bass player in that show, Paul Kanack, to tag along to the audition. We immediately got a good vibe from Terry, a gregarious guy. And although Paul was somewhat reserved, his talent was undeniable. Terry and Paul joined the group on November 11 of 1986.

IMP 3.0

IMP 3.0 From L-R Charlene, Terry, Patti, Ken, Kelly

Although the new incarnation of the band did not perform in 1986, I will pick up their history with details from the 1987 calendar. I hope you enjoyed this look back at our history. Please leave a comment or question, and I will follow up with a reply.

 

The Confetti Clatter – October 2019 Newsletter

Posted on by John Giotto

New instrument acquired for recording purposes

Ever since I was was child, I have found the pleasant plucking tone of the harpsichord irresistible. I was immediately drawn in whenever I heard the instrument being played on recordings or the radio. Coincidentally, while listening to the my father’s Swingle Singers records, I gained an appreciation for all things baroque. As a youth, I studied piano, thinking that the baroque pieces I worked on would sound so much better, if played on harpsichord. 

Through my younger days, songs including a harpsichord crept onto the pop music scene. The Jamies recording of “Summertime, Summertime,” being one of the earliest from 1958, but the one that made an impression on me was Paul Mauriat’s instrumental cover of “Love is Blue,” in 1968. If you are not familiar with this recording, the harpsichord is prominently featured in this heavily-orchestrated piece.

In college, I studied, among other things, percussion and piano, and although my piano teacher intimated that I could perform my assigned baroque pieces on the school’s harpsichord, it never happened.

I’ve always wanted to play or possibly own a harpsichord. And now, that dream has become a reality. Sam Nitsch, one of our talented violinists, let me know that his father was thinking about parting with his harpsichord. It was built in 1972, and was in need of some repairs. Kevin, Sam’s father, was at a crossroads with the instrument, thinking it may be time to part with it. One visit to Kevin’s house convinced me that it was going to be mine. Fortunately, the greater Rochester area has a harpsichord craftsman who completed the repairs on my instrument and had it playing good as new after working on it for about a week. 

My harpsichord is a single manual instrument, meaning there is only one row of keys, but it’s not exactly light. Somehow, my sister and I were able to carry it into the house, even though it had to be tilted to fit through the front door. I sat down and familiarized myself with the levers and lute stop that shape the sound of the instrument. Interestingly, the harpsichord can not be played dynamically from the keys, it does not matter how hard you depress them, the jacks pluck the strings the same way.

After my initial fascination, I began to play passages from some pop and rock songs that feature harpsichord, from the opening to “I Haven’t Got the Nerve,” by the Left Banke, to the harpsichord solo in “I Think I Love You, “ by the Partridge Family. Next, I played the part to “Heartbeat, It’s a Lovebeat,” by the DeFranco Family, and then, having recently seen the Linda Rondstadt documentary, thought about the solo to the Stone Poneys’ tune, “Different Drum.” And yes, I finally played some of my old college pieces on the instrument, better late, than never.

The most exciting part of this acquisition is the possibility of using the harpsichord on an It’s My Party recording. We have one song we have been working on called “Mister Sunshine” that lends itself to adding a harpsichord to the ensemble. I have been working on some riffs for this song that are promising. I’m sure, by trial and error, we’ll find exactly where this instrument should sit in the mix. We’ll keep you posted.

Apparently this harpsichord replicates a traditional Flemish design

Upcoming editions of the Confetti Clatter

October and November are typically slow months for news about the group, but we will keep the newsletters coming to you. We are expecting new video footage of the 2019 tour from Ken, one of our fans, who records most of our performances. We will upload them to YouTube, and give you a heads up here on our website. There should also be more photos from the past season we will also share with you.

Feel free to leave a comment or question. Pop music has many examples of the use of the harpsichord, from the Beachboys to the Rolling Stones, to the Kinks and of course the Beatles. Perhaps you have a favorite example, if so please start a discussion here.

 

 

The Confetti Clatter – July 2019 Newsletter

Posted on by John Giotto

2019 tour begins at Burgundy Basin

The group opened its live performance tour on June 18 at the Burgundy Basin car cruise. The weather, always a deciding factor, was perfect, which brought out cars in force. The organizers counted 235 cars on the lawn, with an estimated crowd of well over 500 attendees. The vendor sold out food and drink before the end of the night, an indicator of a successful event.

Sierra, Frankie, Emma and young friends before showtime

After shaking off some understandable rust and jitters, the group performed a strong second set. Two new additions to the repertoire, “He’s the Greatest,” and “Path of Love,” were big hits, especially with long-time fans.

The violin section was particularly strong during this performance. Props go out to Matt Doi, who filled in admirably on guitar, and Drew, who covered piano after only one practice. Ed and Jakob set up the sound system, lighting truss and backline, in addition to running sound and lights during the show.

Our next performance is in Batavia, at the Jackson Square alley on July 5. Regulars James and Dylon will cover guitar and keyboards at this show, while Matt Doi shifts to saxophones. Our former singer, Michelle, will be our special guest.

New show added!

We have been invited to perform on Sunday, July 7 as part of the Greece Dairy Queen’s Sunday car cruise. We would love to see you at there. This is our one-and-only show on the west-side of town this year! 

07jul6:00 pm8:00 pmDairy Queen Classic Car Cruise Night

Social media guru needed

It has become clear to us that we are not documenting our live shows or news as effectively as we could. This is the result of one or two people wearing too many hats, and the fact that we are in-the-moment and not observers. We would like to reach out to any of our local followers who may be interested in becoming part of our team as a social media specialist. This assignment would entail taking photos at live performances, photo sessions, and recording sessions, and then adding catchy additions to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you are interested please contact us my email, or by posting a comment below.

The Confetti Clatter – May 2019 Newsletter

Posted on by John Giotto

Saying goodbye to Sarah

Sarah performs at Silver Lake Drive In/ Charcoal Corral

After a four-year run with the group, we would like to wish Sarah the best, as she moves on to further her academic career.  Sarah began singing with us in 2014 when she filled in for Shelbie for a few performances. The following year, Sarah became a full-time member of the group and participated in the recording of the EP “He Wasn’t Like That (When He Used To Be Mine).” For more information on that recording, follow this link to a previous post.

Although Sarah was only able to sing once with us last year, it was a memorable closing show of our 2018 tour. Many fans attended along the Erie Canal in Newark. If you were there, you know she did an outstanding job.  

Here is the promotional video for the song “In Your Letter,” from the EP “He Wasn’t Like That (When He Used To Be Mine),” featuring Michelle, Sierra, and Sarah.

Surprise Track Recorded

This past December, we recorded another track for our forthcoming release. This cover song is going to surprise a lot of people, as it is not a girl group record. If you thought recording “In Your Letter” was a reach, you’ll be stunned by this one! The original artist’s career spanned four decades. The artist recorded both as a solo act and under band names. The original recording of this cover was credited to a band. If you think you know who this is, leave a comment on this post. We’ll reveal more information in upcoming news updates.

Random Music Thoughts: The Jam or The Style Council?

Paul Weller is quite a musician, he was a founding member of the Jam before leaving that group to form The Style Council, which allowed him to venture in different musical directions. Some Jam fans felt Paul was wrong to form The Style Council, as the music of his new project was so different from The Jam. What do you think? You can take our poll by clicking the link below:

 

The Confetti Clatter – April 2019 Newsletter

Posted on by John Giotto

Getting Caught Up

If you were a regular attendee of the group’s performances in 2018, you could have seen as many as five vocalists form our trio of girls. Up until last April, we were counting on returning Emma, Sarah, and Sierra again in 2018.

At this point it would remiss of me to leave out an online introduction to Emma. Emma, a recent graduate of Bloomfield (NY) High School, joined the group in June of 2017 to replace Michelle, who after seven seasons with the group went on the med. school.  Emma lends a strong lead vocal, especially on the Eddie Gorme song, “Don’t Try To Fight It Baby.”

Emma, performing in Canandaigua

Welcome Frankie!

Our plans to return the 2017 line-up in 2018 changed when Sarah announced that she accepted an internship in New Jersey over that summer. Because of this opportunity, Sarah was unavailable to perform at most of our shows. To fill the void, Sierra brought her neighbor, Frankie, a then-junior at Penfield High School, into the fold.

Frankie has an extensive theater background, including productions of Fiddler of the Roof, Shrek, the Musical, and Wizard of Oz. While at Bay Trail Middle School, Frankie played the lead in Annie, Jr. In addition to theater, Frankie performs with the Penfield High School Jazz Choir.

Frankie proved to be a fast learner, and in less than one month’s time, from mid-May to early June, Frankie grasped the basics of the performance. Almost by providence, a mid-June performance was cancelled due to the threat of thunderstorms. The group certainly would have been less than ready to perform that show with total confidence. In July, Emma, Frankie and Sierra had a successful, and well-received, debut at the Burgundy Basin Inn car cruise night.

Emma, Frankie & Sierra carried most of the 2018 performances, seen here at Marge’s Lakeside Inn.

Enter Michelle!

Another challenge arose during the 2018 tour when Sierra, who had previous commitments, could not sing at two shows. Amazingly, Michelle, on two-days notice, returned to sing with us at the What’s ‘Ur Scoop performance in Penfield with Emma and Frankie. With no practice, the girls rose to the occasion. Only a periodic drizzle dampened the event. Once an It’s My Party girl, always one, as Michelle proved that night. Needless to say, Michelle’s performance was fantastic.

Michelle “hit it out of the park” at What’s ‘Ur Scoop.

Our final show of 2018 in Newark was postponed two days because of a threat of rain. Sierra had to leave for college and was unable to sing on the rate date. Michelle was also unavailable, but by this time Sarah was back in town. With two just practices, the group of Emma, Frankie and Sarah performed to a receptive audience on the Erie Canal, even adding two new songs to the repertoire.

Many of our local fans are asking if Frankie will return this year. Happily, the answer is yes. Many concert-goers commented on her singing, highlighted by her rendition of the Lesley Gore tune, “You Don’t Own Me,” an absolute bear of a song to sing.

So, if you see us this summer, and you have not done so already, please welcome Emma & Frankie to the group.

Frankie, singing in Canadaigua

It has been awhile since we last posted. Feel free to comment on your most memorable moments from Emma’s debut during tour 2017, and Frankie’s debut tour of 2018. We have some exciting updates on the upcoming 2019 tour and the time we have spent in the recording studio, which we will share in future posts.

The Confetti Clatter – August through October 2016

Posted on by John Giotto

Concert season ends in August

August 2nd show at the Charcoal Corral

Our August 2nd show at the Charcoal Corral, always a band favorite

The month of August was very busy for us, a performance at the Charcoal Corral in Perry on August 2 began a string of shows that finished on August 19 on a perfect night in Batavia. Although it was a hot and dry summer in Western, New York, the band was able to perform every show. However, our much-anticipated performance in Hammondsport, NY village green was disappointingly rained into the high school auditorium, where the acoustics of the room were in question and the attendance compromised.

We added more songs to our setlist in August, including the Gene Pitney tune, “It Hurts to Be in Love.” This song was a crowd favorite, and featured James on the lead vocal, with the girls singing the backup vocals. The song also showcased an organ lead by Nicole, our keyboardist. Dylon and Drew charted the keyboard and Baritone saxophone parts on this song.

We’d like to thank Ed, one of our fans, for volunteering to run our merchandise table. Also, a big thank you to Eriketa, who did yeoman’s service filling in for Michelle on two occasions. Finally a shout out to Michael, Ed, and other fans and family members, who helped us both setup and tear down during the course of the performance season.

Enjoy a slideshow of photographs from our August 2 show at Charcoal Corral, taken by Ian Stewart

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Reunion in-the-works

Rhian, Karyn and Cara

Rhian, Karyn and Cara, get together for a recent photo

We have some exciting news to share, a reunion appearance of the 2002 IT’S MY PARTY! singers is looking like a reality. Cara, Karyn, and Rhian performed as the IMP girls in 2002. This trio performed in the Rochester area, and had one show in Chicago. Cara and Rhian left the group in the fall of that year for the opportunity to showcase their talents on American Idol. Later, in 2013, Cara and Rhain, known as the Morgan Twins, got a second opportunity in the bright lights with an appearance on The Voice, reprising  “Fallin’,”  the performance that punched their ticket to the Hollywood round of American Idol. On The Voice, their performance turned all four judges’ chairs during the blind auditions, and found them a spot on Team Blake. After the departure of Cara and Rhian, Karyn stayed in the group through 2003, reforming with Jilly, Kim and Shannon. The quartet enjoyed performances at Frontier Field in Rochester, NY, and in both Chicago and New York City.

We have scheduled an initial meeting of the girls and a rehearsal on November 5. We’ll keep you posted as events unfold.

The group is seeking a lighting technician

The Altman Comet follow spot is missing its color wheel assembly.

The Altman Comet follow spot is missing its color changer assembly.

We have recently been gifted a used Altman Comet spotlight, and for under $100 in repairs and parts, we were able to get most of the functionality of the light to work. Unfortunately, the color changer assembly is missing, and would be too expensive to replace on a used soptlight.

With the addition of the spotlight, we are seeking a lighting technician to run the followspot, as well as the rest of our lighting. Over the years, we have acquired a nice array of lights, controlled by a hand-held device, but have had to settle for a static light show. It is too difficult for a band member to run the lights; they also lack the perspective of the audience’s point of view. If you are interested, please contact us, no experience is necessary.

The Confetti Clatter – July 2016 Newsletter

Posted on by John Giotto

Performance season underway, more male vocals added to show

James takes a lead vocal on “I Want To Stay Here” during a July performance.

James takes a lead vocal on “I Want To Stay Here” during a July performance.

Perhaps you have been to an IT’S MY PARTY! performance and noticed that on a couple songs Paul, our bass player, steps up to the microphone adding a male vocal line. Songs like “Love Kitten,” which the band performs, illustrate that girl group music of the sixties included male vocals. The Raindrops, the group used by the writing team of Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich to demo their works, had many songs featuring the vocal lines of Barry, like “Hanky Panky.”

This year, we have the advantage of having three excellent male vocalists. Besides Paul and James, Sam, one of our violinists, has an outstanding voice. In fact, Sam writes and performs his own music. and will do so at our August 9 show at the Burgundy Basin Inn, and the August 12 performance at What’s ‘Ur Scoop. So, we have decided to take advantage of our male singers by add more male vocal songs to our 2016 show. On Sunday, July 24, we debuted the song “It Ain’t What You Do,” first recorded in 1939 by Ella Fitzgerald and revived in the ’80s by Fun Boy Three with Bananarama. On this song James and Sam sing a call-and-answer with Michelle, Sierra & Sarah. In another new song for us this year, James sings the male vocal on The Fleetwoods “Come Softly To Me.”

With several male artists from the ’60s, like Bobby Vee, Lou Christie, and Gene Pitney, using female backups on their hits — usually The Angels –there are a wealth of possibilities for us to explore. Besides featuring the talents of the guys in the band, adding male lead vocals is a great way to break up the performance and allows for variety. Come on out in August and give us a listen, I’m sure you will be pleased with these additions.