News Update

The Confetti Clatter – May 2016 Newsletter

Posted on by John Giotto

Band member transitions

Everyone has returned from college, and preparations began in May for the upcoming gig season. If all goes well, we will have a new set list in place for the July 1 show in Webster, and a new release by mid-July.

Sadly, we  have to announce that Dylon Walbridge will no longer be playing keyboards in the band. After three seasons and some session work, Dylon has moved on to his first passion – jazz. You can find out more about his great band, Bearcat and the Birds, by following here: Bearcat and the Birds Facebook Page. Thanks Dylon, for making us sound so good.

Also, our fantastic guitarist and saxophone player, Matt Doi, will be unable to perform with us this year. Matt is getting married this summer and plans an extended vacation with his wife, Kaitlin. Please make sure to attend our opening show this year, July 1, in Webster, as this will be Matt’s only show with us this season. Please join us as we show Matt our appreciation for his talent and friendship through the years.

We are pleased to announce that James has returned from South Dakota, and will be back on the gig this year. In the absence of Dylon and Matt, expect James to pick up some of the slack on guitar and keys. Additionally we would like to welcome Penfield High School students Luke and Nicole, who will be moving into the guitar and keyboard chairs, with the help of James.

Recording update

We continued recording in May, adding a new song to the mix, “Love is all Around” written by Sonny Curtis. Some of you may better know this song as The Mary Tyler Moore Show theme song. Michelle recorded the lead vocal tracks, and we previously tracked the drums. We are now working on the best complimentary bass and guitar lines – many thoughts are out there at this time. Sarah and Sierra have learned the backup vocals and will record them soon. I’m sure you will enjoy our version of this recognizable tune.

Here is a list of the songs we are working on:

“Mister Sunshine” (needs organ and some hand percussion)

“I Almost Forgive Him” (pretty much finished and ready for mix-down)

“That Boy of Mine” (back up vocals need recording)

“Little Town Flirt” (needs a baritone sax line recorded)

“Love is All Around” (bass, guitar, backing vocals need recording, maybe an organ track too)

 

Gifts from a fan!

One of the nice things about being in IT’S MY PARTY! is receiving fan mail. And although the 21st Century has seen a decrease in the amount of snail mail we receive, it hasn’t come to a complete halt.

Over the course of the past few years, we have one very generous fan who showers us with gifts. These gifts are always related to the girl group sound and are expensive, to say the least. The last batch included girl group 45s, LPs, CDs, and a great Shangri-las T-shirt. We can’t thank our fans enough for their generosity through the years, and we are happy to know that we have brought some joy into their lives as well.

If you are inclined to send us a physical correspondence, our address is IT’S MY PARTY!, P.O. Box 423, Penfield, NY 14526. We will get back to you as soon as possible.

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James and Michelle are excited during the “unboxing” of the mother-load of gifts.

The Confetti Clatter – March 2016 Newsletter

Posted on by John Giotto

Recording Update

We continued to record tracks for our upcoming release. Due to the limited availability of the girls while school is in session, recording proceeded in piecemeal fashion.

We began with some unfinished business. On January 10, Paul Kanack laid down the upright bass track to “Little Town Flirt.” Paul was not available when the drums and guitars were recorded back in August. This new track added much-needed bottom to this song. At a future session, we will have Matt Doi add the baritone saxophone part, which will fortify the low end.

Paulsdigs into the bass while recording his part for "Little Town Flirt."

Paul digs into the bass while recording his part to “Little Town Flirt.”

Moving on, Sarah and Sierra recorded the backup vocals to “Little Town Flirt” on February 28. During this same session, Sierra recorded the lead vocals to “That Boy of Mine.” The playlist below shows excerpts from this recording date.

On March 13, Michelle and Sierra recorded the backing vocals to “Mister Sunshine.” The playlist below shows the girls singing two parts of the three part harmony, and then Michelle adding the third part. Notice that during this session the girls are not wearing headphones to hear the recorded music, rather, the music is being pumped into the studio by way of the studio speakers. This technique seems to create a more natural vocal performance, a positive that far outweighs the negative of any bleed of the music into the vocal track.

If you enjoyed this edition of the Confetti Clatter, please share it on social media by using the icons below. Also, if you have any questions about these recording sessions, use the comment area; we’ll get back to with you a response as soon as possible.

The Confetti Clatter – January 2016 Newsletter

Posted on by John Giotto

IT’S MY PARTY! returns to the Recording Studio

We went back into our recording studio on January 3 to track more music that will be used on a forthcoming, yet untitled, release. Our friend and fan, Ken Kleinendorst, drove up from Central Pennsylvania with his new video camcorder and camera to chronicle the session. If you have been following our recent newsletters, you are familiar with this evolving story, if not, please read our past issues.

Engineer Calvin May started setting up the session at around 11 AM. As planned, musicians JP Pitchard, Matt Doi, Paul Kanack and I warmed up, and then laid down the accompaniment to the song “I Almost Forgive Him.” We did most of the pre-production work for this song at an earlier practice in December, so things went smoothly.

Paul Kanack, JP Pitchard, and Matt Doi get ready for a take of "I Almost Forgive Him."

Paul Kanack, JP Pitchard, and Matt Doi prepare for a take of “I Almost Forgive Him.”

The instrumental tracks consisted of JP on the Fender Jaguar guitar, Matt Doi on the 12-string Rickenbacker electric guitar, Paul Kanack on the Fender P-bass, and me on the vintage 1962 Slingerland drum set. 

Michelle sang a guide vocal as the ensemble performed five takes. A guide vocal helps the musicians in two ways. First, it helps to keep their place in the arrangement, and secondly, the guide vocal elevates the performance emotionally.

Once we were satisfied with the keeper take, we began the process of recording the vocals. Calvin brought his Sure SM7 microphone to the session to record the lead vocals. This is the same microphone used to record Michael Jackson on the Thriller album. Michelle recorded two separate lead vocal tracks as she listened to the instrumentation through headphones. We will blend these two tracks together in the mix to create the vocal doubling effect, used on many of the ’60s girl group records. Lesley Gore is famous for her vocal doubling. The Beatles cited Lesley’s double-tracked vocals as a example of how they wanted their lead vocals to sound when recorded. Doubling the vocal, when done correctly, can produce a nice fat sound. 

Sierra and Sarah practice backing vocals around the Lawson L-47 microphone

Sierra and Sarah practice backing vocals around the Lawson L-47 microphone

At the end of the session, Sarah and Sierra joined Michelle to record the back up vocals to “I Almost Forgive Him.”  We used the Lawson L47 microphone to capture the vocal ensemble. Back up vocals are best recorded using one microphone for all of the singers. It is up to the vocalists to create the correct blend and balance by moving closer to, or farther away from, the microphone and listening to each other. Some vocalists prefer to have one headphone off the ear, so they can hear each other in the room, rather than in the headphones. After the backup vocal session, we laid down a hand clap track, which included Ken as part of the hand-clap gang. Upon reviewing the instrumental tracks, it seemed as though something was missing in the percussion session, so we will add a tambourine at a later date.

Mystery Cover Revealed

In addition to recording “I Almost Forgive Him,” we turned out attention to another unfinished song. Back in the summer we laid down the instrumentation for what would have been our first recording featuring a male on lead vocal. James Schrag, our multi-talented musician, seen mostly on violin during the performance season, has a great singing voice. I wanted to give him a lead, with the girls singing the backup vocals. This format was very popular in the early to mid 1960s with artists like Bobby Vee, Del Shannon and Lou Christie, all of whom used The Angels for the backing vocals.

We chose the Del Shannon song “Little Town Flirt” for James to sing, which had also been covered by Jeff Lynne and the Electric Light Orchestra, a band favorite. Our version is a bit of a hybrid of the original and the ELO version. We chose the key of C, like the ELO rendition, because of James’ limited range in the high register. The feel of our take is more early rock n’ roll, like the Del Shannon version, as opposed to the more rockin’ version of the Electric Light Orchestra.

As the session proceeded, with James singing a guide vocal for the musicians to follow, it became apparent that even the key of C, a half-step lower than Del Shannon’s original, was too taxing for James to sing clearly without straining his voice. It seemed like the whole idea was going to be placed on the scrap heap.

Not willing to give up totally on the idea, I turned to Michelle and asked her to give the lead vocal a few tries. After all, it couldn’t hurt, so we “rolled the tapes” as she sang. The results were interesting. Although the lead vocal starts out very low for Michelle, it brings out a kind of sultry delivery, and when the vocal soars into what would be the falsetto for a guy singer, Michelle was able to belt out the passage. The song now becomes a girl warning a guy about the flirt, so no changes were needed to the vocal line — wow this had some real possibilities!

So, here is an exclusive video, shot by Ken, of Michelle singing the lead vocal, see what you think. We also quickly recorded the backing vocals, but since the girls had not practiced those parts since August, we would like to record them again at a future session, perhaps in March.

Call to Action

Are you connected with IT’S MY PARTY! on your mobile phone? Just text getimp to 444999 and you’ll join our mobile app, it’s another great way to keep up-to-date with our group.

Are you familiar with the band site ReverbNation? Become one of our fans by visiting our ReverbNation site.

Are there any questions or comments you have regarding this post? Leave a reply below to start a discussion, we usually respond promptly.

Also, don’t forget to share this article on your social media pages, by using the links at the bottom of this edition. 

The Confetti Clatter – December 2015 Newsletter

Posted on by John Giotto

Recording Update

We continued to work on our latest recording project in December. Our goal is to have a release, along with new merchandise, by the performance season this coming July. As a recap, we have three songs worth of basic tracks completed. These songs are, for the most part, instrumentally complete and ready for vocal tracks. One song “Mister Sunshine,” is further ahead, it has the lead vocal tracks recorded by Sarah, and only needs the backing vocals. “That Boy of Mine” is lacking all of the vocal tracks, as is our yet-to-be revealed classic cover song.

One of our goals in December was to assess the feasibility of a strong performance of the classic cover. Our recording of this instantly recognizable song is a half-step lower than the original, and was intended for a guest male vocalist, with the IMP girls singing backups. That idea being scrapped back in August, it remained to be seen whether Michelle could sing the lead vocal in the key of C. A December rehearsal showed promise, and although the melody begins at the low end of Michelle’s register, it may produce interesting results.

I will share one clue about this classic song, it was originally recorded and co-written by an iconic male singer/ songwriter from the 1960s. This artist saw his career resurrected in the late 1980s with the help of hit-makers at that time, who saw him as an influence and inspiration. I was very fortunate to have seen him perform live in the 1980s at the now defunct Rochester Festival Tent. His energy was palpable, and I was amazed to see so many college-aged kids rocking in the audience; newcomers, who most likely discovered his music on their parents old records.

One exciting aspect of this recording project is that we are working for the first time with Michael Lynch, a musician and songwriter from Downstate New York. Lynch submitted two songs, “Mister Sunshine” and  “I Almost Forgive Him.” These tracks, when completed, will be the first group originals since the 2012 releases of “Dear Michelle (The Fighting’s Begun)” and “Bus Driver.”

Lynch’s songs fit our style, especially in regard to the lyrical content; more on this in the following article. Both tunes ooze with the girl group feel. Lynch left room for the backing vocals wide open; there is only a hint of backups during the fade on his demo of “Mister Sunshine.” In both of his recordings, Lynch has some two-part harmonies, not all that common with the girl groups, but more so with the solo singers classified in the girl group genre, like Lesley Gore. The instrumentation on both demos includes piano and guitar. With his permission, I have included both of Lynch’s demos for our readers to give a listen. It should be fun to refer to these again, after we release our versions of these two songs.

As a producer who dabbles in songwriting, it’s always cool to work on a fellow songwriter’s material. One thing I like to keep in mind is that these songs are almost like children to the songwriters, and you have to respect their artistic vision. I usually feel out how each writer receives my suggestions. Everyone is different, and how much, or how little, of an arrangement they provide varies from writer to writer.

Syeed Abdulal-haqq, our main songwriter — he penned “Bus Driver” — takes a simple approach. He passes his material to me as a live vocal performance. Typically, Syeed opens up a legal pad, and sings the melody to his jotted-down lyrics. I get to fill in all of the arrangement, instrumentation and backing vocals, giving me a tremendous amount of latitude.

Syeed is very easy to work with; in the end, he usually says, “I like what you’ve done with my song.”  Song ideas come to Syeed spontaneously, so way back, we purchased a mini-cassette recorder for him to sing into, when the creative spirit moves him, so he doesn’t lose a possible new song idea. To this day, I’m not sure if Syeed plays a musical instrument.

Paul Kanack’s material comes to me in a more structured form. As a musician with singing ability, and a strong grasp of the girl group sound, Paul has a clear vision for his works. I can make some suggestions about the instrumentation and possible backing vocal arrangements, but, for the most part, his songs have few changes from his original ideas.

Two examples of Paul’s songs where I made some subtle changes come to mind. The first is his song “On the Beach Tonight.” On this song, I added the backing vocal chant during the fade-out, “Fun, fun for everyone; All day, out in the sun.” The other song is “The Joy of Love,” where I helped change the opening lyrics from “When he walked my home last night” to “Romeo just held me tight.” The latter change came during an inspired moment while dinning with Paul at the Burger King in East Rochester, perhaps channeling artistic energy lingering from Philip Seymour Hoffman, who once worked at this particular location. Always have a pen and napkin handy!

This is the first time I have worked with Michael Lynch. The challenge working with Michael, is that he is not local, so all communication has been through Facebook. Lynch, a multi-instrumentalist and singer, presented his material to me as completed demos (refer to the SoundCloud embedded tracks). As a producer, it’s easy to be swayed into using the exact same instrumentation, vocals, and arrangement as on a complete work. It’s not even a question of being lazy, it’s just too easy to be influenced by a song in finished form.

Phil Collins once suggesting that he’s not influenced by anybody; while that seems silly, he continued on to say that he does not listen to any music when he’s in creative-mode. For me, the more sparse the production is on the demo, the easier it is to develop an arrangement for the group.

We left Lynch’s “Mister Sunshine” very true to the demo when we recorded it back in August. During the “That Boy of Mine” session in October, we decided to defer the recording of “I Almost Forgive Him” until we could work out a new arrangement. So, on December 23, Michelle, Sarah, Sierra, and Matt Doi met with me to come up with some ideas. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to keep the opening riff of the song, which Lynch repeats again, in full, before the third verse. As I was about to search for something different, Matt Doi, one of our talented multi-instrumentalists, referred to the opening hook positively, identifying it as having a “Louie, Louie” feel.

“Hmm,” I thought, yes indeed, how could we change the opening after that comparison!

When listening to “I Almost Forgive Him,” I hear the Merseybeat sound, similar to Freddie and the Dreamers or Gerry and the Pacemakers. There’s room for a jangling Rickenbacker 12-string guitar, especially during the instrumental break. It all seemed to make sense. With the feel and instrumentation taking shape, we went on to consider the backing vocal arrangement.

Parts of “I Almost Forgive Him” are open to smooth vocal “oohs,” and, dare I say, perhaps some “yeah, yeah, yeahs.” The girls really dug the tune and started to offer some suggestions. Michelle and Sierra came up with the idea of using a call and answer, which would preserve the two-part harmonies in Lynch’s demo. In this idea, the lead vocal sings when there is no harmony, and the backups answer her in two-part harmony. As this idea materialized, it became apparent that we needed to change a few of the lyrics to reflect the lead singers point-of-view, and then the back-up vocal responses. We were all excited about this direction. Hopefully Michael Lynch will enjoy our interpretations of his songs.

We are going into the studio to record “I Almost Forgive Him” on January 3. We’ll let you know how things turned out in next month’s edition of the Confetti Clatter.

The Challenge of Covering Contemporary Songs

From time-to-time our fans have asked us to record a current pop song with an IMP twist. This idea piqued my interest, so I began tuning into the now-sound to see what grabbed me. I’m sure you’ve heard one of those stations that rotate the same 10 songs every hour. As tough as it was to listen to such a limited playlist, I must say, there were a few decent numbers in the short rotation, some sounding like possible targets for an IMP cover.

So, what have I heard lately? One song that is repeated every hour is a Fall Out Boy song called “Uma Thurman.” If you’ve been hiding under a radio rock since the early ’90s, like me, in this tune, Fall Out Boy lifts the Munster’s Theme by playing it on electric guitar over a thundering drum track. I’m not sure how that riff ties in with Uma Thurman, because that’s not the song she danced to in Pulp Fiction. Gee, I wonder if any of the kids listening to that song even know where that guitar riff comes from? Though it had a retro-feel, this tune was not a song I would consider for us.

“Uma Thurman” not being the best pick, the next song that lured me in was “On My Mind,” by Ellie Goulding. The song’s hook felt right, and, although it’s sung in a monotone, I thought it had potential. Feeling good about this track, I added the tune to my SoundHound app history, something I often do when looking for cover material. You see, at my age you get senior moments, but SoundHound will save the history of the songs you searched for future reference. For the record, Big Lots is an excellent venue for song ideas, they seem to pipe in a nice cross-section of music, so I always have my smartphone handy when shopping there.

Okay, so, SoundHound shows the lyrics of the song in real-time, and as I read the lyrics to “On My Mind,” this song went down the tubes as far as a potential cover song.  Now I’m not a good-two-shoes, but girl group lyrics do have a sense of innocence or naivete, such can not be said for “On My Mind.”

And I quote from the song:

“Poured it down, so I poured it down
Next thing that I know I’m in a hotel with you
You were talking deep like it was mad love to you
You wanted my heart but I just liked your tattoos
Poured it down, so I poured it down” 

I don’t think so, this isn’t even Shangri-Las material. I wonder what she’s pouring down? I have been warned by the IMP girls that today’s lyrics are the main hurdle in finding the proper fit for the group.

So, why record one of these songs in the first place? First, it’s a challenge, and could be fun. Secondly, and more important to exposure for the group, it has the potential to introduce us to a wider audience, that’s what covers do. Heck, even the early Beatles albums were heavy on cover music. Cover material, which I refer to as “islands of familiarity” hopefully lead the listener to your original material.

Call To Action!

Perhaps you know a current tune we can cover, feel free to leave a reply to this edition of our newsletter, perhaps we can get a discussion going! 

Have you visited our YouTube page? This is where we post all of our video content. Watch, subscribe, and comment!

Are you connected with IT’S MY PARTY! on your mobile phone? Just text getimp to 444999 and you’ll join our mobile app, it’s another great way to keep up-to-date with our group.

Also, don’t forget to share this article on your social media pages, by using the links at the bottom of this edition. 

 

 

The Confetti Clatter – October 2015 News Update

Posted on by John Giotto

Group goes back into the recording studio 

IT’S MY PARTY! returned to the recording studio on October 11. Although the plan was to record tracks for two songs, the musicians decided to table “I Almost Forgive Him,” an original track by Michael Lynch, so they could work out the proper key signature and arrangement. The group instead focused on a remake of the Sherrys’ original “That Boy of Mine,” a song created with that famous Philly sound of the early sixties, of which songwriters Madara and White were a part of. You may know the Sherrys more for their hit record, “Pop Pop Pop-Pie.” 

Matt Doi, John Giotto, and Paul Kanack laid down all of the music tracks. First they recorded the bass, guitar and drums live (at the same time). Next, Matt Doi recorded a second guitar part, and then baritone and tenor sax; to say Matt is talented is an understatement. Finally, Paul Kanack and John Giotto added hand percussion, which included slapstick, hand claps, and maracas. There may be room for a symphonic chime part at a later date.

Giotto decided that Sierra’s voice was well-suited for the lead vocal on this track, and she sang live in a separate room during the basic tracks. By singing during the tracking, the musicians gain an extra emotional lift, which can help to elevate a performance. Sierra’s vocal did just that. Sierra will return to the studio at a later date to record the “keeper” vocals” along with Michele and Sarah on backing vocals to complete the tracking.

The photo of the Urei 809 speaker with the foam intact. Our Ureis were manufactured in 1987, and the foam lasts about 30-years.

A photo of the Urei 809 speaker with the foam intact. Our Ureis were manufactured in 1987. The foam lasts about 30-years before disintegrating.

On a side note, all was going well during the recording session, when suddenly the producer and engineer noticed that the left speaker in the control room was distorting badly, especially in the low, or bass, register. This was odd because all of the equipment, from the interface, to the amplifier, to the speakers, is top-notch. Giotto decided to pull the protective grill from the face of the offending speaker, and what the team saw was not good: The foam around the circumference of the speaker had deteriorated in many spots, leaving gaping spaces where the speaker was no longer supported.  An inspection of the right speaker showed tears, the first sign that the foam would eventually fall apart, like the left speaker. Both speakers were removed from their cabinets, and sent to Orange County Speaker, in California, for re-foaming. Any additional tracking and recording has temporarily been placed on hold. If all goes well, the studio should be up and running by December. In the meantime, the group will work on the Lynch tune.

As we mentioned in our September newsletter, another idea 💡 from the team is writing an answer record for a song written and recorded in the late 1970s by a renowned artist, and then covered in the mid-1980s, when it became a big hit. An answer record borrows the elements of the original song, but takes the lyrics in a new direction. We will keep this song a secret until we actually begin the recording in December. We will say that the songwriter of the original song is someone whom Giotto has great respect for, and has had the opportunity to interview on two occasions in the late ’80s and early ’90s, when he worked at WBER, a community radio station, which broadcasts from Penfield, NY. Sadly this songwriter has passed away, and Giotto felt that it was time for a tribute record of sorts. Giotto and Kanack are working on the answer record, which should be completed soon.

New YouTube video available, more to follow

Ken Kleinendorst and Michele pose for a photo at one of our shows.

Ken Kleinendorst and Michelle pose for a photo at one of our shows.

Thanks to our fan, Ken Kleinendorst, several live performance videos of our group are now available. Ken makes his way up from Central Pennsylvania on many occasions to catch an IT’S MY PARTY! show, and when he does, he usually brings his video recording gear along with him. If you have been to one of our shows, I’m sure you’ve seen Ken. In his mid-eighties, Ken is still going strong, he has been known to arrive early on the day of a performance and help with the set-up of the equipment, as well as aiding the tear down at the end of the night.

Ken recently sent us a batch of DVDs with footage from shows including Batavia, Hammondsport, Burgundy Basin Inn, and Van Bortel. This is very fortunate because we find it very difficult to set up our own video taping equipment, with so much else to do before the show. 

We are in the process of reviewing and then uploading the best performances to our YouTube channel. The first offering is a rendition of “To Sir With Love” from our August 11 show at the Burgundy Basin Inn. 

One of the challenges working with Ken’s videos is that, although the footage was recorded in 720p, the aspect ratio was set at 4X3. Unaltered, these videos would display those ugly side bars on YouTube — think old television shows. So, we have to zoom into the frame, cutting off some of the top and bottom information, to create the look of a 16X9 video. We have spoken to Ken about this , and he has set his camera to shoot in 16X9 from now on. Ken is hoping to come up during the December recording sessions, so we will have some nice videos in the near future, which we will pass along to our fans. By the way, Ken performed the sleigh bells on our recording of  “You Won’t Even Know Her Name,” so don’t be surprised if he puts down the camera and joins in again on the upcoming sessions. Ken is a great fan, friend and truly a high-energy guy!

 

The Confetti Clatter – September News Update

Posted on by John Giotto

August shows bring concert season to an end 

Posing before the August 11 show at Burgundy Basin

Posing before the August 11 show at Burgundy Basin

IT’S MY PARTY! performed eleven concerts in August, concluding the season at Van Bortel Chevrolet in Macedon, NY, as the entertainment for a Corvette cruise-in. The weather for the event was perfect and Van Bortel graciously offered free food to attendees from various well-regarded vendors. In atypical form, the group stopped between songs and solicited requests from the audience. With many regular attendees at this finale, the more laid-back approach seemed appropriate. A couple from Ballston Spa, NY traveled a fair distance to see the group for the first time, having discovered IT’S MY PARTY! on YouTube, making the event even more meaningful.

In addition to the Van Bortel performance, August stops included returns to What’s ‘Ur Scoop Ice Cream, in Penfield, NY, Hammondsport. NY, Batavia, NY and Shortsville, NY. The group also performed for a second time in the season at the Burgundy Basin car show and Waterloo Premium Outlets. Another show on August 4 was a rescheduled concert at the Charcoal Coral in Perry, NY that had been rained out in July. New venues in August included a car show at the Genesee Brew House at High Falls in the City of Rochester, and a show at the Legacy community at Clover-Blossom. A concert promoter from New Hampshire approached the group at High Falls and talked about the possibility of regional performances next summer. He must have enjoyed the show, because he also attended our performances at the Burgundy Basin and the Legacy.

IT’S MY PARTY! returns to the studio

Tracking began August 21 on a new recording scheduled for release in 2016. The group is concentrating on two songs pitched by Michael Lynch, a talented songwriter. Lynch provided demos of his songs “Mister Sunshine” and “I Almost Forgive Him.” Lynch played all the instruments on the demos and even sang the vocals. These songs lend themselves to an interpretation by IT’S MY PARTY!

In addition to the two Lynch songs, the group will record two cover songs, one of which is a song by the Sherrys, a ’60s girl group from Philadelphia. The other cover will be a surprise for our fans, so we will keep that under wraps for the moment. Finally, the group’s producers are working on an “answer record” like those prevalent in the ’60s — think “Jerry (I’m Your Sherry)” by Tracey Dey. One of the issues with an answer record is the possibility of copyright infringement, so we will seek counsel regarding the proper crediting of the original song.

Advances in on-stage technology also bring new issues

Our entire show is run by way of an Ipad through a wireless network

Our entire show, sound and lighting, is run by way of an iPad through a wireless network. You can see the digital console and wireless router center-left in the photo.

Technology is designed to make our lives easier. This is especially true in the area of live touring. Through the years speakers and amplifiers have become smaller and lighter without sacrificing power and volume. Consoles are now digital, with on-board effects, making setup faster, and allowing scenes to be saved from show to show. You may recall from years past the image of a sound engineer stationed under a pop-up tent at our shows. The engineer was sitting behind a soundboard connected to the microphones and speaker system by a series of cords, including a long conduit called a snake. Perhaps you spoke with him about the mix. Now you may wonder whether we even have a sound engineer: No snake, no pop-up tent, no obvious console. That is because we are now being mixed on an iPad, which communicates with a digital board, located on stage, through a wireless network. Sound engineers are now free to walk about to venue, iPad in hand, as long as they are within range of the network.

The wireless setup has come in favor over the past five years. Wireless setups are less obtrusive; this is a big plus aesthetically. Although I can’t confirm it, there is a community that will not ask us back because of an incident at a show there in 2005. The person in charge complained about our sound mixing popup tent being set up in a position that could potentially block the view of audience members on a rise behind it. Trying to accommodate, we moved the tent from the optimum center position to the side of the lawn, apparently this did not propitiate the talent buyer .

Although digital advances have made for a cleaner and faster setup both for sound and lighting, with new technologies come potential issues. At our show in Hammondsport this year, the iPad suddenly refused to communicate with the board, in effect, our mix was frozen. We had to apologize to the audience and, much like a computer, restart the board. After restarting, the issue was resolved for the remainder of the performance. 

Another issue is that sometimes– and this happens more during afternoon shows — the iPad overheats and shuts down, effectively freezing the mix and not allowing for any subtle changes. This has happened to us three times in the past two seasons. A quick search on this issue will uncover many discussions on iPad overheating and the causes, everything from the version of the iPad, to hot weather, the use of a protective cover, to the strain on the processor of a resource-hungry app — like our mixing app. Curiously, airplane pilots seem to have this problem with regularity when flying, though I ‘m not quite sure why.

If you would like to weigh in on some ideas how to keep our iPad cool, feel free to comment on our Facebook page. And next year, while attending one of our shows, disregard that wireless network found on your phone called It’s My Party, that’s just us doing our thing!

The Confetti Clatter July 2015 – News Update

Posted on by John Giotto

IT’S MY PARTY! added to Wikipedia

We are excited to announce that our group is now included on Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia. Apparently the name for the site comes from the Hawaiian word “wiki,” which means quick, and “pedia,” which originates from a Greek word, meaning knowledge. The inclusion on Wikipedia helps to build more credibility for the group, and ensures that its legacy will continue. You can visit our Wikipedia page here: IT’S MY PARTY!

IT’S MY PARTY! releases a new EP

He Wasn't Like ThatAfter months of hard work, the group released its fourth single, entitled “He Wasn’t Like That (When He Used to Be Mine).” The release consists of three cover tracks: the title track, “In Your Letter,” and “You Won’t Even Know Her Name.” 

Track one was originally recorded by the late George Hamilton. “She Wasn’t Like That (When She Used to Be Mine)” was written by Raleigh and Barken, the latter also wrote many girl group singles, including some recorded by Lesley Gore. The song lent itself to a recording by a girl group. I’m sure you will agree, when you listen to our version.

Track two was originally recorded by REO Speedwagon and included on their highly successful album, High Infidelity. Like the first track, “In Your Letter” opened itself up to a girl group rendition. An interesting side-note to this song is that is was covered in 1982 by Mike Zero’s Randy and the Rainbows, most famous for their 1963 hit song “Denise.”

The final track is one that has been part of the IT’S MY PARTY! live repertoire for several years. “You Won’t Even Know Her Name” was written by Mike Curb and recorded in the ’60s by the Starlets and Josephine Sunday. Our version has elements of both, but more closely resembles the Josephine Sunday version. Josephine Sunday was 18-years old when she recorded that track, and lived in Washington, DC.  

Currently the EP is only available digitally as a download of the complete work, or as individual tracks. The release is in queues for inclusion on various digital services, like iTunes and Amazon, but is now available at CD Baby. “He Wasn’t Like That (When He Used to Be Mine)” will also be available as a physical CD, in the near future. Keep checking in at the media section of our website for updates on this release.

Performance season heating up

The Girls rock out at Newark's Music on the Erie Concert

The girls rock out at Newark’s Music on the Erie Concert

The girls performed five times in July, and were rained out once in Perry, during a summer that has been trying and unusually wet. The highlights of the season so far have been the show in Newark, which always includes an enthusiastic audience, and Waterloo Premium Outlets, where the girls turned in a strong performance. August will be a very busy month with 12 scheduled performances, beginning on the first, when the group will return to What’s ‘Ur Scoop Ice Cream, and concluding with a Corvette car show at Van Bortel’s Chevrolet on August 22. Fortunately, the Charcoal Corral show in Perry has been rescheduled for August 4. The Rev-on car show, originally scheduled for August 4, has been moved to the new date of August 11. We would like to thank the Natalie B. Band for switching dates with us at the Rev-on show. Check the events section of our webpage for more details.

 

The Confetti Clatter August 2014 – News Update

Posted on by John Giotto

Group goes into Performance Mode

IT’S MY PARTY! took the show on the road in July, beginning with a return to the Legacy at Willow Pond community on July 11. The weather was ideal, and, although it was the first show of the season, things went well.  Many of our devoted fans were present, some driving an hour-and-a-half to watch us. We performed eight shows in July, at one point performing four shows in a five-day span, a new record for the group.

Setting up in Hammondsport, NY

Setting up in Hammondsport, NY

Unbelievably, all of the outdoor shows went off without a hitch, a small miracle, as Western, New York has experienced an unusually wet July. The nearest miss, was our July 19 show at the Waterloo Premium Outlets, where it rained at the conclusion of the show. One of our new stops was in Hammondsport, NY, a small village at the southern tip of Keuka Lake. There is a small village green with a bandstand in Hammondsport, where the Chamber of Commerce hosts Thursday night summer concerts. Although it was a bit of a tight fit, we are able to use the bandstand. The lawn filled up quickly, and the local Rotarians sold food. We had a perfect night, and all indications are that we will be returning again next year.

Recording Update

Preparations for our live show put the recording of “You Won’t Even Know Her Name” on hold. However, we have booked some time on Sunday, August 3 to complete the recording. If all goes well, we should have the new track available on iTunes and other online stores before September.

What happened to the Music of My Youth?

(The ramblings of a drummer with too much time on his hands)

There was one all-too familiar sound that was ubiquitous to every shopping experience of my youth –  Muzak. Muzak, or elevator music, as we called it, filled every supermarket aisle. I guess the intention of Muzak was to make the shopping experience more enjoyable, but as one of the younger generation, it had the opposite effect on me. I couldn’t fathom any one actually liking Muzak, it was totally unpalatable. If any thing, the “fuddy-duddy” tunes only made me want to exit the building as quickly as possible. Did any one really like this music?  Not only were the songs sleepy, they were not even the original recordings. Later on in life, I would come to realize that the licensing for the original recordings were most likely cost prohibitive. There must have been a recording studio and Muzak musicians who specialized in creating the most drab pieces of music ever recorded. I did a little research, and found out that these light pieces, with few dynamics, were meant to slow down the buyer, so they would take longer to shop. To me, the only possible effect would be to fall asleep in the department store.

Here is 90-minutes of Muzak, if you can stand it:

So, now I’m one of the older generation, and what do I hear while shopping today, the musical background of my youth. Only now, the songs are, for the most part, the original recordings. I guess companies are willing to pay more for the licenses to these tunes. And it get’s me thinking, is the younger generation as turned off by these songs, as I was with the Muzak of my youth? Is the teenager of today laughing at the songs I held so important to my formative years?

Now my initial reaction to these songs being played in stores is one of fury. I mean, don’t get me wrong, they are great songs, but was “Holding on to Yesterday” by Ambrosia meant as background shopping music? Certainly, there had to be a deeper meaning to the song, or was it all created in the backdrop of disposable pop music?

I remember the outrage when Nike used “Revolution” by the Beatles in 1987 to promote their shoes, the public outcry made them drop the ad — I think Michael Jackson was behind releasing the music for this use. But now, would any one complain?

So, as I contemplate this use of the music of my youth, I only have one word of caution to the younger generation who, most likely, wants to exit the store at the first note of “Hot Blooded,” what goes around comes around. Just wait a few decades, and 5 Seconds of Summer, and Mylie Cyrus songs will be scoffed and laughed at in supermarkets by the next generation!

The Confetti Clatter July 2014 – News Update

Posted on by John Giotto

Recording Update

We continued to add tracks to our recording of  “You Won’t Even Know Her Name,” a song recorded in 1965 by the Starlets, and then by Josephine Sunday in that same year. Neither version was a hit, but both recordings are sought after by record collectors. The track seemed like a perfect addition to the IT’S MY PARTY! catalog.

Last month we mentioned that equipment issues forced us to step away from the recording process. The purchase of a Universal Audio Apollo Quad 2 interface solved our previous issues. Now the interface, computer and software are working in harmony to produce nice digital tracks.

On June 15, Matt Doi added baritone and tenor saxophones. Matt plays guitar in the band during our performance season, and in addition to guitar, plays some tenor sax parts. Matt is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, and producer, John Giotto, is taking advantage of his many skills. “I wish I could clone Matt, and place him on more than one instrument,” said Giotto. Fortunately, with the advantage of modern recording techniques, this is possible, by recording overdubs, specifically, recording new tracks, while listening to pre-recorded tracks.

On the following Sunday of June 22, three talented students from the esteemed Kanack School of Music came into the studio to record violins. Daphne, Hassler, and Henry laid down four separate violin tracks, creating a nice layered effect. Engineer, Calvin May moved the microphone after each track to emphasize a particular violin in the ensemble during takes.

Next up, tracking back-up vocals, percussion, organ, and an additional guitar track. Hopefully, we will create the wall-of-sound present on the Josephine Sunday recording.

New performance date

IT’S MY PARTY! is performing on Friday, July 25, from 7-9 for the Village of Webster. Please add this date to your calendar. This spot opened up late on the booking season due to a cancellation, and although we feel badly for the group who had to cancel, we are excited to return to Webster after a ten-year absence. Some of our singers attended school in the Webster district, and we expect a strong showing from the hometown crowd. The venue in Webster is Veteran’s Park, located just north of the intersection of Routes 404 & 250. There are plenty of food vendors in the area, but don’t forget to bring a lawn chair, as seating is limited.

Stretching

(The ramblings of a drummer with too much time on his hands)

Breaking through the barriers that impede us, rather than find the path of least resistance, is good for the soul. In early June, I talked myself into taking the trip to Montreal to attend the F1 car race at Gilles Villeneuve Circuit. Just getting out of my comfort zone, and travelling to a different country took some self-persuasion. After all, with no effort at all, I could get the best seat in the house, in my man-cave, directly in front of the widescreen. The trip provided a needed break, and the race proved to be the most exciting of the season, with Daniel Ricciardo winning for the Red Bull Racing Team.

As an English speaker, visiting Montreal provided some language hurdles, however, as most of the residents spoke fluent English, it wasn’t too difficult to communicate. It was clear, none the less, that I was an outsider, “Dorothy, we’re not in Kansas anymore.” Montreal has the feeling of a European city, and I felt more than the hundreds of miles I was removed from Rochester, NY. I was determined to give a game effort at speaking some French, at the very least, to learn some polite responses. I picked up a few French lines with the help of the receptionist at my hotel, a nice young lady, who wore a backwards baseball cap. I think she got a big kick out of my questions and mispronunciations.

A Bixi bicycle sharing station in Montreal.

A Bixi bicycle sharing station in Montreal.

Once I had my bearings and figured out the subway system, it was time for
some recreation. I enjoy cycling, and Montreal, as it turned out, is bicycle-friendly, with designated, and clearly-marked, cycling routes throughout the city. I did not bring my bicycle with me on this trip, but that was not a problem. Montreal has strategically positioned bicycle sharing stations along its bike routes. The system is called the Bixi, which stands for “bicycle-taxi.” For $7.oo you can obtain a 24-hour subscription to the service. But there is a catch, as the hotel receptionist pointed out, if any of your rides exceed 30-minutes, you incur additional fees. Many a tourist has been surprised by this, and the Bixi is not recommended for visitors, who are unfamiliar with the fee structure. There have been some documented cases of folks buying a three-day pass for $15.oo, and racking up hundreds of dollars on their credit cards. The idea behind the additional fees is to have as many bikes available as possible. So, for a one-hour trip, you should stop before a half-hour, park the bike, then sign in again and take out a new bike, if you want to avoid the additional fees. I took this as a challenge, I would meet the Bixi head-on.

Well, this whole idea seemed overwhelming at first. How would I time my ride? Where was the next station, and was it within a half-hour’s ride? Would I be able to read the instructions at the kiosk? After some research and education on the Bixi, I was ready to take on the challenge.

A Bixi kiosk, it was difficult to read when in direct sunlight.

A Bixi kiosk, it was difficult to read when in direct sunlight.

Initiating a transaction at the Bixi kiosk was a little daunting, it was sunny, and hard to read the French directions on the screen, but, with some guessing, I was able to acquire a one-day pass. I obtained a four-digit code to unlock any bicycle at the station, and proceeded to travel east down Rue Rachel, toward the Olympic Stadium, my desired destination. I was sure I could make it to the stadium in a half-hour’s ride. The weather was perfect, and the ride took about 25-minutes. After a somewhat frantic search, I found a Bixi station tucked under a line of trees. I will say, they could mark these stations a little more clearly. Again, the locals know the locations of all of these stations. I placed the bike in the docking station with a few minutes to spare.

For the return trip, I was determined to take a different route, rather than choosing the safe option of travelling back the same way I came. I used the four-digit code to take out another bike, and proceeded to travel back by way of Rue de Rouen. Rue de Rouen was a smaller street, and did not afford an actual bike lane. I changed bikes again along Rue de Rouen, near a park. After heading north for a few blocks on Rue Frontenac, I finished at the station I started at on Rue Rachel. Conquering the Bixi, as silly as it sounds, was exhilarating, and made it more than a bike ride.

So, what does this have to do with the band? In an effort to improve and refine our act, I watch as many shows as possible. There are many talented musicians in this area, but rather than dwell on individual attributes, I am more interested in how the performers present as a group. How do they take the stage; exit; interact with the audience? How does the set list flow? What do they wear, and do they present a unified image?

I have picked up a thing or two by attending shows. However, as polished as many of these acts are, there is an all too common thread, most recall the same presentation, year after year: the same set list, same order, same banter. This is where we draw the line. Whether it’s new instrumentation, new songs, different stage banter, or improved technology, we will not be complacent.

The line indicates my route, all of the circles are bixi sharing stations.

The line indicates my route, all of the circles are bixi sharing stations.

The very nature of our group is a stretch, and clearly, we are not all things to all people. Does this backfire on us sometimes? Sure! A talent buyer once asked how many hits we played. My answer was enough to give the audience a familiar island here and there, but the presentation was more important to us, along with the ability to play some of the lost treasures of the ’60s and our original compositions. This attitude costs us some gigs, but we are not a good-time party band.

One season we decided to cover a Monkees’ tune, a bit of a reach for the group. After a show in Williamson, NY, an audience member approached the stage and said, “‘The Girl That I Knew Somewhere,’ it just isn’t working.” We are lucky to have such an informed audience. After some reflection, we eventually dropped this tune from our list. An experience like this, though humbling, will not stop us from thinking outside of the box when considering new material. In the words of the late Casey Kasem, “Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars.”

Then there was the show last season where we unveiled our new string section. Now the safe thing to do is have the keyboard player cover the string parts, but we wanted authenticity. During a break in the music, I introduced the string players, and asked the audience how they liked the sound. The response was lukewarm. Once again, after the show, a member of the audience approached me, and said that he couldn’t hear a single note they were playing. This wasn’t the soundman’s fault, the strings were positioned next to the drums that night, so, when the live engineer tried to bring up the string section, all you could hear were drums. As this was a festival, and we we were not the only act that night, we did not have the proper time to sound check. We could have easily scrapped the whole idea, and gone back to the synth-strings. Instead, we experimented with different microphones and placements of the string section, eventually coming upon the right formula. You can go to our You Tube page and hear the results for yourself. And, for the record, be kind to the soundman, he is a highly-qualified technician, who knows what’s going on.

Changing the vocal line-up, while necessary as girls move on, is, at times, traumatizing to some of our fans. Some followers are so infatuated with one group or another, that they stop attending shows when their favorites leave the group. Clearly, a new group’s first season will not stand up to an experienced exiting trio, but their growth potential has a huge upside. And while we salute the talent and contributions of former members, we strive to create a group sound that transcends any individual member.

Keep stretching, and I hope you will have a chance to watch us stretch as well!


The Confetti Clatter June 2014 – News Update

Posted on by John Giotto

The Confetti Clatter June, 2014

New Recording in Progress

IT’S MY PARTY! went into their recording studio in Penfield, NY to record more material. There will be new recordings available for the 2014 summer tour. The first song selected for recording, “You Won’t Even Know Her Name,” has been a part of the IT’S MY PARTY! live repertoire for the past few seasons. This song was selected based on strong audience response and execution by the singers and band. You can watch a live video performance of the song here:

The first session was on March 23. On that day, drums, electric bass, and electric guitar were recorded live in the “dry” room of the studio. The instrumentalists were Dave Carroll on Fender Jaguar guitar, Paul Kanack on Fender Jazz bass, and John Giotto on Slingerland drums. Calvin May engineered the session. Calvin recorded three takes, and chose take-two as the best of the three.

The next recording session was on May 11. The studio is going through a transition from an analog studio (recording on tape) to a digital studio (recording on a computer). There have been many challenges along the way. In digital recording, there has to be a happy marriage between the computer operating system, the DAW (digital audio workstation) software and controller; this challenge slowed down the recording process, as the studio continued to emerge as a digital facility. The good news is that Calvin has made major progress with these critical elements.

On May 11, an additional upright bass track was added to the three original tracks. Paul Kanack played the upright bass, while listening to his performance and the original tracks through headphones. The idea was to layer the bass track with both electric and acoustic bass. The session went well, and we achieved the desired effect.

The last session-to-date was on May 17. Michelle came in to record the lead vocal track. We had a short window of opportunity, because Michelle was leaving for a trip to Greece the next day. The recording session couldn’t have gone better. Within one hour, we had both lead tracks recorded. Two tracks are needed to double the lead vocal, a technique that has been around for a while. Lesley Gore, the “It’s My Party” girl, is famous for her smooth double-tracked leads. Michelle sang both takes from beginning to end. The only hitch was an incorrect lyric, which we fixed quickly with what is called a “punch-in.” A “punch-in” is a recording technique that preserves most of the take an only records over the mistake. Calvin selected two different microphones for each take to give the two recordings a different feel.

Next up will be strings and saxophones. We will keep you updated on this recording and others in the July edition of the Confetti Clatter.

New Mobile Presence for IT’S MY PARTY!

With so many people getting their information on smartphones these days, it’s important that IT’S MY PARTY! have an official presence designed for mobile users. Although our website can be viewed on a mobile phone screen, it is not designed for a mobile device.

A few years ago we created an account with a company called Appsbar, which offers a service where companies create and publish their own Android and iPhone apps. The process was easy and the service was, and still is, free. Although we still have our Appsbar app, both Android and Apple took down Appsbar apps from their stores. Apple and Android charge a developers fee, so Appsbar could no longer offer a free native Android or Apple app. Our Appsbar app is still available, by going to appcatch.com. Click here to see our Appsbar app: It’s My Party App . If you attempt to download this app on an Android phone, you will receive a warning that your phone will not download an app that does not come directly from the “Play Store.” You can, however, launch the app in your phone’s web browser without a problem. Once there, you could bookmark the app on your mobile browser.

About a month ago, we discovered a company called Advamobile, they are relatively new, and geared specifically to bands and music. Like Appsbar, Advamobile offers a totally free service. We have created an Advamobile app, which you can access by texting getimp to 88704 on your mobile phone.

There are some nice features available with Advamobile, including offering exclusive content to fans, and having an online store available. Advamobile captures the phone numbers of fans, so the artist can keep in touch with followers by way of  sending text messages. With Advamobile, we could have contests from the stage in real-time, with a random winner selected through a text message.

Like Appsbar, the fan uses his or her mobile web browser to access the Advamobile app. Fans would have to save a bookmark to this link for easy access in the future. Advamobile also offers native apps for Apple and Android. There is a yearly fee for this service — remember that Android and Apple charge a developers fee — but the end result is a native app available through the Apple and Google Play stores. This seems like a more convenient way to keep in touch with fans on mobile devices. However, most users have many apps, and tend to only open a few with regularity. The thought at Advamobile is that through regular texts to fans, the artist can prompt followers to open the app.

We’d like you, our fans, to help us decide whether to take the plunge and spend money on the native apps and coding through Advamobile, or stay with the free app services. Please weigh in by participating in the poll below: