Have you been skeptical of our past CD covers? Are you constantly doodling on every piece of paper you come across? Do you prefer functioning more with the right side of your brain? Check out our new contest for all you seasoned (and “wanna-be”) designers. Here’s your opportunity to increase your design portfolio, and earn a few prizes as well. Enter your best CD design for our new holiday release, “March of the Kings”, for your chance to have your creation on a bunch of Tonic Sol-fa merchandise, and win some cool stuff as well. For more information, go to http://www.tonicsolfa.com/holiday-cd-design-contest-terms-and-conditions/
As you might have guessed, part 2 is merely the conclusion of part 1, but we wanted to serve it to you in small pieces for fear your body might reject the video in its entirety…which still may happen even with small pieces, so keep a bucket near.
Ok, so Jared does all of our Facebook and Twitter updates and most of the postings of vlogs and blogs and everything else with the website. That he’s good at. Letting a person get from point A to point B without vehicle trouble of some sort…..not so much.
What do I mean by this? I mean that in addition to other incidents that have happened over the years of Tonic Sol-fa traveling here and there, he is the one common denominator in two of the three that happened just this week, though I must state that he wasn’t truly the cause of any of them…..unlike myself.
Incident #1 – On work days when not on the road, we most often meet at Shaun’s house. We park in his driveway which is on the West side of an alley – directly across from his driveway is another driveway/parking area. Normally, no one parks there and I pay more attention while backing up. Not this particular day. Where was Jared? In the passenger seat.
Incident #2 – On the way back home to the cities the following day, Jared and I had just passed through the Lowry tunnel when his car just stopped running. Completely. On I-94. Middle of downtown Minneapolis. We were on the inside lane next to the concrete barrier separating the two sides of I-94. Car stopped at 3:50pm, tow truck showed up at 6pm. Good times. Where was Jared? In the driver’s seat.
Incident #3 – On the way to an appointment after a day of working in St. Cloud and having just dropped Jared off, my car stalls in the rain on Hwy 110 in Mendota Heights? Problem? Clogged Fuel Filter. Where was Jared? At home by this time…….although I did call him and he spent quite a bit of time trying to help me.
Along with the dents on the back of either side of our Toyota Tundra, a certain rolling van that happened many years ago, a Lexus that was sideswiped by our trailer, and numerous other fender benders and the like, we seem to be able to attract state patrol officers like crazy. Now, what does all of this signify? Perhaps we should hire personal drivers? Fly everywhere? Invest in 2 tandem bicycles or maybe even one of those big six passenger circular ones you see in downtowns everywhere you go? Who knows?
I guess in the meantime, we may all want to pay a tad more attention (especially me), and send Jared separately……but then, who would film all of it?
Are you a person who discovered Tonic Sol-fa through your favorite business? We have been aligned with cereal, pop corn, hot chocolate and sound companies… we have approached wonderful people who have traded cars or discounted services, sponsored a particular show or gave monies to their chosen charity, and much of this symbiosis (sorry for using a tired cliche, I couldn’t think of a better word) has made Tonic Sol-fa possible. The partnerships can help us reach new friends and fans we would have never reached through simply touring. And as I sit writing in my local car dealer’s waiting room (I recommend this for recliners, lattes and free wifi), I wonder how many people have come to our style, or a cappella in general through these corporate connections. Our latest and greatest collaboration is with Blue Bunny… a year long sponsorship that allows both of us to share a more in-depth approach to increasing our respective brand’s visibility. We get to promote contests, create relationships through shows, and plan long-term campaigns that can benefit our fans and those who love amazing flavors of ice cream…plus we have gotten to meet truly innovative people (Seriously, they invented Fruit Burst Bomb Pops). I am just waiting for any chance we might get to have our own ice-cream for a month… I can’t imagine what that might be called. So if you have ideas for a TSF ice cream or might have an idea for a perfect partner we may never have considered (batteries, water, tights manufacturers), please share… And go get some Blue Bunny Ice Cream… who couldn’t use some Super Fudge Brownie or Super Chunky Cookie Dough on a rainy day?
In the months before Tonic Sol-fa was Tonic Sol-fa, there was an exciting string of events that produced the spark that ignited a fire that is stilling burning today. For me, it started with a phone call I received from Greg Terhaar. To be honest, I don’t think he was calling to talk to me about this new group he wanted to put together (I could be wrong). One of my best friends and former roommates, Steve Smith, was (is) an exceptional bass vocalist. Steve had graduated from Saint John’s the year before and Greg was trying to contact him about forming this group. I knew Greg was a tenor and with Steve being a bass, I put my bid in for the baritone part. Whether Greg didn’t know what to say, was being polite or had me in mind, I’ll never know (unless I ask Greg). I do know that I did end up in that original quartet, that also included another gifted tenor, Cheston Lance.
We chose our favorite songs (that we thought we could pull-off), we rehearsed those songs, we auditioned for an agent that Greg introduced to us, performed a few shows and came to the conclusion that the group needed something or more aptly someone. We wanted another voice to round out the sound and give the group more arranging options. Cheston suggested his roommate Shaun Johnson. We knew that Shaun had an incredible voice and were excited about the possibility, but thought he may not be interested because he was planning on attending law school. Shaun did indeed accept the invitation and the quintet was complete.
After showcasing and touring on and off throughout Greg, Shaun and Cheston’s senior year at SJU and working all sorts of temp jobs to get the whole thing off the ground, we recorded our first and only album, “Four Hour and 12 Days” as the original quintet (the experience of making that recording is a great memory – one among many – it is a story in itself…for a future blog). By the time we recorded our next album, a year later, we welcomed two new members that played a significant role in shaping the sound and direction of Tonic Sol-fa for the next decade and beyond…(to be continued)…
Some people say Mark’s crazy. Are they correct? Read on to find out……..
It is May 5th…….Cinco De Mayo. Cinco De Mayo commemorates the victory of 4,000 Mexican soldiers against 8,000 French forces on the morning of May 5, 1862 in Puebla, Mexico. Mexico’s victory had an impact for the United States because the French defeat denied Napolean III the opportunity to resupply the Confederate rebels for another year during the Civil War. Got it? Good.
Why did I find it necessary to blog on this particular day? Because, silly – it’s May 5th and we’re working on our upcoming holiday cd entitled “March of the Kings”! Exciting? Yes! Boring? Never! Right in the middle? Sometimes!
We have been tracking and editing for this particular cd intermittently since February and are now 5 songs into it…….the songs thus far are – in no particular order -
1. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
2. I Heard the Bells in Christmas Day
3. O Christmas Tree
4. Carol of the Bells
5. Angels We Have Heard on High
These are all songs we have performed over holiday tours past, and there are a few more to add to the list to round this album out, but I guess you’ll just have to wait and see what they are when they’re done! Mainly because we’re not totally sure yet what they’ll be. That, and Mark hasn’t given his 100% approval of adding Plastic Santa’s “Single Ladies” to the list…..I know, crazy right? No matter what we add, we want you all to know that contrary to popular belief we do enjoy recording holiday songs in the summer (or really any time of year, and since it appears we had an extra few months of winter tacked on to 2011, it felt very natural), and that we have been and will be putting our all into each and every note you hear on this cd! Like you didn’t know that already! Seriously!
Anywho, for those of you asking for new material, we are planning to have it ready for the fall, and, if not then, for sure by the start of the holiday tour! We just need to twist Mark’s arm a little…..keep checking for updates!
So for years now, TSF has been trying valiantly to sing for our troops abroad. We don’t wish for this merely to travel to far flung locales for a press release, to earn some sort of a patriotic pin, or to simply walk in the footsteps of another performer’s extraordinary efforts (see above). We wish for the opportunity because it’s the very least we could do. The least. Over the last few years, we have received innumerable letters from around the world regarding our music as a reminder of home, a reminder of emotion or even a reminder to stand up. And believe me, we have tried to ask, beg, cajole, plead and lobby for a chance to visit troops in Iraq, Afghanistan or anywhere the brass may choose to send us. We’ve run into many people who said “I know someone,” we’ve approached the powers that be at the USO (and other organizations who work to provide entertainment for the troops)…and yet, not an inch of ground has been gained. In fact, we were told that we “were not famous enough.” Granted, the not famous part is true, but not famous enough to give back? Not famous enough to risk a little to do what we do best? Why do we have to be famous at all? I understand that we are not Lady Gaga (but does she even want to do this?). On another note, I admire Bob Hope. I read his one of his many biographies and couldn’t believe the extraordinary amount of energy he put into this cause. I would just hope we might someday have the chance to do our bit.
TSF looks ahead Holiday tour 2011 over. Check. Santa showed up. Check. Rang in the New Year with great crowds in St. Cloud. Check. [...]
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