#stuff from 2021

[jules-has-notes]

2021 VoicePlay fall roundup — tricks, treats, and sweet milestones

The last few months of the year are often a hectic time for performers, and VoicePlay are no exception. Their summer had been comfortably busy as they settled into their new lineup, reunited with old friends, and made some progress on long-term projects. As 2021 drew to a close, they continued to produce ambitious videos as a group, pursue individual ambitions, and collaborate with their extended community of friends.

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Hand off the controller, dude!

VoicePlay started the season with some video game fun. First they released their epic "HALO theme" video featuring their original beatboxer, Scott Porter. The song is not only an excellent piece of music, it holds significance to the group's history.

Then they performed the main theme to Genshin Impact as the opening number in the first annual concert celebrating the soundtrack to the game. They recruited Deejay Young to come along for that ride.

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Spoopy reunions

The next weekend brought a flurry of new music and silliness. VoicePlay put out a very short and entertaining excerpt of "That's What Friends Are For" from The Jungle Book with Jose Rosario Jr. Then Geoff revisited his theme park performance days with a "Monster Mash" dance party with choreography by Matthew Buckner and a fun cameo from Kathy.

Over at the PattyCake studio, Layne and Tony dipped into the Hocus Pocus pool again by having their Sanderson sisters react to social media videos of other talented musicians, cosplayers, and artists.

The middle of the month provided another batch of spooky fun. VoicePlay released their oft-requested full video for "Friends on the Other Side" from The Princess and the Frog, featuring the triumphant return of J.None in the lead role. The witchy sisters made another appearance in a PattyCake rendition of "I Put a Spell On You".

And Geoff made a cameo over on Peter Hollens's channel for a fun rendition of "This Is Halloween" from The Nightmare Before Christmas, once again intoning Oogie Boogie's ominous introduction.

Meanwhile, Cesar spent two days performing live alongside EJ Cardona. First they joined a dozen other singers to form a choir for a private event. The next day they met up with their Element bandmates to rock out on the main stage at ImmerseFest.

The weekend after that was a little calmer, but VoicePlay still continued their gleeful march toward All Hallows Eve with a short horror movie medley, also featuring J.None.

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Downtime

A couple days later, J took a breather back at the Navy music school to let folks now how things were going. Between intensive vocal training and learning auxiliary percussion, he was working on more original music to be released in the new year. He talked about his recent trip to Orlando and reunion with VoicePlay, and expressed his intention for more in the future, then took a moment to gush about his talented nephew's creative projects. He also teased an upcoming personal announcement (as though we can't see that ring on his finger), as well as his first official posting with the Navy Band.

While they had a bit of a lull in their schedules, Layne, Cyndi, and Doris met up with Aunt Steph, Uncle Tim, and the younger cousins for a relaxing trip to the zoo. And Cesar had some fun playing with a costume video filter on his TikTok.

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Something Wicked this way comes

As the Halloween season approached its apex, VoicePlay indulged in a different kind of tragic tale. They brought two of their favorite ladies down from Nashville to film a spectacular Wicked medley that had been in the works for literal years.

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Scary stories to be told in the dark

In the days leading up to Halloween itself, Geoff released chilling narrations of a short story and three poems on his solo channel — "The Landlady" by Roald Dahl, "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll, "Annabel Lee" by Edgar Allan Poe, and "The Cremation of Sam McGee" by Robert W. Service.

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Feeling the love

As soon as Halloween was over, it was time to embrace some squishier feelings. First up, VoicePlay celebrated Día de Los Muertos with a lovely short of "Remember Me" from Pixar's Coco with J.None and Cesar sharing the lead.

A few days later, J released his next original solo song, "I Can't Wait To See You", a heartfelt ballad expressing the longing he'd felt for his lady while he was away at Navy boot camp and A School training.

That feeling didn't have to last much longer, though. Over the ensuing weekend, J.None finally announced that he and DMone had gotten married! Although they had kept their relationship fairly quiet on the social media front, they had been moving toward that next big step for a while. Now that he'd received his official posting to the Navy Band Northwest, it was time to make it public.

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Because they were in the middle of other big life changes, Mr. and Mrs. Nunn had done a small private ceremony, and saved the big event with family and friends for a year and a bit later, until it was safer for everyone they wanted at the party to gather together.

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Feel the churn

Cesar was a busy bunny during the first half of November. He spent Halloween weekend back at the Food and Wine Festival performing with Element, and a stretch of the following week with The Vybe. As the middle of the month approached, he did a little filming for a corporate client, recording a crew health video with pals E. Michael Evans, Chris Ross, & Kennan Wedge.

Then the weekend after that, Element returned to the festival for one last stretch of shows.

Over the same weekend, after nearly a year and a half of producing solo projects, Geoff fufilled his fans' requests and offered up his first batch of merch. It included several items bearing his "infinite gramaphone" logo, a simple "–G" inscription, or declaring one's membership in "The Old & Boring Society".

A few days later, Layne and Tony headed to the PattyCake studio for a fresh collaboration with baker Jillian Hupke to make some creepy crawly treats to go with their upcoming Villains Lair episode featuring an appearance by Oogie Boogie.

When the next weekend rolled around, Cesar met up with his Element buddies (with EJ and Lindsay's new Voices of Liberty bandmate Rebecca stepping in for the night) to perform at a gala for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Florida.

As they gathered with family and friends for Thanksgiving celebrations, VoicePlay provided their fans with a token of appreciation by releasing their epic "Wicked medley".

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Moving and shaking

With his time at the Navy music school completed, J.None decided to document his trip back to Orlando to collect his possessions, and his ensuing move to Seattle. While he was in Florida, he made sure to spend time with family and friends, which included a lunch with his VoicePlay brothers to celebrate receiving their 1 million YouTube subscriber plaques. Then he and DMone set off on a five-day road trip across the contiguous United States.

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Cure for the wintertime blues

December began with a bang on multiple fronts. Geoff (and his clones) released his Christmas video for the year, a powerful rendition of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen".

And the PattyCake gang unleashed the next episode of The Villains Lair, in which Maleficent trades a hostage to her prisoner in exchange for a magical artefact. The celebration that ensues is wickedly entertaining, and includes some fun surprises.

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Time to celebrate

VoicePlay kicked off the next week by welcoming Rachel Potter back to town to squeeze in one more video shoot for the year, a medley of songs from the Greatest Showman soundtrack, complete with fantasic costumes and a larger-than-life set piece.

After that was done, the guys took a couple weeks of quieter time to connect with friends and family, finish up their outstanding projects, and plan for the months ahead. During that time, their artist pal Leon King presented Layne with an adorable portrait for his birthday.

When J.None and DMone came back to Orlando during his next leave a few days later, he made sure to celebrate his birthday and Christmas with everyone he could before returning to their new home in the Pacific Northwest.

extended family // old pal Antonio // the VoicePlay boys

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Because they'd produced two massive medleys to bookend the final month of the year, VoicePlay decided to forego a full-length Christmas video in favor of two very fun shorter ones. The first was a mini medley of songs from holiday movies, and the second was a cover of an upbeat tune by their fellow Orlando natives *NSYNC. Both feature Jose Rosario Jr., and they were released just two days apart.

In between those little ditties, Layne and his family uploaded a sweet and silly cover of "You're a Mean One, Mister Grinch" with uncle Tony in the titular role. They hadn't been able to film their usual birthday video for Doris earlier in the year because the kiddo had Covid at the time, so they made it up to her with a visit from their favorite Christmas mischief maker.

On the final day of the year, VoicePlay provided one last treat in the form of their "Greatest Showman medley". With a much smaller ensemble than the movie, they still managed to capture the story's blend of intimate personal moments, layered melodies, and bombastic joy in their own unique style.

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The year ahead would bring more hard work, laughter, tears, surprises, and a few more steps toward the world returning to normality. But those are tales for another time.

[jules-has-notes]

I Can't Wait To See You — J.None original song

Love and desire are powerful emotions, and they have inspired countless songs through the years. When those feelings are stretched across distance and time, they can lead to others like longing and despair. But even that ache can be expressed in pleasing ways through music, particularly when delivered with such vulnerable simplicity.

Details:

title: I Can't Wait To See You

performer: J.None

written by: Jessie "J.None" Nunn III

release date: 4 November 2021

My favorite bits:

the nostalgic synth instrumentation and heartbeat rhythm

J's clipped diction during his list of frustrations melting into more legato phrases as he anticipates their reunion

the insistent repeating harmony lines in the first chorus

taking the start of ♫ "I'm heading over to your place" ♫ higher

the backing vocals gaining urgency in latter half of the second chorus with more lyrics in the same space of time

those plaintive riffs leading from the end of the bridge into the the final chorus

his satisfied little "mmph" and "yeah" as the music recedes

Trivia:

This track was created with the help of a couple of Orlando-based friends. It was produced by J.None's former Paradigm bandmate Jay Dolphus, and mixed by Brandon Rashad "$haudd" Girley.

The cover art was designed by DMone, the song's inspiration.

This song was written and recorded while J was out of state for several months at Navy boot camp and A School. It was polished and released while he was back in Florida on leave, just a few days before he and DMone announced they'd gotten married.

[jules-has-notes]

2021 VoicePlay winter roundup — chugging along

The world went through a lot of changes in 2020, and so did the gentlemen of VoicePlay. Between the pandemic forcing them to fully shift their focus to video production and adjust to new safety measures, and one of their founding members retiring from the group after nearly a quarter of a century, they had to make many adjustments to their daily lives and longterm plans.

By the beginning of 2021, the guys had found a measure of solid ground. Their recording schedule was fairly steady, and their support systems were slowly growing. Things seemed to be headed in a positive direction.

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Highs and lows

VoicePlay started the year with a bang, releasing their rocking cover of Kansas's iconic "Carry On Wayward Son" with returning guest Omar Cardona on New Year's Day.

The next day, Geoff got a little introspective with a version of a song he'd loved in high school, Radiohead's "High and Dry".

J.None also recorded a reaction to his vocal coaching boss's reaction to VoicePlay's Christmas video for the year, "You're a Mean One, Mister Grinch".

A week later, J put out a video celebrating his love for maple syrup. It features the return of Chef Neezy, a cameo from his beloved childhood teddy bear Mr. Cripsy, and a soundtrack of "Stay This Way", his most recent collaboration with Martinus Chichon.

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Help wanted

After six months being a man down, VoicePlay decided it was time to put out a call for potential new collaborators. Their existing circle of friends was already providing solid options to fill the vacant spot for the time being, but it wouldn't hurt to have a deeper bench and start looking for a new permanent fifth.

Some folks on social media missed the point of the post, suggesting singers the guys already knew and could easily invite to come play again. Though some of their established collaborators did raise their virtual hands on Instagram to volunteer.

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You do you

As the submissions started rolling in, J.None took some time to record a couple casual short videos for social media. The first was a bit of grumbling about grumpy coffee drinkers. (As a java fan myself, hey. But also, yeah, don't be rude to service workers.)

The second was a slightly beleated New Year's pep talk offering encouragement for anyone trying new things, be it an exercise routine, a job, a hobby, or a personal relationship.

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A little love and pain

VoicePlay started the last week of January with a trip to a swanky wedding venue to film their next video for a romantic ballad.

When the weekend rolled around, Geoff released his second song of the year, a bassy take on "Sixteen Tons" that was even more well received than he'd hoped.

That same afternoon, J.None showed off his own lower range. (And maybe poked a little good-natured fun at his bandmate. Or at least the gushing comments he gets from fans.)

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In anticipation of Valentine's Day, VoicePlay started February with a lovely iteration of "Unchained Melody", complete with the long awaited return of Broadway star John Pinto Jr.

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Love yourself and others

The next day, J.None revised his vocal self-assessment to include his upper register and boast about the "six, maybe seven" octaves he can cover. He was clearly exaggerating for comedic effect, but he does have a genuinely impressive range.

A week later, on the day before Valentine's Day, he put out a casual cover of Daniel Caesar's "Get You" to celebrate romance (including his own quietly growing relationship).

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Into the depths

After VoicePlay's "Little Mermaid medley" video the previous summer had gotten a lot of praise, Geoff decided to delve into the original Hans Christian Andersen story on his own channel.

Layne was (probably) kidding, but PattyCake did have at least one tail in their costume closet from "The Grande Mermaid" a few years earlier. Whether it would've fit Geoff, though…? Doubtful.

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Sing out!

In the middle of February, the PattyCake studio hosted the first of four weekly livestreamed "Moonlight Cabaret" concerts for fellow local entertainment group Hawkmoon Creative, whose leadership includes their friends Michelle Knight, Lindsay Flick Cardona, and EJ Cardona. They kicked off the series with a singer named Sarah Whittemore who's a member of both Voctave and Voices of Liberty with EJ (and who might've been just as excited about Michelle's homemade cookies as she was to perform).

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Going out with a…

VoicePlay ended the month with a combination of angst and fun in their cover of AJR's "Bang!", featuring their old buddy Deejay Young in his first music video appearance with them.

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PattyCake had a busy weekend. On Friday they hosted the second Hawkmoon livestream, this time featuring the Broadway Bradshaws, who even got their kiddo in on the act.

Then on Saturday, they turned their magical talents to "The Boy Who Lived" in a song that considers what it means to be a Chosen One.

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J.None also put together another round of impressions, including Groot, Super Mario, Michael McDonald, President Obama, Arnold Schwarzenegger, the stereotypical aspiring singer, Aaron Neville, Jim Carrey, Miguel, LL Cool J, and Eddie Murphy. He even included a blooper of cracking up both himself and his cameraman.

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Past, present, and future

March began with a combination of nostalgia for the early days of VoicePlay, strategy for the realities of their new situation, and hope for the future in an interview with Eli, Layne, and his mom Gayle for local lifestyle magazine JLife Orlando.

A few days later, the PattyCake gang rounded up a handful of industrious ladies and headed back to the Howey Mansion to film the next episode in their Princess Academy series, a lesson on tidiness for a reluctant Merida.

And that was just the start of a busy production week for Layne. He spent a fair bit of time behind the wheel of a moving truck preparing for multiple projects.

That also included the third Hawkmoon concert livestream with the talented Billy Flanigan, a lifelong Disney performer.

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Classes in session

Over the weekend, J.None turned his exuberance to a childhood edutainment favorite, the "Blues Clues" theme tune.

Then in the middle of the month, the guys got even more educational. On the same day, Geoff posted one last bass singing Q&A, and J's first vocal technique tutorial with Tara Simon Studios was released. The latter is a breath challenge video, in which three vocal coaches sing while planking to build core strength.

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That evening brought the fourth and final Hawkmoon livestream at PattyCake, featuring songstress Virginia Roebuck, who also provided a peek behind the scenes.

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Believe in yourself

During some quiet weekend time, J.None offered another quick pep talk, this time focusing on doing what you love and surrounding yourself with people who support you.

That message may have been on his mind because VoicePlay were preparing to film their next music video, "Go the Distance" from Hercules, with first-time guest EJ Cardona.

A week after that, the guys were in the studio once more and joined by yet another new collaborator. They got dirtied up for a rousing rendition of "My Mother Told Me" with Jose Rosario Jr.

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No some hard feelings

The month ended with another pair of videos. VoicePlay released their moody cover of The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby", which was Eli's first solo arrangement project.

And PattyCake unleashed the confrontation between grumbly Merida and a squad of chipper cleaners in the "Princess Intervention" episode of The Princess Academy.

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The months ahead would bring more excitement, sadness, and big changes, but that will be detailed in its own time.

[jules-has-notes]

High and Dry — Geoff Castellucci music video

Change can be difficult, and sometimes dealing with big changes requires some gentleness. A lot of the previous year had been fraught, both in the world at large and on a more personal level. So Geoff eased into 2021 with a favorite song from his high school days, putting his own dynamic spin on it.

Details:

title: High and Dry (bass singer cover)

original performers: Radiohead

written by: Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Colin Greenwood, Ed O'Brien, & Philip Selway

arranged by: Geoff Castellucci

release date: 2 January 2021

My favorite bits:

the simplicity of the opening, both in music and visuals

Geoff's contemplative, slightly mumbly tone that slowly grows clearer and more confident as he goes

that first subharmonic (appropriately) on ♫ "drop" ♫

his delicate tone on those high notes in the first chorus

splitting the screen to show the body percussion as it enters and the overall instrumentation gets more complex

the way he wails ♫ "screEEEamin' OOOut" ♫

cutting out everything but his vocals at the start of the second chorus

that warm, rich hum as he settles down low to start the bridge

showing off every octave he's got as he repeats ♫ "the best thing that you've ever had…" ♫

that extra rise on the final ♫ "hiii-iiii-IIIIGH" ♫

dropping down and down and down on the repeated "don't leave me dry" until he reaches the sub-basement

letting that final piano chord linger and breathe

Trivia:

Geoff has said that this is one of his favorite solo pieces, even though it's not among the most watched videos on his channel. (To be fair, it's kind of a melancholy song, which doesn't necessarily lend itself to frequent rewatching for a lot of people, but it is beautiful.)

As noted in Geoff's YouTube description, Radiohead's lead singer Thom Yorke doesn't particularly like the original song either. Whether or not you agree with his assessment, it is one of the band's biggest early hits.

Yorke had written an early version in the late 80s and performed it with his college band, Headless Chickens. The revised Radiohead version was initially recorded as a demo for their debut album, but excluded for being "too Rod Stewart" (i.e. too commercial). Their record label finally pressured them into releasing it on their second album, "The Bends" in 1995.

Like Geoff's second video, "Blackbird", this was filmed in the living room at Casa Lucci. Although he's once again dressed in dark clothes, the bright lighting of this setup and lack of duplicates produces a very different aesthetic.

It's also the first solo video in which he's alone on screen, without either clones of himself or guest singers, giving the whole thing an extra element of vulnerability.