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Local musicians share their inspirational stories about health and fitness

November 7, 2016 limelightmagazine 1 Comment

BY JULIA CIRIGNANO

Sex, drugs & rock n’ roll. That’s all you need to be a successful musician, right? Not so much. Twenty-first century women know better. In 2016, musicians and humans alike are beginning to realize that a healthy body leads to a healthy mind. Confidence and happiness is created through self-love and respect for your own body. If you are nice to your body, it will be nice to you in return.

Limelight Magazine recently spoke to three female musicians from Massachusetts (Amy Marie, Amanda Lee McCarthy and Erin Elizabeth Ollis) who candidly shared their personal stories about weight loss and physical fitness. These three women took control of their own lives and proved that eating health and exercising actually does work. We also spoke to a personal trainer (Nina McGoff) who offered expert advice for this story.

photo-amy-marie — Amy Marie (SUBMITTED PHOTO)

Amy Marie (of Just Like That)

Amy Marie is singer/songwriter from the band Just Like That. This spring, she won “Female Vocalist of the Year” at the 8th Annual Limelight Magazine Music Awards in April 2016. With raw, honest lyrics, Amy Marie has inspired her fans to be open and honest. She has also inspired people to be physically healthy because she believes physical health leads to one’s mental health.

Amy Marie spoke with Limelight Magazine about her journey in becoming the healthy, happy woman that she is today.

Amy Marie started the interview by talking about her band Just Like That and how being in the band has changed her as a person. Before auditioning for the band, she had had experience as a classical singer yet she didn’t have any experience fronting a rock band.

“I had zero experience in fronting a band and my appreciation and respect for the energy it takes to be a working performer has exponentially increased,” Amy Marie began. “It’s helped hone my communication skills as well since we all know being in a working band is kind of like a marriage and takes a lot of non-verbal as well as verbal discussion to make things really work in a ‘band family’. Because of my bandmates support as well as countless hard working hours performing I most importantly gained the experience I needed as a vocalist and an artist to branch into writing and performing my own music. I credit my experience with Just Like That to helping me find that big part of myself.”

Amy Marie talked about her former writing partner and how he helped her to open up and become the raw, honest musician she is today. She explained how she uses singing and songwriting in a self-healing way.

“I was at first really apprehensive that audiences wouldn’t listen to them as I don’t hold back anything when the lyrics would come out of me,” she said. “Sometimes my lyrics come from really traumatic incidents. Sometimes the songs would be so painful to perform I wouldn’t be able to sing them for months after they were written because emotionally they would be too intense for me. However, eventually I learned letting go of those emotions and just let the songs take on lives of their own really helped me with self-healing. The first song I ever wrote with him, ‘Stay Awake’ saved my life, a few times. Eventually I realized that people like that kind of emotional rawness and confidence to put it all out there when it comes to song writers. So I kept writing.”

Amy Marie explained why she doesn’t believe that staying healthy while being a musician is difficult.

“I think that the choice to live a healthy lifestyle is all about maintaining balance and finding out what your body can and cannot tolerate,” she said. “Do I like to eat healthy and exercise regularly? Yes. Do I always? No, but I know my limitations. Some nights after a late gig I’m starving and the only place that’s open for a snack is McDonalds. Do I enjoy it? Yep. Do I feel it the next day? You bet your ass. I know my body well and know what it needs to get the energy and ‘good’ feeling back so I take a few days and get back on track. Those kinds of nights make me hope that I’ll remember to grab a protein bar to bring when I’m working a gig more than an hour away next time but it doesn’t always happen! Finding time to exercise is hard enough. Working a full-time job, being a mom, as well as working gigs, but somehow I find it because I know that I need to work out a certain amount a week to maintain my weight as well as have the energy level to do all of those fun jobs.”

Amy Marie talked about the specific ways in which she balances her career and healthy body. While she has the additional struggle of being a musician, she also realizes that everyone has a job and life will always get in the way. Everyone has excuses why they can’t work out and Amy Marie explains how she overcomes her own excuses.

“When it comes to working out I try to schedule my ‘rest’ workout days on the days I have gigs,” she said. “My other full-time career is running a gym/personal training studio here on the Cape and I find the best way for me to stay motivated to eat healthy and workout is being held accountable by my members there. They look to me for inspiration and ideas on how to balance ‘life’ with being healthy so I try my best to set a good example.”

Amy Marie has many good tips for musicians and also anybody who is trying to balance a busy schedule with a healthy body.

“Twice a week I do a meal prep and make myself plenty of quick meals to have during the week,” Amy Marie said. “For example I cook three chicken breasts, chop all of my lettuce/veggies for my salads, make a couple cups of quinoa or brown rice or sweet potato. I mostly try to follow a balanced macro flexible diet although I tend to eat the same things pretty often. This keeps it easy, especially when I’m not a very picky eater. Once or twice a week I have a treat like some ice cream with my son or some kind of alcoholic beverage after a gig with my band. Some weeks I have more, some I have less.”

Although eating well is a huge part of in staying healthy, Amy Marie also explained her workout schedule.

“I workout at least every other day but probably about five days a week,” she said. “I switch up my routine every few weeks. Being that I work at a gym, Koko FitClub, my training is very easy since most of the time I follow my SmartTraining protocol that I’ve set up for myself based on my fitness goals with our equipment. However, I like to switch it up with at home workouts that I set up with my trainer. They are quick and very intense and help when I need to shred down the pounds quick. I also love to run outdoors a couple of times a week, it’s very good for the body and spirit.”

Moreover, Amy Marie discussed her journey in becoming the healthy, happy woman she is today. Although she first decided to live a healthier life because she was overweight, she believes that what comes first is self-esteem, self-worth, and self-respect. Once you empower yourself, you can achieve the weight loss you want.

“In 2011, I was an overweight, miserable human being with no self-esteem, a very inaccurate body image and very unhealthy lifestyle,” she began. “Up until that point, I had never learned to take care of myself as I spent the majority of my time taking care of others (I became a mother at 20 years old and have three beautiful children). This led me down a very dark path of self-destruction to try and make myself happy. The truth was that happiness was never anyone else’s responsibility but my own. To get to this point I had to hit rock bottom. I realized that the only thing that was truly in my control was two things: what I put in my mouth and how I moved my body.”

“What I realized during that time is that everyone has a set of skills, talents and qualities they can offer to other people that can either help, inspire, motivate or make them have an overall sense of wellness,” Amy Marie continued. “You can make others happy without sacrificing your own happiness just by being yourself. I found these qualities about myself at that time. When I started to take control of what I put in my mouth and how much I moved, I started small: ‘eat less, move more’ was my policy.”

Eventually, Amy Marie started noticing a difference in her body.

“When the weight started dropping off (I was my heaviest at 247 pounds) and others saw me diligently working at it, it became infective and others started following me and asking for advice,” she said. “This accountability has become one of my strongest motivators to stay in shape and continue the healthy lifestyle I’ve adopted.”

Amy Marie concluded with a few more tips for anyone struggling with their weight.

“Anything is possible if you want it bad enough,” she said. “Having a solid support system is essential for any lifestyle change as well as the belief that you are capable and worthy of your own attention and respect. Making time for yourself and your health is as essential for your new physical self as your emotional and mental health. Learn to embrace a healthy relationship with food and fake it until you make it. Even if you hate exercise with a passion, do it anyway and tell yourself you love it. Eventually it becomes habit and before you know it you’re teaching a Zumba class and preaching the benefits of quinoa. It happens.”

Amanda McCarthy (PHOTO BY ATHEL ROGERS, SUBMITTED BY AMANDA MCCARTHY)

Amanda Lee McCarthy

Amanda Lee McCarthy is a singer/songwriter from New Hampshire. She has released two EP’s consisting of all original music. While her music is mostly pop, she also incorporates alternative, rock, country, indie, and blues. McCarthy has won many awards including “Singer/Songwriter of the Year” by Limelight Magazine in 2013.

McCarthy recently spoke with Limelight about her new lifestyle. She explains how she balances the life of being a busy musician with keeping a healthy body. McCarthy acknowledged that staying healthy is hard for a lot of people but it’s especially difficult for musicians due to their chaotic schedules.

“I definitely think there is a challenge that comes along with staying healthy, especially with me in particular,” McCarthy said. “I am on the road driving to gigs very often and when I am at my busiest, it feels as though I live in my car. Not having a lot of time to prepare healthy meals, I used to find myself constantly in the drive thru line at McDonald’s, Dunkin Donuts, etc. It took a lot of discipline to snap out of that habit and choose healthier snacks and meals when I am on the run.’

McCarthy talked about her personal journey towards the happy, healthy woman she is today.

“I was personally very unhappy with my body and my appearance,” she began. “It really clicked with me when I started performing with my band members as opposed to only playing acoustic shows. I realized that always having my guitar in front of me was almost like a safety net and a shield to hide the parts of my body I was insecure about. It made me nervous to really open up and perform to the best of my ability when singing with my band.”

Once McCarthy realized she was unhappy with her appearance, she made a change. Her first step was eating healthier. She went pescatarian for a while and eventually settled on a diet that she was happy with.

“I’ve lost almost thirty pounds and feel much more comfortable on stage now,” she said. “It’s much easier to let loose and get into the music without being so insecure about my appearance, and even off stage, my confidence in my body and myself has skyrocketed.”

McCarthy talked about the strategies she uses to stay healthy while actively pursuing her musical career. She started by talking about the black hole of snacking. Although snacking can be one of weight loss’s biggest enemies, McCarthy explained some ways in which she snacks in a healthy way.

“All gas station marts, in addition to junk food, offer granola/energy bars, trail mix, nuts, peanut butter crackers, (most offer) bananas, and many more great options if you are hungry and need a snack,” she said. “If you feel the need to munch on something, I highly recommend Harvest Snaps. Also, Dunkin Donuts offers their DDSmart menu which has some healthier options lower in fat and calories. I also really enjoy ProSnax snack packs, which I have seen available in both Walmart and Hannaford’s. My final advice, if you have an early start to your day, is to wake up even 20 minutes earlier and eat breakfast at home as opposed to grabbing something on the run. Not only is it better for you but you save money as well!”

Eating well is the most important challenge for someone trying to lose weight but so is working out. McCarthy said that she wishes she had more time to workout but can only fit in some formal walking workouts since she is also a full-time mom to a beautiful two year old daughter. For musicians, or anybody with a busy schedule, McCarthy recommends making diet changes the priority, especially at first. She also recommends switching things up and keeping your diet interesting so you don’t stray.

“I know it’s so tough to balance the on-the-run lifestyle with healthy lifestyle choices,” McCarthy began. “My best advice, especially with food and snacks, is to mix it up. When I eat the same things, I find myself craving a default to a cheeseburger or a bacon filled breakfast sandwich. Mix up your snacks: granola bar one day, fruit the next, nuts the day after. Meals: Don’t just eat salad. Include different vegetables, rices, and a variety of protein. Even if you don’t eat meats, you can find great amounts of protein in fish, beans and avocados.”

McCarthy also spoke about the connection between a healthy body and a healthy mind.

“For me personally, having a healthier body led to me having a healthier mind but it was because of an unhealthy mind that I had an unhealthy body with unhealthy habits,” she said. “However, I’d say that a healthy body can lead to a healthy mind quicker than the other way around. All it takes is the inspiration to start, willpower to avoid the cravings, and the courage to stick it out until you start to see a difference in your body. From there, the inspiration is natural and will carry you through to whatever your own personal health goal may be.”

Erin Ollis ( (PHOTO BY SYDNEY ROSE PHOTOGRAPHY, SUBMITTED BY ERIN OLLIS)

Erin Elizabeth Ollis (of Thirty 6 Red)

Erin Ollis is a local singer/songwriter born and raised in central Mass. She is both a solo artist and country singer in the band Thirty 6 Red. With a passion for music and also fashion, Ollis told Limelight Magazine about her journey in becoming the confident, healthy woman she is today.

Ollis has joined Thirty 6 Red two years ago, and since then has grown both as a persona and as a musician.

“I couldn’t be happier with how my life has evolved though joining the band,” Ollis said. “I have gained a tremendous amount of confidence and better stage presence. The songs that we perform are a variety of country and rock and, specifically with the rocks songs, I had to completely break out of my shell. My band members knew that I had the potential to break that shell and with their help and guidance, I certainly have.”

As Ollis began to break out of her shell and thrive within the music scene, she noticed one thing that was holding her back. While she wasn’t drastically overweight, she wasn’t happy with the way she was being portrayed as a musician on social media. This pressure was all she needed to start treating her body better by both eating right and exercising.

“I became very disappointed with the way I physically looked in mostly all of the pictures of me on social media,” she said.

Ollis now had the impending pressure of being a touring musician, on top of being a female touring musician. She knew she needed to make a change within her lifestyle but she didn’t know how.

“I then turned to Weight Watchers which really helped me in a positive way,” Ollis said. “Yes, it is a diet plan but it was easy to follow and I became really good at watching my ‘food points.’ I made it a habit to weigh in at their facility every Sunday to track my progress. With the diet came the workout routines. It definitely took time to stick to a specific routine but after a while, it became easier. I stopped looking at it as a ‘diet’ and thought of it more as a lifestyle change.”

Once Ollis committed to her new workout and eating habit she began to lead a far healthier life. Although she doesn’t use Weight Watchers anymore, they taught her how to create a healthy, long-term lifestyle.

“Soon enough people started commenting on my weight loss and it was exciting to tell them how much weight I actually lost,” Ollis said. “I am currently down 39 pounds. I’ve learned how to have more self-control and what I should and shouldn’t be eating. I owe all of my motivation and dedication to Thirty 6 Red. My band members have supported me through it all and without them, I’m not sure what I would be doing today.”

Ollis spoke about how she managed to stay healthy while pursuing her career in music and also her full time job in the Healthcare industry.

“It’s definitely a challenge to get in a workout when the band travels for shows, so if I can’t fit a workout in, I do make sure that I’m not eating junk food all day long,” she said. “Of course, I will still indulge here and there, but I still have a weight goal for myself and don’t want to lose focus.”

When Ollis does have time to workout, she has a very specific routine. One thing she has also discovered is the benefits to doing all different types of workouts.

“I try to workout about four to five times a week, sometimes more,” Ollis said. “I do mix up my workout routines because I’ve noticed that from doing the same type of routine, my body stopped showing results. I recently started taking barre classes, which are really fun. I couldn’t walk for about two days afterwards, but it is definitely one of my favorite workouts.”

Over time, Ollis has gotten into a habit that works for her.

“I’m usually up at 5:20 a.m. to workout before I go to work. I found that this is the best time for me personally to workout because it gets me energized and ready for the day,” Ollis explained. “I’ve definitely become a fan of a few of the Beachbody workouts because even though they are about 30 to 45 minute workouts, they are definitely effective. I also belong to Worcester Fitness, which offers great workout classes such as spin, cardio sport and morning pump, to name a few of my favorites.”

Ollis has great tips for her fellow musicians who struggle with staying healthy on the road.

“If you know that your band will be ordering a bunch of appetizers, be sure to bring your own healthy snacks and keep busy while everyone else is chowing down,” she said. “Whether you’re practicing through your set list for the show or just listening to some new tunes, keep your eye on the prize and stay focused!”

Ollis is now a new woman with even better fashion.

“After I shed a lot of my weight, I knew it was time for a fashion makeover,” she said. “I ended up connecting with my friend and personal stylist, Danielle Marie. She is also the “fashionista Gemini” behind, A Chic Voyage, which is an awesome site where she shares amazing fashion tips and the latest fashion trends. By answering a few questions for her, she was able to transform me into a more confident version of myself. She taught me that it’s okay to show a little skin here and there and to always dress to impress! With her guidance, I’m now not afraid to wear certain outfits that I was too scared to before the weight loss. She has definitely been an inspiration to me!”

Nina McGoff

Nina McGoff has been a group fitness instructor for eight years and a personal trainer for four years. She has several group fitness certifications such as Group Fitness Certification, AFAA 2007, BodyCombat, LesMills, BodyPump, LesMills BodyAttack, LesMills Spinning, and MADDOGG. She also has the following training certifications: TRX Suspension Trainer, Personal Trainer, NASM, and TRX Rip Trainer, and is certified as a level 1 Nutrition Coach, Precision Nutrition.

McGoff has a true passion for the work she does and spoke with Limelight Magazine about what inspired her to become a personal trainer and what keeps her passionate about her work.

“After teaching a class one day, a woman approached me and told me that my class was the best part of her day and that she has been feeling great since attending regularly and I knew right there and then that I wanted to do it full-time,” McGoff said. “I love being part of someone’s journey to a better self. Helping people fall in love with fitness, that’s inspiring.”

Many touring musicians struggle with balancing their career and healthy bodies. McGoff spoke about this struggle.

“The challenging schedule is probably the biggest hurdle,” she said. “It’s hard to make healthy choices when constantly on the road or on the go. It can be done, but it takes a very conscious effort.”

McGoff had great advice to give musicians struggling with staying healthy while on tour.

“Start focusing on making better choices no matter what your options or situation is,” McGoff said. “If fast food is the only option, ask for a side of fruit instead of fries, chose a bottled water instead of a sugary fountain drink. Protein bars and drinks can be great on the go options. Make an effort to hit the hotel gym (if available) or get out and exercise even if it’s just for 15-20 minutes daily when on the road. A little can make a big difference.”

McGoff loves music and uses it to pump her up while working out. She talked about what she likes to listen to and why,

“Anything that inspires me to work harder, run faster,” McGoff said. “When I’m running I like anything with a beat that builds up and drops an intense beat for a short amount time, it pushes me to go faster even if just for 10 seconds. And, I love listening to old school hip-hop and reggae when I’m strength training.”

Visit “FIT with Nina” on Facebook by clicking HERE. This page is loaded with helpful tips on how to eat healthy and exercise regularly.

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Hudson Horror Show gears up for December horror movie marathon

November 4, 2016 limelightmagazine Leave a comment

BY JULIA CIRIGNANO

Halloween may be over but the Hudson Horror Show is gearing up for 12-hours of horror and cult 35-mm films on Saturday, December 3, 2016, from noon to midnight at Empire South Hills 8 in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

Now in its sixth year, Chris Alo founded the Hudson Horror Show in 2010. At that time, he planned to host only one show, but because of its enormous success, he has continued programing and hosting this biennial event ever since.

For these movie marathons, people come from all over the Northeast to attend them. Each event is a 12-hour movie marathon where Alo chooses six films to show — five announced movies and one surprise feature. People are also drawn to this event because of the wonderful reputation that the local vendors at the show have acquired, selling a variety of horror-themed merchandise and more.

In an interview with Limelight Magazine, Alo introduced us to a boy destined to be hosting horror movie marathons.

“I was the first guy to get two VCRs and now I’m the first guy to get a surround sound system,” Alo said. “I was always the guy who was having my friends over to watch movies. Having access to all the different versions of film, I would hunt out rare and obscure movies and trailers. I have always been a big fan of horror and sci-fi so I was always the guy who was presenting movies to my friends.”

As the years went on, Alo’s love for both the genres of horror and sci-fi and his passion for 35-mm screenings grew. He attended many 35-mm movie screenings with his wife Denise McGuigan and one day she said to him, ‘Wow, you enjoy this so much, why don’t you try putting on your own show?’”

Along with the support of his wife, Alo had a friend who has greatly helped him on his journey.

“I had a friend [Tad Leger] who worked for Grindhouse Releasing and specialized in re-releasing films on 35-mm,” Alo said. “So we got together and we put the first show together, thinking that we’ll do it this one time and never do it again, but it was a huge success and here we are 20 shows later.”

Alo is very passionate about screening movies off 35-mm. He finds this type of movie projection very special and nostalgic and many people agree with him.

“I’m an old guy and I’m a nostalgic guy,” Alo began. “I like collecting old comic books and old toys and old posters. So to me, seeing these movies the way they were meant to be seen is very much a nostalgic thing. It’s like playing a record. It might not have the crystal clear sound of a CD. It might have the occasional hop or scratch but the whole thing of putting a record on a turntable and lifting the arm all adds to the experience and the charm of it and to me it’s the same thing as showing movies the way they were meant to be seen off 35-mm film with tons of old school 35-mm drive-in trailers before each movie.”

The Hudson Horror Show brings people from all over the Northeast for their biennial 12-hour horror movie marathons on 35-mm film.

Since the first Hudson Horror Show which took place on May 22, 2010, this event has grown and evolved. Part of the event’s continued success is due to their endurance. In 2010, 35-mm screenings were more popular but as many theaters stopped screening in this format, the Hudson Horror Show became a bigger commodity.

“So now, us showing movies exclusively off 35-mm film has definitely grown to mean much more than it did,” Alo said.

Two more changes have also taken place over the past six years which has greatly influenced the Hudson Horror Show. Although the shows are usually hosted at Empire South Hills 8, Alo has also partnered with Alamo Drafthouse in Yonkers, NY, where he occasionally hosts shows. With more accessibility to theaters due to his reputation, Alo has been able to expand his events more and more as the years go on.

“When we started we were in one theater but we’ve grown so popular over the past six years that we actually are in two rooms now in the same theater now,” Alo said, “What we have now is two separate festivals running at the same time and we alternate the schedule.”

This year’s Hudson Horror takes place on December 3rd at Empire South Hills 8 in Poughkeepsie, NY. The films which have already been announced are I Spit On Your Grave (1978), Robocop (1987), The Howling, Death Race 2000, and The Hitcher (1986). There will also be a screening of a sixth surprise film.

These six films will be shown in theaters #1 and #6. Get your tickets soon because theater #6 is already sold out! Both rooms will be playing the same movies just in a different order. You can check out the schedule HERE.

“The lineup I think is really good,” Alo said. “I’m biased but I think some of the lineups in the past were not as strong as this one.”

Along with the announced lineup, Alo spoke about the mystery movie.

“We have a great horror mystery movie,” he said. “I can’t say much about it but it’s definitely a fan favorite.”

Alo talked about the way in which he chooses the films for each event. He said that he likes to focus on variety so there is something for everyone to enjoy whether you prefer the funny horror movie, serious horror movie, sci-fi horror movie, etc.

“I think that’s kind of our niche,” Alo explained. “Other people will program a show where they’re running five zombie movies in a row or five Friday the 13th movies in a row but I think mixing it up makes it more interesting because there will be something for everyone.”

Alo spoke about the struggle he faces when trying to choose movies and then finding them. For instance, he talks about two movies that he hasn’t been able to find which are both fan favorites and a Limelight Magazine favorite.

“I absolutely love the Death Wish movies,” Alo said. “The problem, which is a problem that always plagues us, is we don’t know anybody who has 35-mm film prints of the [first two] Death Wish movies, but if we could find them we would definitely love to run them.”

photo-hudson-horror-1 — At each Hudson Horror Show, vendors sell a variety of merchandise available to anyone even if you don’t buy a ticket to see the movies.

Along with the movie screenings, there will be many local vendors at the show who will be selling a variety of merchandise available to anyone even if you don’t buy a ticket to see the movies.

“We will have about 20 vendors,” Alo said. “The way the theater is set up we have like a double lobby. There’s an outside lobby and an inside lobby. So we fill up both lobby areas with about 20 vendor tables and they sell all sorts of merchandise such as t-shirts, posters, magnets, comic books, action figures, homemade art, art prints, homemade horror related keychains, CDs, Blu-rays, just all sorts of stuff.”

Along with running these successful movie marathons, Alo has also been a successful magazine and newspaper writer for the past fourteen years. He has written for magazine such as Hit Parader, Circus, Metal Maniacs, and Metal Edge, and interviewed many hard rock bands such as Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Guns N’ Roses, Slipknot, Disturbed, Rush and Judas Priest.

“I interview bands, do concert photography, and do concert reviews, mostly for heavy metal bands,” Alo said.

Although many of the magazines that Alo has written for are unfortunately no longer published because the internet put them out of business, Alo still writes.

“Now I write for More Sugar Magazine, which is a local entertainment newspaper,” he said. “There is also a magazine in South America that I write for called Roadie Crew.”

Tickets for the December 3^rd Hudson Horror Show are just $38.00 in advance and can be purchased HERE.

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JURY FINDS IN TOM SCHOLZ’S FAVOR ON CRITICAL CONTRACT QUESTION IN TRADEMARK INFRINGEMENT- CONTRACT DISPUTE

November 2, 2016 limelightmagazine Leave a comment

BOSTON Founder Tom Scholz wins positive jury decision in pivotal contract issue even though trademark infringement claim is denied.

Despite the jury’s failure to find trademark infringement on the claim brought against Barry Goudreau, they found that Goudreau had breached a 1983 settlement agreement, from which he had collected artist royalty payments for 33 years for BOSTON songs on which he had never played. Goudreau, who had only performed on 2 of the 8 first album cuts, and a few cameo parts on the second, has collected millions in royalties for songs that Tom Scholz had recorded by playing every instrument except drums.

Prior to trial, the judge had ruled that Goudreau may not hold himself out as an original member of BOSTON. Scholz and Brad Delp, who between them wrote all the songs for the first two BOSTON albums and performed over 90% of the tracks heard on those albums, were signed by Epic Records as the only two original members of BOSTON in February 1976. They alone had recorded six demos for Epic, which had included “More Than a Feeling” and “Peace of Mind” with mutual friend Jim Masdea playing the drum tracks. These recordings won them the Epic Records deal. Goudreau, who was added later to form a live performance band, left the band after just 3 years. His only obligation under his exit agreement was to limit his use of the name Boston in promoting his future performances accurately as simply “formerly of Boston.” The jury found that he has failed to fulfill that obligation.

Scholz defends the decision for bringing the unsuccessful trademark infringement claim saying, “The critical connection between the BOSTON trademark, BOSTON’s music and the positive values that the band promotes, such as education, nonviolence, and animal protection, reminds us that the integrity of artists’ creative works must not be allowed to be devalued or diminished. The songs that Brad Delp and I created have sustained BOSTON’s success and reputation for 40 years.”

“Trademark law exists not just to protect the rights of those who create, but to preserve the legacy and value of their art. Creative work must always be defended when confronted by infringement or misuse,” Scholz said, adding, “Any funds I recover as a result of Goudreau’s contract breach will be given to the worthy nonprofit organizations we have supported for many years.”

Scholz and BOSTON have raised and donated many millions of dollars to charities over the past 30 years.

During the trial, Ernie Boch Jr. was implicated by Goudreau’s lawyer who repeatedly questioned why Scholz hadn’t sued Boch, who had run ads attempting to promote his band “Ernie and the Automatics” with misleading ads, CD packaging, and online videos using the trademark “BOSTON” and touting Goudreau as an “original member.”

According to Scholz, “While it is possible Boch misused the BOSTON trademark in an attempt to promote his band, Boch had no contractual obligations with me regarding the wording of his promotions. More importantly, I believe he had been misled by Goudreau as to his role in the creation of BOSTON, and the extent of his involvement in recording the early albums.” Scholz added, “I do, however, object to Boch’s cavalier use of the name BOSTON. I have worked hard for the past 40 years to make BOSTON synonymous with much higher values than the typical sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll stereotype associated with so many rock bands.”

Most important to Scholz is the ongoing effort to maintain the high standards of BOSTON’s music, to positively influence people’s lives, and to continue to financially support the many worthwhile organizations that depend on BOSTON’s generosity.

“I want to thank the legions of fans who continue to hold BOSTON’s music deep in their hearts. There is nothing more meaningful than the endless support, encouragement and respect from our audience. Their loyalty to BOSTON’s music and message over so many years has made the arduous effort of maintaining BOSTON’s high standards worthwhile.”

Tom Scholz of BOSTON (PHOTO BY KAMAL ASAR) — Tom Scholz of BOSTON (SUBMITTED PHOTO BY KAMAL ASAR)

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Michael Sweet Congratulates Limelight Magazine on 10 Years!

November 1, 2016 limelightmagazine Leave a comment

Michael Sweet (of Stryper) offers congratulatory words to Limelight Magazine on their 10th anniversary!

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10 New England musicians share their most memorable gigs

November 1, 2016 limelightmagazine 1 Comment

BY JULIA CIRIGNANO

To coincide with our 10th anniversary, Limelight Magazine has decided to post 10 memorable gigs shared with us by 10 local musicians from New England.

Sarah Barrios

“About a year ago I was given the amazing opportunity to open up for The Voice’s incredibly talented Melanie Martinez at College Street Music Hall in New Haven, CT. I had been following Melanie’s music career and had covered her songs at my own shows, so to be able to share the same stage with her and speak with her was so amazing. I played to 1,200 people and I remember hearing the roar of the crowd as I took my first steps onto the stage and it was insanely epic and so crazy to hear people singing along to my originals as well. I will honestly never be able to forget the feeling, the energy of the crowd that night and how at home Melanie made me feel whilst I was there. It was truly a night to remember.”

Emil Belisle (of Impending Reflections)

“The most memorable gig for Impending Reflections requires a little background into the band to put it into perspective. I (Emil Belisle) am the lead vocalist but have been a drummer for most of my musical career. Also in the band is Dave Taillon, lead guitarist, who has been my musical brother dating back to the mid 80’s. Other members of the band include our sons. I have turned the sticks over to my son, our drummer, Ryan Belisle. Jonathan Taillon, guitarist, is Dave’s son. At the time on bass was Scott, a close friend of our kids and we consider him family. So you see, we really are a family band.

A few years ago the kids were in a band with Scott at the time and they asked Dave and I if we would jam with them one day. They deemed a generation jam. I don’t think any of us thought it would go beyond this but things clicked. It was in complete mutual agreement that maybe we should attempt to write a few songs and see what happens. What started off as just a jam, turned into Impending Reflections. An organic journey that keeps on getting better!

Our very first gig as a band was very special and memorable for us. Considering we never even thought of playing out when this started. We couldn’t have imagined how special it would actually be until that night we finished our set at The Spot Underground in Providence, RI. To be on stage with my son behind the drums, then to look across at Dave who I haven’t shared a stage with in years and see him playing alongside his son. Well, those are memories no one can ever take away. A feeling that is difficult to put into words and never gets old. It is simply priceless. The night started with a feeling of nerves because we didn’t know how our music would go over with the increasing number of those in attendance that night, including the promoter that gave us the opportunity. You see, our material is different because we are blending multi generations of influences. The crowd at first was looking at us like, what the heck are these two older guys doing with three young guns. Once we hit the stage and put our hearts and souls into the performance, the night got even more special!

The crowd instantly started becoming engaged right from the start and feeding off our energy. They were so supportive and cheering us on during and after every song. Hearing people that we have never met shout ‘That is what I’m talking about’ just continued to raise the energy level. You could feel something special was happening. It was clicking on all cylinders and we were all feeling it! After our set, so many came up to us with several compliments, including the promoter who said ‘You guys are a headlining act’. It was such a humbling experience for all of us. We are the type of band that sincerely appreciates our fans and give it everything we’ve got for them on stage.”

Paul Horton

“This dates back to 1992. I was in a band called Wafflehouse and we were living in the Mad River Valley in VT. Sugarbush resort had the Ben & Jerry’s ‘One Heart-One World’ Festival going on. We were not a big enough act to secure a spot at the festival but we were booked in town that weekend at a local spot called the Mad Mountain Tavern (now the Local Smokehouse). It was a busy weekend and the place was packed. About halfway through our set, we noticed that Rocking Dopsie and a few of members the Zydeco Twisters had come into the bar. We did a few more tunes and then Dopsie Jr. came up and wanted to sit in. He came up and sang ‘Ride Sally Ride’ and another blues tune. Dopsie Sr. was only 60 but he wasn’t in great health so he watched from the bar. Inspired by the guest appearance, we continued with an original blues tune that we just called ‘the blues.’ After we finished the song, I saw Dopsie get up from the bar and make his way over to the stage. I was hoping he wanted to sit in too. He motioned for me to come to the side of the stage and when I came over he leaned in and said, ‘I just wanted to let you know that you sing pretty damn good for a white boy’ and then he and his entourage walked out of the bar. [It was] such an honor to perform in the presence of such a legend. Dopsie passed away just over a year later. The blues song we performed for him was from then on called ‘white boy blues’.”

The Myst in the Patriot Ledger (SUBMITTED PHOTO) — The Myst who were featured in The Patriot Ledger (SUBMITTED PHOTO)

John MacFee

“From 1968-1971, I was a guitar player in a garage band named The Myst based out of East Weymouth. We had gone through a series of Battle of the Bands sponsored by the local Jaycees. Somehow, we had made it to the Mass State Finals held at Ridge Arena in Braintree, Mass. We rehearsed everything with a stop watch because you gained/lost points depending on how timely you were getting on or off stage. We worked our butts off picking the best songs to showcase our broad range of material. I even played trumpet on ‘Love Theme’ from Romeo and Juliet which was a popular movie in 1970. We bought matching white tuxedos and white shoes. As I recall, twenty bands were scheduled for the semi-final round and the top four would be in the ultimate final round. We were positive we’d never make the finals but just the thought of playing that venue with huge Sunn amps just blew us away! While we’re waiting for the judges decisions, we did our own judging and picked the four bands we thought would be the judges pick. We were right on three out of four. When they announced The Myst as one of the top four, I turned around to see my Mother running full-tilt boogie toward me and picked me up in a big bear hug! My Mother was deaf in one ear and not really a fan of rock and roll and I never ever saw her run anywhere in my life but for that one moment I was a big rock star!

We, as a band, were thrilled but we were also in a bit of a jam. We were so sure we’d never make the finals, we had nothing prepared! We hurriedly put together as best a set list as we could and gave it our best shot. Needless to say, we only made it to fourth place. I wasn’t quite seventeen at the time. Kenny and Tigue were fifteen, Skip and Jeff were fourteen. I never really stopped playing. Took some breaks here and there but I’m still at it today. I switched to bass many years ago and played with a lot of different bands over the years. I played a lot of bar gigs, weddings, parties, festivals, you name it. Still, nothing has quite topped that one day in May 1970.”

Hailey Magee

“My most memorable gig was The Power of Disbelief Concert at lilypad in March 2016. The show was organized by Emerging Boston Area Singer-Songwriters (EBASS) to raise awareness about the gender disparity in the Cambridge music scene. At the time, women only made 16% percent of all performers on Cambridge stages! The line-up featured four stellar local female artists. The house was packed, everyone there supported the cause, and by performing, I knew I was becoming a part of the social movement to make Boston’s music scene more welcoming to all people. It was absolutely amazing.”

Brian McKenzie

“I was playing with my old alt-metal band from Providence, Kilgore Smudge, on a stretch of the Vans Snow-Core tour in 1996 with Sublime and Dancehall Crashers. There were two gigs. One was in Salt Lake City and one in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Well, we were much too heavy and a complete mismatch for this bill and the first night they HATED us! We were getting stuff thrown at us on stage and I would play a chord, pick up a plastic bottle, huck it back into the crowd, play another chord, kick a rolled up ball of trash, and so on. I was actually having fun with it, ha! The second night, was the complete opposite. The crowd went nuts during our set. Huge mosh pit, crowd surfing, the works. There was a line of kids waiting for autographs from us while Sublime was playing their set. It was completely crazy. Lots can happen in 48 hours!”

Jennifer Mitchell (of Jennifer Mitchell Band)

“We played a private party over the summer for a graduation shortly after learning of the passing of Prince. All of us being Prince fans, we decided to add ‘Purple Rain’ to our cover list. We were playing with the weather that day and we knew it was possible we might not play because of rain. We decided to go with it anyway. As we were going through our day, the weather got worse and we decided to end it with ‘Purple Rain’. As we started to play, the sky opened up and it poured like I’ve never seen it. Everyone under the tents cheered us on so we kept going. We played through the whole song, through rain, thunder etc. It was an epic moment and I felt a perfect tribute to Prince.

Moment of Clarity

“The most memorable gig for us would have to be the Foxwoods Battle of the Bands Finals – 2016. The process to get to the finals was grueling as over 100 local New England bands entered and only 20 were chosen to compete. After one round of initial battles and a second semi-final round, the 20 bands were pared down to five and Moment of Clarity was one of those five bands.

The day of the finals, we were treated like true rock stars. All band members and personnel were given lanyards with laminated stage passes. The Foxwoods stage crew met us at the talent entrance and proceeded to move all of our gear to the venue, load it on stage, and assist with any necessary setup. The stage manager told us ‘we don’t care if you are Beyonce or Moment of Clarity; we will take good care of you.’ The audio crew took their time and made sure that everything needed by every member of the band was in the monitors and nothing was forgotten, like our Octapad seconds before show time.

The entertainment staff was amazing and provided us with a ‘green room’, refreshments, snacks, social media coverage and encouragement as we were the youngest performers in the finals.

Finally, taking to the outdoor stage as the final band to perform and seeing over 500 people in the crowd, that was an amazing sensation. Here we were playing at a venue where national acts perform and then to see the crowd rocking out to our music and one of our original songs. It was a moment we will all remember for a very long time.”

Christopher Ruiz (of A Simple Complex)

“Our most memorable gig has to be our CD release party in 2013 for What Lies Ahead: Left Behind Vol. 3. The local music scene in New England is so talented and diverse, we wanted to celebrate more than what we were, so at this particular show, we brought in musicians from around the area to rock with us! Skilled singers like Tajoura Davis, Steve Archambault (Craving Lucy) and Adam Fithian (Prospect Hill) joined our frontwoman Jess [Sierra] in singing one of our tracks, and in turn we performed a cover of one of their band’s songs. We ended the night with a cover of ‘Killing in the Name Of.’ It was a show we can never forget!”

Allison Sigrist (of Gunpowder Gelatine)

“We were asked to play a set at a LARP (Live Action Role Play) event in central Mass. The venue appeared to be a former summer camp which had been converted into a facility for all sorts of LARP events. They host Renaissance Faires and Pirate weekends, etc. This particular weekend was a kind of open-to-all and there was entertainment all afternoon.

First, we enter the main hall where we’re going to be playing and there’s a huge embroidered tapestry with a unicorn on it straight out of a medieval castle hanging at the back of the stage. When we started to play our set was in the early afternoon, our audience consisted of about six people sitting 20 feet away on couches, wearing a variety of cosplay type outfits. We did our thing and packed up. On our way out, I peeked back into the hall. There was now a magician wearing a kilt performing to a packed house. At least we got paid!”

Home, Miscellaneous

The Curse of Limelight Magazine’s Covers

October 31, 2016 limelightmagazine Leave a comment

BY JULIA CIRIGNANO WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM J. KENNEY

From 2007 to 2013, Limelight Magazine released 13 print issues. In 2009, Limelight decided to focus their attention more on their website and decrease the number of print issues. They allegedly made this switch due to the growing popularity of online magazines, but there was an entirely different reason why the shift was made – the covers of the magazine were cursed!

For almost every act that appeared on the cover of Limelight Magazine, the band either suffered a line up change or broke up after the issue came out. Stranger things have also happened to some of the bands as well. This article is to expose the true story of why being on the cover of Limelight Magazine may not be such a great idea!

On October 13, 2006 (ironically a Friday the 13^th), one of the founders of Limelight Magazine went to see The Flower Kings at the Regent Theatre in Arlington, Mass. The opening act was a band from Allston, Mass., called Fluttr Effect. After seeing them perform live, it was decided they would be the cover story of the very first issue that was supposed to go to print in late December for a winter release.

Fluttr Effect was a progressive rock band full of potential that consisted of Troy Kidwell, Vessela Stoyanova, Valerie Thompson, J. Marchionna and Kara Trott. They had just released their second studio album Marking Time and were aggressively promoting it.

Soon after conducting an interview with the band, Limelight Magazine’s graphic design team were busy laying out the issue. A tentative cover was created on December 27^th which featured Fluttr Effect. Two days later, the underground performance space where Fluttr Effect rehearsed, called Pan9, caught on fire and the building was evacuated (see Boston.com news story HERE). Due to the fire, the first issue of Limelight Magazine was delayed.

Around this time, Limelight landed an interview with Brad Delp, lead vocalist of BOSTON and the Beatles tribute band Beetlejuice. He was interviewed by Limelight over the phone at 2 p.m. on February 22, 2007. At the conclusion of the interview, he invited the Limelight staff to his Beatlejuice show in Salem, N.H., the following night. At the end of the show, Limelight talked to Delp. They mentioned that they were looking forward to seeing him perform with BOSTON over the summer. He surprised them by replying with, “Maybe. We’ll see.”

The interview with Limelight ended up being the last print interview Delp did before he died on March 9th, 2007 (see Delp’s obituary in The Boston Globe HERE). Due to his death, an editorial decision was made to dedicate the first issue to him. The cover showed Delp cross legged in casual clothing with his head resting on his intertwined fingers. Fluttr Effect became the centerfold story and was not featured on the cover with the exception of small teaser photo.

The other images featured on that cover had a series of unfortunate events. Luke’s Record Exchange in Pawtucket, R.I., went out of business (see story about its closure in The Valley Breeze HERE), Toolfist: A Tribute to Tool saw the departure of their lead vocalist and passing of their extraordinary guitarist William F. Meehan on September 16, 2012 (see Meehan’s obituary from The Boston Globe HERE), and Charlie Domenici, the former lead vocalist of Dream Theater, had plans for a tour following the release of his studio album trilogy, but that never materialized.

Limelight released their second edition in the fall of 2007. A hard rocking band called MASS from Revere, Mass., was featured on the cover. Although the curse affected them less than the previous issue, their bassist Lou Spagnola left the band soon after the magazine came out and was replaced by former bassist Michael Palumbo.

In the winter for 2007, Limelight released their third issue which featured the alternative rock group Hello Mahalo. The cover featured the four members of Hello Mahalo casually posing by a tree. This band had great potential, support from their label, a manager with a lot of connections, and lots of airplay on local radio stations. The band consisted of Justin Joyce, Jared Pizarro, Justin Hardy and Tom Stanwood. They had just released their debut full length album Dawning Days in November 2007. Yet, soon after the release of the magazine, the band broke up due to personal and private matters. Joyce and Pizarro went on to start their own band called JaJu but never reached the success that Hello Mahalo once had.

In the spring of 2008, Beetlejuice was featured on the cover of Limelight. This Beatles tribute band now consisted of four core members John “Muzz” Muzzy (drums), Steve Baker (keyboard, guitar), Joe Holaday (bass) and Dave Mitchell (guitar). They were featured on the cover with big smiles. They band surprisingly was not impacted by the curse and we’d like to think that Brad Delp’s generous and kind spirit is watching over them. However, the other tribute bands pictured on the cover saw limited activity after the issue came out.

The progressive metal band Dream Theater was featured on the cover of Limelight’s summer issue in 2008. Since this band was such a big and successful act at the time, there was a lot of excitement about this cover. The band agreed to do a cover shoot at the Orpheum Theater in Boston, Mass., on May 20, 2008, fifteen minutes before they went on stage. The band members were all very close and were excited to be going on the road for their “Progressive Nation” tour.

While seemingly nothing happened right away, two years after the issue was released Mike Portnoy, the drummer and one of their founding members, announced he was leaving on Sept. 8, 2010 (see Portnoy’s Facebook statement HERE). Due to his prevalence within the band, this was a major heartbreak to their fans. The band now consists of John Myung, John Petrucci, James LaBrie, Jordan Rudess, and Mike Mangini.

Zox was the cover story of the fall 2008 issue. Although this local band had seemingly great potential (they were touring all over Europe and America) they slowly faded out of the public eye after the issue was released. They released an album titled Line in the Sand in 2008 and haven’t released anything since. Since 2008, they haven’t played only sporadic shows.

At this point, Limelight took a step back and began to see the trail of wreckage this curse was leaving behind. Because of this realization, they came up with a theme for the next issue which combined music and tattoo art. Limelight released this issue in the fall of 2008 titled “When Two Worlds Collide” referencing the combination of music and tattoos.

A musician was featured on the cover along with someone’s back with tattoos on it. What is interesting about this cover is that the musician who was featured was from a local band called Killswitch Engage. Although the entire band wasn’t on the cover, the curse eventually got to them. In early 2012, the band announced that Howard Jones was leaving the band after nine years with them (see Killswitch Engage’s Facebook statement HERE). He was later replaced by Jesse Leach, the band’s original vocalist. The band now consists of Leach, Joel Stroetzel, Mike D’Antonio, Adam Dutkiewicz, and Justin Foley.

In the spring of 2009, a local band called Psycle was on the cover of the magazine. Yet, once again, despite their obvious potential, the band broke up not long after the issue hit the newsstands with each member pursuing their own thing.

At this point, Limelight launched its website while continuing to print their quarterly issues. Interestingly, the artists who were featured on the website were luckily untouched by the curse but those on the cover were still affected.

In the summer of 2009, Heather Rose and The Drama covered Limelight Magazine with a mystery novel type of photo. Ironically, Limelight titled the article “Moving Beyond the Drama” because there was nothing but drama in Rose’s music career. Once again, the band broke up soon after appearing on the cover. Rose chose to pursue a solo career to avoid any further headaches in her life.

Around this time, the editorial staff of Limelight began to loathe the curse and the havoc it had caused on so many artists. Consequently, they decided to remove their name from the next issue and call it Picks. They kept the Limelight Magazine name for their website but retired it for their next print issue. Their online publication was thriving and, with high hopes, they chose to feature The Candace Brooks Band of Providence, R.I., on the cover of their fall 2009 issue. Limelight had a great relationship with the indie rock band but their plans to avoid the curse didn’t work. After the issue came out, the band slowed down their activity and their gigs were far and few in between. Although they are still friends, they rarely play music together anymore.

In the late 2000s, there was a shift in people’s tastes due to advances in technology and the internet. Many of music’s bigger print publications were shutting down including Circus (1969-2006), Hit Parader (1942-2008), Metal Edge (1985-2009) and Metal Maniacs (1989-2009). Because of this shift, Limelight decided to focus more of their efforts on booking national touring acts and posting only online articles to adapt to the times. They didn’t release a print issue for the fall 2009 or spring 2010.

After skipping two seasons, the publishers of Limelight decided to release a summer issue in 2010. Since Picks didn’t help to prevent the curse, they switched back to their original name Limelight Magazine. After nearly six months away from print, they figured the curse might be gone once and for all.

Unlike prior issues, the summer 2010 issue expanded the geographical region which the publishers usually picked local artists to feature. However, the cover story still went to a local artist; this time Grand Evolution from Worcester, Mass. The issue mainly focused on this one band’s story. Four out of five band members were featured on the cover in a beach themed layout, highlighting a serious Sarah Kenyon in a pink dress and the rest of the band playing in the sand.

When the band met for the cover shoot, one of the band members was unable to show up – a worrisome sign that the curse was back and rearing its ugly head a little earlier than normal.

Within the time of the magazine’s release and soon after, the band began to internally combust. On the eve of their first major tour of the United States, their keyboard player departed, leaving the band to go out on the road as a four piece. Upon their return, they lost two more members – their bassist and longstanding guitarist. This left the band with only two of its members that were featured on the cover and inside the issue. Since then, the band has soldiered on, albeit with various lineup changes over the years.

Rather than take on the curse with another issue, the publishers of Limelight decided to wait an entire year before their next issue. Released in the summer of 2012, the publishers of Limelight decided to risk one of their own. This issue featured a band that they also managed called York. On the cover, the band was seen holding picture frames in a humorous fashion. The band were gradually making a name for themselves throughout New England. They headlined the Hard Rock Café in Boston, opened for Gary Cherone’s Hurtsmile at Showcase Live in Foxboro, Mass., had airplay on a number of radio stations in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and were semi-finalists in the annual WBRU Rock Hunt. However, like almost every band that was featured on the cover, the band lost its drummer and guitarist shortly after the issue came out and eventually broke up. All of the members currently have happy lives outside of local music scene.

With the splitting up of another band, the publishers of Limelight seriously questioned releasing any more print issues. In fact, they took a break for two years while creating a vibrant online presence free from the curse. But, after a change in Limelight’s management team, the co-owners decided to release another issue in the summer of 2013, which was their final issue to date.

Being extra cautious this time, the co-owners of Limelight decided to change printing plants and the overall layout of the magazine. They also went with a new logo to break away from the past and held a contest called “We’ve Got You Covered” on June 8^th where three judges would decide who would be featured on the cover. Grace Morrison and the RSO (Really Small Orchestra) won and were featured on the cover holding their instruments with bright smiles.

The band was incredible yet the curse still struck them just as hard as the others. Their future seemed bright as a band since they were playing shows all over New England but within months of the release inner turmoil within the band led to their dissolution. Morrison went out on her own to pursue a solo career and continues to tour the area with a lot of success.

There has never been another print issue of Limelight Magazine since. However, feature stories continue to appear on this website free of the curse!

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Rik Emmett & Dave Dunlop Congratulate Limelight Magazine on 10 Years!

October 30, 2016 limelightmagazine Leave a comment

Rik Emmett & Dave Dunlop offer congratulatory words to Limelight Magazine on their 10th anniversary!

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Shaun Hague Congratulates Limelight Magazine on 10 Years!

October 29, 2016 limelightmagazine Leave a comment

Shaun Hague (of Journeyman – A Tribute to Eric Clapton) offers congratulatory words to Limelight Magazine on their 10th anniversary!

Features & Interviews, Film Composers, Home

J. Blake Fichera’s Passion Project: ‘Scored to Death’

October 29, 2016 limelightmagazine Leave a comment

BY JULIA CIRIGNANO

Throughout 2016, Limelight Magazine has spotlighted a number of great film score composers and the soundtracks they created, primarily in the horror movie genre. We think everyone would agree that classic films such as Psycho, Halloween and Friday the 13^th just wouldn’t be the same without their memorable scores.

When we found out that J. Blake Fichera, of New York, recently authored a book called Scored to Death: Conversations with Some of Horror’s Greatest Composers, we couldn’t wait to interview him for a feature story.

In his book, Fichera interviewed 14 renowned film score composers who have created music for such films as The Beyond, The Conjuring, Friday the 13^th, Halloween, Hellraiser, House of the Devil, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Supsiria and many more. Among the composers he interviewed are: Nathan Barr, Charles Bernstein, Joseph Bishara, Simon Boswell, John Carpenter, Jay Chattaway, Fabio Frizzi, Jeff Grace, Maurizio Guarini, Tom Hajdu, Alan Howarth, Harry Manfredini, Claudio Simonetti, and Christopher Young.

In our interview with Fichera, he spoke about why he chose to write Scored to Death, how he chose each composer, the format of his book, and a number of other interesting things.

“My favorite kinds of books are film and music-related non-fiction and horror film scores are a genre of music that I am passionate about,” Fichera said. “So the decision to write Scored to Death actually, kind of, came out of necessity. I really wanted to read a book like it but I couldn’t find one, so I decided to write it myself.”

Fichera explained why he felt confident about writing the book due to his experience interviewing artists.

“I have been interviewing musicians and film-related people for various publications and websites, off and on, for years,” Fichera said. “In my own mind, it didn’t seem that crazy at the time. Had I not had experience as an interviewer, I may have been too intimidated to actually go through with it but I knew that talking to artists about what they do was something I really loved doing. So I decided to just go for it and now, almost 3 years later, the book has been completed, published, released and luckily, the feedback has been pretty good.”

Fichera is obviously a skilled writer, editor, producer, and musician. Although his parents were not musicians, music has always been a big part of his life, starting with the influence of his grandfather.

“My grandfather was actually a dancer, singer and one half of a comedy duo called Fisher and Marks,” Fichera said. “They were the comic relief in a couple of forgotten music-themed movies in the 1950s and had a live act, etc. I guess music and performing may be in my DNA somewhere, but my grandfather died when I was pretty young so I don’t think he was a direct influence on my love for music and performing live.”

Although his parents were not musicians, they kindled Fichera’s love for music during his childhood that has continued into the present day.

“My parents and my older brother are all music-lovers, with pretty eclectic tastes and I think that is where my love for music, and so many different kinds of music, stems from,” he said. “Listening to music is just something I always did and then when I was in high school, I started playing guitar. Now as an adult, I perform live regularly in New York City.”

In Scored to Death, Fichera interviewed a variety of classic and contemporary film composers over the phone, with the exception of Fabio Frizzi which was done by e-mail because of the language barrier.

“I love horror film music so picking composers I liked and wanted to talk to was my first priority,” Fichera began. “That was really the most important thing to me, because this was a passion project. I didn’t have a publisher when I started. I was doing this on my own and for myself, so I wanted to enjoy the experience! Also, of course, featuring some composers of iconic scores from iconic horror films was important but I’d say even more important to me, was interviewing a diverse group of artists. I really wanted to cover as wide a spectrum of horror film music and artistry as I could.”

Scored to Death is a great read especially for anyone who is interested in horror film scores. One interesting thing about the book is the way it’s structured with self-contained interviews. This way, readers can jump from one composer to another without necessarily reading the book from beginning to end.

“I didn’t really have a format in mind when I started writing, because I didn’t know what I was going to get,” Fichera said. “I think one of the book’s biggest strengths is that the interviews feel very conversational. I think because of that, giving each of the composers their own chapter, seemed to be the best option. I really just wanted to do whatever would serve the book best and ultimately I decided that keeping each interview/conversation intact seemed to be the way I would want to read them.”

Fichera enjoyed interviewing all of the 14 composers. He said each of them had something interesting and unique to add to the book.

“I think all of the composers really opened up and had very insightful things to say about themselves, their work, their process, the business, etc.,” Fichera said. “What I will say though, is that I’ve had more than a few people tell me that they like how ‘raw’ the Christopher Young interview is and I think that is because Chris and I got a bit into the nitty-gritty, regarding the ups and downs of being a composer in the film industry, and he was extremely candid and honest about it. It seems that many readers are finding that part of his interview very enlightening and interesting.”

Despite being very happy with the composers he chose to interview, Fichera said there were some that he wanted to interview but wasn’t able to.

“Two of the biggest deciding factors regarding who actually ended up in the book were (1) could I find contact information for them and (2) did they get back to me,” he said. “Nobody declined to participate, but several people or their agents just never got back to me. Now that could be because the contact information I found was false or out of date, etc., but nonetheless, they are not in the book.”

Fichera doesn’t have a favorite horror movie composer but he did mention one of his biggest inspirations.

“The biggest inspirations for my pursuing the book were probably John Carpenter and the band Goblin,” Fichera said.

Due to Fichera’s passion for many horror movies, he couldn’t possibly pick a favorite.

“I don’t have one favorite horror film but I will say that one of my favorite horror films is John Carpenter’s The Thing,” Fichera said.

Fichera said he has been inspired and intrigued by the genre of horror for a while now.

“In one way or another, horror has always been a very big part of my life,” he said. “Although I didn’t get serious about horror films and really start to study them and explore all aspects of them until high school and then especially in film school/college.”

J. Blake Fichera promoted "Scored to Death" with a signing at Dark Delicacies in Burbank, CA, which was attended by five composers. Front row, from left, are: Chris Young, Harry Manfredini, and Alan Howarth. Back row, from left, are Charles Bernsntein, Ficheaq and Joseph Bishara. — J. Blake Fichera promoted Scored to Death with a signing at Dark Delicacies in Burbank, CA, which was attended by five composers. Front row, from left, are: Chris Young, Harry Manfredini, and Alan Howarth. Back row, from left, are Charles Bernstein, Fichera and Joseph Bishara. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)

Fichera promoted the book with a signing at Dark Delicacies in Burbank, CA, on August 21, 2016. He talked about how he found out about the store.

“I took a trip to Los Angeles in the spring and had the great pleasure and honor of hanging out with a few of the composers featured in the book,” Fichera said. “While at dinner with Harry Manfredini and Joseph Bishara, they told me that I should check out this bookstore called Dark Delicacies while I was in town because they thought I would love it.”

One thing led to another and the store owners Sue and Del Howison ended up hosting Fichera for a signing at their store. While many of the composers whom Fichera interviewed attended the event, Fichera was surprised to see Charles Bernstein and Alan Howarth in attendance. This was Fichera’s first time meeting them. He talked about the experience and the support he received.

“I knew Harry, Joseph and Chris would come because those are three of the composers I spent time with during my spring trip to LA and they all expressed that they would definitely be there,” Fichera began. “Several of the other composers that live in the area expressed that they would love to attend, if their scheduled permitted, so that was the reason for the uncertainty regarding Charles and Alan. I knew they wanted to come but I wasn’t sure they would be able to. Thankfully they did show up!”

Fichera has been surprised by his own success and thrilled by the outcome at the Dark Delicacies signing.

“The signing was amazing! I had never done one before, so I don’t know what a ‘good turnout’ is for that kind of thing but the store’s owners seemed happy. So that made me happy,” Fichera said. “To me it was a bit like a dream. Before the signing, Joseph Bishara and I were standing around chatting and he commented, ‘Hey people are starting to line up already. That’s great!’ For some reason I replied, ‘Yeah, but they are all here to see you guys (meaning the composers, not me)’ and he looked at me and said, ‘Maybe, but we are all here because of you and to support your book. Don’t forget that.’ Which left me kind of speechless because I never really thought about it that way. For some reason, it hadn’t sunk in that five of horror’s most iconic composers were not only in the same room together but they were there, specifically to support the book and me!”

Fichera also spoke about how glad he is that many boutique labels, such as Mondo, Death Waltz and Waxwork Records, are now filling the void in the marketplace by releasing horror movie soundtracks on vinyl.

“I am extremely happy that these scores are having a renaissance and being distributed,” Fichera said. “It is about time that these composers and their amazing work are being highlighted and given their due. I do have to admit though, that I don’t love the ‘limited edition’ and ‘variant’ aspects of that business. It has been getting better because labels are now releasing less limited ‘standard’ editions of soundtracks in addition to the ‘limited editions’ but much like variant comic book covers and the way the DVD/Blu-ray industry releases a new-and-improved edition of beloved films every year or so, I can’t help but feel like it preys on and takes advantage of the loyalty and passion of the true fans and collectors.”

Most of the feedback that Scored to Death has received so far has been positive. Fichera talked about his surprise due to the positive reaction that he hadn’t expected but gladly accepts.

“There haven’t been that many formal reviews but the ones that have been written are favorable,” Fichera said. “The book was just included on a list of ‘10 Essential Books for the Horror Fan,’ which is amazing because it is in some very good company. The coolest thing though, and something I totally wasn’t expecting, is that people are sending me and posting pictures of their personal copies of the book on social media. I find that amazing and a bit surreal. That’s my baby popping up in pictures from all over the world! I love that and I’m grateful to everyone that has purchased a copy and has supported the book and I hope they enjoy reading it as much I enjoyed working on it.”

You can grab your copy of Scored to Death: Conversations with Some of Horror’s Greatest Composers on Amazon by clicking HERE and it can be ordered at most local bookstores.

“I’m hoping to do more signings and I will be selling and signing books at various horror conventions in the future,” Fichera said. “If people are interested in that kind of stuff or just want to keep up with all things Scored to Death, they can follow the book on Facebook and Twitter @ScoredtoDeath.”

Also check out one of Fichera’s other projects.

“I co-host a very fun and nostalgic movie-themed podcast called Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers,” Fichera said. “If you love movies and listen to podcasts, give us a listen when you get a chance. It’s available on iTunes and most other podcast sites and apps and people can follow that on Facebook and Twitter as well, if they like.”

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