Author Archives: benjie

12 weeks to a vibrant Aurora music scene

Dear musician friends: What if 6,000 engaged, attentive listeners could hear your act live? What if you could quadruple your band’s fan list – before this summer? What if you got PAID to help make this happen? Would that be … Continue reading

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The void spoke back

It’s all worth it when you push that “play” button for the first time. Wednesday was one of those moments – actually, it was 74 of them. Most of the musicians who collaborated on Father Peter’s 18-song “Retrospective” piled onto … Continue reading

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5 questions: session vocalist Mary Lou O’Brien

After hearing Mary Lou O’Brien’s performance of “Merry Christmas Baby” on the new Made in Aurora holiday album, I usually get the same questions: “Where did she come from – and why am I just now hearing her?” Possibly, it’s … Continue reading

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“Behind the curtain” of Made in Aurora with recording engineer Kyle Schmidt

In preparation for Thursday’s “Making Made in Aurora” open house at Backthird Audio, I asked Kyle to give us his perspective on recording and mixing the second Made in Aurora volume. There’s a whole “man behind the curtain” perspective that … Continue reading

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What was it like arranging – and singing – the mayor’s holiday hit?

Recording your own music is one thing – but what does it take to interpret a song you didn’t write? And if the person who wrote it is known around town as “Mr. Mayor”- would that make a difference? I … Continue reading

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Andrea Dawn on musical cousins, bitter Christmases, and Made in Aurora Vol. 2

I’m writing this on Jeremy Keen’s laptop. I borrow it all the time to do demoing for my new album, due out early 2012. I met Jeremy at Community Christian Church in 2008, and he told me about this gathering … Continue reading

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5 Questions: Steve Wick of Resonance Audio

Steve Wick has made music his career since the late ‘80s, working by varying turns as a live network board engineer and announcer for radio, a program producer, a staff composer, a Foley artist, a sound designer and session guitar … Continue reading

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5 Questions: Noah Gabriel on a decade of Aurora-area music

Aurora native Noah Gabriel has spent more than a decade as a regular in the Fox Valley music scene. His fifth album, Mercy Street, releases on September 30 at Two Brothers Roundhouse. “I’ve grown up listening to and studying all … Continue reading

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5 questions: Aurora music school director Gus Gotsis

With a degree in music and a job in sales and marketing, Gus Gotsis began evaluating his career when business took a dip almost 10 years ago. But it wasn’t until 2006 that he took what he calls a “leap … Continue reading

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5 Questions: Geneva music fest head Dave Maday

This Saturday and Sunday, Anonapalooza comes to Good Templar Park in Geneva for the third year. Festival head Dave Maday (at right in the photo, with fest co-founder Lee Veinot) calls the gathering “a family-friendly music festival that also offers … Continue reading

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