Not A Dull Moment This Year!

It's that time of year again - the weather outside is becoming frightful (or at least just very cold!) and the fires are oh so delightful. We are off for a week, so bring on the snow!

In all seriousness though, we are taking a look back at all of the fun we had this year with our clients and the great projects we got to work on. There is never a dull moment, especially when working with so many talented people!

November and December kept us just as busy as usual producing several radio spots for a couple of ski mountains - Cranmore (North Conway, NH) and Okemo (Ludlow, VT). We also got to meet and work with actor and author, Chris Lemmon, Jack's son, who was in a few time doing some voiceover work for Cadillac.

And if you were ever hesitant to record a CD of yourself playing or singing a few songs as a gift to family and friends - they will love it! Our latest treat was doing just that with a woman who wanted to record some piano selections for her three daughters as a Christmas gift this year - (34 tunes!) - and as it turns out - just about everyone she knows wants one!

Overall it's been a great year, and we are looking forward to what 2011 will bring! Happy Holidays everyone!

Learnin' the Blues Keb' Mo'-style

Over the years we've been very fortunate to work with some of the greatest musicians out there. Sometimes the are gracious enough to help a fledgling player out with a video taped lesson or two.

We'll be sharing some of these videos with our Facebook friends.

This week's installment is a bluesy beauty by the masterful musician Keb' Mo'.

Keb' shows me how he plays Robert Johnson's "Kind Hearted Woman" with a very cool turn-around.

A Gem From The Tapeworks Vault!

Guess What?! We have decided to join the world of YouTube. Stay tuned for more video updates. In the meantime check out this video we found in our archives, circa 1991, of Jeff Pevar playing an original solo acoustic tune.

A Special "Thanks" From A Happy Client!

Check out this note that we received from another happy client:

Doug and Bill-

You guys are AWESOME!

I received the Final Master/Revision 2 CDs by Fed Ex YESTERDAY. Wow! Thank you so much for making the CDs and sending them so quickly. That really enabled me to make my final decisions, and to put the whole project into the mail for replication this afternoon. That is huge! (Can't believe I've finally reached this point!)

Thanks also, Bill, for saving me a trip up there, and for humoring me. You may be gratified to know that, after all that, I ended up using the original Master with no volume changes to any tracks. But I had to go through the process of trying the changes, I guess, to hear the result of lowering those two that were bothering me. Now that I've done that, they don't bother me at all-they sound "right" and good-thanks to your good work. So again, thanks for your patience and extra trouble.

I had a great experience at Tapeworks, and your excellent service just continues even after the studio time is done. Many, many thanks. I will, of course, send you a CD when it's ready.

I can't thank you enough!

Todd Beaney - Rye Brook, NY

Now take a listen to this clip from "Like a River Glorious" -performed and composed by Todd Beaney, (c) 2009 Lorenz Publishing Co., a division of the Lorenz Corporation.

Filling the House with Jeff Pevar

Talk about your full house! Jeff Pevar sold out the third of his Tapeworks' house concerts, topping off at 70 attendees.

Our anticipation grew as we helped unload 10 guitars from his car. And how cool is it that his rehearsal time was interrupted to field a phone call from David Crosby! We wanted to say 'Hi,' but thought better of it.

Jeff regaled the audience with tales about many of the great musicians he has played with through the years. He fondly recalled his start in the business when he met his long-time friend, Doug "Dougie" Kupper. Doug was also a surprise guest artist that evening, playing with Jeff an arrangement of Little Feat's, "Roll Um Easy."

Jeff also had his two nieces join him in singing a touching rendition of, "Till There Was You."

Overall, it was a great night. Jeff was at the top of his game, and the appreciative audience loved it!

If you were wondering how we were able to fit 70 people in the studio, you'll just have to come to the next house concert to find out!

Studio Spotlight: The Sounds of Soccer

Abuzz with World Cup Fever

With the infamous buzz of the vuvuzelas mercifully fading from our memories, the passion and excitement shown earlier in the summer for the world's largest sporting event still lingers. Everybody is caught up in soccer fever, and Tapeworks is no exception. We have been producing television and radio spots for the Philadelphia Union soccer team's agency of record, the Silverman Group, throughout the Union's inaugural season.

We were thrilled to compose, record and mix the Philadelphia Union chant that accompanies each of the Union television and radio spots. The story behind this chant's creation is an interesting one.

The Story: PHI-LA-DEL-PHIA UUUUUUUUU-NION!!!

Long before the Philadelphia Union made its Major league Soccer (MLS) debut, the Sons of Ben were already the major Philadelphia soccer supporters' group. They led the charge for years towards an MLS franchise in Philadelphia. When the Silverman Group asked us to create a piece of music that would accompany commercials for the Philly Union, we felt that the Sons of Ben should feature prominently in our project. By patching in several of Philly's favorite rowdy super-fans and layering their chants with additional recorded voices, Chief Engineer Bill Ahearn began to build the trademark chant heard in Union ads. These chants were then layered with authentic crowd noises from a Chilean soccer match, which were programmed to individual keys on a sampler. These combined "stadium crowd" chants were then mixed with some loud, deep percussion and an appropriately raucous bass line - creating an auditory sensation similar to an actual Philadelphia Union game experience. The process was challenging, but definitely rewarding!

Between the dazzling offensive prowess of Union forward Sebastien le Toux (the club's first-ever MLS all star selection), and the ongoing bid for Rookie of the Year by 19-year-old forward Danny Mwanda, it certainly has been an exciting first season for the Philadelphia Union. From promoting their first games to the grand opening of their new soccer stadium, PPL Park, we've been an integral part of Philly Union advertising.

Click here to see some of the exciting work we've done with Philadelphia Union, as well as many other projects we have recently completed!

Session Spotlight: Seth Farber

Greetings! This past week we received a visit from Seth Farber, an accomplished pianist and composer who has worked with some top musical acts. Farber, who runs Red Wall Records with his wife Liz Queler, traveled from his native New York to record on our in-house keys. That's a long way to travel for a piano! We are flattered that he made the trip to record with us again. The skillful playing that filled our ears during the session was an added bonus.

Over the past 15 years, Seth has recorded and performed with Billy Joel, Cliff Eberhardt, Joan Osborne, Phoebe Snow, John Prine, Lucinda Williams, Chip Taylor, Curtis Stigers, Chuck Jackson, Popa Chubby, Alejandro Escovedo, Little Steven, Liz Queler and many others. He has also been a part of various Broadway shows, and he scored songs that have appeared on TV networks including HBO, The Disney Channel, VH1, MTV, Comedy Central, and the Travel Channel.

For more information on Seth Farber's projects, visit www.redwallrecords.com

While we've had a slower past couple of weeks - amidst the season of vacation time - next week we're diving (ears first!) into a bunch of new and exciting jobs. Up next as we close out July: Three bank radio spots, a defense contractor production package that includes voiceover and scoring, and two new Lego videos to score, voice, and provide sound design for. Whew! August will be here before we know it ... as always, stay tuned!

East Granby's Gospel Guys Croon For A Cause

Recently, engineer Tony Thomas recorded a full-length CD for The Gospel Guys, a local a cappella group that began through East Granby Congregational Church in 1994. The talented quartet - aiming to raise money for the very place where they began - decided to donate all proceeds from CD sales to the church fund.

Ultimately, the endeavor has proved rewarding: check out this article from The Granby News for more information on the group's beginnings, some insights on the project, and the successful fundraising they've accomplished thus far.

After 16 years, East Granby's Gospel Guys release their first CD

Overall, the constant flow of varied, new projects in the studio have made us question the phrase "lazy days of summer." Our days have been anything but! One voice that's been floating around our halls for some time now is that of Mr. Jake Gyllenhaal, this summer's Prince of Persia. With an ongoing series of creative videos that feature the prince in Lego form, it's begun to feel as if the character is right here in our studio! Just imagine ...


Maybe someday! As always, stay tuned to this blog for more updates.
(Especially since our Facebook fan page is regrettably still M.I.A.)

Reflections on Responsive Classroom

A few months back, we spent many hours in-studio to record and edit an audio book for the Responsive Classroom series, an interactive teaching approach that is sponsored by the Northeast Foundation for Children (NEFC). This particular selection, entitled "Sammy and his Behavior Problems: Stories and Strategies from a Teacher's Year", follows a teacher's experience with a particularly challenging child in her class. Author Caltha Crowe paid us several visits to provide her own voice for her story, which turned out to be an inspired choice. Although she had no previous voiceover experience, she proved to be a quick study, as well as an enthusiastic storyteller. Check out the photo of Caltha as she expertly sought to bring her story to life.


Following the release of the audio book, an interview with project manager Michael Lain was posted on the Responsive Classroom blog. He had very kind words to share in regards to his time in our studio. Check out the excerpt below:

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How was the audiobook made?

Michael Lain: Once Caltha agreed to do the audiobook, we found a recording studio, Tapeworks, in Hartford, Connecticut. Caltha spent four mornings there reading the book, and Bill Ahearn, Tapeworks' engineer, recorded the reading. Bill and I spent one more morning with a professional reader who was patched in from California. (The other voice you'll hear on the audiobook is his.) Then, when the recording was finished, Bill added a few sound effects, such as incidental music, and mastered it to get the great sound quality you hear on the CDs. He did an amazing job.

What did you learn from this experience? What did you enjoy?

Michael Lain: I had never seen the inside of a professional recording studio before, but it's exactly like what I'd imagined - big panels of dials, switches, and lights, and a booth with a big glass window. I was a little surprised to discover that those panels of dials and switches aren't used much anymore - it's all done with desktop computers now! Caltha and I also learned that the best way to keep your voice fresh when talking for a long period of time is to eat an apple.

I enjoyed the entire process - I learned so much, and working with Caltha was a pleasure. She's so professional in everything she does, and it was inspirational to watch her work. I never would have known that she'd never recorded an audiobook before! When we were in the recording studio, people were disappointed when we had to stop for the day because they really wanted to know what would happen next in the story! Even me - and I'd already read the book!
----------------------------------------We also enjoyed the recording process on our end. Michael's kind input and enthusiasm - paired with Caltha's intriguing narrative voice - made our job pleasantly painless! Although Caltha's narrative cliffhangers at the end of sessions left some of us feeling "disappointed", (I wanted to know what would happen next for Sammy!), the session as a whole left us feeling quite the opposite. It was a job well done by all who were involved. Thanks again to Michael and Caltha.

To read the interview in its entirety, follow the link provided:
http://www.responsiveclassroom.org/blog/?p=1410

Pumbaa, Pevar, and a Lego Prince!

Judging by the recent heatwaves and abundant sunshine, Summer has arrived: bringing a handful of music projects, renovations, and other exciting collaborations with it. The month of June has already delivered a number of jobs to keep us busy- including a Disney voiceover, a couple visits from talented guitarist and friend of the studio Jeff Pevar, and a handful of Lego videos that center around some of this summer's biggest blockbusters- just to name a few!

Ernie Sabella, an accomplished actor most widely recognized as the voice of Pumbaa in The Lion King, returned to our studio to record as his signature character for an upcoming DVD release. The session displayed his great talent and comedic timing, as well as his ability to belt out a tune!

Jeff Pevar also made a reappearance to assist with two developing music projects. It's always a pleasure to have his guitar stylings fill our studio halls, and this time around we had a great couple days of tracking. The first project involved overdubs for an excellent upcoming album from Linda Chorney. Jeff is one of many accomplished musicians making an appearance on the project. A few days later, Steve Yanek and his daughter Emily ventured over from Harrisburg, PA to record some of her promising new tracks. With a hardworking, budding young talent like Emily at the helm, the sessions were a rewarding treat. And with Jeff's overdubs added into the mix, the final product was enhanced all the more.

Lastly, Lego has continued to send fun video projects our way, including some tie-ins with two summer blockbusters. We are continuing work on additional Prince of Persia videos, and Engineer Bill Ahearn has begun sound design for a series of short videos that will promote Toy Story 3. He completed an impressive amount of sound design in a few short weeks. Stay tuned for a more in-depth look at these ongoing collaborations, (possible video links to follow!)

PS- As for our aesthetic alterations, I present to you: our new studio control room floor! (Click to enlarge)

A Meeting of Hollywood and Hartford

We've had a whirlwind couple of weeks here in the studio, with a variety of projects and some studio renovations!

One newsworthy note: our facebook fan page has mysteriously disappeared without a trace! Oh the joys of technology ... but we're sincerely hoping that the facebook powers-that-be figure out the glitch sooner than later! Meanwhile, stay tuned to this blog for our project updates.

This afternoon, renowned Hollywood actor Brian Dennehy revisited our studio for some ADR recordings on an upcoming film, Alleged, set for release later this year. His past film credits include Cocoon, Tommy Boy, Romeo + Juliet, and Ratatouille, among many others. It's always a pleasure to have him grace our halls, since his talented reads are always accompanied by his enjoyable, sharp wit.
See the photo below!



Engineer Bill Ahearn, Assistant Jessica Thibodeau, and Actor Brian Dennehy.
True to form, Dennehy humorously labeled the photo "A rose between two thorns."

It was a fantastic session, topping off a hectic yet productive two weeks! We can't wait to see what the next few weeks will bring,
(although were especially hoping they will include the resurrection of our greatly-missed facebook fan page!)

PS- We've also got a brand new control room floor and snazzy new lighting in-studio. Photos coming soon...

The story of Star Wars - told in two and a half minutes flat!

The force was with us this past week at Tapeworks - the force of YouTube viral videos that is! Audio Engineer Bill Ahearn has been hard at work on the sound design for various Lego projects in the studio. One of these newly completed videos became a YouTube sensation this past weekend. The video tells the story of all three original Star Wars films, (episodes IV, V, and VI), in a little over two minutes!

Within the first two days, the video had over 150,000 hits. Now, after only six days, the video currently boasts over 1.2 million views. The viewers seem to agree in the comments that this quirky little video is quite the impressive feat!

Check out the video below:

From University A Cappella To Lego Royalty...

 Disney and Lego helped bring a new degree of star power to our studio this past weekend. Audio Engineer Bill Ahearn has been super busy in the studio the past few months, creating sound design for a series of Lego videos. One of their most recent variations, a Prince of Persia short, is slated to launch alongside Disney's upcoming feature film based on the popular video game. In order to promote the blockbuster's May 28th release, Lego enlisted the vocal talents of the Prince of Persia himself: actor Jake Gyllenhaal.

With Jake's busy schedule, it was tough to find the right time slot to record, but as always, we were more than happy to accommodate last minute openings. When we received word a few days ago that Jake could patch in through ISDN from a Montreal studio, we were happy to oblige.

The Saturday morning session was a pleasant surprise. The recording went smoothly, and we even finished ahead of schedule. Jake was quite the professional, even staying in character between takes at times! He was very friendly, and kept us all entertained with his playful side comments, (An example of his insight: We should all aspire to the ripped physique and "plastic abs" of his Lego counterpart.) Needless to say, Jake proved to be the perfect Prince of Persia.

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The prince was not the only voice to grace our halls this past Saturday. Engineer Tony Thomas was simultaneously working with TGFI, a female a cappella group from Central Connecticut State University. TGFI, which is shorthand for "Too Good For Instruments", boasts 12 talented members.

The group, with multiple recording sessions behind them, expressed increasing excitement that they will soon have a completed, 10-track CD. As one of the four groups in the Central CT A Cappella Society, they were also preparing for their "Music and Meatballs" fundraiser later that night. They were aiming to raise money for their individual group, as well as the society as a whole. We wish them luck in all of their endeavors, and we can't wait to hear the finished product soon!














A few of TGFI's members take a moment to pose for the camera!

An Award-Winning Collaboration!

We would like to congratulate Lockheed Martin and Keiler & Company on scoring two Silver Telly Awards, (the top honor!), for recent video projects. We were more than happy to contribute our sound services to both spots- "Energy" and "SIC Cyber".

Although 2009 seems like a distant memory after a very busy season, we remember this collaboration well. Our work on the cyber security video was especially rewarding. We logged extensive hours in the casting, recording, and mixing of voices, as well as in creating music for the piece. The spot features a team of analysts successfully navigating through a security crisis, with the concluding reveal that the threat was a practice simulation. We built the audio from the ground up, ultimately providing our own interpretation of what this tense setting would sound like. We always appreciate a challenge, and we're glad to see that the hard work has paid off for the various collaborators.

You can catch a glimpse of the SIC Cyber video below:

Bill Ahearn's Bon Jovi Weekend

This past Saturday, Tapeworks was able to add a super-cool rock collaboration to its credits. It all started Wednesday, when we got a call requesting studio time for that upcoming Saturday. The inquiring artists: members of Bon Jovi, who were scheduled to play two shows at Mohegan Sun that weekend. They had been calling around, but we were the first studio to answer our phones, (lesson of the day: being accessible has its perks!) We were more than happy to accommodate them.

With their hectic schedules, it was tough to squeeze in a visit to our studio once Saturday rolled around. So Bill brought his expertise to them! He hit the road, with his Protools rig in tow, and met up with Bon Jovi's producer, Obie O'Brien. Bill assisted in recording Richie Sambora's overdubs for an upcoming compilation.

Bill was accompanied by his lovely wife, Jamey, a die-hard Bon Jovi fan. It turns out, she was celebrating a milestone birthday- Happy Belated Birthday Jamey!- at the Mohegan shows that weekend, and was hoping for a Bon Jovi sighting. Bill, with a little help from fate, was able to grant her that wish! What an awesome birthday gift. See the above photo of Bill and Jamey posing with Richie Sambora as he takes a break from laying down his guitar stylings.

Stay tuned for updates on more exciting projects in our line-up!


(Prime Access!)

A Helping Hand For Haiti

Greetings! We are very excited about some of our recent projects.

Dr. Gina Athena Ulysse, a professor from Wesleyan University, returned to the studio on Wednesday to record content for "I Am A Storm: Songs & Poems For Haiti". The cd is donating 80% of its profits to INURED, a non-profit organization that is contributing to earthquake recovery in Haiti. They are specifically focusing their efforts toward Cite Soleil, one of the largest slums in Port-au-Prince, by establishing the Emergency Response Fund. For more information on this great cause, visit inured.org.

In other news, Tapeworks is still reeling from the exciting explosion of creative content in our studio all day yesterday! The talent, an impressive singer/actress/songwriter, arrived bright and early, dressed to impress and ready to deliver. By the end of the day, she had six radio spots and a handful of viral videos recorded. The mix of guitar riffs and spoken-word musings were spot on. We must have set a personal record for productivity in a given day. It was a tiring session, but we all left smiling!

Other projects included two international LEGO voiceovers, along with a series of radio spots for Market New Haven, Mass Mutual, and St. Francis. All in all, it was a great mix.

We're back to blogging!

We've been so busy this past winter season at Tapeworks that we've neglected our blog! It's been awhile since we gave some updates, so here's some highlights:

August 25th- Joey Pantoliano, aka "Ralph Cifaretto" from The Sopranos, was in the house with his pooch Bogey to do voiceover work for "Cats & Dogs 2", a Warner Bros film. Other notable credits include the Matrix movies, Memento, and Midnight Run. Check out the photo!

September and October brought us four Deloitte podcasts, some varied radio spots, recording and mixing for The Mark Nomad band, a Grayson Hugh's mastering session, and sound design for The Philadelphia Union soccer team (among other things!) We dabble in a little bit of everything here at Tapeworks...

In November, we recorded all sorts of music: from Italian arias, to some hip-hop tracks, and ending with a Jeff Pevar in-house concert. Also threw in an ISDN patch that connected the Pacific Northwest and Denmark. It's always fun when we can reach across the Atlantic and bring our work to other continents!

December saw a mix of jobs, including ski-area radio spots and choir recordings to put us in the holiday spirit. We laid down some musical tracks, ranging from Bosnian be-bop to classical piano, to conclude 2009.

HAPPY BELATED NEW YEAR!

In January, we really began to see our LEGO partnership take off, with the arrival of new film shorts to edit. On January 25th, the studio sent out a live feed to Madison, Wisconsin for a WPR radio interview with Dr. Gina Athena Ulysse of Wesleyan University. A Haitian native, Ulysse explained the history of Vodou in Haitian history and how the West's perception of Vodou has influenced public opinion about the religion. Very interesting stuff. Add in audio books for Responsive Classroom and ESPN's Mike & Mike, and you've got a great start to 2010!

February was all about the music, with a few radio and film scores. Audio engineer Bill Ahearn kept the LEGO shorts crankin', along with some other long-term projects.

... and that brings us to: this month! A new project were excited about is a series of clever, credit union radio spots that mix acoustic guitar and comedy, (possible viral video to follow!) Also, we've had some recent sessions to record demos for a local entertainment company. Some past artists they've worked with include Erykah Badu and Avril Lavigne. Here's hoping that they score some more great collaborations with their new hip-hop tracks!

Now that we're all caught up, let's hope we can find some time to keep the updates coming. We're already booking some great projects for the next couple months. Stay tuned!