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[jules-has-notes]

The Record Player Song — VoicePlay dueting music video shorts

VoicePlay is always looking for new ways to get their music into the world, collaborate with new artists, and reach new audiences. So in early 2022, they started searching TikTok for potential tunes they could work their harmonic magic on. First up was this indie darling.

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Dueting

Isabella Kensington sang the catchy chorus of this surprise hit song all by herself, so VoicePlay decided to give her some backup.

Details:

title: The Record Player Song (feat. Isabella Kensington)

original performers: Daisy the Great

written by: Kelley Dugan & Mina Walker

arranged by: Isabella Kensington & VoicePlay

release date: 13 February 2022

My favorite bits:

Isabella's breathy, playful timbre

the slight delay on Cesar and Eli's echo of ♫ "out… sorta green" ♫

how delicate Geoff's ascending bass lines are

Layne using a lot of woodblock sounds in his percussion

the guys cutting out to give Isabella the last word

Cesar's sweet, encouraging nod at the end

Trivia:

The original song was Daisy the Great's debut single in 2017. After it became a viral hit on TikTok in early 2021, the band was contacted by AJR, and the two groups worked together on a remix version released in August.

Isabella's first version features audio that pans back and forth when wearing headphones, but VP simplified it for their duet. She uploaded her solo portion with regular stereo audio a few years later.

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Duet-able

In the spirit of continuing collaboration, VoicePlay also put a duet-able version of their backing vocals on TikTok. (Darn Tumblr and its inability to directly embed TikTok videos / single video upload limit.)

Among the folks who took up the challenge, their buddy Deejay Young put his spin on it, including an inevitablly impressive riff.

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Dueted

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Another local Orlando performer of their acquaintance, Sarah Whittemore, also gave it a whirl.

Details:

title: The Record Player Song (feat. Sarah Whittemore)

original performers: Daisy the Great

written by: Kelley Dugan & Mina Walker

arranged by: VoicePlay & Sarah Whittemore

release date: 15 February 2022

My favorite bits:

alto Sarah getting up into a lovely, airy head voice

her crisp diction for ♫ "came out a seasick sort of green" ♫

the bouncy ascent on ♫ "when they fall" ♫

ending on that smooth descending riff

Trivia:

Sarah has many connections to the group. She played the witch in the 2019 CFArts production of Into the Woods with Cesar as Jack, she was part of a livestreamed concert series hosted at PattyCake in early 2021, and she's a member of both Voctave and Voices of Liberty with occasional VP collaborator EJ Cardona.

Some of the gang were rather effusive at each other about the brief collaboration. (Here's hoping they get to do something in person someday.)

[jules-has-notes]

Hearing Loss (A True Story) documentary

Moving through the world can be difficult without fully functional hearing, let alone working in the music industry. After many years of careful consideration, the Castelluccis made this short documentary to tell the story of Kathy's hearing loss with a wonderful combination of facts, honest emotions, and a fair bit of humor. Whether you're dealing with hearing loss yourself, or have someone in your life who is, this personal tale might just offer a bit of solidarity and hope.

release date: 5 February 2022

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The Dragonborn Comes — VoicePlay music video

Oh, good. You're awake. And if you're not, this video is sure to do the trick. VoicePlay got their geek on to immerse themselves in the world of Skyrim. Let the sights and sounds transport you to a cozy tavern somewhere in Tamriel, and listen to these esteemed bards tell a tale of legendary warriors.

Details:

title: The Dragonborn Comes (feat. Omar Cardona)

original songs: "The Dragonborn Comes" and "Dragonborn" from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011)

written by: both composed by Jeremy Soule, with lyrics by Emil Pagliarulo

arranged by: Geoff Castellucci

release date: 4 February 2022

My favorite bits:

the environmental sound effects of the crackling fire and Layne's whetstone to set the mood

Geoff emerging from the depths with that draconic rumble

the backing vocals alternating between sharp "plucked" sounds and gentle legato chords

the rich tone of Cesar's lower register and their contemplative harmony with Geoff's continuing bass line

Omar's clear, angelic falsetto on ♫ "It's an end to the evil…" ♫

Eli adding a touch of grit with ♫ "For the darkness has passed…" ♫

finally reaching full unison on ♫ "You'll know, you'll know" ♫

the mist effect emerging from Layne's mouth to accompany the breathy sighing sound

the ebb and flow of the choral canon as they gather at the front

Layne kicking in the beat with militaristic precision

the contrast between Eli's delicate stacato vocals and Cesar and Omar's abrupt battle cries

the hardcore nerdery of singing in a constructed language and making it sound natural

the cavernous space between Eli and Omar's soaring tenor lines and the rhythm section

Geoff just casually running two-octave arpeggios in his bass line

Cesar and Layne shifting over to the ♫ "dum-dum-dum" ♫ instrumentation before going back to their previous parts

"Fus Ro Dah!" 🌬 (They did the thing!)

the airy cymbal hit Layne holds to bridge the transition between sections

returning to sparse bell chords as they ease into the ending

Omar's final deft riff over a long anticipatory inhalation

that deep drum hit and cut to black as they step forward (The prepartations are complete. Time to fight.)

Trivia:

○ Eli requested that they record this song after hearing it in the game. Fellow gamer Omar was very enthusiastic when they invited him to join them for it.

○ "The Dragonborn Comes" can be requested from bards in the game after the player has completed a quest called "A Blade in the Dark".

○ VoicePlay had previously included a more "instrumental" rendition of the "Dragonborn" main theme in their "Aca Top 10 – Video Games" countdown.

○ For my fellow language nerds, the Dovahzul lyrics are:

Dovahkiin, Dovahkiin, naal ok zin los vahriin / wah dein vokul mahfaeraak ahst vaal! / Ahrk fin norok paal graan fod nust hon zindro zaan / Dovahkiin, fah hin kogaan mu draal!

translation: "Dragonborn, Dragonborn, by his honor is sworn / To keep evil forever at bay! / And the fiercest foes rout when they hear triumph's shout / Dragonborn, for your blessing we pray!"

They were intentionally written by the game designers to rhyme in both languages. (Though the English translation doesn't have quite the same metrical scansion.)

○ Geoff admitted that he went a bit overboard on the costuming. Cesar was wearing 20 pounds of actual chainmail, which got pretty heavy after several hours of filming, and he eventually had to lie on the floor between takes. It took a while to slow him down, though.

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○ The character makeup was designed by their regular collaborator Rick Underwood. On the day of filming, he looked after Geoff and Cesar, while Renette Feren saw to Eli, Layne, and Omar. (They cleverly split the elf ear duties so that each makeup artist only had to handle one set.)

○ Each of the guys represents a distinct combination of character races and classes from the game. The fan consensus seems to be:

Geoff — Imperial Barbarian

Cesar — Dunmer (dark elf) Battlemage

Omar — Bosmer (wood elf) Archer

Eli — Breton Necromancer

Layne — Nord Jarl

○ There are a few other visual references to Skyrim in the video:

Omar holding an arrow to his knee at the beginning

the misty breath visual effects as a dragonborn indicator

the dragon shout of "Fus Ro Dah!" that unleashes a shockwave of force energy to stun and push enemies

○ Omar joined the YouTube premiere chat and was deservedly showered with praise for his performance. When the Dovahzul section began he gushed, "​​Im nerding out so hard right now!!!!"

○ Although the YouTube description always includes the singers' names and vocal parts, this one was particularly effusive.

Eli Jacobson — Tenor Extraordinaire

Cesar De La Rosa — Tenor Fabuloso

Geoff Castellucci — Bass Bass Bass Bass

Layne Stein — Drums and Shenanigans

featuring Omar Cardona — Awe Inspiring

○ Bethesda game studio hasn't released an official recording of this song, but many other singers have put their own spin on it. One of the best known is by Malukah. She is also feaured on Peter Hollens's version.

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Adoration — J.None original music

It can be easy to dwell on the difficult parts of life, but it's also important to acknowledge and celebrate the good times when they happen. We need reminders that troubles can be overcome, there are always things to look forward to, and loved ones to share the ups and downs with. If you don't have someone nearby to give you a physical hug, this song might serve as a suitable substitute.

Details:

title: Adoration

performers: J.None, feat. Daniel Kelley Howard

written by: Jessie "J.None" Nunn III & Daniel Kelley Howard

release date: 30 January 2022

My favorite bits:

the birdsong, mellow guitar groove, and relaxed vocalizations setting a mood of contentment

the warmth in J's voice as he sings ♫ "My life is so beautiful." ♫

that quick, clean diction on ♫ "I get another chance…" ♫

his gentle urging of ♫ "Don't settle for less when there's more." ♫

the lovely floaty harmonies behind the choruses

the transition from that delicate falsetto into a descending run on ♫ "sometimes I get knocked down" ♫

following ♫ "on the ground I could never remain" ♫ with a gorgeous riff

the fun back-and-forth audio panning on the ♫ "Love starts right here, now" ♫ counterpoint line

Daniel's final plucked notes forming a sweet major chord

Trivia:

This was the first song J.None released after he and his wife had made their marriage public in the fall.

J and Daniel had started writing it before the pandemic, but didn't get around to finishing it until a couple years later.

YouTube's content system jumped the gun a bit and auto-generated another iteration of the track, which went live two days before the intended release. It lacks the signature "It's J.None" fanfare at the end.

The duo included this song as the opening track on their "Acoustic Butter" EP released later in the year.

J's former VoicePlay bandmate Layne had used a similar lyric of "Why settle for less when there's more?" with a much more sinister connotation in an episode of PattyCake Productions' Villains Lair series two years before.

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Shenandoah — Geoff Castellucci music video

Geoff seems to approach the changing of years as a time for rest and introspection, and that's often reflected in the music he releases around that time. With this song as his second solo January release, he offered a beautifully wistful rendition of an established classic. And while it may not be as flashy as some of his other projects, it does showcase many of his talents as a singer, pianist, and arranger in a deceptively simple fashion.

Details:

title: Shenandoah (bass singer cover)

original song: 19th century North American travel song; early recording by Charles Rosher (1906); partly inspired by the early Paul Robeson version (1935)

written by: unknown; excerpt of sea shanty "Shanadore" first printed in The New Dominion Monthly magazine (April 1876)

arranged by: Geoff Castellucci

release date: 7 January 2022

My favorite bits:

setting the mood with gentle piano and legato humming

lead Geoff singng the first verse solo with just the barest instrumental reverberation to emphasize the yearning in the lyrics

the way he extends the last word in each line and leaves silence in between to create the feeling of a broad landscape

standing Geoff taking the second verse up an octave into a lighter timbre as he starts singing about the object of his affection

the seated clones adding even higher, softer harmonies on ♫ "for her I'd cross" ♫

that lovely riffing on the repeated ♫ "wide Missouri" ♫

breaking into a canon at the start of the third verse to add more texture and evoke both the ♫ "rolling river" ♫ and the narrator's inner turmoil

the clones "interacting" as they sing, particularly the pair sitting on the righthand side (He's so good at that.)

love a good key change

lead Geoff earning that "bass singer cover" label with a subharmonic drop on ♫ "near yo-ooou" ♫

those delicious layered harmonies leading into the ending

letting the final note breathe before the video ends

Trivia:

The earliest recorded mentions of this song come from colonial American and Canadian fur traders travelling on the Missouri River during the early 1800s. Because it was spread through contact between different boating crews, the lyrics developed multiple regional variations over the years, and it became a popular sea shanty around the world by the mid-19th century. Older versions of the lyrics more explicitly refer to Shenandoah, the chief of the Oneida Iriquois, rather than the river in northwestern Virginia that now bears his name.

This project was Kathy's request, and Geoff would never deny his beloved's wishes. It's so sweet how besotted they are with each other, even after more than two decades together. (Also, she's usually correct in her produciton advice.)

The little upright piano at the PattyCake studio is only intended as set dressing, so it isn't properly tuned. When Geoff played it so that his finger movements would match the recorded music, it sounded awful. (See his "Hearing Loss" video for a behind-the-scenes clip.)

The Shenandoah River is also referenced in "Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver, which Geoff had covered the previous spring.

Legendary bass singer Tennessee Ernie Ford performed a version of this song on his television show in early 1961. Geoff had covered Ford's hit song "Sixteen Tons" the previous January.

This song has been performed and recorded by countless singers over the years, particularly by a cappella groups, including Geoff's occasional collaborator Peter Hollens a decade earlier.

Geoff's rendition got some love from old friend Erik Winger, and fellow YouTube singer Colm McGuinness.

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

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

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Hand off the controller, dude!

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

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

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Spoopy reunions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Downtime

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

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

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Something Wicked this way comes

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

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Scary stories to be told in the dark

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

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Feeling the love

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

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

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

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

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Feel the churn

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Moving and shaking

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

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Cure for the wintertime blues

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

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

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Time to celebrate

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[jules-has-notes]

Greatest Showman medley — VoicePlay music video

Movie musicals have had something of a rennaisance in the 21st century, and The Greatest Showman quickly became one of the most beloved. VoicePlay couldn't resist its siren song forever, and what better way could there be to close out a difficult year than with music all about the importance of persistence, hope, and joy?

Details:

title: The Greatest Showman medley (feat. Rachel Potter)

original songs / performers: [0:08] "The Greatest Show"; [0:49] "A Million Dreams"; [1:16] "Come Alive"; [1:57] "Never Enough"; [2:32] "Rewrite the Stars"; [3:14] "This Is Me"; and [3:48] "From Now On" by the cast of The Greatest Showman (2017)

written by: Benj Pasek & Justin Paul

arranged by: Layne Stein & Hannah Juliano

release date: 31 December 2021

My favorite bits:

replacing the bombastic instrumental opening with delicate stacatto music box sounds more similar to "Never Enough"

Rachel and Eli's sharp clockwork motions as they raise their heads

the slightly ominous tone of Geoff's deep ♫ "left behind" ♫

Layne directing the background lights with his cane, and providing a steady tick-tock to increase the urgency in the music

the slightly asymmetrical mirroring of Cesar flourishing his cape and Layne flinging his hat into the void on the transition

Cesar's lovely, wistful tone on the lead for "A Million Dreams"

the warmth in Eli's timbre during the opening of "Come Alive", and how deep he on the end of his descending ♫ "to the sky" ♫ riff

everyone getting a turn during the percussion break 🥁

Cesar and Eli looking at each other to punctuate ♫ "ba-ding!" ♫

the high descending arpeggio from Geoff

passing ♫ "I know you're wondering why…" ♫ down the line, and the audio panning following suit

the plaintive longing in Rachel's voice during "Never Enough"

the gulping sounds Layne uses in his percussion line to reflect the characters' nervousness in the lyrics

Eli delicately floating over the apex of ♫ "drown them out" ♫

Geoff's ascending slide providing a key change for the final section

adding the ♫ "we will come back home" ♫ refrain in the midst of the reprises of all the other songs

the gentle wind-down to end on a soft unison of ♫ "me" ♫ as they return to their original poses and the lighting dims

the fun behind-the-scenes clips in the outro

Trivia:

The dedications at the end are to Eli's mom and Rachel's brother, who had both recently passed away.

VoicePlay officially titled this "The Showman Medley", presumably lest any hardcore movie fans accuse them of claiming that their version was the greatest one. Humility meets the wisdom of having been online since the 90s. (I do think it's pretty great, though.)

The only songs from the movie that aren't included in this medley are "The Other Side", in which Barnum convinces Philip to join the circus, and Charity Barnum's devotional ballad "Tightrope".

Elizabeth Garozzo is credited as "voiceover" for the soaring vocal line during the "Come Alive" percussion break. She'd had a similar unseen cameo in their "Frozen 2 medley" two years before.

Layne had previously arranged a different Greatest Showman medley for PattyCake's "Disney Showman" music video.

PattyCake also produced a music video for classical singer Fernando Varela combining "Never Enough" with songs from Phantom of the Opera.

VoicePlay's costumes represent specific characters from the movie, though (as usual) they don't strictly adhere to those vocal parts. Geoff is the unnamed strong man, Cesar is a mashup of the acrobatic Wheeler siblings, Rachel is songstress Jenny Lind, Eli is the tall man O'Clancy, and Layne is ringleader P.T. Barnum.

Eli's extra-long pants were constructed by Tony to fit over the drywall stilts he wore to make him "eleven feet tall". Moving around while wearing them proved to be a bit of a challenge even without the stilts, due to all of the extra fabric he had to wrangle.

Not long before they filmed this video, Geoff had insisted that he would "never" put his hair in a ponytail, even though it had gotten long enough to do so. The demands of this production — and project lead Layne — said otherwise. (Although, if you want to be really pedantic about it, Geoff didn't actually tie his own hair back. Kathy did it for him.)

While everyone was preparing to film, they gathered for a (thankfully pleasant smelling) group hug.

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VoicePlay had previously released two individual songs by songwriters Pasek and Paul, both in 2018 and arranged by Layne. Their rendition of "Waving Through A Window" from Dear Evan Hanson at the beginning of the year was their second collaboration with Kurt Hugo Schneider for his channel. "Get Back Up Again" from the first Trolls movie came later that spring.

Layne and Tony had also used some of Pasek and Paul's music for their "La La Land" music video in PattyCake's Unexpected Musicals series.

Although Rebecca Ferguson played Jenny Lind on screen, her singing was provided by Loren Allred. Loren is a fellow reality show alumna, having competed on The Voice in 2012, Britain's Got Talent in 2022, and America's Got Talent: Fantasy League in 2024.

The tall man in the film, Vasily "O'Clancy" Karpov, is based on real-life circus giant "Captain" George Auger. He was a Welshman who grew to the height of 8'4" (2.5m) tall, became a London police officer, and was briefly conscripted to be Queen Victoria's personal bodyguard before he was recruited to join Barnum & Bailey's Circus in 1904.

After portraying the unnamed Strong Man in The Greatest Showman, actor Timothy Hughes joined the Broadway cast of Frozen as Pabbie, Leader of the Hidden Folk. VoicePlay had included "Let It Go" from Frozen in both their "Wow! Hits" medley during the 2015 Sing-Off tour, and in their "Aca Top 10 – Disney Heroes" countdown a few years later.

Fellow a cappella group Pentatonix had recorded a version of "The Greatest Show" as a bonus track on "The Greatest Showman: Reimagined" album, released a year after the movie's soundtrack. Their rendition sticks much closer to the original.

A few years later, founding 4:2:Five member Mykal Kilgore was part of a performance of "The Greatest Show" at the annual D23 convention in Anaheim, during the celebration for Disney On Broadway's 30th anniversary. It served as a preview for the stage musical adaptation that is being developed, and is scheduled to debut in Bristol, England in the spring of 2026.

[jules-has-notes]

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays — VoicePlay music video short

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Most bands with any kind of longevity will eventually release a holiday album. But when they have a major label behind them, it can happen in the same year as a group's debut. That was certainly the case for *NSYNC, and the boys even helped write some of the original tunes that went on to be hits. A couple decades later, their fellow Orlando residents in VoicePlay put their own spin on a song that had become part of the modern Christmas repertoire.

Details:

title: Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays (feat. Jose Rosario Jr.)

original performers: *NSYNC

written by: JC Chasez, Veit Renn, Justin Timberlake, & Vince Degiorgio

arranged by: Geoff Castellucci

release date: 23 December 2021

My favorite bits:

starting with a fun bassy scoop from Geoff

Cesar's sweet, breathy tone on the opening lyrics

the rhythm section keeping a steady groove 🥁 🎸

passing the lead melody between the standing trio

Jose's relaxed, joyous timbre

the freedom in Eli's descending riff on ♫ "It's the holidays" ♫

Jose, Cesar, and Eli all looking down and up in time with ♫ "from the floor to the ceiling" ♫

the fond smile Layne gives Cesar after their respective grooving causes them to bump against each other

Eli glancing at his watch on ♫ "Christmas time is here" ♫ during the chorus

Jose's quiet ♫ "say" ♫ before the repeated line

the pop up in the middle of the back row's second ♫ "Happy HOLI–" ♫

the warmth in their final chord

Geoff's sincere appreciation at receiving a roll of paper towels from Layne, and the other guys' amused laughter

Trivia:

Cesar (and J.None and many other VP pals) sang backing vocals in a full version of this song by their friend and frequent VoicePlay collaborator Omar Cardona two years later.

Because YouTube limits their shorts to 60 seconds, the version posted there is missing all the fantastic riffing in the final section.

The original song appeared on *NSYNC's "Home For Christmas" album released in North America and the UK, and on "The Winter Album" compilation CD that was released exclusively in Germany, both in mid-November 1998.

*NSYNC performed the song in their — and VoicePlay's — home town of Orlando during the 1998 Disney World Christmas parade when the founding 4:2:Five members were still in high school.

The original *NSYNC video features a cameo from Diff'rent Strokes star Gary Coleman, which was apparently a little tricky to arrange. They also released an animated video for it in 2023.

Fellow a cappella group Pentatonix had recorded a version of the song for their third holiday album five years earlier.

[jules-has-notes]

Holiday movie mini medley — VoicePlay music video short

There are a lot of classic Christmas carols, but holiday films have provided some newer tunes that have become just as beloved. So VoicePlay wove together a selection of their favorite songs (and quotes) for a one-minute movie night.

Details:

title: Holiday Movie Mini Medley (feat. Jose Rosario Jr.)

original songs / performers: "Christmas Vacation" by Mavis Staples in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989); [0:13] "Christmas Is All Around" by Bill Nighy as Billy Mack in Love, Actually (2003); [0:32] "Christmas Time Is Here" by the Vince Guaraldi Trio and the choristers of St. Paul's Episcopal Church (San Rafael, CA) in A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965); [0:48] "Setting the Trap" by the Hollywood Studio Symphony in Home Alone (1990)

written by: Christmas Vacation screenplay by John Hughes; "Christmas Vacation" by Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil; Love, Actually screenplay by Richard Curtis; "Love Is All Around" by Reg Presley, parody lyrics by Richard Curtis; "Christmas Time Is Here" by Vince Guaraldi & Lee Mendelson; A Charlie Brown Christmas screenplay by Charles M. Schulz; "Setting the Trap" by John Williams; Home Alone screenplay by John Hughes

arranged by: Rob Dietz

release date: 21 December 2021

My favorite bits:

Layne's incredible sleigh bells

starting things off with a bouncy melody and lovely harmonies

Cesar and Eli miming along with ♫ "fingers" ♫ and ♫ "toes" ♫

Jose and Layne engaging in some playful jostling during the Love, Actually bit

the little trill Geoff puts on the end of his repeated ♫ "grows" ♫

Cesar's smooth transition from holding the message sign to folded choirboy hands

Whee, fake snow! ❄❅❆

the back row swaying in time with the Peanuts song

Jose's delight at receiving the scraggly Christmas tree, then turning it into a pretend Tommy gun

how much fun they all have with the action-movie rhythms of the Home Alone song

Eli, Geoff, and Layne's alarm at Cesar suddenly screaming

the extended silence before Eli breaks character to yell "Cut!"

Trivia:

○ National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is the only movie in the series that doesn't feature "Holiday Road" by Lindsay Buckingham, which VoicePlay performed at their seasonal shows for many years, and recorded for their 2012 album "Peppermint Winter". It's replaced by "Christmas Vacation" instead.

○ The original version of "Christmas Vacation" is notoriously difficult to find digitally. The full movie soundtrack isn't officially available on any major streaming service, so it's most readily found on physical media or through bootleg uploads.

○ The soundtrack to Christmas Vacation does include several other holiday classics that VoicePlay has recorded or performed.

"Here Comes Santa Claus" by Gene Autry and "Deck the Halls" were both part of their setlists for holiday shows and included on "Peppermint Winter".

Excerpts of "Mele Kalikimaka", "Deck the Halls", "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" were all part of their "Most of the Songs" medley that they started performing during their 4:2:Five days.

Eli had sung "Silent Night" with the City Sounds a cappella group at Universal Studios Japan in the early 2000s.

Geoff had recorded a full version of "Mele Kalikimaka" with The American Sirens for his solo channel the previous year.

○ "Christmas Is All Around" from Love, Actually is a parody of "Love Is All Around" by The Troggs. The original song has appeared in several of screenwriter Richard Curtis's other films.

○ The soundtrack for A Charlie Brown Christmas is one of the best selling jazz albums of all time.

○ The guys' shirts represent some of their favorite Christmas movies.

Eli — Griswold Family Christmas logo from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Cesar — Peanuts carollers from A Charlie Brown Christmas

Geoff — "I Don't Know, Margo!" cross-stich print from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Layne — reindeer Max from How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (who he'd briefly portrayed in their video for "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" the year before)

Jose — Nakatomi Plaza Christmas Party design, in reference to Die Hard

○ This is the second short this year that ends with Cesar screaming. The first was their scary movie medley at Halloween, in which they recreated the shower scene from Psycho.

[jules-has-notes]

Oogie's Boogie (Villains Lair) — PattyCake Productions music video

As the villains begin their new plan to undo their fates, one savvy sorceress decides to stack the deck. If they're going to fight shadows, they're going to need some of their own, but all power comes at a price. What can Maleficent possibly offer to Oogie Boogie that might tempt him to trade away his lucky dice?

Details:

title: Villains Lair – s.2, ep.2 – Oogie's Boogie

performers: Alejandra Martinez (Maleficent); Wayne Ruffley (Santa); Justin Murdock (Lock); Kathy Castellucci (Shock); Matthew "Bucky" Buckner (Barrel); Tony Wakim, Emoni Wilkins, & Layne Stein (featured vocals)

written & arranged by: Layne Stein & Tony Wakim

screenplay by: Tony Wakim

release date: 3 December 2021

My favorite bits:

"What's he gonna do? Pull a rabbit out of his hat?" 🪄 🎩 🐇

Ooogie's creepy, almost lustful tone when he says "Saaandy"

the dissonant synth xylophone rhythm slowly building into a funky backbeat

the minions' singspiel parody of "The Night Before Christmas"

Oogie adding gleeful vibrato to the end of each line in the chorus

the call-and-response between the minions and the skeletons

poor Santa once again pleading that they "Release me now" 🎅

♫ "We'll deck the halls with creepy crawls" ♫ 🐛

Lock throwing it back in the tub as the disco lights start sweeping across the room 🕺

Shock pushing the other two out of frame at the end of ♫ "So say goodbye" ♫ to have a moment in the spotlight

the bouncy rhythm of ♫ "He's finished. He's cooked. Bye bye. He's done. Whee!" ♫

that fabulous ascending glissando on ♫ "I've only just beguuun" ♫ leading into the key change

the back wall of the dungeon transforming into a stage proscenium and Oogie's wheel of doom, ever the showman

the incredible high riff of ♫ "back in to-o-o-o-oown" ♫ from the skeleton (Hey there, Emoni.)

Maleficent's delight as she walks away

Trivia:

○ The articulated Oogie Boogie mask was designed and built by special effects wizard Rick Underwood, using a foundation of a pared down foam jack-o-lantern.

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○ The Oogie Boogie costume had technically made its debut in VoicePlay's "Kidnap the Sandy Claws" video the previous Halloween. It was also featured in their "Jingle Bell Rock" video for Christmas 2023.

○ The PattyCake guys haven't officially confirmed that Tony is in the Oogie Boogie costume for this episode, but he did wear it in the "Sandy Claws" video. They also posted a fun clip of Oogie boogie-ing on set between takes on their TikTok a few days after the public release, and he's a trained dancer.

○ The minion masks were also first used in "Kidnap the Sandy Claws", and later appeared as set dressing in VoicePlay's video for "In the Hall of the Mountain King", which was filmed at the PattyCake studio.

○ Most of the cast had appeared in other roles for previous PattyCake projects.

Wayne had played Santa the year before in PattyCake's "Naughty or Nice" Descendants video.

Justin had portrayed Harry Potter in their "Boy Who Lived" video at the beginning of the year.

Kathy played the Wicked Witch of the West in "Will.of.Oz".

Bucky played Prince Charming in "CinderSwift".

Emoni first portrayed Ursula in "The Grande Mermaid", and continued into "The Villains Lair".

○ The colorful lighting design was created by Eli Jacobson, who often does the same for VoicePlay, and had also appeared on screen in "Will.of.Oz" as all three members of the Lollipop Guild.

○ PattyCake teamed up with Cupcake Wars champion Jillian Hupke again to create some festive Oogie Boogie treats. The recipe for the full-sized character cake can be found in the YouTube video description.

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○ Maleficent has interfered with Santa before in official Disney lore. The company used to run an annual series of daily comic strips syndicated in newspapers across the U.S. during the weeks leading up to Christmas, in which Disney baddies would try to spoil the holiday and the heroes would save the day. Maleficent appeared in "Sleeping Beauty's Christmas Story" (1962), "Dumbo and the Christmas Mystery" (1967), and "Santa's Christmas Crisis" (1970).

[jules-has-notes]

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen — Geoff Castellucci music video

The Christmas season can be hectic, and when you're a professional singer, that energy only gets more intense with an additional slate of festive gigs. But with a bit of skillful arrangement and four heartfelt performances, Geoff managed to channel those feelings into a wonderfully creative version of one of his favorite carols.

Details:

title: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (low bass singer cover)

original song: traditional English carol

written by: earliest known manuscript in a "Collection of recusant verse", ca. 1650s; earliest known printing on "Three New Christmas Carols" broadsheet, ca. 1760

arranged by: Geoff Castellucci

release date: 3 December 2021

My favorite bits:

lead Geoff's lovely clear melody supported by gentle hummed harmonies

the first intentionally coordinated hand motions as the four reach unity on ♫ "joooy" ♫

the driving percussison line giving Mannheim Steamroller vibes in the very best ways

the menacing air of taking ♫ "gone astray" ♫ extra deep

the clones following their first echoed ♫ "sing praises" ♫ with an angelic ascending harmony line on the second iteration

righthand Geoff's powerful reattacks on ♫ "embra-a-aaace" ♫

marking the drum hits between ♫ "holy tide of" ♫ and ♫ "Christmas" ♫ for himself with little hand motions

leaving the rising ♫ "God rest ye merry" ♫ canon unfinished for two bars until lefthand Geoff finally gets his turn

the window lights dimming to twilight blue as the music cuts out, then pulsing gold in time with the returning drum beats and stacatto lyrics

the auxiliary Geoffs slipping in a soft major chord on the last ♫ "joy" ♫ before they head into the final section

that ascending canon setting the stage for lead Geoff's descent into the depths

the backing trio resolving to a major chord ♫ "jo-oooy" ♫ again just before that crisp ending

letting the final drum hit resonate over the backlit quartet

Trivia:

Some modern hymnals have updated the titular lyrics to "God rest you merry gentle friends" in an effort to be more inclusive. While that's a commendable goal, there's something about the Victorian version that continues to endure.

There is a second melody that has sometimes been published with the same lyrics since the early 19th century. The tune is referred to as "Cornish", and is in a major key rather than the more common minor version used here.

Geoff acknowledged on Instagram that his high-necked, long-sleeved jacket was "zipped and buckled and sweaty" since the video was filmed in mid-autumn at the old PattyCake studio with its unreliable air conditioning.

The small set was simply called "the parlor" by Layne and Tony, but Geoff jokingly referred to it as "grandma's living room" due to the decor options. Shortly after this was filmed, it was remodelled to be Haunted Mansion themed.

A couple fans lamented in the YouTube premiere chat that they'd had to choose between this video and Home Free's "Mary Did You Know", which went live at the same time.

Although he's often reluctant to share his "messy" arrangements with anyone who isn't involved in the production process, Geoff did a walkthrough of his Logic session for this with Patreon patrons three years later.

This song was part of a mashup with "Carol of the Bells" in the finale of the Luminescence show at the Gaylord Palms resort that Geoff performed in with Kathy and his 4:2:Five bandmate Danny Alan during the 2009 holiday season.

He recorded the other half of that mashup as his solo Christmas offering for 2024.

[jules-has-notes]

collaboration spotlight — I Got U by Pika Ocho

Is it any wonder that love and devotion are some of the most common themes in music? Sometimes it's the truest way to convey those emotions. Even people who have never met in person can connect through that kind of expression, and this afro-beat love song was a perfect fit for newlywed J.None's vocal talents.

Details:

title: I Got U

performers: Pika Ocho, feat. J.None

written by: Peter "Pika Ocho" Tautua & Jessie "J.None" Nunn III

release date: 26 November 2021

My favorite bits:

the laid back groove of the instrumentation

J.None taking the melody of ♫ "your love all day" ♫ higher to express the urgency of his feelings

the contentment in his voice as he sings ♫ "when you smile" ♫

adding just a touch of nervous vibrato to ♫ "without you" ♫

the contrast between the crisp lead vocals and the legato backing lines in the chorus

the echoing ♫ "hey hey hey" ♫ leading into the lyrics speeding up for a couple lines

his joyous tone on ♫ "This is our time to celebrate!" ♫

the overlapping ♫ "you and me" ♫ leading into the final chorus to emphasize his eagerness

Trivia:

These two musicians on opposite sides of the planet found each other through a website called SoundBetter that helps connect talent from all aspects of the recording process all over the world.

Although it was certainly in the works for a while beforehand, this track was released just a couple weeks after J.None got married.

This is Peter's second (and final, to date) song released under his Pika Ocho moniker. The stage name was originally a nickname given to him by his daughter.

Before striking out on his solo endeavors, he had been part of a Samoan R&B / soul group called Down to Please (DTP).

After being laid off from his airline job during the early pandemic, Peter returned to school to study filmmaking. He combined his passion for music with a personal story about his family to create his first solo song and music video, "Dearest Madeline", which earned him recognition at the innaugural Sony Film Festival for Australian and New Zealand filmmakers, and the 18th SAE International Awards.

[jules-has-notes]

Wicked medley — VoicePlay music video

Wicked is one of the biggest Broadway hits of the 21st century, so it was only a matter of time before the theater kids of the a cappella world took its songs for a spin. They brought back two of their most prolific guests as the witchy pair at the center of the story, and worked their vocal magic. Get ready to laugh, cry, and fly along.

Details:

title: A Chance to Fly – Wicked medley (feat. Rachel Potter & Emoni Wilkins)

original songs / performers: "No One Mourns the Wicked"; [1:14] "The Wizard and I"; [1:41] "Dancing Through Life"; [2:20] "Popular"; [2:52] "One Short Day"; [3:14] "Wonderful"; [3:37] "March of the Witch Hunters"; [4:12] "For Good"; and [5:45] "Defying Gravity" by the cast of Wicked (2003)

written by: Stephen Schwartz

arranged by: Geoff Castellucci

release date: 25 November 2021

My favorite bits:

Cesar's smooth, somber tone on the opening lyrics

the ebb and flow of the backing vocals

Emoni taking the lead being accompanied by warmer lighting and a cymbal crash from Layne

the subtle fall-off at the end of Geoff's descending ♫ "what they sow" ♫

the tag-team riffing of ♫ "good news" ♫ from Cesar and Eli

Rachel's exuberant performance during "The Wizard and I", enhanced by Layne's anticipatory percussion sounds and bright green lighting

Eli's nimble riff leading into "Dancing Through Life"

the continuing ♫ "when I meet the wizard" ♫ in counterpoint

Layne adding a more driving disco beat under the section that becomes a dance party in the musical

Bubbles! 🫧 👈 ::pop::

using "One Short Day" as a counterpoint line

Emoni's incredible descending riff on that ♫ "yeaaah" ♫

Geoff crooning the lead of "Wonderful", and tenor Eli just casually taking over the bass line for a couple bars

😠 "Kill the witch!" 😨 "Dude, calm down."

the decelerating steam train sounds Layne uses to ease everyone into a new tempo and quieter mood

Emoni's delicate, breathy delivery of ♫ "I don't know" ♫ that highlights the character's uncertainty

the little affectionate looks they all exchange during "For Good" 🥺

unison breaking into that gorgeous dissonant chord at the end of the final repeated ♫ "because I knew you" ♫

Layne's heartbeat rhythm under the transition into "Defying Gravity"

that beautiful homophony on ♫ "my friend" ♫

Geoff hitting a note with its own gravitational pull then immediately going quiet as the others soar upward

everything else dropping out for Rachel and Emoni's parallel ascent on ♫ "defy-y-y-ing" ♫

all the callbacks to earlier songs leading into the big ending

Rachel putting her stamp on that big iconic belt

the breadth of sound all six of them create with the movement in those final chords

Trivia:

The overall video concept was a "live in concert" visual experience, something a little more elaborate than they could achieve with their usual projections on the rear curtain or screen of a theater's stage. In addition to the enormous clock backdrop, they incorporated lighting effects, fog machines, and bubble machines to enhance the music.

Apparently it was one of their more expensive projects, as Geoff joked in the YouTube premiere chat that they'd "been eating Top Ramen since we shot this vid!" Between flying in two guests, a large custom backdrop, and using a bit more equipment than usual… yeah, that probably added up.

It was filmed at Full Sail University, and was their first time working with the student crew since "Oogie Boogie's Song" two years earlier. They had also filmed their "1-Minute Musicals" series there, as well as their videos for "My Shot", "Something Just Like This", "Mr. Blue Sky", and "Any Way You Want It".

VoicePlay had previously included "Popular" in their "Aca Top 10 – Broadway" countdown, which they then performed on the 2015 Sing-Off tour.

Some fans have surmised that part of Geoff's alarm at Cesar shouting "Kill the witch!" stems from the fact that he had portrayed the sea witch Ursula in their "Little Mermaid medley" the year before.

Cesar also has an Ursula on his other side, as Emoni first played the dastardly mer-diva in PattyCake's "Grande Mermaid" music video, and has reprised the role for their "Girls Like You" music video, two episodes of the Villains Lair series, and their first Descendants video, "No Rest for the Wicked".

Geoff has referred to this arrangement as his "white whale" because it took him years to complete. This is at least in part due to his ethos to "arrange for the voices you have", and the fact that VoicePlay's lineup had changed quite a bit during the previous two years. They were originally planning to record an earlier version in the spring of 2020 when Earl and J.None were still in the group, before it was derailed by the quarantine.

As is usually the case, the streaming audio version is broken into multiple tracks due to licensing restrictions.

VoicePlay eventually released their demo tracks to Patreon patrons at the end of December 2024 to coincide with the release of the first installment of the big screen adaptation.

Rachel gave a sneak peek of her makeup and outfit on Instagram. They're even more vibrant than they appeared under the colored lighting.

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She was eager to sing Elphaba's songs, because she had auditioned for the role several times before being cast as Glinda in the "Munchkinland" company of the Wicked national tour in 2009.

Rachel had the opportunity to sing Elphaba's part of "For Good" opposite Kristin Chenoweth (the original Glinda on Broadway) during the latter's three-night concert series with the Nashville Symphony in the fall of 2018.

Previous VoicePlay collaborator Shoshana Bean was the first understudy for Elphaba in the Broadway production of Wicked, and took over the role for most of 2005 after Idina Menzel suffered an injury at the beginning of the year. She later joined the "Emerald City" touring company for the last few months of 2006.

Future PattyCake collaborator Jessica Vosk played Elphaba in the national tour's "Munchkinland" company from September 2016 to September 2017, then joined the Broadway cast from July 2018 to May 2019 (a stretch that included the show's 15th anniversary). Layne and Tony invited her back into the green makeup for PattyCake's "Into the Storm" music video in late 2024.

[jules-has-notes]

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

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

Details:

title: I Can't Wait To See You

performer: J.None

written by: Jessie "J.None" Nunn III

release date: 4 November 2021

My favorite bits:

the nostalgic synth instrumentation and heartbeat rhythm

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

the insistent repeating harmony lines in the first chorus

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

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

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

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

Trivia:

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

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

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

[jules-has-notes]

Remember Me — VoicePlay music video short

This song appears in many musical styles over the course of Coco's story. Ernesto performs it as a mariachi song at a concert, Héctor sings it as a lullaby to young Coco, and elderly Coco sings it as a nostalgic duet with her great-grandson Miguel. There is also a pop rendition during the end credits, and a translated version called "Recuérdame" for the for the film's Spanish-language soundtrack album. As they often do, VoicePlay combined elements of all those different performances, then added something uniquely their own.

Details:

title: Remember Me (feat. J.None)

original performers: the cast of Coco (2017)

written by: Robert Lopez & Kristen Anderson-Lopez

arranged by: Rob Dietz

release date: 1 November 2021

My favorite bits:

J.None's beautifully smooth tone on the opening lines

the gentle rainfall of bell chords from the other four

that warm shared smile as Cesar joins in on the lyrics

Layne, Geoff, and Eli's legato echo of ♫ "in my heart" ♫ ❤️

everyone else dropping back to quiet humming as J sings ♫ "we are apart" ♫ 🥺

Cesar's powerful timbre during the Spanish verse

the brief but effective suspension resolving at the end of ♫ "the only way that I can beee-eee" ♫

J's ascending into a delicate falsetto for ♫ "in my arms again" ♫

everyone coming together to end on a lovely pure unison

Trivia:

VoicePlay released this song on Día de Los Muertos, a holiday dedicated to remembering and paying respects to loved ones who have passed on, and the central inspiration for the movie's plot.

They editorialized a bit more than usual in the title for the YouTube short and captions on social media: "Is this the saddest song? [It] always makes us cry…" I don't know if I'd call it the saddest, but it's certainly a poignant composition.

Cesar said on Instagram that this song made him think of his young nephew.

The film version received the 2018 Oscar for Best Original Song, which completed composer Robert Lopez's second EGOT. The movie also won Best Animated Feature.

VoicePlay had last recorded music written by the Lopezes in their "Frozen 2 medley" with Adriana Arellano two years earlier. That combination occurred again a few years later for "The Ballad of the Witches' Road" from Agatha All Along.

The songwriting duo had first caught director Lee Unkrich's attention after composing the music for the Finding Nemo live adaptation at Disney World. Earl was a long-time cast member in that show, along with 4:2:Five/VoicePlay's three other past baritones — Bucky, Ryan, and Tony — as were several other folks who have collaborated with VoicePlay and/or PattyCake.

Speaking of theme park pals, their friends in Voctave had released a full medley version of "Remember Me" featuring Mariachi Cobre the year before.

[jules-has-notes]

Horror movies mini medley — VoicePlay music video short

For a few weeks each year, when the days begin to grow noticably shorter and the nights longer, many people indulge their urge to gaze into the darkness. Horror movies are a way to let ourselves experience the fear induced by awful circumstances in a safe environment. And a big part of the way those films create the right ambiance is through music. Grab some popcorn and let VoicePlay take you on a quick tour of some classic scary stories.

Details:

title: Halloween singers go Psycho – Wait for it! (feat. J.None)

original songs: Ghostface quote from Scream (1996); [0:02] theme from Jaws (1975); [0:08] Martin Brody quote from Jaws (1975); [0:10] "Tubular Bells" from The Exorcist (1973); [0:22] Jigsaw quote from Saw (2004); [0:23] "Overlay of Evil" / main title theme from Friday the 13th (1980); [0:27] Dr. Frankenstein quote from Frankenstein (1931); [0:31] main title theme from Halloween (1978); [0:34] Jack Torrance quote from The Shining (1980); [0:44] Hannibal Lecter quote from Silence of the Lambs (1991); [0:45] "Prelude" and "The Murder" from Psycho (1960)

written by: Scream screenplay by Kevin Williamson; Jaws theme by John Williams, screenplay by Peter Benchley & Carl Gottlieb; "Tubular Bells" by Mike Oldfield; Saw screenplay by Leigh Whannell; "Overlay of Evil" / Friday the 13th theme by Harry Manfredini; Frankenstein screenplay by Garrett Fort & Francis Edward Faragoh; Halloween theme by John Carpenter; The Shining screenplay by Stanley Kubrick & Diane Johnson; Silence of the Lambs screenplay by Ted Tally; Psycho score by Bernard Herrmann

arranged by: Rob Dietz

release date: 22 October 2021

My favorite bits:

the thematically appropriate telephone EQ on J.None's opening Ghostface line 📞

slowly layering in the iconic half-tone Jaws harmonies and quickening tempo for maximum suspence 🦈

the smooth transition into the Exorcist theme

Layne's subtle evocation of the breathy "ki-ki-ki" motif from the Friday the 13th theme

that dissonant bell chord from the righthand trio leading into Geoff's deep, rumbling pedal tone

Eli's fantastic Dr. Frankenstein exclamation ⚡

the contrast between low legato notes and bouncy stacatto lines in the final two excerpts

Layne's eerily accurate Hannibal Lecter impression

another excellent villain laugh from Geoff

Cesar's ingenue-worthy scream as he's threatened with large knives 🔪😱🔪

Trivia:

○ Characters from several of these movies were featured in PattyCake's "Bump in the Night" music video the year before, including Layne playing Frankenstein's monster, and a post-credits scene with Ghostface.

○ The guys are all wearing shirts releated to some of the films.

Layne — classic Universal Studios monsters

Cesar — Camp Crystal Lake from the Friday the 13th series

Eli — the Bates Motel sign from Psycho

Geoff — collage of moments from The Exorcist

J.None — chibi versions of several villains on a rippling white surface, mirrored by more realistic depictions beneath their feet

○ This is the first of two shorts late this year that end with Cesar screaming. The second is their holiday movie medley, in which he recreates the aftershave scene from Home Alone.

[jules-has-notes]

collaboration spotlight — This Is Halloween by Peter Hollens & friends

The Nightmare Before Christmas has become a holiday-spanning classic in the decades since its initial release, and a big part of that enduring enjoyment is Danny Elfman's incredibly catchy soundtrack. So it's no surprise that Peter wanted to put his own spin on this rollicking song. With the help of a handful of friends, he put together something joyously silly.

Details:

title: This Is Halloween

performers: Peter Hollens, feat. Brian Hull, Geoff Castellucci, Evynne Hollens, & Anthony Vincent

original performers: cast of The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

written by: Danny Elfman

arranged by: Peter Hollens

release date: 15 October 2021

My favorite bits:

the gentle vocal layering to ease the listener in before the beat drops

the KXVO pumpkin-head dancers appearing when Peter sings ♫ "Pumpkins scream" ♫ 🎃

the visual echos emanating from ♫ "everybody scream" ♫

having an otherwise unrelated Harry Potter cameo just so he can say ♫ "I am the one hiding under your stairs." ♫

Peter's trash can helmet that doesn't actually hide anything 🗑️

Anthony's fantastic metal growl of ♫ "Aren't you scared?" ♫

the spooky whispers echoing ♫ "the wind blowing through your hair" ♫ 🌬️

Geoff's emphatic eye acting as he recites Oogie Boogie's dialogue

the various characters slowly being replaced by more copies of Jack, particularly the ghost segment still being translucent

everyone disolving into chaos and laughter

Trivia:

As seen in the first few seconds of the video, Peter had received many requests for a full cover of this song after including an excerpt of it in his "Epic Halloween Medley" music video two years earlier.

The additional performers not explicitly credited are members of the Once Voice Productions team, who have worked on several of Peter's projects.

Both Geoff and Brian had guested in Peter's "Epic Christmas Movie Medley" video the year before.

Geoff had previously recorded two versions of this song with VoicePlay. The first was on their 2012 Disney album "Once Upon an Ever After", and the second was for their 2018 spooky season music video. He recited Oogie Boogie's lines in both of those renditions, as well.

Brian has also done two covers of this song. The first is comprised of his impressions of Disney villains through the decades, including Oogie Boogie. The second is a collaboration with Danielle Threet featuring their impressions of bad guys' sidekicks from various cartoons, including Jack's trio of mischievous trick-or-treaters.

Peter included this video in a massive Halloween compilation three years later.