Exclusive Interview with T.J. and Larry from 'Round Midnight

After listening to their new album and loving it we had to see what they had to say about the world of a cappella 

RTR: How did you guys come together and start this group?

T. J. : Wayne, Jeff, and I met in college and we had another tenor.  He fell in love with a girl who lived in the midwest and he moved out there to get married.  Larry was recommended to us by a mutual friend and he came in and was amazing in our first rehearsal.  We stopped looking for a new tenor after that!

RTR: If you could have any super power what would it be?

'Round Midnight singers (left to right) T. J, Jeff, Wayne , Larry

T. J. : Flying

Larry: Teleportation

RTR: When were you first exposed to barbershop music?

T. J. :When I was 18.  I had a voice teacher who was in a barbershop quartet and he encouraged me to try it.  I thought it would be kind of nerdy and boring but once I tried it, I was hooked!
Larry: In college - one of the guys in my a cappella group brought Coney Island Baby to rehearsal once and asked me and two other guys to sing through the chart with him. i've been hooked ever since.

RTR: What is the top song played on your ipod or MP3 player right now?

T. J. : Makes Me Wonder - Maroon 5
Larry: I Saw Her Again Last Night - the Mamas and the Papas

RTR: What is your guilty pleasure?

T. J. : Madden 11 on Xbox 360
Larry: Singing barbershop quartet music

RTR: What inspires you to sing the songs that you do?

T. J. : I like to sing songs that really express who I am.  When we pick songs for the quartet, we all have a vote and if one person votes no, we don't do the song.  The lyrics really have to speak to us because that makes for a more believable performance for the audience!
Larry: Over the past two years, we've moved from a quartet that did a lot of early jazz standards to one that focuses more on 1960s R&B and Soul music - i think we've found a little niche here within the barbershop community -- not many quartets are singing this type of music and i like to think that we do it pretty well (thanks in large part to the fact that our lead, Wayne, arranges these tunes very true to the original).

RTR: Do you have any weird talents of hobbies?

T. J. : I can imitate people very quickly after meeting them :)
Larry: Yeah, I sing in a barbershop quartet

RTR: If your group was made into a musical or a movie, who would play you?

T.J. : Someone told us once that we look like a quartet of celebrity lookalikes.  If they made 'Round Midnight the movie, I would be played by Chris Daughtry, Larry by Tobey Maguire, Jeff by Gerard Butler, and Wayne by Adam Sandler (someone told him that once!)
Larry: Toby MacGuire

RTR: How involved in music were you in your high school years?

T. J. : I was very active in chorus.  I sang at the New York State music festival every year starting in 10th grade.  I was in All-County and I was also the lead singer of a rock band.
Larry: I was concertmaster of the orchestra and I studied AP music as a senior. I didn't really start singing until college when I joined the Chorale and sang in an a cappella group.

RTR: What do you do to sing safely and maintain your voice?

T. J. : Sing with proper technique (breathing is so important!) and know when I'm getting vocally tired and not overdo it.  We are very respectful of each other in the group.  When one of us is getting tired, we'll pick songs to sing that aren't so hard on the voice.
Larry: Falsetto and bubble warmups every morning in the shower

RTR: Are you guys making another cd?

T. J. : Yes!  We are in the planning stages right now.  The next CD will be longer than the first one and will feature songs like New York State of Mind and Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me.

RTR: Who's your idol? and Why?

T. J. : My idol is my old voice teacher, Dave Johnson.  He passed away in 2003 but he inspired me to always strive to be better not just in barbershop but in life.  It is because of his example that I am a music teacher today.
Larry: My brother Mark. He had a dream to become a screenwriter and he ran with it. Right after college he picked up and moved to California, got a job working as a clerk in a mail room and then as a gopher for a rock star. and he stuck with him and kept writing and now he's like one of the most famous screenwriters in hollywood. that's determination and it's the quality I admire most in people.

RTR: What advice would you give to teenagers who want to be involved in music later in life?

T. J. : My advice is remember that opportunities to participate in music will always be there for you and can always enrich your life.  Whether you want to sing in the local church choir, play in a community orchestra, or you just love watching others perform, music is an amazing way to express yourself and that doesn't change as you get older!
Larry: Start young -- because you're ability to retain information is better the younger you are. you will never meet a really great musician who wasn't exposed to music at a young age -- this is also why it's so important that we all make sure schools have arts programs.

RTR: If you could have lunch with anyone dead or alive who would it be? Why?

T. J. : I want to have lunch with Paul McCartney.  I'm curious to know what it's like to be one of the most famous musicians in the world.  Can he still just pick up and go to the movies on Friday night like the rest of us and not get mobbed by fans?  I'd love to know!
Larry: My mother's father, Grandpa Mickey. He died when my mom was 9 so obviously I never met him, but my grandmother always used to tell me that I reminded her of him. And my mom says the same thing (I think it's because he sang in the shower a lot, and the crazy thing is, he sang a lot of the same songs that I sing today in my quartet and chorus).

Thanks so much T. J. and Larry! You guys are beyond amazing and we can't wait until your next CD.