My Sonic Test Kitchen
Featuring Crossover String Quartet
THE MUSIC
Streamed on
BONUS TRACKS
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View video performance excerpts from ATLYS' #QUILTEDATLYS on YouTube...
THE STORY
My Sonic Test Kitchen (MSTK) was created to provide a platform for music experimentation and collaboration. Our vision is to embrace the popular music format of short, accessible songs, with catchy hooks and melodies, but do it with a sonic twist. In this, our first official full-length album release titled RENEWAL, we fuse the sounds of a classically trained string quartet with pop inspired melodies and arrangements.
We are also dedicated fans of the album format of the past, where each song is part of a wider musical story. Side one of RENEWAL, uses the traditional classical instrumentation of the string quartet (two violins, viola, cello, and an occasional grand piano) in an exploration of songs written with a modern sensibility. Side two, with a hybrid instrumentation approach, adds vocals, rock and EDM instruments and a few additional sonic surprises. Starting at track one, “Renewal”, through to track ten, “Into The Woods”, we examine themes of musical and personal growth.
Our team recorded and produced this album in 2021, during the global pandemic. This presented some obvious challenges. The greatest of these was that all the musicians had to become their own recording engineers, capturing their performances individually in their homes. This was a global collaboration. To make the project work we constantly shuttled tracks over the Internet from New York, to Chicago, to Los Angeles, to Berlin. Although we would have preferred to record the string quartet and other musicians as a group, in a professional recording studio, the album takes on an authenticity that only adversity can create. We are impatiently counting the days until we can perform this music live in front of an audience. Completing the musical journey that is RENEWAL.
Peter Lyons
MSTK Founder
Co-Writer/Arranger/Executive Producer
A child of the Sixties, Peter, was born into a modern musical renaissance. As a curious pre-teen he would secretly borrow his older sister’s portable phonograph to listen to her Beatles and Rolling Stones records. While he attended college in the Eighties, he formed his first band, a New Wave group called The Hip. After graduation he went on to a successful career as a video and new media producer. It wasn’t until years later that Peter looked back on his life, and knew that something was still missing. That something was writing and creating music. Five years into that journey, with the help of the group of very talented musicians he assembled, his first full-length album RENEWAL was released.
“You would think that working with a group of musicians half my age and twice my talent would make forming connections with them might be difficult. In fact, it was actually quite the opposite. We found we had so much in common, and the differences we did have just fueled the creativity.”
– Peter
Collin DeJoseph
Co-Writer/Arranger/Producer
Keyboards, Bass and Percussion
Collin is a keyboardist, arranger, and composer and a graduate of the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. As a child in Syracuse, New York, Collin got his musical start playing songs on piano by ear and later studied classical music extensively, before moving to New York City to study jazz. His influences include Frank Zappa, Dr. John, Richard Tee, Bill Evans, and James Booker. He currently works playing jazz, blues, R&B, and rock ’n roll with a number of distinct groups, as well as running a successful music transcription business and teaching privately from his home.
“I first met Peter when he asked me to transcribe a live recording of one of his songs so it could be re-imagined as an instrumental piece for violin and cello. That ended up leading to a growing writing and producing collaboration. We just “got” each other. Once we asked ATLYS to perform some of our new compositions we knew we had something special. Two songs eventually turned into ten, and we had our album. We then just wanted to share it with the world.”
– Collin
THE ARTISTS
ATLYS Crossover String Quartet
Sabrina Tabby
- Violin -
Violinist Sabrina Tabby enjoys an active, diverse performing career coast-to-coast and internationally, playing regularly with NYC-based new music ensemble Contemporaneous (of which she is a founding member), the Quad City Symphony in Illinois and Iowa, and of course with her crossover string quartet, ATLYS. With degrees from Bard College Conservatory and Northwestern University, Sabrina is also a sought-after string arranger and recording artist while juggling a full studio of violin students.
“I was excited to join forces with Peter and Collin to color their songs with the power and versatility of a string quartet. They encouraged me to bring my knowledge to the project, allowing me the full freedom to experiment with the dynamic range of timbre and intensity of the quartet. It was an effortless partnership.”
– Sabrina
Jinty McTavish
- Violin -
Jinty McTavish is a violinist known for her passionate performances, fiery improvisations, and Paul Buckmaster-inspired string arrangements. She is a founding member of the lady power, crossover string quartet called ATLYS, and tours internationally with the ensemble. When she’s not with ATLYS, you can find her teaching her students in Chicago, jamming with a DJ in a bar in both the US and abroad as part of her solo project, “Jintshred”, or snuggling with her beautiful fur baby, Appa.
“Remote recording of acoustic stringed instruments presents its own unique set of challenges, but we worked hard with Peter to create the best sounding environment we could. This included using dual microphones and even draping sound absorption blankets in our spaces to create a more unified sound overall.”
– Jinty
Rita Andrade
- Viola -
Rita Andrade has made a home in Los Angeles playing viola and violin for film, tv, orchestral, and remote recording sessions. Rita grew up playing in various bands alongside endeavors in classical training at Idyllwild Arts Academy, University of Texas and DePaul University. Deeply passionate in all genres of music, Rita has performed nationally and abroad in concert halls and clubs alike. From orchestral fellowships in Chicago, to Hollywood performances. Rita enjoys life as an active performer, teacher, string arranger and recording artist.
“As a violist, I’m especially grateful when composers/songwriters write melody lines for the viola. Playing the lead line is not often a role violists get to take and I love bringing out the deep tones and richness of the viola in a beautiful melody line. Thank you Peter for featuring the viola on some of the album’s songs.”
– Rita
Genevieve Tabby
- Cello -
Genevieve Tabby is the cellist of the genre-bending string quartet ATLYS, who not only perform around the country and world, record for artists in bands, film, and TV, but also maintain an active following on many social media fronts. Graduating from Cleveland Institute of Music and Northwestern University, Ms. Tabby also holds a full certification in Suzuki Pedagogy method and has curated a cello studio in the Chicagoland area. Apart from teaching, Ms. Tabby enjoys the freelancing and recording work that Chicago provides.
“We’ve come up with a method for remote recording that works well for us. We curate a detailed click track to play alongside us, and then one individual will record their part, and pass it down to the next musician until we’ve racked up a full string quartet. It absolutely works like a charm.”
– Genevieve
Learn more about ATLYS by visiting: atlysmusic.com
Special Guest Vocalists
Debbie Tjong
Debbie Christine Tjong is a singer, multi-instrumentalist, and actress. List of instruments includes piano, guitar, bass, upright, accordion, uke, banjo, mandolin, drums, cajon, percussion. Off-Broadway: We’re Gonna Die (Second Stage), The Wrong Man (MCC Theater), Rags Parkland (Ars Nova) Red Roses, Green Gold (Minetta Lane Theater), Missed Connections: A Craigslist Musical (New Ohio Theater). International: A Labor of Love (p.L.a.Y Prod.), Les Misérables (Victoria Theater). Others: The Appointment (NYTW), Cowboy Bob (New York Stage and Film), Agent 355 (LPR), Bran Castle (Signature Theater), Time Bomb (Lenfest Center @ Columbia University), Eastbound (Lab/MTF). She is currently touring with Sammy Rae & the Friends as keyboardist and backup vocalist.
Andrijana Janevska
Andrijana Janevska is a well-known singer and musician from the Republic of Macedoni. Andrijana was born in Skopje, the capital of Macedonia where she currently works and lives. She started her studies at the School Centre for Music Education in Skopje at age of 6, and currently holds a master’s degree from the Faculty of Music Arts in Skopje. Andrijana’s talent was first showcased to the public in 1998, when she took part in SkopjeFest. She is working now as a stage singing professor at the Faculty of Music Arts and is a full-time employee of the National Macedonian Opera and Ballet as first violin. She has released 8 albums and 35 singles. In addition to her musical talents, Andrijana also enjoys playing competitive Chess and riding her motorcycle as a stress reliever.
CREDITS
All songs written, arranged and produced by:
Peter Lyons and Collin DeJoseph
Featured artists:
Sabrina Tabby – violin, backing vocals and co-producer/co-arranger
Jinty McTavish – violin, backing vocals
Rita Andrade – viola, backing vocal
Genevieve Tabby – cello, backing vocal
Vocalists:
Debbie Tjong – lead, harmony and backing vocals on “Why Do You Lie”
Andrijana Janevska – lead, harmony and backing vocals on “In The Moment”
Album, CD and website art direction:
Patrick Sodano
“Special thanks to our family and friends who encourage us to follow our passion for creating music, and have the strength to love us anyway. And to my dog Lieko, who has faithfully stayed by my side through the whole production process. I love you all more than you can ever know.”
– Peter, MSTK Founder and Co-Writer/Producer
THE SCORES
View and download all the scores from RENEWAL
Musicians, please check out the song scores. They are free to download for personal, non-commercial use. We have also included the lyrics and chord diagrams for those songs on the album that feature vocals and guitar. We have provided this resource in the spirit of creative collaboration. We would love to hear how you would interpret the music of RENEWAL. Please make sure to share your sonic creations with us.
CONTACT
If you are interested talking with us about our music, licensing our music, or booking us to play our music live, please fill out the contact form below. Significant discounts are offered to organizations that want to use our music for non-commercial purposes. Please reach out, we would love to hear from you.