The News & Gigs of

In December of 2011, while taking a family vacation in LA, I was interviewed by the multi-talented Joseph Armillas for his cable tv show, "LA Interviews." Afterwards I didn't remember a thing about what I'd said, so I was more than pleasantly surprised when, months later, I watched the interview and I came off sounding more or less coherent. Joseph is a very able interviewer, and he'd obviously done his homework. I enjoyed talking about my musical past and my therapeutic present and future possibilities that combine healing, sound, and other modalities. But the best part of watching the interview was realizing that I don't look nearly as beat up as I thought I did!! The interview is about twice as long as Joseph originally intended, but we had a good 'flow' together and it went on for about twenty minutes. I hope that you'll take the time to watch the whole thing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2BPeAu56c4
---Posted September 6, 2012

You can catch me in the new Will Ferrell film, "The Other Guys", singing a cappella with Will and friends in a real New York Irish bar!

You can also hear me from time to time on the soundtrack to the movie "9".

Listen for me as the voice of God on new radio spots for Buffalo Wild Wings, and as a bass penguin (a cappella, of course) on the internet for Frontier Airlines.
---Posted August 4, 2010

You can hear a little bit o' Bear on MySpace! I sang on the demo for an ambitious new musical theater piece that is the retelling of the Greek myth of Persephone in a very modern idiom. I'm singing the part of Hades, of course. When I say I sound like Hell, I mean it. Go to http://www.myspace.com/persephoneonstage for a listen.
---Posted July 13, 2009

It’s out! Schoolhouse Rock’s new DVD, Earth!, hit the shelves last week and the reviews are all raves. You can hear me as the voice of a whale, a shark, a Sasquatch (a first!), a water droplet, a big ol’ water jug, and yes, a singer. You’ll also hear XRP doing a song I co-wrote and produced with ex-Pella buddy Sean Altman.

My new audiobook is now available on CD Baby. “Going All The Way – The heart and soul of the Exceptional Marriage”, written by Brian Gleason, LCSW, and Marcia Gleason, LCSW, is a wonderful book about the potential upside of committed relationships. It’s a beautiful 4 CD set (that’s nearly four hours of my euphonious babbling), recorded and produced in the BassMint studio, situated on the lovely banks of the scenic Hackensack River.

The Antiques Road Show is on the move! The third-ever XRP concert is just a little over a week away. April 17th at TCan in Natick, Mass. Knowing that any given show just might be the last one always adds a little excitement to the gig!

On June 4th, I’ll be performing the soon-to-become-a-classic Altman opus, “Are You A Man?” with Sean and his band at Arlene’s Grocery in gritty downtown Manhattan.

From June 4th through the 8th, I’ll be performing with my friend Mark Gould and his band, Pink Baby Monster, in the not-so-absurdist theater piece, “Desert Jews” at The Tank on 45th Street in Manhattan. Note: This is an R rated production.
---Posted April 8, 2009

I'll be the narrator for two fantastic performances of Prokofiev's famous "Peter and the Wolf" at the Nyack Center on Sunday February 1 with performances starting at 1 and 5 pm. A killer ensemble plus the best narration since Peter Ustinov (uh, yeah, right...) make the hype for this gig better than the hype for many comparable shows, not that anything would be remotely comparable, of course, but you get the idea. There is also a second piece on the program, a contemporary treatment of 'Goldilocks', for eight instruments and narrator (me). Hey, it'll be fun and -best of all - not expensive.

Starting next month you'll be able to hear me doing all kinds of crazy voice over stuff on a new show on Comedy Central. So don't miss "Important Things with Demitri Martin."

I had an insane time with El and Sean at their annualish double bill at the Cutting Room. Between El's tasty trio and Sean's insanely testosteronial band of bulging muscles, heaven was in da house. Only complaint I heard was that I didn't sing enough.

Look for XRP (collectively and individually) on the soon-to-be-released DVD of new material from SchoolHouse Rock! From a cappella to rap to madrigals to pop/jazz insanity, it's all great fun and environmentally friendly. The animation is great, too! You're gonna love "Dewey Drop and the Drips"!
---Posted December 23, 2008

You can hear me 24/7 on Nickelodeon voicing the promos for their new run of the action show, 'My Family's Got Guts."

You'll hear some of my phatest, lowest notes on the theme song for the new cartoon show, "GoGoRiki!"

My gifted buddy Sean Altman and I co-wrote, arranged and performed a new song with XRP for Schoolhouse Rock. It's all about water conservation. Look for 'Dewey Drop and the Drips' on a new DVD some time this fall.

I'm performing at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music with my friend Mark Gould's amazing band, Pink Baby Monster on September 18th. We're doing Mark's brilliant serio-comic absurdist theater piece, "Desert Jews."
---Posted September 11, 2008

I'll be performing the hilarious song "Today I am a Man" with my amazing buddy and fellow Jew, Sean Altman, as part of the CD release party for his new album at Googie's Lounge above The Living Room - 151 Ludlow between Stanton and Rivington - on April 21st at 8:30 pm.

XRP - The Legend lives. Yes, it's true! I'm getting together, at long last, with my original Rockapella buds, Sean Altman, Elliott Kerman, and Steve Keyes - the guys from the now classic 'Spike & Co Do It A Cappella' video - for one show only in NYC on Saturday, July 26th at The Cutting Room! Our special guests, Duwende, will open the show. Remember - this is a small room and seating is limited, so make your reservations early!!

More XRP! August 23rd, at A Cappellastock in Ogden, Utah, will mark the second and final appearance of XRP. This is your twice-in-a-lifetime chance to hear the sound that made a cappella a household word. Tickets are on sale now.
---Posted March 27, 2008

I've Been Shucked!!! Yeah, friends. Deprogram your Tivos. After one recording session, the movers and shakers, and maybe even the writers, felt that my voice didn't blend with the other characters (what a surprise) in the new animated show that I thought would be my exoskeletal apotheosis. I got the boot, or the clam rake in this case. I was the first character that they cast and the first that they recorded, and at the end of the day, I guess my sweet little Clam was just too big-voiced and scary for a kiddie show. I'm kind of sulky about this today, but I'll get over it. (In an Eeyore voice) - I always do. Big thanks to those who quickly reminded me that I've been a clam before, and a damn good one at that. So there!!!
---Posted November 13, 2007

I'm now helping to develop a 45-minute performance piece with my friend, trumpeter and composer Mark Gould and his band, Pink Baby Monster. The piece is funny kinda like 'Dr. Strangelove' was funny, and the music is, of course, witty and eclectic. I'll be narrating, singing, and playing the bass. We have some dates around the US and Canada next year. Of course details will follow.
---Posted October 29, 2007

Some sharp-eared friends have mentioned that they're hearing a different voice on 'Ghost Hunters' now, and they're right. After a year of what I thought was a blissful relationship, SciFi kicked me to the curb like an unwanted mutt, and got an even lower, scarier voice than mine that they think will help sell their insipid reality show better than mine did. And I didn't get a kiss or even a thankyou for the gold medals I helped them to win. It's a harsh biz, I gotta tell ya. Ah well, I'm a firm believer in the idea that 'when one door closes, another one opens.'
---Posted October 29, 2007

OK! A few of you have better memories than I do, and quickly reminded me that I had indeed been a clam before, on the Muppet Beach Party album. But see, those were singing giant clams, not a cute little talking clam named Clam. I guess I just forgot my first experience as a mollusk. Thanks for reminding me. And who knows? Maybe there's a song in Clam's future...
---Posted October 29, 2007

A once in a lifetime concert experience – August 23rd , 2008. Before there was Carmen Sandiego, there was the 'Spike & Co. Do It A Cappella' special on PBS, the show that put Rockapella and the entire a cappella genre on the map. The four singers that comprised that original group, Sean Altman, Elliott Kerman, Steve Keyes, and myself, now performing as 'XRP', will be performing together at A Cappellastock '08 in Ogden, Utah. The stars must have lined up in perfect harmony for this to happen, and it may never happen again, so mark your calendars and get your plane tix and concert tix now!!! A Cappellastock has become the hottest show in the west. Last year, 4,000 people showed up for an incredible night of the best of the best, and it rocked. So don't miss XRP at A Cappellastock '08!! I'll have more info as it becomes available.
---Posted October 20, 2007

Look! I'm a clam!!! It's true. I've been a lot of animals in my voice over career - bear, pig, duck, cockroach, horse, penguin, giraffe, moose – but I've never been a bivalve until now. I'm making my Nickelodeon debut as the voice of Clam the clam (how's that for an original monicker?) on their new cartoon series, "Bubble Guppies". I'll let you know when I have an air date.
---Posted October 20, 2007

Yo! I'm a boshoppin' penguin. That's right! I'm the bass in a quartet of barbershopping penguins for Frontier Airlines. Here's the link for tv commercials and a fun game in which you get to dunk me and my pals in the frigid, slowly globally-warming arctic waters.
---Posted August 16, 2007

On October 10 I’m doing a lecture/concert for an audience of mental health professionals in Rockland County, NY. Their mission is to de-stigmatize mental illness and treatment. That makes me a poster boy!
---Posted August 16, 2007

I’ll be singing a couple songs at my friend Kahlene’s wedding in Michigan on September 8! Congratulations, Kahlene!!
---Posted August 16, 2007

You can see thirty-six of my zany ‘SciFi Saturday Survival Tips’ on scifi.com, plus you can hear, uh, see some of my ‘Ghost Hunters’ promos there. I sound very, very scary…muhahahahaha! [These Ghost Hunters promos seem to be on summer vacation. Check back in the fall when the show resumes.]
---Posted August 16, 2007

I make my soap opera debut on ‘Guiding Light’ on August 29, as the voice of a taxidermied moose head named Waldo. No, I’m not making this up. Check your local listings for air time.
---Posted August 16, 2007

I’m emceeing AcappellaStock this year in Odgen Utah on August 25! I’ll also be singing a couple tunes with the group that organized the show, Tminus5. It’s gonna be a great show.
---Posted August 16, 2007

Two of my SciFi channel promos won International Gold Medals at ProMax, the big annual promo convention held in NYC on July 10, 2007!!
---Posted August 10, 2007