Da Vinci's Notebook: Online A Cappella Product
Da Vinci's Notebook: a 4-man contemporary a cappella group that inflicts its special brand of music-cum-humor on and around the Washington, DC area
Shortly after a free classified ad in the Washington City Paper brought Bernie Muller-Thym, Storm DiCostanzo, and Paul Sabourin together, Storm roped Richard Hsu—a singing buddy from their University of Maryland salad days—to complete a six-man a cappella doo-wop group in Alexandria, Virginia during the summer of 1993. Due to some legal obfuscations, precious little more can be said about that group except that it didn't last, and the four lads struck out on their own, adding bass singer Jay Jones to the mix later in the year.
Seven months and a slew of bad names later, Da Vinci's Notebook made their debut at the 1994 Mid-Atlantic Harmony Sweepstakes and came away with 3rd place. Rejoicing followed, ending quickly when Jay moved to Scotland a month later seeking adventure, personal growth, and chicks who spoke with accents.
Down to one tenor and three flexible baritones, the foursome rearranged their three songs up a couple steps and promptly won an open mike contest in Arlington. They were then promptly signed to perform a month later and fill three hours of music. One of the area's most unique musical endeavors, plus a strict rehearsal schedule, was born.
Since then, the group has blossomed in Washington's vibrant local music scene and beyond. A win at the 1996 Mid-Atlantic Harmony Sweepstakes landed them prominently on the pages of the Washington Post (which described them as "exuberance...crashing off the walls!"), then on a feature on NBC's Today Show, and finally as Artists-in-Residence at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Since then, the guys have been featured in specials on Comedy Central and PBS, and spent time as the "house band" on Washington radio's WBIG-FM. They are regular guests on the nationally syndicated Bob and Tom Radio Show, which has introduced them to fantastic numbers of wacky people across the country.
The buzz of Da Vinci's Notebook's razor-sharp humor, infectious enthusiasm, and tight harmonies has taken them to stages and festivals across the country. They have performed at New York's Bottom Line, the Ark in Ann Arbor, and Alexandria's Birchmere. They have performed before sold-out crowds at the Kennedy Center and at the Wolf Trap Center for the Performing Arts, and have been favorite performers at the Chattanooga Riverbend Festival, Birmingham's City Stages Festival, the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, and the Philadelphia Folk Festival.
Many bands are musically captivating. Some bands are hilariously funny. Other bands are full of charm and personality. And then, there's Da Vinci's Notebook—they're all of the above, and they do it all without instruments. With soaring vocals and a "Simpsons"-like sense of humor and absurdity, their take-no-prisoners songs skewer everything and everybody from boy bands, road rage and pretentious '70s rock icons to weight-loss schemes, cloying folk anthems and pickled okra.
Da Vinci's Notebook (known as "DVN" to the tragically hip) has been described as "Bobby McFerrin and 'Weird Al' Yankovic colliding on stage." They have drawn comparisons to They Might Be Giants and Barenaked Ladies with their inspired original material, clever parodies and high-energy, "absolutely-anything-goes" live performances. Da Vinci's Notebook shows regularly feature on-the-spot requests, lots of audience interaction, improvised lyrics, conga lines, and the occasional Britney Spears imitation.
The Arlington, VA-based group performs at music festivals and stages across the country and been featured on NBC's Today Show, Comedy Central, ABC's Drew Carey Show, the syndicated Bob and Tom Radio Show,NPR, and XM Satellite Radio. For good measure, their music has been heard in Canada, France, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, England, Germany, Italy, and—no kidding—Antarctica. They have served as Artists-in-Residence at the Kennedy Center, and received 2002 Washington Area Music Association Awards ("Wammies") for Best A Cappella Group and Best A Cappella Recording for their album "Brontosaurus."
Just so you know: no matter how you ended up in our little breakfast nook in the digital kitchen, there are tons of informative, fun, and useless distractions here for you while you sit at your computer frittering away your precious time on Earth. (It's your dime.)
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