V
O
N

A
M
P

Von Amp

Von Amp BIO (for YAF – June 2010 Featured Artists of the Month)

GENERAL
VonAmp is a Classic Rock band who could, with a few of their lighter songs, slide into the Pop genre as well. When we looked at their MP3 players, we found bands like Motley Crue, Led Zepplin, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Hinder, Poison, All-American Rejects, and a new band called As I Lay Dying, among other great bands.

SONGS
VonAmp unveils bold, yet VERY flawed characters within their songs. Whether their lyrics take us to the rice fields of Vietnam in The Veteran’s Song, or upon a riverboat in their song Mississippi, you will feel the pain that resonates from the voice of their lead singer, Tony Busey. Pristine lead guitar solos rage from Taylor Barrett’s guitar, while Nik and Collin keep the cool rhythms flowing smoothly. In several songs, Tony picks up the guitar and blankets the crowd with some classic rock solos, and oftentimes he and Taylor will be dueling solos from across the stage. With their masterful musicianship and singing styles aside, probably the most shocking observation is of their stage performance. Have you

SUMMARY
VonAmp delivers a phenomenal classic rock experience with a twist. They perform songs with bigger-than-life characters and stories. VonAmp’s songs are cutting-edge snippets of rock culture, stories of passion, and observations about life. Audiences trust VonAmp to take them on a long, winding journey of rock. If you haven’t met them before, then you will come to know them as:
VonAmp – Where ROCK and POWER Collide!
Thank you for supporting this band. You may book this band, or inquire about them at: booking@vonamp.com

VonAmp’s Individual Biographies

TONY BUSEY – lead singer /guitarist

Hi, I’m the second youngest member of our band and I sing the lead vocal and play some rockin’ guitar leads. I’m 14, but I’ll turn 15 years old on July 25th. I’m homeschooled, so that’s cool – it gives me more time for music! I really enjoy spending time with my band mates and preparing for our concerts. Some songs I've written lately include: What Love Is For, Mississippi, Where Are You Now, Hot Jungle Fever, Generation, Watchtower, and lots more. I wrote Rock On when I was 12 years old. Most of the songs that we perform in concert are our originals, but we'll throw in a few covers too.

Our music careers started when we played a gig at a mall parking lot. I know it sounds lame, but it’s true. At that point, we would play anywhere that would give us a gig! Soon after, we won 1st place in the Jackson Homecomers talent contest and a trip to Memphis, TN, and then everything started to snowball. Eight months later we were playing the Show Me Center with Ludo (Island Records). A bit of advice - never let people convince you that you are aiming too high. When the Show Me Center booked us, they’d only hired 2 unsigned acts to play at their 7,000 seat arena before. We became their third unsigned act to play there since the 1980’s, and we have to thank the Show Me Center’s director, David Ross, for giving us that opportunity.

We’ve had a blast with our TV Special this year (“Rock Showcase” airs in Southeast Missouri). We’re recording our new album with 4-time Grammy Award winning producer Malcolm Springer (Credits: Collective Soul, Matchbox Twenty, Seether, & more), and we’ve had a great time touring the Midwest and beyond. What a life! We’ve seen such HUGE talent on the Youth Arts Forum, and we are fans of yours, so we feel honored to be featured among you. We’ve always supported fellow artists, because we believe it’s the right thing to do, and because we totally dig great music! You can find us on YouTube at ROCKBANDVonAmp. -Tony

My Equipment: I play a Paul Reed Smith Custom 24 guitar and a Gibson Les Paul Studio Guitar. My amp head is a Spider Line 6 which is so mega powerful. I use a Sennheiser microphone and I think they’re the best too! Our personal equipment is totally awesome, but our main speakers for the band will have to be replaced this year – we’ll probably get sponsored for that and advertise their name on our equipment. We will eventually throw in some subwoofers, but we’re getting by without them for now.

TAYLOR BARRETT – guitarist / harmony vocals

Hi, my name is Taylor Barrett and I’m the oldest member of the band. I’m 17 years old and I play lead guitar and sing vocal harmonies in our band, VonAmp. I like Rob Zombie and his band, White Zombie. I really enjoy a great guitar lead or melody, so of course Stevie Ray Vaughan is also at the top of my list of favorite guitarists.

I wrote Ten Thousand Cities with Tony, and I'm always working on new lead guitar solos for our songs. There's nothing better than being in a rock band - it's the best. As we mention in Ten Thousand Cities, there's "freedom in a rock 'n roll band" – and more than anything else we have the freedom to say what we want. We can pretty much say whatever we want and get by with it, but we don’t abuse that power! It's cool that people come out to our shows - this experience has been unbelievable. I just graduated from high school in May, so I’m really happy about that too, but nothin’ compares to the fun I have playing in this rock band.

When I’m not playing guitar, I’m always looking for an adventure of some kind. Last weekend, I took Tony & Collin on a canoe trip on the Black River in Missouri. We rounded up a group of friends and spent the day swimming and canoeing. I also like fishing, hiking and exploring – there’s always a lot to do in Missouri! –Taylor

MY EQUIPMENT:
I play an ESP guitar and I play through a Mesa Boogie amp (with a Mesa Boogie amp head). I sing harmonies through a Sennheiser microphone.

NIK SCARPACI – drums & percussion

Hi, my name is Nik Scarpaci and I'm the 15-year old drummer for VonAmp. I play on a Pearl drum set (Vision Maple) and it’s totally awesome. I’m always adding to my cymbal collection – just ask my band mates about it (and see the list below). I think a drummer can never have too many cymbals! Last year, I played saxophone in our school’s Jazz Band, but there's nothing better than playing drums in this rock band.

We're working on all kinds of new songs and I have to say that performing our originals is the coolest part of being in this band. We’ve had a really busy year – a concert with Ludo (Island Records), news & radio interviews, and our TV Show (“Rock Showcase” airs in Southeast Missouri.) We’ve had such a great time! Our community has really been behind us 100% and we are so fortunate because of it. Thanks for everything.

Some drummers/musicians who have inspired me include: Dave Abbruzzese, John Bonham, Chad Smith, Neil Peart, Buddy Rich, Bud Gaugh, Dave Krusen, Travis Barker, Adrian Young, Daniel Adair, Chad Sexton, and Eric Kretz. I’ve been massively inspired by Led Zeppelin and Pearl Jam. I think Pearl Jam’s drummer, Dave Abbruzzese, is one of the coolest drummers in the world.

MY EQUIPMENT:
Pearl Vision Maple with 22'' Bass Drum Evans Clear G2 Head. 10" Rack Tom Evans Clear G2 Head. 12" Rack Tom Evans Clear/Coated Ec2 Head and 14" Rack Tom Evans Clear/Coated Ec2 Head. 14" Sensi-Steel Snare Drum. CYMBALS: 15" Sabian AAX Studio Crash, 18" AAXplosion Crash, 21" Zildjian A Ping Ride, 18" Zildjian Oriental China "Trash", 14" Zildjian A New Beat High Hats, 12" Zildjian A Custom "Rezo" Splash, 10" Zildjian A Splash, and 8" Sabian AA Splash cymbals.

COLLIN BARRETT – bass guitar & harmony vocals

Hi, I'm Collin Barrett and I play bass guitar and sing harmony for VonAmp. I'm 13 years old and the youngest member of the band. Taylor, our rockin’ guitarist, is my oldest brother. This past year has already been so wild. We had a blast playing at the Show Me Center with Ludo (Island Records) - the crowd was totally into our segment of the show, and that always makes us feel good. When we perform on the big stage, we take turns getting the crowd fired up (rockin’ on the edge of the stage, encouraging the crowd to clap, or getting them to do the wave), and we really reap the benefits of that too.

We’ve performed in Memphis, TN (and played on the same stage as Elvis Presley). In Southeast Missouri, we’ve performed at the River City Music Festival (Cape Girardeau), Southeast Missouri (SEMO) District Fair, the Holiday Inn Convention Center in Columbia, MO, and a bunch of other places. This spring, we’ve been in the studio with Malcolm Springer (Credits: Matchbox Twenty, Seether, & more), so that was fun.

When I'm not playing the bass, I'm usually playing baseball or doing some Xbox Live gaming with friends. Thanks for everything Youth Arts Forum! Your support has meant a lot to our band! –Collin

My EQUIPMENT:
My primary equipment is an ESP bass guitar and I play through a Gallien-Krueger amp head, with a Hartke half stack.