press
Singer/songwriter carves own niche
Peter Proko, Gloucester County Times, August 12th, 2005
Chris Arter has musical influences that range from Beethoven and Chopin to Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder. He also plays in a jazz quartet, teaches music and fills a spot that was once occupied by his father in a wedding band. It all plays a role in the singer/songwriter's drive to weave his way through musical genres. While the Somerdale resident's father entertained guests at receptions and his brother played in a rock n' roll band, the then 8-year-old Arter was taking classical piano lessons in what would be the start of his musical journey.
Arter eventually stopped tickling the ivory and ebony and began to learn how to play guitar, drums and bass. He took over his father's spot in the wedding band when he retired and also began playing in area restaurants as part of a jazz quartet. But something was missing. In his spare time, he would write and record his own music at his home and penned the track called "Love," that would open the door for him to be an established musician.
An up-and-coming promoter in Philadelphia named Joey Mahoney heard the song and instantly fell in - well, in "love" with it. He began helping Arter get gigs through his organization Songspot.org, which showcases local artists. The song generated a buzz and the drummer of the jazz quartet, Dave Ruscitti, said that they should form a rock band and take Arter's musical vision the the next level.
"To be able to play original music is an added bonus," said Arter, 23. "To be able to write music and do whatever your heart desires. It's very important to me that my vision comes through.
"(The band) trusts me and they all really want to do it. That's why this band is my dream come true."
The band, simply named after its leader, consists of Arter as lead vocalist/guitarist, Ruscitti on drums, Ryan Peiffer on saxophone, background vocalist Lidia Ramirez, bassist John Delventhal and keyboardist Steve Marcucci.
The group features two members in Delventhal and Peiffer who have music degrees from Rowan University. Arter is a jazz major at the school and Ramirez will soon be seeking her musical degree on the Glassboro campus. Despite the familiar backgrounds, the group is all over the map according to Arter.
"It's a very eclectic style and I know a lot bands say that, but we do soul, R&B, rock, alternative and avant garde jazz," Arter said. "It's skitzophrenic in a way because it goes from one style to the next. At a show you could hear anything from a Prince cover to some Afro-Cuban folk songs."
The group is recording a CD at Habitat Studios in Woodbury and has lofty goals for their immediate and distant future.
"We would like to become a signed band and go on tour," Arter said outside of the studio. "We are working on this album and hopefully we can get some management and talk to some lawyers and shop (the CD) around to some labels.
"We want to market the CD and get our name out there and put it on the radio."
For right now, the band will take part in a special anniversary celebration for the Mahoney's organization at the Theatre of Living Arts in Philadelphia tonight and the group can feel the momentum.
"I never played a place like the TLA," Arter said of the famous South Street rock venue. "The fact that you can buy tickets for this on Ticketmaster...it's pretty exciting for me."
And you can bet that the group will be dressed for success. The band members all wear their sunday's best whenever they perform.
"The main reason we always wear suits and ties is that we would go right from our jazz gigs to our rock gigs, so we didn't have time to get changed. People liked it and it stuck.
"I like it too though, because I feel that the band should look different from the audience," Arter said "You should distinguish yourself from the people you are going to entertain."