Barry Carl
Encyclopedia
Barry Strauss Carl is an American musician and voice-over actor best known as the bassist of the a cappella
band Rockapella
while the group was house band on the PBS children
's geography game show Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? (1991–1996). He was a member of Rockapella from 1988 until he left the group in 2002. Carl is known for his signature deep voice, which he used during his years with Rockapella to create an almost instrumental sounding bass. As a voice-over artist he has done hundreds of television and radio commercials for such companies as Taco Bell
, Charmin
, Mounds
/Almond Joy
, Doritos
, and Volkswagen
; promos for Syfy, Comedy Central
, Nickelodeon
, The Discovery Channel
, and PBS; theatrical trailers; industrial narrations; books on tape; public service announcements; internet commercials; and voices for animated characters in anime, video games, and commercials.
to a father who was a jazz musician and a mother who was an artist focusing mostly on sculpting, Carl's parents moved to Los Angeles
, where he grew up, before he was 2 years old. In 1958, at age 8, Carl began to play the tenor saxophone
, but stopped a year later and switched to the French horn at age 10. He won many awards and competitions for his horn playing including the Los Angeles Music Guild Award (1963), the First Los Angeles Horn Club Award (1965), and the Coleman Awards twice (1966, 1967). It also brought him many opportunities; Carl played with every pro and semipro ensemble in Los Angeles, played the Strauss'
Horn Concerto No. 1 at his high school graduation, was the principal horn in the American Youth Symphony under Mehli Mehta
as well as an extra horn with the Los Angeles Philharmonic
, the Cleveland Orchestra
, and the American Ballet Theatre
, and spent three summers on scholarship at the Music Academy of the West
in Santa Barbara
under Maurice Abravanel
, where he performed Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante for Wind Quartet and Orchestra, Robert Schumann
's Konzertstück for Four Horns and Orchestra, Antonín Dvořák
's Serenade for Wind Instruments
, and Mozart's Serenade No. 10 for Winds.
Carl won a scholarship to the Juilliard School
in 1966 at age 16, the youngest hornist ever admitted to the school on scholarship at the time, but waited until he graduated from Ulysses S. Grant High School in 1968 to move to New York and attend the school. He studied with Rainier DeIntinis, who was the 3rd chair hornist in the New York Philharmonic
while he taught. Carl earned two degrees from Juilliard, a Bachelor of Music in 1972 and a Master of Music in 1973, and played in the Juilliard Orchestra, many Broadway shows, the Merce Cunningham
Dance Company, and three seasons with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
during his years there. He quit playing the horn at age 28 to further pursue his passion for singing.
while at the AOC, which ended after just a few lessons when he told Carl, "You have a very ugly voice and should quit." He spent three summers at the Aspen Music Festival where he sang in his first opera and made his solo debut as the Basso Profundo soloist in the world premiere of Krzysztof Penderecki
's Utrenja II for Five Soloists, Boy's Choir, Chorus, and Orchestra. After a summer apprenticeship at the Central City Opera
in Central City, Colorado in 1978, Carl joined the New York City Opera
at age 28 for four seasons, where he sang as chorister and made his solo debut there in the dual roles of Alcindoro and Benoît in La bohème
. For several years afterward, he continued to sing with orchestras such as the Juilliard Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and the American Symphony Orchestra
; with many small emsembles such as Vocal Jazz, Inc., the Cathedral Singers at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine
, and the New York Choral Soloists; in regional opera playing roles such as Méphistophélès in Faust
, Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte, Zaccaria in Nabucco
, Seneca
in L'incoronazione di Poppea
, and Theseus in A Midsummer Night's Dream
; and did musical and regional theater.
group called Rockapella
in Backstage Magazine. He answered the ad and auditioned for Sean Altman and Elliott Kerman, but did not hear back from the two for months. That summer, while Carl worked with the Minnesota Opera
, Altman and Kerman asked him to be in the group and sent him a stack of music to learn. Upon receiving and looking over the music, Carl decided he didn't want to sing barbershop tunes
and Christmas songs, so he sent the music back and told the pair he had changed his mind about taking the position. Altman then called Carl and persuaded him to try it, asserting that it would be a minimal time commitment. He was a member of Rockapella for 14 years, two years longer than Altman's own membership. Carl's first gig with Rockapella was singing the "Star Spangled Banner" at a New York Rangers
game at Madison Square Garden
, which the group had been hired to do for 12 games; the quartet was booed throughout the entire song and relieved of their obligation to sing at the next 11 games. Upon looking back at the experience, both Carl and Altman have stated the negative feedback was because of their slow arrangement of the national anthem. Over the 14 years he spent with the band, Carl wrote four songs on the 15 CDs he appears on with Rockapella: "Island Christmas" (Bash!
), "Fat Jack & Bonefish Joe" (with Lisa S. Johnson), "Quiet Sensation" (Vocobeat
), and "Bored & Stroked" (Out Cold
); arranged the group's cover of "Love Me Tender
" (Lucky Seven
); and performed numerous bass solos for songs both on and not included in Rockapella's albums. He recorded many of his parts for these albums in his recording studio The BassMint, "a luxurious pro studio on the green banks of the Hackensack River" as Carl describes it.
In late 2002, Carl decided to retire from Rockapella to pursue other opportunities; his last concert with the group was on July 14, 2002 in Burbank, California
at the Starlight Bowl
, but appeared as the principal bass singer on the group's album Smilin'
, which was released a month later. Carl has, however, continued to work with music. He released a solo CD in 2004 titled The SoLow Project
, which contains 20 songs split into four sections of Negro spirituals, sea chanties, a collection of songs by Jacques Ibert
, and a song cycle by Modest Mussorgsky
. He also appeared on movie soundtracks as an ensemble singer for such films as Corpse Bride and Nine; in 2007 he appeared in the independent movie The Wedding Weekend as a tough guy in prison who likes to sing. In the fall of 2009, Carl filmed a scene for the Will Ferrell
movie The Other Guys
, released on August 6, 2010, in which he is an a cappella singer in a bar. Since 2008 Carl has gotten back together with Steve Keyes, Kerman, and Altman on three occasions, billing themselves as XRP. This regrouping of the 1988–1991 line up of Rockapella was originally scheduled to occur only twice: once as a practice gig on July 26, 2008, and a second time at the 2008 A Cappellastock in Ogden, Utah on August 23. However, XRP got together for a third show on April 17, 2009, and sang a song written by Carl and Altman on the Schoolhouse Rock!: Earth Rock soundtrack called "You Oughta Be Savin' Water"; Carl is also one of the singers on another Altman song on the same album titled "Save the Ocean". In addition to singing with old friends at various gigs, Carl sings in a pro chorus with the New York Philharmonic and the American Symphony Orchestra from time to time, and every now and then concertizes with Rockland Vocal Arts, a small ensemble of singers. Carl also privately teaches a limited number of vocal students and coaches vocal groups.
for ten years. Since then he has been with Abrams Artists Agency. At the 2007 Promax Awards
, two of Carl's SciFi Channel promos won International Gold Medals. For many years he was the voice of the papa bear in the Charmin
television ads; Carl's voice has also been used as the voice for the following various animated animals and objects: bear, pig, clam, duck, cockroach, horse, penguin, giraffe, moose, whale, shark, bass (fish), Sasquatch, water droplet, water jug, a jug of Koolaid, a toilet, a germ, a recycling bin, and an echo in a Pepsi commercial. In addition to his aforementioned private singing lessons, Carl teaches voice-over technique.
master for over 30 years.
Carl started playing the bass guitar
in 1986, was the bassist on The SoLow Project, and continues to play today. He also writes stories and articles for various publications, is currently co-producing TV show pilots and concepts in partnership with Hilton Media, is a frequent judge at a cappella competitions such as the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella
and the Harmony Sweeps Finals, rides a 2000 Honda VFR Interceptor
in Y2K yellow, and takes vacations with his family to places that intrigue him.
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
band Rockapella
Rockapella
Rockapella is an American a cappella musical group formed in 1986 in New York City. Their name is derived from the words "rock" and "a cappella". They sing original vocal music and a cappella covers of pop and rock songs; over time, their sound has evolved from high-energy pop and world music...
while the group was house band on the PBS children
PBS Kids
PBS Kids is the brand for children's programming aired by the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States founded in 1993. As with all PBS programming, PBS Kids programming is non-commercial. It is aimed at children ages 2 to 10...
's geography game show Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? (1991–1996). He was a member of Rockapella from 1988 until he left the group in 2002. Carl is known for his signature deep voice, which he used during his years with Rockapella to create an almost instrumental sounding bass. As a voice-over artist he has done hundreds of television and radio commercials for such companies as Taco Bell
Taco Bell
Taco Bell is an American chain of fast-food restaurants based in Irvine, California. A subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., which serves American-adapted Mexican food. Taco Bell serves tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, other specialty items, and a variety of "Value Menu" items...
, Charmin
Charmin
Charmin is a brand-name of toilet paper manufactured by Procter & Gamble.-History:The Charmin name was first created in 1928 by the Hoberg Paper Company in Green Bay, Wisconsin. In 1950, Hoberg changed its name to Charmin Paper Company and continued to produce bath tissue, paper napkins, and other...
, Mounds
Mounds (candy)
Mounds is a candy bar made by Hershey's, and is the sister product of Almond Joy. Like Almond Joy, it consists of a coconut based center; however, it is enrobed with dark chocolate rather than milk chocolate and does not contain almonds....
/Almond Joy
Almond Joy
An Almond Joy is a candy bar manufactured by Hershey's. It consists of a coconut-based center topped with two almonds and enrobed in a layer of milk chocolate...
, Doritos
Doritos
Doritos is a brand of seasoned tortilla chips created by Arch West and produced since 1964 by the American food company Frito-Lay ....
, and Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
; promos for Syfy, Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
, Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
, The Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
, and PBS; theatrical trailers; industrial narrations; books on tape; public service announcements; internet commercials; and voices for animated characters in anime, video games, and commercials.
Early life
Born in Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
to a father who was a jazz musician and a mother who was an artist focusing mostly on sculpting, Carl's parents moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, where he grew up, before he was 2 years old. In 1958, at age 8, Carl began to play the tenor saxophone
Tenor saxophone
The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
, but stopped a year later and switched to the French horn at age 10. He won many awards and competitions for his horn playing including the Los Angeles Music Guild Award (1963), the First Los Angeles Horn Club Award (1965), and the Coleman Awards twice (1966, 1967). It also brought him many opportunities; Carl played with every pro and semipro ensemble in Los Angeles, played the Strauss'
Richard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss was a leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is known for his operas, which include Der Rosenkavalier and Salome; his Lieder, especially his Four Last Songs; and his tone poems and orchestral works, such as Death and Transfiguration, Till...
Horn Concerto No. 1 at his high school graduation, was the principal horn in the American Youth Symphony under Mehli Mehta
Mehli Mehta
-Early life:Mehta was born in Bombay, British India to a Parsi family. His involvement in music stemmed from his birth. As a young violinist his main musical influence and inspiration was Jascha Heifetz. A pioneering figure in the Indian musical world, he founded the Bombay Symphony Orchestra in...
as well as an extra horn with the Los Angeles Philharmonic
Los Angeles Philharmonic
The Los Angeles Philharmonic is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California, United States. It has a regular season of concerts from October through June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and a summer season at the Hollywood Bowl from July through September...
, the Cleveland Orchestra
Cleveland Orchestra
The Cleveland Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Cleveland, Ohio. It is one of the five American orchestras informally referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1918, the orchestra plays most of its concerts at Severance Hall...
, and the American Ballet Theatre
American Ballet Theatre
American Ballet Theatre , based in New York City, was one of the foremost ballet companies of the 20th century. It continues as a leading dance company in the world today...
, and spent three summers on scholarship at the Music Academy of the West
Music Academy of the West
The Music Academy of the West is a music conservatory located in Montecito, California near Santa Barbara, California. Every year, it hosts a summer music festival for the community highlighted by concerts and workshops directed by famous composers, conductors, and artists.A yearly maximum of 135...
in Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
under Maurice Abravanel
Maurice Abravanel
Maurice Abravanel was aSwiss-American Jewish conductor of classical music. He is remembered as the conductor of the Utah Symphony Orchestra for over 30 years.-Life:...
, where he performed Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante for Wind Quartet and Orchestra, Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....
's Konzertstück for Four Horns and Orchestra, Antonín Dvořák
Antonín Dvorák
Antonín Leopold Dvořák was a Czech composer of late Romantic music, who employed the idioms of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia. Dvořák’s own style is sometimes called "romantic-classicist synthesis". His works include symphonic, choral and chamber music, concerti, operas and many...
's Serenade for Wind Instruments
Serenade for Wind Instruments (Dvorák)
Serenade for wind instruments, cello and double-bass in D minor, Op. 44 , is a chamber composition by the Czech composer Antonín Dvořák....
, and Mozart's Serenade No. 10 for Winds.
Carl won a scholarship to the Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
in 1966 at age 16, the youngest hornist ever admitted to the school on scholarship at the time, but waited until he graduated from Ulysses S. Grant High School in 1968 to move to New York and attend the school. He studied with Rainier DeIntinis, who was the 3rd chair hornist in the New York Philharmonic
New York Philharmonic
The New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...
while he taught. Carl earned two degrees from Juilliard, a Bachelor of Music in 1972 and a Master of Music in 1973, and played in the Juilliard Orchestra, many Broadway shows, the Merce Cunningham
Merce Cunningham
Mercier "Merce" Philip Cunningham was an American dancer and choreographer who was at the forefront of the American avant-garde for more than 50 years. Throughout much of his life, Cunningham was considered one of the greatest creative forces in American dance...
Dance Company, and three seasons with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra is a symphony orchestra located in the state of New Jersey, United States. Philip James founded the orchestra in 1922. The orchestra is headquartered in Newark, New Jersey. Neeme Järvi, the NJSO's music director from 2005 to 2009, is currently the orchestra's...
during his years there. He quit playing the horn at age 28 to further pursue his passion for singing.
Singing
Carl began studying voice in 1975 and went back to Juilliard a year later at age 26 as a singer in their American Opera Center (AOC) professional program. He studied with Nina Hinson, Raymond Buckingham, Dan Merriman, Armen Boyajian, Robin M. Williams, and briefly with Richard TorigiRichard Torigi
Richard Torigi was an American baritone and voice teacher. He had an active singing career in operas, concerts, and musicals from the 1940s through the 1980s...
while at the AOC, which ended after just a few lessons when he told Carl, "You have a very ugly voice and should quit." He spent three summers at the Aspen Music Festival where he sang in his first opera and made his solo debut as the Basso Profundo soloist in the world premiere of Krzysztof Penderecki
Krzysztof Penderecki
Krzysztof Penderecki , born November 23, 1933 in Dębica) is a Polish composer and conductor. His 1960 avant-garde Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima for string orchestra brought him to international attention, and this success was followed by acclaim for his choral St. Luke Passion. Both these...
's Utrenja II for Five Soloists, Boy's Choir, Chorus, and Orchestra. After a summer apprenticeship at the Central City Opera
Central City Opera
Central City Opera is the fifth-oldest opera company in the United States, founded in 1932. Each festival is presented in the 550-seat historic Central City Opera House built in 1878 in the gold mining era town of Central City, Colorado. Pelham G...
in Central City, Colorado in 1978, Carl joined the New York City Opera
New York City Opera
The New York City Opera is an American opera company located in New York City.The company, called "the people's opera" by New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, was founded in 1943 with the aim of making opera financially accessible to a wide audience, producing an innovative choice of repertory, and...
at age 28 for four seasons, where he sang as chorister and made his solo debut there in the dual roles of Alcindoro and Benoît in La bohème
La bohème
La bohème is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions quadro, a tableau or "image", rather than atto . by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, based on Scènes de la vie de bohème by Henri Murger...
. For several years afterward, he continued to sing with orchestras such as the Juilliard Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and the American Symphony Orchestra
American Symphony Orchestra
The American Symphony Orchestra is a New York-based American orchestra founded in 1962 by Leopold Stokowski, then aged 80. Following Maestro Stokowski's departure, Kazuyoshi Akiyama was appointed Music Director of the American Symphony Orchestra from 1973-1978. Music Directors during the early...
; with many small emsembles such as Vocal Jazz, Inc., the Cathedral Singers at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine
Cathedral of Saint John the Divine
The Cathedral of St. John the Divine, officially the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in the City and Diocese of New York, is the cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of New York...
, and the New York Choral Soloists; in regional opera playing roles such as Méphistophélès in Faust
Faust (opera)
Faust is a drame lyrique in five acts by Charles Gounod to a French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré from Carré's play Faust et Marguerite, in turn loosely based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust, Part 1...
, Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte, Zaccaria in Nabucco
Nabucco
Nabucco is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Temistocle Solera, based on the Biblical story and the 1836 play by Auguste Anicet-Bourgeois and Francis Cornue...
, Seneca
Seneca the Younger
Lucius Annaeus Seneca was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and in one work humorist, of the Silver Age of Latin literature. He was tutor and later advisor to emperor Nero...
in L'incoronazione di Poppea
L'incoronazione di Poppea
L'incoronazione di Poppea is an Italian baroque opera comprising a prologue and three acts, first performed in Venice during the 1642–43 carnival season. The music, attributed to Claudio Monteverdi, is a setting of a libretto by Giovanni Francesco Busenello...
, and Theseus in A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream (opera)
A Midsummer Night's Dream is an opera with music by Benjamin Britten and set to a libretto adapted by the composer and Peter Pears from William Shakespeare's play, A Midsummer Night's Dream...
; and did musical and regional theater.
Rockapella
In the spring of 1988, while sitting in the Pier 72 Diner on 72nd Street and West End Avenue in New York City, Carl read an ad for a bass in an a cappellaA cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
group called Rockapella
Rockapella
Rockapella is an American a cappella musical group formed in 1986 in New York City. Their name is derived from the words "rock" and "a cappella". They sing original vocal music and a cappella covers of pop and rock songs; over time, their sound has evolved from high-energy pop and world music...
in Backstage Magazine. He answered the ad and auditioned for Sean Altman and Elliott Kerman, but did not hear back from the two for months. That summer, while Carl worked with the Minnesota Opera
Minnesota Opera
The Minnesota Opera is a performance organization based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was founded in 1963 by the Walker Art Center, and is known for premiering such diverse works as Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak and Frankenstein by Libby Larsen...
, Altman and Kerman asked him to be in the group and sent him a stack of music to learn. Upon receiving and looking over the music, Carl decided he didn't want to sing barbershop tunes
Barbershop music
Barbershop vocal harmony, as codified during the barbershop revival era , is a style of a cappella, or unaccompanied vocal music characterized by consonant four-part chords for every melody note in a predominantly homophonic texture...
and Christmas songs, so he sent the music back and told the pair he had changed his mind about taking the position. Altman then called Carl and persuaded him to try it, asserting that it would be a minimal time commitment. He was a member of Rockapella for 14 years, two years longer than Altman's own membership. Carl's first gig with Rockapella was singing the "Star Spangled Banner" at a New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
game at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, which the group had been hired to do for 12 games; the quartet was booed throughout the entire song and relieved of their obligation to sing at the next 11 games. Upon looking back at the experience, both Carl and Altman have stated the negative feedback was because of their slow arrangement of the national anthem. Over the 14 years he spent with the band, Carl wrote four songs on the 15 CDs he appears on with Rockapella: "Island Christmas" (Bash!
Bash!
Bash! is the third studio album and the first holiday album from the a cappella group Rockapella.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Scott Leonard – high tenor*Sean Altman – tenor*Elliott Kerman – baritone*Barry Carl – bass...
), "Fat Jack & Bonefish Joe" (with Lisa S. Johnson), "Quiet Sensation" (Vocobeat
Vocobeat
Vocobeat is the fourth studio album by the a cappella group Rockapella. It is their first all original album and marks the first full-time CD debut of Jeff Thacher as vocal percussionist...
), and "Bored & Stroked" (Out Cold
Out Cold (album)
Out Cold is the fifth studio and second holiday album by the a cappella group Rockapella. ForLife Records wanted the group to do a second Christmas album, but settled for a mixture of Christmas and non-holiday music...
); arranged the group's cover of "Love Me Tender
Love Me Tender (song)
"Love Me Tender" is a song recorded by Elvis Presley and published by Elvis Presley Music, adapted from the tune of "Aura Lee" , a sentimental Civil War ballad.- History :...
" (Lucky Seven
Lucky Seven (album)
Lucky Seven is the second and sixth studio album released in North America and Japan, respectively, by the a cappella group Rockapella. As the name suggests, it is the seventh overall studio album by the group...
); and performed numerous bass solos for songs both on and not included in Rockapella's albums. He recorded many of his parts for these albums in his recording studio The BassMint, "a luxurious pro studio on the green banks of the Hackensack River" as Carl describes it.
In late 2002, Carl decided to retire from Rockapella to pursue other opportunities; his last concert with the group was on July 14, 2002 in Burbank, California
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
at the Starlight Bowl
Starlight Bowl (Burbank)
The Starlight Bowl is an amphitheater located in Burbank, California. Originally built in 1950, today it seats 3,000 in chairback seating and 2,000 more on the lawn for a total capacity of 5,000.-External links:*...
, but appeared as the principal bass singer on the group's album Smilin'
Smilin'
Smilin' is the thirteenth overall and eighth North American album by the a cappella group Rockapella. It is legendary bass Barry Carl's last album as a member of the group and the first appearance of Carl's successor, George Baldi III...
, which was released a month later. Carl has, however, continued to work with music. He released a solo CD in 2004 titled The SoLow Project
The SoLow Project
The SoLow Project is the solo album vocal bassist Barry Carl released after retiring from the a cappella group Rockapella. The album consists of 20 songs split into four sections: Seven Spirituals for Two Basses, a selection of Negro spirituals; Four Sea Chanties; Quatre Chansons de Don Quichotte,...
, which contains 20 songs split into four sections of Negro spirituals, sea chanties, a collection of songs by Jacques Ibert
Jacques Ibert
Jacques François Antoine Ibert was a French composer. Having studied music from an early age, he studied at the Paris Conservatoire and won its top prize, the Prix de Rome at his first attempt, despite studies interrupted by his service in World War I.Ibert pursued a successful composing career,...
, and a song cycle by Modest Mussorgsky
Modest Mussorgsky
Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky was a Russian composer, one of the group known as 'The Five'. He was an innovator of Russian music in the romantic period...
. He also appeared on movie soundtracks as an ensemble singer for such films as Corpse Bride and Nine; in 2007 he appeared in the independent movie The Wedding Weekend as a tough guy in prison who likes to sing. In the fall of 2009, Carl filmed a scene for the Will Ferrell
Will Ferrell
John William "Will" Ferrell is an American comedian, impressionist, actor, and writer. Ferrell first established himself in the late 1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, and has subsequently starred in the comedy films Old School, Elf, Anchorman, Talladega...
movie The Other Guys
The Other Guys
The Other Guys is a 2010 American action comedy film directed and co-written by Adam McKay, starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg, and featuring Dwayne Johnson, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Keaton, Eva Mendes, Steve Coogan, and Ray Stevenson...
, released on August 6, 2010, in which he is an a cappella singer in a bar. Since 2008 Carl has gotten back together with Steve Keyes, Kerman, and Altman on three occasions, billing themselves as XRP. This regrouping of the 1988–1991 line up of Rockapella was originally scheduled to occur only twice: once as a practice gig on July 26, 2008, and a second time at the 2008 A Cappellastock in Ogden, Utah on August 23. However, XRP got together for a third show on April 17, 2009, and sang a song written by Carl and Altman on the Schoolhouse Rock!: Earth Rock soundtrack called "You Oughta Be Savin' Water"; Carl is also one of the singers on another Altman song on the same album titled "Save the Ocean". In addition to singing with old friends at various gigs, Carl sings in a pro chorus with the New York Philharmonic and the American Symphony Orchestra from time to time, and every now and then concertizes with Rockland Vocal Arts, a small ensemble of singers. Carl also privately teaches a limited number of vocal students and coaches vocal groups.
Voice-over artist
Starting in 1984, Carl has done voice over work for many forms of media. He started out freelance for about five years, and then signed on with William Morris AgencyWilliam Morris Agency
WME is the largest talent agency in the world, with offices in Beverly Hills, New York City, Nashville, London, and Miami. WME represents elite artists from all facets of the entertainment industry, including motion pictures, television, music, theatre, publishing, and physical production...
for ten years. Since then he has been with Abrams Artists Agency. At the 2007 Promax Awards
Promax Awards
PromaxBDA Awards honor design and marketing work in the advertising and promotions business from a company or individual that is broadcast, published or released in their respective markets....
, two of Carl's SciFi Channel promos won International Gold Medals. For many years he was the voice of the papa bear in the Charmin
Charmin
Charmin is a brand-name of toilet paper manufactured by Procter & Gamble.-History:The Charmin name was first created in 1928 by the Hoberg Paper Company in Green Bay, Wisconsin. In 1950, Hoberg changed its name to Charmin Paper Company and continued to produce bath tissue, paper napkins, and other...
television ads; Carl's voice has also been used as the voice for the following various animated animals and objects: bear, pig, clam, duck, cockroach, horse, penguin, giraffe, moose, whale, shark, bass (fish), Sasquatch, water droplet, water jug, a jug of Koolaid, a toilet, a germ, a recycling bin, and an echo in a Pepsi commercial. In addition to his aforementioned private singing lessons, Carl teaches voice-over technique.
Other activities
In 2006, Carl trained in Exceptional Marriage Mentoring (EMM) with his wife, Liz, who is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), a Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) licensed by the state of New York, and a Certified Core Energetics Practitioner. He works alone and together with his wife in their offices in Manhattan and Rockland County, NY. They both individually and as a team work with couples, individuals, and groups, and teach the EMM model in New York City and Mexico. In 2009, Carl produced and narrated the audio version of the book "Going All The Way, Heart and Soul of the Exceptional Marriage," by Brian and Marcia Gleason, which is the definitive book on EMM. He is currently training at the Institute of Core Energetics in New York City, and has been a trained 4th degree ReikiReiki
is a spiritual practice developed in 1922 by Japanese Buddhist Mikao Usui. The teaching was continued and adapted by various teachers. It uses a technique commonly called palm healing as a form of complementary and alternative medicine and is sometimes classified as oriental medicine by some...
master for over 30 years.
Carl started playing the bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
in 1986, was the bassist on The SoLow Project, and continues to play today. He also writes stories and articles for various publications, is currently co-producing TV show pilots and concepts in partnership with Hilton Media, is a frequent judge at a cappella competitions such as the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella
International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella
The International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella, originally the National Championship of Collegiate A Cappella , is an international competition that attracts hundreds of college a cappella groups each year...
and the Harmony Sweeps Finals, rides a 2000 Honda VFR Interceptor
Honda VFR800
The Honda VFR800, also known as the Interceptor, is a motorcycle introduced by Honda in 1998. It is a successor to the VFR750F , which was preceded by the VF750.From its first sales in 1986, the VFR750F scored highly on many press reviews...
in Y2K yellow, and takes vacations with his family to places that intrigue him.
Personal life
Carl married his wife Liz Szczygielski Carl in 1985 at the New York Open Center. They have two children: Jacwelyn(Jaci) (b. Feb 17th 1989 in Poland) was adopted by Barry and Liz shortly after she was born, and Maya (b. Oct 8th 1993). They live in New City, NY.CDs
| Release Date | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | The SoLow Project The SoLow Project The SoLow Project is the solo album vocal bassist Barry Carl released after retiring from the a cappella group Rockapella. The album consists of 20 songs split into four sections: Seven Spirituals for Two Basses, a selection of Negro spirituals; Four Sea Chanties; Quatre Chansons de Don Quichotte,... |
South Mountain Productions, Inc. |
Guest Appearance/Various Releases
| Release Date | Album | Song |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Schoolhouse Rock!: Earth | "You Oughta Be Savin' Water" "Save the Ocean" "Report from the North Pole" |
| 2002 | Zig Zag - Tom Chapin Tom Chapin Tom Chapin is a Grammy Award-winning American musician, entertainer, singer-songwriter and storyteller.-Biography:Chapin attended State University of New York at Plattsburgh and graduated in 1966. From 1971-1976, he hosted a TV show called Make a Wish... |
"Loose Tooth" |
| 2001 | Feeding the Wheel Feeding the Wheel Feeding the Wheel is the fifth of many albums by keyboardist Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater and Dixie Dregs fame. Many other musicians perform on tracks on this album including Terry Bozzio , Steve Morse , and Dream Theater bandmate John Petrucci, who also worked with Rudess on Liquid Tension... - Jordan Rudess Jordan Rudess Jordan Rudess is an American keyboardist best known as a member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater and the progressive rock supergroup Liquid Tension Experiment.-Biography:... |
"The Voice" |
| 1998 | It's Fun To Steal - Mono Puff Mono Puff Mono Puff is a New York City band and a side project of John Flansburgh, one of the Johns from They Might Be Giants.The main band consisted of Flansburgh, the vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist, and songwriter; bassist Hal Cragin; and drummer Steve Calhoon of Skeleton Key, Enon and Pretendo... |
"Night Security" |
| 1992 | Duophonic Duophonic (album) -Track listing:# "House Is Not a Home" - 4:46# "N.Y.C." - 5:45# "Would I Lie to You?" - 4:38# "Hurt No More" - 4:33# "I Understand" - 1:10... - Charles and Eddie Charles and Eddie Charles & Eddie were an American soul music duo, that had four Top 40 hits in the UK Singles Chart in the 1990s. Their biggest was the worldwide hit single, "Would I Lie to You", taken from their 1992 debut album, Duophonic... |
"Would I Lie To You?" Would I Lie to You? (Charles and Eddie song) "Would I Lie to You?" is an R&B song by Charles & Eddie. Written by Mike Leeson and Peter Vale and produced by Josh Deutsch, "Would I Lie to You?" was the debut single by the pop-soul duo, and it proved to be their biggest hit... |
Soundtracks & Appearances
| Release Date | Album | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | The Other Guys The Other Guys The Other Guys is a 2010 American action comedy film directed and co-written by Adam McKay, starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg, and featuring Dwayne Johnson, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Keaton, Eva Mendes, Steve Coogan, and Ray Stevenson... |
Ensemble singer |
| 2009 | Nine | Ensemble singer |
| 2006 | The Wedding Weekend | Scary Prison Guy - "Working in the Coal Mine Working in the Coal Mine "Working in the Coal Mine" is a song with music and lyrics by Allen Toussaint.After Toussaint returned to New Orleans from the Army , he formed a production company, Sansu, with partner Marshall Sehorn. A number of singles, performed by Lee Dorsey, followed in 1965-66, including "Working in the... " |
| 2005 | Corpse Bride | Ensemble singer - "The Wedding Song" |
| 2004 | The Stepford Wives The Stepford Wives (2004 film) The Stepford Wives is a 2004 American science fiction film. The film is a remake of the 1975 film of the same name; both films are based on the Ira Levin novel The Stepford Wives... |
|
| 2000 | Mission to Mars Mission to Mars Mission to Mars is a 2000 science fiction film directed by Brian De Palma from an original screenplay written by Jim Thomas, John Thomas, and Graham Yost. The film's story details a fictional portrayal of a manned Mars exploration mission gone awry in the year 2020... |
|
| 1996 | Joe's Apartment Joe's Apartment Joe's Apartment is a 1996 musical-serio-comedy film starring Jerry O'Connell and Megan Ward and the first film produced by MTV Films. It was based on a 1992 short film first made for MTV , but was also inspired by both the 1987 Japanese film Gokiburi-tachi No Tasogare and... |
Member of the Roach Chorus |
| 1994 | The Hudsucker Proxy | |
Domestic Releases
| Release Date | Album | Line-up | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 2002 | Smilin' Smilin' Smilin' is the thirteenth overall and eighth North American album by the a cappella group Rockapella. It is legendary bass Barry Carl's last album as a member of the group and the first appearance of Carl's successor, George Baldi III... |
Leonard, Wright, Kerman, Carl, Baldi, Thacher | Amerigo Records Re-released on Shakariki Records in 2004 |
| March 2001 | In Concert In Concert (Rockapella album) In Concert is the twelfth overall, seventh North American album, and first live concert album by the a cappella group Rockapella. It was recorded live on December 9, 2000 at The Lobero Theater in Santa Barbara, CA. A corresponding DVD was also filmed as part of a PBS Special... |
Leonard, Wright, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | J-Bird Records Re-released on Shakariki Records in 2004 |
| October 2000 | Christmas Christmas (Rockapella album) Christmas is the eleventh overall, sixth North American, and third holiday album released by the a cappella group Rockapella. It was re-released on Shakariki Records in 2004... |
Leonard, Wright, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | J-Bird Records Re-released on Shakariki Records in 2004 |
| March 2000 | 2 2 (Rockapella album) 2 is the tenth overall and fifth North American studio album by the a cappella group Rockapella. As the name suggests, it was the group's second CD released through a record company in the United States. It was recorded during the fall of 1999 and released in the spring of 2000... |
Leonard, Wright, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | J-Bird Records Re-released on Shakariki Records in 2004 |
| February 1999 | Don't Tell Me You Do Don't Tell Me You Do Don't Tell Me You Do is the ninth overall and fourth North American studio album by the a cappella group Rockapella. It is the first album released by the group on a North American record label. All but two of the tracks were recorded during the fall of 1997 and originally released on the... |
Leonard, Wright, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | J-Bird Records Re-released on Shakariki Records in 2004 |
| Mid-1997 | Rockapella Rockapella (album) Rockapella is the eighth overall and third North American studio album by the a cappella group Rockapella. It contains mostly very-updated versions of previously recorded material following a membership change... |
Leonard, Wright, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | Independent |
| Mid-1996 | Lucky Seven Lucky Seven (album) Lucky Seven is the second and sixth studio album released in North America and Japan, respectively, by the a cappella group Rockapella. As the name suggests, it is the seventh overall studio album by the group... |
Leonard, Altman, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | Independent |
| Mid-1995 | Primer Primer (album) Primer is the sixth studio album by the a cappella group Rockapella and marks their North American debut. Its track list was intended to represent the band's live show at the time and was recorded 99% live-in-studio over the course of two days at Sonalyst Studios in Connecticut, with the exception... |
Leonard, Altman, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | Independent |
International Releases
| Year | Album | Line-up | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | In Concert In Concert (Rockapella album) In Concert is the twelfth overall, seventh North American album, and first live concert album by the a cappella group Rockapella. It was recorded live on December 9, 2000 at The Lobero Theater in Santa Barbara, CA. A corresponding DVD was also filmed as part of a PBS Special... |
Leonard, Wright, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | Rentrak Records |
| November 2001 | Christmas Christmas (Rockapella album) Christmas is the eleventh overall, sixth North American, and third holiday album released by the a cappella group Rockapella. It was re-released on Shakariki Records in 2004... |
Leonard, Wright, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | Rentrak Records |
| November 1996 | Lucky Seven: Memories And Dreams Lucky Seven (album) Lucky Seven is the second and sixth studio album released in North America and Japan, respectively, by the a cappella group Rockapella. As the name suggests, it is the seventh overall studio album by the group... |
Leonard, Altman, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | ForLife Records |
| November 1995 | Best Fest Best Fest Best Fest is a compilation album by the a cappella group Rockapella. It is first of three Japan-only compilation albums of the group's recordings, featuring a mix of tracks from previous Japanese albums, as well as two new songs that were not previously available... |
Leonard, Altman, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | ForLife Records |
| November 1994 | Out Cold Out Cold (album) Out Cold is the fifth studio and second holiday album by the a cappella group Rockapella. ForLife Records wanted the group to do a second Christmas album, but settled for a mixture of Christmas and non-holiday music... |
Leonard, Altman, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | ForLife Records |
| April 1994 | Vocobeat Vocobeat Vocobeat is the fourth studio album by the a cappella group Rockapella. It is their first all original album and marks the first full-time CD debut of Jeff Thacher as vocal percussionist... |
Leonard, Altman, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | ForLife Records |
| December 1992 | Bash! Bash! Bash! is the third studio album and the first holiday album from the a cappella group Rockapella.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Scott Leonard – high tenor*Sean Altman – tenor*Elliott Kerman – baritone*Barry Carl – bass... |
Leonard, Altman, Kerman, Carl | ForLife Records |
| May 1992 | From N.Y. From N.Y. From N.Y. is the second studio album from the a cappella group Rockapella. The album was a mixture of original material and covers of U.S. pop tunes.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Scott Leonard – high tenor*Sean Altman – tenor*Elliott Kerman – baritone... |
Leonard, Altman, Kerman, Carl | ForLife Records |
| May 1992 | To N.Y. To N.Y. To N.Y. is the first studio album from the a cappella group Rockapella. The album featured covers of Japanese pop songs sung in English.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Scott Leonard – high tenor*Sean Altman – tenor*Elliott Kerman – baritone... |
Leonard, Altman, Kerman, Carl | ForLife Records |
Compilations
| Release Date | Album | Line-up | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2002 | Best A Cappella Best A Cappella Best A Cappella is the third Japan-only compilation album of songs by the a cappella group Rockapella. When the group changed their Japanese record label to Rentrack Records and released two of their American albums and an additional compilation album in Japan, ForLife Records sought to capitalize... |
Leonard, Altman, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | ForLife Records |
| 2002 | More Than Ever More Than Ever (album) More Than Ever is the second Japan-only compilation album by the a cappella group Rockapella. It contains recording from the US albums Don't Tell Me You Do and 2 with a new photo session of the group.-Track listing:-Personnel:... |
Leonard, Wright, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | Rentrak Records |
Various Releases
| Year | Album | Line-up | Song |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Hokie Nation: An A Cappella Tribute | Leonard, Wright, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | "I'll Hear Your Voice" |
| 2000 | Mark and Brian: Little Drummer Boys | Leonard, Wright, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | "Silver Bells" (Live performance) |
| 2000 | A Cappella Christmas Party | Leonard, Altman, Kerman, Carl | "Hold Out For Christmas" |
| 1999 | Revival - Sam Harris Sam Harris (singer) Sam Harris is an American pop and musical theatre recording artist as well as a television, stage and film actor.-Singing:... |
Leonard, Wright, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | "A Change In My Life" (Background vocals) |
| 1996 | Voices Only: A Cappella Originals | Leonard, Altman, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | "Bed Of Nails" |
| 1993 | Carmen Sandiego: Out of This World | Leonard, Altman, Kerman, Carl, Thacher | "Big Wet Rag" |
| 1993 | Put On Your Green Shoes | Leonard, Altman, Kerman, Carl | "Light Of The Sun" w/Richie Havens |
| 1993 | Muppet Beach Party | Leonard, Altman, Kerman, Carl | "PapaOomMowMow" |
| 1992 | Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? (album) Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? is the soundtrack to the popular educational children's TV game show of the same name that ran from 1991 to 1996... |
Leonard, Altman, Kerman, Carl, Yazbek David Yazbek David Yazbek is an American writer, musician, composer, and lyricist. He wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musicals The Full Monty , Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown .... |
"Capital" "Everything To Me" "My Home" "Let's Get Away From It All" "Indiana" "Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?" |
| 1992 | Modern A Cappella | Leonard, Altman, Kerman, Carl | "Zombie Jamboree" |
| 1991 | Zappa's Universe | Leonard, Altman, Kerman, Carl | "Elvis Has Left The Building" "Heavenly Bank Account" |
| 1990 | Spike Lee & Company: Do It A Cappella | Keyes, Altman, Kerman, Carl | "Zombie Jamboree" "Under The Boardwalk" (with True Image) |