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By George! | Philstar.com
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Young Star

By George!

- JA Lopa of Young Star Magazine -
Who was it that first said that it takes all kinds to make the world? Well, we all know how true that statement is. I mean, there are vegetarians, dog lovers, daydreamers, jocks, teenyboppers, bookworms, nerds, geeks, and musicians. Ah, musicians. A class of humans so diverse and varied that they have sub-classes. You know them, you hear them on the radio, you love to hate them or hate to love them (depending on your preference). They are all over, whether they be hip-hoppers, techno-freaks, senti-lovers, or old music junkies. But even if most of the time the musicians of the same type hang together, thus helping the common folk classify their music, a couple of diverse individuals pop us and shock the lot of us.

What the hell is all the buzz about? Only the most colorful set of musicians to ever come together since what seems like an eternity! And they call themselves George.

There is, first and foremost, the sibling duo Kate and Tyrone Noonan. This brother and sister share vocal and keyboard duties as well as being acknowledged as the glue that holds the "little family" together. They grew up surrounded by music, as their parents lived and breathed the stuff. Having a soprano for a mom who taught them music, not to mention a tenor dad (although he stopped singing to start a career in journalism). Being raised in a house full of classical and jazz would make even the most tone-deaf person love music.

Next up comes Geoff Green the percussionist who has been hitting things since he was 17. He studied classical percussion and had an extensive musical background, ranging from rock to orchestra.

Paulie Bromley is the punk rock bassist who joined the group roundabout the year 2000 to complete the mix. He was "honored to be part of something so special".

Last (but definitely not the least) is Nick Stewart, who plays lead guitar like Hendrix and Kravitz. He is the reason the band came to be in the first place. Stewart had this bright idea of joining a university battle of the bands without the most important prerequisite…a band. He grabbed hold of his twin brother, asked a few friends (including the Noonan siblings), and got together no less than 12 people to start a band. They jammed for a bit, and on the night of the performance, when asked what their name was, Nick said the first thing that came inside his head.

The whole bunch did not stay in tact after that stint, but the two sets of siblings stayed together. Then around 1998, Nick’s brother left the group to pursue an acting career, and Geoff Green joined in. Later on, Paulie Bromley became a part of the gang…and the ball just kept on rolling.

After six years of a roller coaster ride’s worth of life, they have finally come out with an album of their own. Why so long? They patiently waited for the right record company to give them free reign over their creativity.

Once a record deal was closed, they went all out—thanks to the fact that they actually had five song creators working on their music. Although most of the songs were mainly contributed by Kate and Ty, all the members of the band contribute to the songs, with the original creators merely giving suggestions here and there. This makes things a little funky, creating a sound that is part jazz, part classical, part funk, part rock, part folk, and practically everything else in between. It would do George an injustice to box them up into one musical genre. They are all kinds blended together to form a kind of "universal sound."

But how in the world could such different individuals make music without ripping each other’s throats out?

The first thing these guys (and girl) would say to that would be that they keep it all in the family. Because that is what they claim to be! Cheesy? Surely! Nevertheless, they should be given the benefit of the doubt. The fact that they were able to pull their accomplishments off is testament to what they say. They started out as a band with two pairs of siblings, and that led them to a "family-oriented" band. Their differences only made them appreciate each other more. They are just like any other family though. They fight, they play, and they stick up for each other the whole way through.

Let’s face it. We are in a world where our differences are used as reasons to discriminate. We have elitists, racists, and idiots who make fun of other people because of physical or mental differences. But for some reason, out of all the prejudice and hate of uniqueness comes George…a clear breath of fresh air. Not to mention an astounding whiff of talent.

GEOFF GREEN

HENDRIX AND KRAVITZ

KATE AND TY

KATE AND TYRONE NOONAN

MUSIC

NICK STEWART

PAULIE BROMLEY

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