 This is BIG NEWS and a BIG moment for me... I'm so happy to announce that I have joined countless creators and professionals who serve, celebrate, and advocate in the name of music year-round. It’s an honor, and an absolute privilege, to be inducted as a member of the 2023 Recording Academy/GRAMMYs® class as an official voting member! What does this mean? Let me tell you! So I now have the privilege of participating in and voting in THE GRAMMY® nominations and selection process here in the United States! Along with voting privileges, I have more opportunities to advocate for music education, rights, and community everywhere! What a dream come true!! A huge thank you to Bill Hare (Bill Hare Productions) and Rob Dietz for recommending me, and for your mentorship and support over all these years! You continue to inspire me everyday with your own beautiful work! A huge thank you to Ball in the House, for allowing me to continue my dream of a music/a cappella career. I'm blessed everyday to make great music with you all. A huge thank you to all of my music teachers who helped me get to this point in my music career. I wouldn't be where I am if it weren't for you. I cherish your musical wisdom and inspiration everyday I step on stage or work with a group. Among many others, ranging from elementary school to Ithaca College, thank you Paul Tomashefsky, Sue Cooper, Karen Forrest, Joseph Stillitano, Matt Lefebvre, David Jost, Frank Gabriel Campos, Dr. Mark Fonder, Mike Titlebaum, Drew Benoît, Dr. Jennifer Sengin, and Dr. Janet Galván. A huge thank you to my family and friends for all of the love and support since I picked up the trumpet in 5th grade. Look how far I've come! To my wife and son, Alex and Mateo, I am thankful for all of your unending cheering, support, and inspiration to be the best version of myself every single day, both inside and outside of my music world. I feel your love every time I'm immersed in my passion, and I am forever grateful. I love you forever +1+2+3 💙❤️ #IAmTheAcademy 
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Hello everyone! I hope everyone's music creating is strong and flowing! To all students finishing out the school year or semester right now, best of luck with finals! Summer is right around the corner! To those who have finished school, starting their next chapters, and/or graduated, congratulations! The #acappella world has been thriving, and it's great to see so many recordings being released, and festivals going strong! Haven't seen and felt this excitement since before the pandemic! We've truly come out of the dark and the light is shining bright for all musicians! Still plenty of work to do, but we're right where we need to be! I've been MIA for a bit because at the end of March, my wife gave birth to our baby boy, Mateo Anthony Cincotta-Guest! He's now almost 7 weeks old (!!), and life has never been the same since he came into our world! It's been a whirlwind, but what a joy it is to step into the role of fatherhood! I can't wait, and I'm beyond excited, to share my music and a cappella life with my son!
To all a cappella groups, if you are looking for any new arrangements, recording projects, or master classes, I'm here for you, whether it's for the end of this semester, the summer, or the next academic year and beyond! Let's make some great music together!
Wow! It's great to see so many #acappella producer, arranger, engineers, and educator friends get nominated for this year's Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARA)!! Always inspiring, and always learning so much from listening to the best of the best in the a cappella community!
Huge shout out and special congrats to: Mel Daneke (Viridian Productions), J.D. Frizzell (OneVoice), Angela Marie Ugolini (Aurum Productions), Rob Dietz, Harry Nichols, The Funx, Eric Scholz (Eric Scholz Productions), Jill Clark (Jill Clark Productions), Pablo Vega (The Workshop), Liquid 5th Productions, Erik Bosio, Rebel Bit, James Gammon, Ed Boyer, Bill Hare (Bill Hare Productions), Dave Sperandio (Vocal Mastering), Shannon McNulty, Hannah Tobias, Johnny DelToro, Archana Gopal, Jonny Stewart, Christopher Given Harrison, Six Appeal, Alexander Koutzoukis & Alex Green (Plaid Productions), Justin Crichfield, Eric Tarlin, Ardú, ONAIR, Isaiah Carter, Nomadic, N'Namdi Bryant (of Naturally 7), Katherine Bodor, Pitch, Please, Treble on Huntington, Backtrack Vocals, The Swingles, Nathan Harms (Elevate Vocal Band), Tim Bongiovanni (Northgate Studio), Kevin DeLisa (Philly Accents)! Check out the full list of 2023 CARA nominees HERE! Congratulations everyone! Wow...and just like that, 2023 is right around the corner! What a year it's been! I am beyond grateful for all of the performing and music making that was accomplished this past year! I had many wonderful performance opportunities with my brothers in Ball in the House this past year:
We were plenty busy, and blessed, with all of this work! Be on the look out for updates with our new music and album come the new year!
Speaking of the new year...by far the biggest and greatest news of all... my wife and I are expecting a baby boy this coming April!! We are absolutely over the moon! We're a little over half way there -- 23 weeks now! -- and we are resting, reading up, learning plenty of Dad jokes, and getting ready for his big arrival! Some words from your parents for you, our sweet boy: May you see a world with wide eyes and an open heart, May you find and follow your passions, wherever you go. We are always here for you, through thick and thin. We believe in you now, and are excited to see who you will become. Be kind. Trust yourself. Do good. Never give up. "We'll love you forever, we'll like you for always, As long as we're living, our baby you'll be." I paraphrased a little with that last part from our favorite book by Robert Munsch. We can't wait to read that book to you 😊 We can't wait to welcome you to the world, Baby CG!
Happy Holidays to all! Excited for the new year, as I already have some exciting master classes and work booked in 2023! With the new ICCA/ICHSA season upon us, I am happy to come in and work with your #acappella group, in any capacity!
Reach out any time, and let's chat! May you all have a safe, healthy, and Happy New Year! It wasn't until my senior year in high school that I fully immersed myself with singing in a choral ensemble and an a cappella group. I tell everyone this all the time; I was a "late bloomer" when it came to singing in choir! That's the point...it's never too late to go and try something new.
A week ago, I had the opportunity to help kick off the start of the new school year for ALL of the teachers in Westborough, MA, the town I grew up in, with my brothers in Ball in the House. To be able to perform at my alma mater, to be able to talk about my life story, to be given the chance to say thank you to many former teachers of mine (some are still teaching!), and to be able to share my passion…I am beyond blessed for the life I have…it’s the Westborough Public Schools that created the foundation of my life, along with showing me that I have a voice to create harmony, not only through music, but, in life. Thank you will never be enough. It's because I took a leap of faith and tried something new, all those years ago, that I now make a living making music! My literal dream since high school. Though, I think it was really in middle school that I told myself: "Hey...you're not half bad at this; I can see myself doing this!". I never could have imagined this journey of ups and downs, trials and tribulations, and so many zig zags in directions I never thought I'd go (this whole sentence is a post for another day). Even today, I still feel like I'm on a road that will take a turn to a new place, or something will happen that will challenge me, and flex my musical chops to its fullest. In my opinion, a musician's life is one of the greatest joys and most rewarding, satisfying jobs you could have, and yet, it's one of the hardest fields to navigate. Though, that's the gig we signed up for, isn't it? I'm looking at all of you, creatives! The souls and hearts of musicians, and all creatives, are some of the most durable and fragile (and everything in-between) personalities that exist in this world. The amount of preparation (i.e. practice), mind compartmentalization, patience, and persistence it takes to be ready at a moments notice for any type of gig is mind boggling. The versatility one must have to "be a musician" involves so much more than just music. You need to understand business, marketing and branding, know how to talk to people effectively, and how to be able to collaborate and work on a team. You are a producer. You are a teacher. You are a critic. Let me tell you, criticism will follow you everywhere, and you can make it your greatest ally, or your worst enemy. However, in my short 16 years of being immersed in the music industry, showing kindness and respect everywhere you have the privilege to go, will take you far. People will remember that. Always. To all upcoming musicians and creatives who are just starting out, to the well-experienced, seasoned professional musicians and beyond...a simple reminder: Be kind to others (especially yourself), work efficiently and on time, try...and fail many times (you will learn more from failure than anything else), never give up, and show up. It's never too late to go and try something new. I'm rooting and cheering for you. We've got this. |
AuthorProfessional contemporary #acappella producer, arranger, engineer, and educator from North Grafton, MA, U.S.A. Archives
June 2023
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