Serendipity

Local Band Playing August Fest Balancing Budding Careers

By DENISE FLEISCHER Lifestyle Editor Journal & Topics Newspapers | 0 comments

When Lenny Rago first saw all-girl band Serendipity perform, he thought they were pretty talented for 13 year olds.

Like his son, Joey, they were students at El Rey Music School in Arlington Hts.

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“Joey was 10 years old at the time and taking music lessons when the school owner, Bill Manglaris, said he was going to get the girls together in a band. He wanted us to manage them and sign them on a record label,” explained Rago, a Mt. Prospect resident.

Rago, also publicity rep for local band “7th Heaven,” works for NTD Management, which has a record label and is a publishing and management company.

“When I discovered them, I thought they played instruments pretty good for their age and were very talented,” said Rago. “I was also impressed with their ability to work together. We’d take them under our wings and build them up.”

Their parents gave their approval and the girls began meeting at NTD’s studio in Streamwood. They are giving their all for a common goal: to be songwriters and artists.

There’s Josie Treffy, who has delivered “soaring vocals" that have won her several local singing competitions; Liz Petitt, who plays keyboard and also is a great singer; Anneliese Schulz, who makes her Fender "weep"; Haley Blomquist who plays bass and guitar; and Daniella Ballarino, keeping the beat on drums.

You can hear them perform covers and originals at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9, at St. Zachary August Fest in Des Plaines. St. Zachary Church is located on Algonquin Road just east of Elmhurst Road.

The band signed an agreement for an album and released “Too Young To Drive” in 2012. It’s in CD format and has been digitally released on amazon.com and iTunes.

“Every girl in the band had a part in writing for it, including our writing team of myself, Richie Hofherr, owner of 7th Heaven pop rock band and NTD Management, and Tony Di Giulio, former original singer of 7th Heaven,” Rago said.

They are basically writing about relationships, breaking up and starting over. The genre is pop rock and they all have been formally trained as musicians. Most importantly, they are responsible students and athletes before being band members.

Rago said they’re getting some good gigs. In December 2012, Serendipity performed in front of 5,000 girls at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates. They also performed at the Girl Scout Convention in Iowa in the beginning of the year.

“The next step is to be determined. Right now they’re having a blast and know how to command an audience. I think they will be very successful in the music industry,” said Rago. - Journal and Topics Newspapers

Accompanying photo link to the Daily Herald piece - Daily Herald

Accompanying photo link to the Daily Herald piece - Daily Herald

Serendipity performs "We Are Young" live. - WGN-TV

Special education students from throughout Niles Township got a treat when teacher John Petitt convinced his daughter’s band “Serendipity” to play a concert at Park View School.

The Niles Township District for Special Education brings students from all schools in the area to one location for several weeks of extra classes after the traditional school year ends.

Petitt is normally at Culver School in Niles, but he also teaches the extended classes at Park View. His daughter Lizzy is a junior in high school and also enrolled in evening classes at El Rey Music Center in Arlington Heights.

Lizzy’s music teachers were impressed with several of the students two years ago and encouraged them to start a band with local recording company NTD Music, which books bands at a variety of venues and recently got clients work used in Chicago Cubs and Walter E. Smithe commercials.

The five-member band consists of high school girls from St. Charles North, Elk Grove, Buffalo Grove and Hersey High Schools.

“We named it Serendipity because it means unexpected good luck,” said Josie Treffy, the band’s lead singer. “When people see us, they don’t think we’re any good because we’re a girl band. With a lot of help from our parents and managers, we’ve been lucky enough to prove all those other people wrong.”

Serendipity published one CD last year titled “Too Young To Drive” and is working on another. Most notably, Serendipity played at the Elgin Ribfest and opened for a regional cheerleading competition at the Sears Center in Hoffman Estates.

The band played for NTDSE students last year, but their summer tour schedule is busier and more widespread this year.

“We have a special place in our hearts for young students in general, and these kids more specifically after seeing how much they enjoyed the music last summer,” said Lizzy Petitt, the band’s keyboard player and second vocalist.

The band played at a festival in West Suburban Westmont on July 14, and their parents rushed the equipment to Park View School for the early-morning concert July 15.

Students and campers from the nearby Morton Grove Park District heard renditions of “I love Rock and Roll” by Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, “I Knew You Were Trouble” by Taylor Swift, “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey, “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen, among others.

“It’s a nice end of the summer celebration to reward the kids’ good work and it gives them the experience of a live musical performance,” said Candice Hartranft, principal of the NTDSE extended school year program. “We are very lucky to have this resource available to us.” - Morton Grove Champion

It's been an exhilarating summer for the all-girl band Serendipity, what with playing more than 40 local shows since May — once doing three shows in a day — hearing their songs on the radio for the first time, and signing autographs on soccer balls, shoes, iPhones, and even a forehead.

Singer Josie Treffy, 15, of South Elgin, drummer Daniella Ballarino, 16, of Mount Prospect, guitarist Anneliese Schulz, 15, of Elk Grove Village, singer and keyboard player Lizzie Petitt, 15, of Arlington Heights, and bassist Haley Blomquist, 15, of Elk Grove Village, say they've had the summer of their lives — and intend to have plenty more.


VIDEO Serendipity on stage
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Images: Serendipity the all-girl band

Serendipity

Daniella Ballarino, drums

Age: 16

Hometown: Mount Prospect

School: Hersey High School

Who inspires you? My parents, Tony and Lea Ballarino. They push me to do everything I do.

What's on your iPod? Rock, like Disturbed and Avenged Sevenfold

What book are you reading? I just read "The Glass Castle," by Jeannette Walls.

The three words that best describe you? Nice. Talented. Athletic.

Haley Blomquist, bass & guitar

Age: 15

Hometown: Elk Grove Village

School: Elk Grove High School

Who inspires you? Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters. I like that he plays music that's not computer-generated.

What's on your iPod? Rock and alternative.

What book are you reading? "Every Day," by David Levithan

The three words that best describe you? Creative. Fun. Strange.

Lizzy Petitt, piano & vocals

Age: 15

Hometown: Arlington Heights

School: Buffalo Grove High School

Who inspires you? Kelly Clarkson; she's just a great artist.

What's on your iPod? Hip hop, rap and country.

What book are you reading? "The Old Man Who Read Love Stories," by Luis Sepulveda.

The three words that best describe you? Crazy. Fun. Kind.

Anneliese Schulz, guitar

Age: 15

Hometown: Elk Grove Village

School: Elk Grove High School

Who inspires you? My parents, especially my mom, Renate Schulz, because she taught me to play the guitar

What's on your iPod? A wide variety. I like all kinds of music.

What book are you reading? I just finished "The Fault in Our Stars," by John Green.

The three words that best describe you? Musical. Positive. Awesome.

Josie Treffy, vocals

Age: 15

Hometown: South Elgin

School: St. Charles North High School

Who inspires you? My parents, Janet and Bob Treffy. They really help us out with all this; they drive us everywhere

What's on your iPod? Pop like Maroon 5

What book are you reading? "Elsewhere," by Gabrielle Zevin.

The three words that best describe you? Active. Fun. Friendly.

"It doesn't even seem real sometimes," Haley said.

"It so beats ...," Lizzie says, and Anneliese finishes, " ... any other job."

The girls describe their sound as "energetic," "upbeat," "kind of pop-y" and "radio-friendly." Their crowd-pleasing covers include "Forget You," by Cee Lo Green; "Rolling in the Deep," by Adele; and "We Are Young," by Fun, while many of their original songs — they have a CD titled "Too Young To Drive" — are about relationships, breakups and moving forward.

Serendipity did a tremendous job last week opening for teen sensation Ryan Beatty at Durty Nellie's in Palatine, said Bobby Brignola, the venue's marketing and promotions director and production manager.

"The most impressive thing is their stage presence. For that age, the way they conduct themselves onstage, the crowd interaction, it looks like they've been doing it for a long time. And they're good players, too," Brignola said.

Brignola also gave credit to Streamwood-based NTD Management, which has been with the band for about 1½ years. "They're really doing all the things the right way from the start as a band. They've got some good leadership," he said.

The girls have true charisma and are always a hit with the crowd, said Kathy Ladore, manager at Lamplighter Inn & Tavern Grille in Palatine. Serendipity is a regular act for the venue's underage open mic night on the last Wednesday of the month.

Ladore said she's seen plenty of young bands, but few with such a clear shot at succeeding in the music business.

"Everybody loves them," Ladore said. "They know how to work the crowd. I think they are going to go far if they stick together."

The name of the band, Serendipity, is a nod to their unexpected good luck at meeting at El Rey Music Center in Arlington Heights, the girls said. Anneliese and Haley have been best friends since third grade; all five enrolled at El Rey a couple of years ago.

The band formed - Daily Herald, Paddock Publications