SteppingSTONE Band

Local Band To Release CD - Sparta Independent

CD Release Party St. Moritz - Spart Independent

Local band holding debut album party at Morristown's Dublin Pub

By Michael Izzo | @MIzzoDR

April 29, 2013

From left, Brad Marullo on guitar, Ryan Schutz on guitar and lead vocals and Eric Schaberg on violin. Members of the band, SteppingSTONE, which has three Morris County teachers among its members, perform an acoustic happy hour set at Dublin Pub in Morristown - Karen Mancinelli/For the Daily Record

MORRISTOWN — Three teachers, a firefighter and an entrepreneur have teamed up in a band that has been performing several gigs a month around the county and is about to release its first album.

Bandmembers don't believe the music of SteppingSTONE fits into a specific genre and cite the the everyman appeal of one of their songs, "Get Back Up Again," as an example. The song tells the true story of a band member getting laid off and having to tell his wife but has the positive message of getting through it in the end.

"It's music about everyday life and relationships," said Brad Marullo, who plays guitar and keyboard in the band and teaches music in the Morristown school district.

Marullo is joined in the band by Mountain Lakes art teacher Thomas Casperson, who plays the drums, and Eric Schaberg, a Randolph High School teacher of the violin, cello and mandolin, who is the utility man of the band. Boonton Firefighter Jonathan Presnell provides bass and vocals, and songwriter Ryan Schutz provides vocals and acoustic guitar. Schutz is an entrepreneur.

"Ryan is great at making each song a melodic story, tying the beginning to the end," said Marullo.

Formed in 2011, SteppingSTONE practices at least once a week, and performs three or four gigs a month.

"We all kind of played together at some point before," said Marullo. "Tom found Ryan, then Eric, I knew JP from a previous band. We all bring our own stuff to SteppingSTONE."

Last Friday, they played an acoustic happy hour set at the Dublin Pub, where they've played a few times.

On May 24, the Dublin Pub will host the release party for SteppingSTONE's first CD, "I'll Be Coming Home." They'll have another premiere party the following Friday, June 1, at St Morritz Grill and Bar in Sparta.

"It's going to be a great turnout," said Marullo.

He said as teachers, they attract a large crowd between friends, parents, and co-workers when playing local bar gigs, primarily in Morristown and Sparta, where two band members live.

Casperson said Morristown is a great home base for the band, and they've played a few bars in town.

The band recorded their upcoming album at Mudcut Studio in Milford, Pa., over the past year, making the trip across the Delaware Water Gap whenever they could find time on weekends. Between recording sessions, band members sent mixes back and forth and discussed the tracks over email chains.

They made a thousand "professionally done" CD's for the release, which Marullo plans to take off work to pick up. "I already told my principal. Otherwise it would cost $400 to ship."

Band member ages range from 30's to 50's, which Marullo credits for their strong chemistry. "Tom is the oldest, he's our veteran," he said. "Every team needs that veteran who knows his stuff. We all give him more of an ear when he speaks."

Casperson agrees that chemistry makes SteppingSTONE succeed where so many others fail. "It's true what they say about chemistry. We went through a lot of guys before we found the right group. We just clicked."

Marullo said he can't stress enough how seriously each member is committed to the band. "This isn't a weekend warrior thing, we really believe in it and we're putting in all we have," he said. "This is the real deal. Every other minute is the band. I can't imagine how the band members with families do it. It's about finding the balance."

Casperson said he finds that balance with the help of his teaching job. Because there are no papers for an art teacher to grade, no work to bring home, when he finishes the school day, he doesn't have to take the job with him.

"Art is a great subject area for wanting to devote my time to the band after school," Casperson said. "People know I'm a good teacher, and I give my full effort when I'm there, but nobody should just live their job. They have to live their life."

That's not to say he doesn't love teaching, just that music is his passion.

"Don't get me wrong, I love teaching, but that's my day job. Music is much more than a hobby to me."

Casperson even credits the school with inadvertently influencing the band's sound. "From time to time I borrow this great sounding 70's snare drum from the music department."

Marullo takes what he learns in his band and - Daily Record

Local band holding debut album party at Morristown's Dublin Pub

By Michael Izzo | @MIzzoDR

April 29, 2013

From left, Brad Marullo on guitar, Ryan Schutz on guitar and lead vocals and Eric Schaberg on violin. Members of the band, SteppingSTONE, which has three Morris County teachers among its members, perform an acoustic happy hour set at Dublin Pub in Morristown - Karen Mancinelli/For the Daily Record

MORRISTOWN — Three teachers, a firefighter and an entrepreneur have teamed up in a band that has been performing several gigs a month around the county and is about to release its first album.

Bandmembers don't believe the music of SteppingSTONE fits into a specific genre and cite the the everyman appeal of one of their songs, "Get Back Up Again," as an example. The song tells the true story of a band member getting laid off and having to tell his wife but has the positive message of getting through it in the end.

"It's music about everyday life and relationships," said Brad Marullo, who plays guitar and keyboard in the band and teaches music in the Morristown school district.

Marullo is joined in the band by Mountain Lakes art teacher Thomas Casperson, who plays the drums, and Eric Schaberg, a Randolph High School teacher of the violin, cello and mandolin, who is the utility man of the band. Boonton Firefighter Jonathan Presnell provides bass and vocals, and songwriter Ryan Schutz provides vocals and acoustic guitar. Schutz is an entrepreneur.

"Ryan is great at making each song a melodic story, tying the beginning to the end," said Marullo.

Formed in 2011, SteppingSTONE practices at least once a week, and performs three or four gigs a month.

"We all kind of played together at some point before," said Marullo. "Tom found Ryan, then Eric, I knew JP from a previous band. We all bring our own stuff to SteppingSTONE."

Last Friday, they played an acoustic happy hour set at the Dublin Pub, where they've played a few times.

On May 24, the Dublin Pub will host the release party for SteppingSTONE's first CD, "I'll Be Coming Home." They'll have another premiere party the following Friday, June 1, at St Morritz Grill and Bar in Sparta.

"It's going to be a great turnout," said Marullo.

He said as teachers, they attract a large crowd between friends, parents, and co-workers when playing local bar gigs, primarily in Morristown and Sparta, where two band members live.

Casperson said Morristown is a great home base for the band, and they've played a few bars in town.

The band recorded their upcoming album at Mudcut Studio in Milford, Pa., over the past year, making the trip across the Delaware Water Gap whenever they could find time on weekends. Between recording sessions, band members sent mixes back and forth and discussed the tracks over email chains.

They made a thousand "professionally done" CD's for the release, which Marullo plans to take off work to pick up. "I already told my principal. Otherwise it would cost $400 to ship."

Band member ages range from 30's to 50's, which Marullo credits for their strong chemistry. "Tom is the oldest, he's our veteran," he said. "Every team needs that veteran who knows his stuff. We all give him more of an ear when he speaks."

Casperson agrees that chemistry makes SteppingSTONE succeed where so many others fail. "It's true what they say about chemistry. We went through a lot of guys before we found the right group. We just clicked."

Marullo said he can't stress enough how seriously each member is committed to the band. "This isn't a weekend warrior thing, we really believe in it and we're putting in all we have," he said. "This is the real deal. Every other minute is the band. I can't imagine how the band members with families do it. It's about finding the balance."

Casperson said he finds that balance with the help of his teaching job. Because there are no papers for an art teacher to grade, no work to bring home, when he finishes the school day, he doesn't have to take the job with him.

"Art is a great subject area for wanting to devote my time to the band after school," Casperson said. "People know I'm a good teacher, and I give my full effort when I'm there, but nobody should just live their job. They have to live their life."

That's not to say he doesn't love teaching, just that music is his passion.

"Don't get me wrong, I love teaching, but that's my day job. Music is much more than a hobby to me."

Casperson even credits the school with inadvertently influencing the band's sound. "From time to time I borrow this great sounding 70's snare drum from the music department."

Marullo takes what he learns in his band and - Daily Record

Morris School Teacher's Band to Debut CD

SteppingSTONE BAND is debuting 'I'll Be Coming Home' at the Dublin.


By Kim Tran
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April 29, 2013








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Teacher by day, musician by night. Three teachers are debuting their CD with a release party at the Dublin in Morristown on May 24.

Brad Marullo is a teacher at Thomas Jefferson and Sussex Avenue and plays guitar, keyboards and lap steel in SteppingSTONE BAND. He's looking forward to their release party because many in the Morristown community will be attending to support their debut CD, I'll Be Coming Home.

"We are mostly teachers in the band," said Marullo, who was on Morristown's Got Talent! in 2011. At Thomas Jefferson, Marullo leads band practice on stage with his students, playing along on his guitar, and answering questions from the budding musicians after class. "We are a five-piece band with three teachers."

The band has been through many experiences together, good and bad, that inspired much of the CD. During the time they were creating the songs for their CD, two spouses of the band members became cancer survivors, a child was born, friendships created and jobs were lost or found.

"What great fun we had recording these songs," said the band. "'I'll Be Coming Home' seemed like such a fitting title to us when we listened to the rough mixes on the long autumn and winter drives back home over the Delaware River from the recording studio. These songs captured a timeline of us creating something collaboratively that we poured our time, hears and souls into week after week during our highs and our lows."

Here's a look at who's who in the band:
•Ryan Schutz - Vocals/Acoustic Guitar - Singer/songwriter, young entrepreneur
•Brad Marullo - Guitar/Keyboards/Lap steel - Musician and Morristown instrumental teacher for 4th and 4th graders at Sussex Avenue and Thomas Jefferson school
•Thomas Casperson - Drums - Art teacher in Morris County at Mountain Lakes
•Eric Schaberg - Violin, Cello, Mandolin - Strings teacher at Randolph High School
•Jonathan Presnell - Bass/ Vocals Booton Firefighter (Morris County) and veteran in the music scene since 1985

"Throughout our lives, these stepping stones are placed before us and we are constantly progressing towards our life goals," said the band. "Along that journey, we may encounter many people who inspire and support us along the way."

For more on the band, go to their website at http://www.steppingstonebandnj.com or check out their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/steppingSTONEbandNJ
Related Topics: CD release party and SteppingSTONE BAND - Morristown Patch