The Dannie Marie Band

The high school-based history of local ska rockers the Fabulous Rudies is the subject of an upcoming Universal Pictures film titled Music High, which co-stars members of the band.

The North County band was founded in 1997 by singer Tom Voris, who taught history at San Marcos High School at the time and would later teach economics and history full-time at El Camino High School in Oceanside. Recruiting an average of eight students for each band incarnation, three players from the original student lineup remained with the band for years, well into their 20s.

When Music High has its world premier screening at the Oceanside International Film Festival on Friday, August 17, two other San Diego bands will be seen in the film and heard on the soundtrack, which includes original songs and covers recorded by the Fabulous Rudies, Tan Sister Radio (who have four songs in the movie), and the Dannie Marie Band (whose included track “Flavor of the Week” is about high school).

The tunes are performed on the big screen in numerous battle of the bands scenes that take place at a fictional high school. Some of the band members also played the roles of musicians or students.

Songs from the film’s soundtrack will be performed live on the red carpet by the Fabulous Rudies and Dannie Marie on Thursday, August 16, at Oceanside's Star Theater (402 N. Coast Highway). The event will run from 5-6 PM.

Music High will have its world premiere at 10 AM on Friday, August 17 at Grace Chapel, formerly the Crest Theater (102 N. Freeman Street). A full day pass for movie screenings is available in advance for $15, with discounts for military, students, and seniors. Tickets for the red carpet event, including refreshments, are $25.

The comedy, written and directed by Mark Maine, is (according to IMDB) “Not just another high school musical,” concerning a teacher played by Jonathan Bennett (Mean Girls, Cheaper By The Dozen 2) trying to save his career by turning around an unruly class of students.

The teens are deeply divided in cliques based on the genre of music they identify with. For more info, see http://www.TheMusicHighMovie.com .

The film's three fictional bands (Pop Squirrels, Silver Springs, 8 Car Pile-Up) all feature players from the three San Diego groups (Rudies, Tan Sister Radio, Dannie Marie Band).

The high school history of the Fabulous Rudies was mentioned in a Rolling Stone’s April 7, 2005, “Children of Rock” cover story. Then, in summer 2007, they were booked as the “barbecue band” on the Vans Warped Tour. In exchange for towing a large grill behind their tour bus and preparing nightly meals for 50-plus bands, they would play every tour date.

The Rudies were asked to be the barbecue band again for the summer 2008 Vans tour. However, internal band conflicts resulted in them being replaced on that tour by Bleeding Irish. After losing trombone player Don Carter and several other members, the group decided to soldier on as the Fab Rudies, with Tom Voris at the helm as frontman and band manager, and with his 16-year-old daughter Kailyn Voris (seen below) taking on lead vocal duties.

After signing to the Tate Music Group, they released a new eight-song album called Help Me in December 2010, with two of its songs landing on the Punk Rock High School soundtrack. The band was highlighted in the December 2010 issue of Variance Magazine, with the Goo Goo Dolls on the front cover.

Around the same time, the Rudies recorded a cover of the classic track “Tears of a Clown,” punked out for the film Beach Bar, partially filmed in San Diego. The teen comedy is the sequel to cult flick Hole In One, featuring Steve Talley and Dean Cain. In the film, co-star Ally Maki sings with the Rudies (now known as Fabulous again, rather than Fab).

In 2011, they were nominated Rock Artist of the Year by the Los Angeles Music Awards and World Music Artist of the Year at the San Diego Music Awards. The current band lineup includes Kailyn Voris (vocals), Tom Voris (vocals), Aidan Spencer (guitar), Obed Padilla (guitar), Glenn “Mann” Frazier (drums), and Alec Erickson (bass).

The frontwomen for the Dannie Marie Band, while most of her peers were deciding which college to attend after graduation, 18 year-old singer/guitarist Dannie Marie was busy putting together a band to back her up for a debut gig at the 2010 San Diego County Fair. The Dannie Marie Band self-released a self-titled album later in 2010.

by Jay Allen Sanford
August 2, 2012
- San Diego Reader

Singer/songwriter Dannie Marie, a Tom Jackson Productions Bootcamp alumni, will be starring in the movie Heartland to Hollywood.
Filming began January 2012 when Dannie Marie recorded her very own “Marry Me” for the production.

The film is about a young girl from the midwest who falls prey to a morally corrupt agent. Sarah (played by Dannie Marie), with a heart of gold and a big voice, is challenged as she journeys through the entanglement of the sly Hollywood game.

Below is some behind-the-scenes footage she put together from the first day of recording. (Don’t miss the Tom Jackson “Live Music Lives” sticker she has on her guitar case at the start of the video!)

Tom Jackson Productions congrats Dannie Marie on her ventures and looks forward to the release of Heartland to Hollywood in November 2012! - Tom Jackson On-Stage Success (website)

Fresh from a gig at the San Diego County Fair, Alpine singer-songwriter Dannie Marie Pupa is now setting her sights on Hollywood.

The front woman of the pop-country group The Dannie Marie Band will film scenes this week for the movie "Music High" about a teacher trying to unite his unruly students divided into cliques based on their favorite music genres. With bandmate Ryan Poole, Pupa will perform "Flavor of the Week," the song she wrote about a sweet-talking boy who trifled with her heart at Steele Canyon High.

Other local bands filming at San Diego Mesa College Wednesday and Friday include FABulous Rudies and Tan Sister Radio. "Music High" is slated to open in 2012 from Universal Pictures.

The movie is the most recent event in a halcyon time for Pupa, who turns 19 this month. Last summer, she traveled to Nashville to learn showmanship from country singer Tom Jackson. In September, The Dannie Marie Band -- made up of members from Pupa's Santee church, Foothills Christian -- released its first CD.

Pupa received a guitar for her 16th birthday and started writing songs. She fell in love with country music five years ago while watching Carrie Underwood perform at the county fair.

"The reason I am doing this is I just felt it's a huge thing that God has put on my heart," she said of her music. She is not shy about her goals.

"Why not dream really big? I would like to perform at the CMAs someday and I want to get more involved in acting. I want to go as far as we can go."

The Dannie Marie Band will perform free from 7 to 8 p.m. Friday at Westfield Horton Plaza shopping mall in downtown San Diego.

For a complete schedule of shows, visit www.thedanniemarieband.com

written by Caroline Dipping; published July 6, 2011; Section B page 2 - San Diego Union Tribune

Sometimes good things occur when least expected. That’s what happened a few months ago when the local Dannie Marie Band received an invitation to submit one of their songs for a movie being filmed in San Diego. When Dannie Marie Pupa and her mother and band manager, Laurel, attended the New Music Seminar in Los Angeles to take workshops and network they handed out some of the bands’ CDs. One recipient was Tom Voris, founder of the San Diego band the FAB Rudies.

“A few months ago Tom called to say he was working as the music coordinator for a new movie, Music High by Angelic Pictures,” Dannie Pupa said. “He wanted to pitch one of our country songs to director Mark Maine for a scene where high school kids are in a battle of the bands.”

Maine liked the song "Flavor of the Week," one of three on the Dannie Marie Band’s CD they recorded at Big Fish Studio in Encinitas and released in December. Within a few weeks Pupa received a contract.

“They also gave our band members the opportunity to appear as extras in the movie although not everyone was able to take time off from their day jobs,” Pupa said. “They did crowd scenes with extras until about noon, and then shot close-ups of the bands later in the day. I got to play guitar in the fictional band Silver Springs featured in the film. Our drummer, Ryan Poole, and I both played members of a country band, a punk rock band, and an acoustic pop band.”

Apparently Poole and Pupa’s musical talents really came in handy. She taught chords to the actors of the fictional band Silver Springs so they could perform as if they were a real country band. Poole showed the actors how to play the different instruments when the bands changed from one genre of music to another. But the glitz of appearing in a movie was never far from Pupa’s mind.

“My favorite part of being on the set was hanging out with the cast and making new friends with people who I've seen on TV shows and films over the years,” she said. “Another thing that made the experience so much fun was having Megan Roethlein, one of my best friends, be in our band for the movie.”

Music High is about a teacher (Jonathan Bennett, Mean Girls, Cheaper By The Dozen 2) who is trying to save his career by turning around an unruly class of kids who are deeply divided by cliques based on different genres of music. Other local bands that appeared in the movie include FABulous Rudies and Tan Sister Radio. Music High is the third in a series of contemporary style and attitude films produced by Angelic Pictures and is slated for distribution in early 2012 by Universal Pictures.

The Dannie Marie Band also includes Coe Schneider (bass), Obediah Byrd (electric guitar) and Josh Gates (acoustic guitar). Since its inception one year ago, it has continued to gain a spotlight. Their song “Marry Me” was a finalist in a wedding competition (check out “The Dannie Marie Band Here Comes the Bride” on Youtube). They’ve played at local events, the Del Mar County Fair and the House of Blues. They’ve sold 250 CDs since December along with download sales from iTunes and CD Baby and appeared on local radio shows.

Pupa, who graduated from Steele Canyon High School in 2010, was a worship leader at Shadow Mountain Community Church’s vacation Bible school program this summer. The band members are also busy writing new songs, and Pupa hopes to proceed with an acting career.

“I am a firm believer that God has a great plan for everyone's life (Jeremiah 29:11), and I live every day for His glory and can't wait to see what doors He opens next,” she said. “When we look back at our experiences since recording our CD, we can connect the dots and see God's hand in giving us this opportunity.”

(written by Diana Saenger; published July 28, 2011 page 16)

- East County Gazette

"A soulful and talented new group with a pop, country, and Christian music blend. Their underlying themes are refreshing and inspirational. I look forward to the day The Dannie Marie Band will be a household name." - My107.9 FM

Vibrant, young Taylor Swift is one of Nashville's top singer, songwriters. Her ability to consistently write songs about "boys" and "love" has made Swift known everywhere. Aspiring Dannie Marie, who posses that same innocence alike with Swift, she to finds home in Country, Pop music. Read about her take on how dreams and drugs don't mix.

What is your natural high?

I have a natural high when I'm going after my dream to be a touring Country Pop artist. It is so exciting to perform with my band, interact with fans, and write songs. I also love traveling and watching other artists perform.

How would using drugs or alcohol keep you from engaging in your natural high to the fullest?

I believe that if using drugs and alcohol were part of my life, I would not be a successful artist. Even though all the performing and autographs and talking to fans is a lot of fun, it takes so much work to get to that point where people are actually interested in your music. If I were using drugs or alcohol I would not have the time nor the ability to focus on getting The Dannie Marie Band out there.

What age did you start singing?

I started singing when I started doing musical theater (Christian Youth Theater) at the age of six. When I was 13 years old my friend Christine took me to a Carrie Underwood concert. After watching her performance, I knew I wanted to be a country singer.

When you write songs, what is the message you to try to convey?

I like to write songs that inspire people to do something.

Why do you think you made the decision to live drug free and others don't? What do you owe this decision to? What helped you to make it?

Someone I know once said, "dreams and drugs don't mix," and that is very true. My dreams and goals are more important to me than experiencing the high from drugs. I get so much joy out of hanging out with my band and making music that I wouldn't jeopardize that for anything. I knew I had big dreams that God had placed in my heart and that it would be impossible to achieve them without Him.

How was your experience in Nashville during your most recent visit?

Talk about a natural high! I had a blast in Nashville! We spent the first few days of our trip at Tom Jackson's live show production workshop. It was so exciting to perform for him and take classes from him because Tom is Taylor Swift's live show producer, and Taylor is one of my biggest inspirations! My favorite part of the workshop was when I performed for Tom and he told me that I reminded him of Taylor Swift. I took that as a total compliment:) After the workshop, my bass player Coe and his wife flew to Nashville so that Coe and I could play some open mic and writers nights together. We ended up playing at several different places, including the famous Bluebird Cafe'. Plus it was great to meet and hear music by other aspiring singer/songwriters.

What has been the hardest part from choosing a drug free lifestyle?

A temporary high or drunkenness will only make you unaware of your hardships for a moment, or numb your pain for a little while. But when you find a natural high and a healthy, positive way to overcome your circumstances, then you are prepared to deal with any obstacle that comes your way.

Being around musicians, are you around drug use a lot? Does it make you feel uncomfortable?

To be honest, I've chosen to not surround myself with musicians/bands that use drugs/alcohol. Of course you can not completely avoid people who choose that lifestyle, but you can make smart choices about what venues you perform at and what bands you choose to interact with. Yes, it does make me uncomfortable when I find myself in a situation where people are under the influence. Not because those people are bad people, but they usually end up making bad decisions and I do not want to be involved in their consequences. - Natural High

While many of her peers are packing up to head off to college this summer, recent Steele Canyon High School graduate Danielle Pupa is following her dream to be a professional singer/songwriter.

Her newly formed band, the Dannie Marie Band, will be performing their first concert at the San Diego County/Del Mar Fair on Wednesday, June 16, on the Plaza Stage from 5 to 7 p.m.

The Dannie Marie Band will play country rock hits from artists such as Rascal Flatts and Taylor Swift, along with pop and classic rock favorites and worship songs. Their set list will also include original songs written by Dannie Marie, who wants to inspire others -- especially girls her age -- with songs like "Beautiful You" and "The Voice".

Many Alpine residents will remember seeing Danielle perform over the years in school productions, CYT plays, and the summer concerts in the park. Most of her band members are from the East County area. The group, who all met at church, includes Tim Amposta (acoustic guitar), Obediah Byrd (electric guitar), Ryan Poole (drums), Coe Schneider (bass guitar) and Taylor Smith (background vocalist).

The concert is free with paid admission to the fair; discount tickets available at Albertson's. For more information, go to www.sdfair.com or www.myspace.com/danniemariesings. The Dannie Marie Band is also available for weddings and private parties. - The Alpine Sun

Hundreds of youth bands start up every year – the kids’ starry-eyed dreams hang in the balance that they will be something unique and find fame and fortune. This summer San Diego saw the emergence of yet another hopeful group when the Dannie Marie Band started playing in different arenas. Their mix of country rock, pop, some original tunes and Christian worship music made instant fans of their audiences, but their demeanor, influenced by band leader Dannie Marie Pupa, set the group solidly apart from their peers.

Along with the inclusion of a few worship songs, these young Christians are not afraid to let their listeners know how faith guides them and their music. But it’s their uncontainable joy that speaks louder than their heartfelt words about who they are and what their mission in life is all about.

Dannie Marie started in Christian Community Theatre as a young child. She acquired her guitar when she was 16 and started writing songs. Her parents are very supportive of her musical passion, even allowing her to go to Los Angeles to attend music workshops. “I had written some original songs, but I thought it would be awesome to have the full sound of a band; so that was my next step towards a musical career,” she said.

Six months ago she announced at her church – Foothills in El Cajon – that she was looking for band members. Shortly after at a church retreat she met Ryan Poole, a drummer who had other friends that played instruments. Adding members Coe Schneider (bass), Taylor Smith (back ground vocalist), Obediah Byrd (electric guitar) and Tim Amposta (acoustic guitar), the Dannie Marie Band was born.

Dannie Marie writes a lot of the original music and her mother who is also the band manager, writes some as well. Since she was young, Dannie Marie said she loved the imagery and energy of emotion created in her acting classes. She soon learned how to transform that creativity into writing songs. “I picture it as a music video, seeing the story in my head and then I start writing the lyrics,” she said. “I get my guitar and start strumming chords together and pick out the melody for the chorus then come back to the bridge. The band members write their own riffs and instrumental hooks to my melodies.”

The process can take four or five hours, but to Dannie Marie this is now her main goal in life. She graduated from Steel Canyon high school and works with her mom in creating a business based on the band. Although someday she would like to attend Belmont University in Nashville, her focus is on reading about songwriting and industry, writing music and playing the guitar – she gets lessons from Byrd. And then there’s marketing; booking
performances, networking and follow up with people and radio stations. Guiding her every step of the way is her steadfast faith.


“It gives me a hope that never fades,” Dannie Marie said. “I know that whatever I’m going through God has a purpose for my life. And I have an indescribable eternal happiness to know that when I die, I’ll be in Heaven.”

No one can deny that Dannie Marie and her band members don’t uphold their convictions. They tell those listening to their band exactly how they feel about God, what he’s done for them in their lives and invite them to their church. While some young musicians might see this as a hindrance to their career, Dannie Marie believes this is why she has a career.

“When I was little I felt God put this mission on my heart,” she said. “It’s not been easy. I’ve gone through a lot of rejection and struggling pursuing different paths, and all the time God has been with me working behind the scenes. The strength and hope he has given me is something I want to share with other people, and I feel I cannot leave an audience without sharing this with them.”

A few weeks ago Dannie Marie, her mother and band member Coe Schneider made a trip to Nashville to hand out demos of their latest CDs and enjoyed meeting industry professionals and performing at open mic nights. Performing at The Bluebird Café, a Nashville landmark where country stars Garth Brooks and Taylor Swift were discovered, is only one of the highlights of the trip.

This December the Dannie Marie Band will have a CD release party and they are focusing on more shows. Along every step of the way, Dannie Marie never forgets her main goal. “In the Bible there’s a great commission that says; ‘Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.’ My main goal in life is to glorify God in all that I do. I hope that’s to sell out an arena so I can let everyone in it know about God.”

Written by Diana Saenger in the East County Gazette, October 28, 2010, page 25
- East County Gazette