General News: Peter Noone Talks About Music at SKS
Peter Noone (r) and Frank Annunziata talk about music at SKS.
November 11, 2011
By Charlie B. Scirbona
11/11/11 turned out to be a lucky day for the students of the Storm King School as they were privy to a special appearance from musician Peter Noone of Herman’s Hermits fame.
The appearance, billed as “Noone in the Morning,” was one part master class, one part mini-concert. Frank Annunziata, head of the creative arts center for Storm King School, brought student onstage to ask Noone questions about the music industry. One of the first questions was why is it so hard to get into the music industry; however Noone thought that really wasn’t so hard.
“I don’t think it is, if you really want it,” said Noone. “It’s better now than any time since 1962.”
Noone said the challenge today wasn’t getting a record out; it was making sure you got heard. He also said that the young musicians have to have goals that aren’t what he called ‘Disney World dreams,’ meaning dreams so unrealistic they’ll likely never happen. He explained that when he started out his goal was to hear himself on the radio and to try to sell millions of records.
Noone and Annunziata, who toured with Noone before he joined the Storm King School, played a few of Herman’s Hermits better known songs like “I’m Into Something Good.” and “Can’t You Hear My Heartbeat.” They were joined toward the end by various students, including one who joined them on ukulele for “Mrs. Brown You Have a Lovely Daughter.”
Here’s how the same song sounded when Herman’s Hermits performed it back in 1965:
