Excerpts from my recent interview with John Geraghty...
15 year old, Mr. John Geraghty is our NHS Teen Idol 2009 Male Vocal Winner! He currently resides in Upper Saddle River, NJ and is a sophomore in high school at Don Bosco Preparatory High School in Ramsey, NJ.
This is hysterical! I asked John what is your earliest memory of performing? He said, “Having my own concerts in the bathroom for my family, the bat -tub curtain was my curtain, the tub was my stage and the toilet was the only seat in the house… except my family crammed in anyways!” Also, “My family tells me how I used to sing “My Heart Will Go On” from the Titanic non-stop every day for like 3 years.”
He would like to be a recording artist and impact the world with his music much like John Lennon, Bob Hope and Michael Jackson did. The original “We are the World” and “Imagine” are his favorite songs as they are truly inspiring and beautiful.
His best experience at the NHS Teen Idol Event was “Besides winning, I really enjoyed the workshops with Blake Althen and Dr. Eugene Foley. They really were helpful and informative for the teenagers who want to pursue this as a career, like I do. “
He is a HUGE fan of Taylor Swift and is the ultimate fan of two very good friends of his who are pursuing music as well: Catalina Gaglioti (National High School Teen Idol Winner of 2008) and Ali Brustofski (New York Songwriters Circles’ Young Artist Winner of 2009).
John’s Biggest Musical Influences are: Michael Jackson, The Beatles, Billy Gilman, Rascal Flatts, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, The Fray, The Script, Boys Like Girls, Owl City, Billy Gilman, David Archuleta, Carrie Underwood, Bob Hope, James Taylor and John Lennon.
I asked him how it was recording in the studio; he said “It was incredible! Although it was very tedious and tiring, it was so worth it. I can see myself doing that every day of my life, no matter how tiring it is. I love music so much that words cannot even explain how I feel when I sing. As Billy Elliot says it’s like: “Electricity”. Music is my passion. I hope my music will inspire others to sing!”
Some of John’s accomplishments are: National High School Teen Idol 2009 Male Winner; 2008 Vocal Music Award by the Saddle River Valley Music Association; Performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City; Finale soloist at the Papermill Playhouse in the New Voices Concert!
In his spare time he sings in the shower, sings in the car, sings in his room… and also likes songwriting, snowboarding, swimming, running, photography and video-production. He would like to be remembered for his music and is a visionary, one day he would like to be an ambassador for UNICEF!
SING, SING, SING John! He is currently recording his NHS Teen Idol Produced Original Song “Only Girl!” I can’t wait to hear it! (In my Living Room, not his Bathroom…LOL).
By: Alicia Colletti, Associate Producer, NHS Teen Idol
March 2010
JP performing at NHS Teen Idol 2010...He used Catalina as a Prop !!!
Update from JP...
Since winning the National High School Teen Idol Competition in 2009, winner, John Geraghty (JP) has made several dreams come true. He is currently recording and writing some of his debut pop album, which will later be shopped to record labels. He is working with top producers who have worked with Sara Bareilles, One Republic, Mandy Moore and many more. JP also had the opportunity to work with the amazing Blake Althen, who is a part of the Teen Idol family from the prior events. In addition to working on his music and artist development, he is also working on his self-promotion on the internet. JP has major sites on YouTube, Face book & Twitter with rising hits, subscriptions and follows. His album will be released before the end of 2010, and he will be able to thank Teen Idol for getting him started with his first song "Only Girl" produced by Glenn Taylor. Aside from his recording success, he is also becoming very successful in the theater world. After the competition last year, he was the only contestant to be offered the signing with Shirley Grant Management. Although she had very impressive credits, he did not see a match between them and signed to a different top management company in New York City. This led to John getting a final callback for the new Tony-nominated musical, Everyday Rapture. He was so fortunate to be in the Top Considerations for the role, which was portrayed by Broadway veteran, Eamon Foley. Other performing accomplishments include performing at Carnegie Hall in an Art Song Classical Performance and performing professionally in a production of Oliver! In his theater experiences, John has worked with Craig Schulman, Natalie V. Belcon and Robert Cuccioli among others. He continues to study all aspects of performing with top vocal and acting coaches all over NYC/NJ who have been claimed to be the top in the industry, including "#1 Vocal Coach of the Year" from just a few years ago. Coaches he has had the privilege of working with have had careers of their own, and a long list of impressive credits. Most notable stars who have studied with his coaches include Britney Spears, Ashley Tisdale, and Glee's Lea Michele. JP has dreams and goals and he is determined that they will come true very soon. He will keep his Teen Idol family tuned in on everything he is doing.
