k2501961's real name is Christopher McGilton. Christopher is 47 years old, is located in Ohio / USA and has been a SingSnap member since May 2, 2008.
So far he has made a total of 784 recordings.
Hello Everyone!
Thanks for stopping on by! I found this website by accident while working on a parody song and never even thought of singing karaoke, yet singing karaoke on-line lol! Sing Snap is a wonderful website with so many wonderful and talented people like you! It's a lot of fun to be part of a virtual community where the majority of people have fun!
For those of you who want to improve your voice in the near future I plan on creating vocal exercise recordings for: warming up and strengthening the voice, proper support of the diaphragm, maintaining good intonation and developing a musical ear.
Personal Info
I live in Stow, Ohio (near Cleveland/Akron) and have been married since May 2, 1981 to my wonderful wife Pamela and we have two grown daughters.
I earn a living as a network analyst for Windstream Communications (a local telephone company operating in 16 states), detecting and correcting network abnormalities as well as working with technicians in fixing problems and installing software patches and updates to equipment. I am also a part-time professional (paid) church music director; keyboard player, programmer, sequencer, producer, choir director, cantor and soloist. I am so grateful to be able to be in a position to perform music and have responsibility for a music program. It has always been a dream of mine to become a recording artist and with this outlet, I hope that dream becomes a reality!!!
Some of you may wonder why I have an unusual user name "k2501961" (so many numbers lol!). It's actually quite simple: k250 = The Kurzweil 250, which is generally recognized as the first digital keyboard that could successfully produce realistic sounds of a grand piano and other instruments by solely using integrated circuits and 1961 = the year I was born! I arrange, compose, sequence and produce music on this magnificent instrument!
Stevie Wonder playing the Kurzweil 250 for Ray Kurzweil in 1986.
Musical Equipment Setup
For recording on Sing Snap, I use an AKG Perception 200 Condenser microphone. This is plugged into a Behringer Xenix 1202FX mixer using a Mogami cable (these are the finest cables on the market and are well worth the investment). Effects used (minimally) are added by the mixer. The mixer is then connected from it's line output jacks via a dual RCA male-to-3.5 mm shielded stereo cable to the line input jack of the Voyetra Santa Cruz/Turtle Beach Sound card. I use Koss UR-40 titanium headphones and they are super light and can easily be worn all day! The cost of this setup was about $400, money well spent :)
Occasionally for accompaniment I'll use the Kurzweil 250 Music Synthesizer and/or the Yamaha MU-80 sound module. These are also plugged into the mixer board using Mogami cables.
Since the stereo feature is now fully implemented I am in the process of re-recording in stereo the majority of my previously recorded mono recordings to enhance your aural experience!
You Don't Bring Me Flowers (Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond) - Duet with jemima (Recording no longer available)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My Recordings
I Have Recordings Searchable in Three Ways For Your Convenience: By Date, By Song Name and By Artist. Please Select From the Options Below (Each Will Open In A New Browser Tab or Window):
The Tyrant Vocal Virtuoso Contest- ONE OF FIVE WINNERS - The top 5 contestants were equally declared the winners. The top 5 contestants then had a show featuring the excruciating task of being assigned a piece of music to learn in one hour and having 10 additional minutes to record it! For the TOP 5 show click Here
Best Vocalist '09 Contest - Participated through the Top 8 Round. This was a country music round - here's the song recorded for that round: "Achy Breaky Heart"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Phantom of the SingSnap Contest - Participated through Round 3. Here's the song recorded for that round: "Send In The Clowns"
Perhaps there's a song or a duet that you think would suit my voice very well; if so I'd love to hear about it!
Musical Biography
In the sixth grade I remember auditioning for the junior high school chorus but was not accepted because the music teacher stated "I wasn't good enough"! However in 7th grade this changed since not many boys were interested in the chorus!
A few years later with some friends from high school I started singing with the church choir and the church folk group. I eventually continued onto cantoring (which was primarily solo work at that time since singing the psalms or leading the assembly in singing hymns was not in wide practice at that time).
The second half of my sophomore year in high school was when things, musically speaking, really started coming together for me. I had a new choral music teacher. I was involved with two school choral groups, regional school choruses, school musicals, the Southern New England Telephone (SNET) Chorus and church musical activities. All this exposure brought music to a new level. This continued through my remaining high school years. In 1978 I auditioned for and was selected as a bass with a perfect score for the 1979 Connecticut All-State Chorus. I also studied piano and voice privately with one of the most skillful piano and voice teachers I've ever studied and worked with and of whom I have immense respect and admiration for, Dr. Louis Negri.
During my senior year of high school, I decided to pursue a career with the Air Force (this career choice was a surprise to many since several people expected me to audition at a major music college or university) and I enlisted under the Delayed Enlistment Program in October, 1979.
I entered the Air Force shortly after high school graduation in June, 1980. However, that did not stop me from performing music! While in the Air Force I performed with several choral groups, performed in musicals and performed in multiple Air Force talent shows/talent training workshops, etc...
1988 was a phenomenal year with many highs and lows. I composed a Mass setting which I entitled: "Mass For the People of God" whereby the "Alleluia/Gospel Acclamation" and "Lamb of God" has been successfully implemented as ritual music. I was fortunate to win two 2nd place "Wilco" awards at the Air Force Worldwide Talent Contest in the Vocalist Self-Accompanied and Instrumental Group categories! I was selected to perform with the Air Force's "Tops In Blue" entertainment group, but declined this opportunity (this was one of THE hardest decisions I have ever made in my life) to accept a position as an accompanist with the Air University Band. However, the Air Force decided not to transfer me to the band (I learned shortly thereafter the band was consolidated due to reductions in military force). I was totally and completely devastated. However, the story does not end there as I will now explain...
Towards the end of 1988 I was in a unique situation at St. Philip Neri Parish in Midwest City, Oklahoma where I was a choir member, cantor and occasional accompanist. Four weeks before Christmas the church suddenly found themselves without a music director and I was asked to assume this position temporarily until a replacement director could be found. However, because things worked out so well for Christmas the pastor decided to appoint me as the permanent Music Director! Keep in mind I was also serving in the Air Force at the same time.
From 1990 - 1991 I was deployed to Operation Desert Storm and in 1992 was honorably discharged from the Air Force and was appointed the Pastoral Music Coordinator, coordinating all the musical activities in the Parish until mid-1993, when I relocated to Omaha, Nebraska and served as a cantor at St. Wenceslaus Parish in Omaha, Nebraska as well as as tenor in the Omaha Symphonic Chorus through 1994.
In 1994, I relocated to Torrington, Wyoming and served as a church accompanist, cantor and ensemble group member/leader at St. Rose Church, Torrington, Wyoming through 1995.
In 1995, I relocated to Wendell, North Carolina and was the Music Director at St. Eugene Church in Wendell, North Carolina, directing adult and children's choirs, accompanying cantors and the growing Spanish-speaking community through 1999.
In 1999, I relocated to Imperial, Pennsylvania and was the Director of Music at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Burgettstown, PA through 2007; playing, cantoring and directing a choir. During this time I once again relocated due to another full-time job loss; this time it was to Stow, Ohio in 2002. Note that I commuted back and forth 210 miles round-trip at least once a week, sometimes more often for five years from 2002 - 2007 to continue serving as the music director.
In early 2007 due to irreconcilable work scheduling conflicts with my full-time employment I was no longer able to continue as the music director at Our Lady of Lourdes Church. Shortly afterwards another opportunity within 30 minutes of my home came my way and since that time I have been the Music Director at Holy Trinity Church in Bedford Heights, Ohio; playing, cantoring and directing a choir. Unfortunately on November 14, 2009 the church will close as the parish is merging with two other parishes to become one new parish.
However, God promises that when one door closes another one opens and that has certainly occurred again as I am happy to announce I will become the Director of Music at Saints Cosmas and Damian Parish in Twinsburg, Ohio effective the week of November 21, 2009.
I invite you to visit either of my personal websites:
