An Epic Duo

Simon and Garfunkel, The Blues Brothers, and DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince all had their time to shine- now it's time for a new duo to step into the spotlight.

Peter Goss and Eric Semmel, Jamesville-DeWitt High School seniors, were listening to music on a friend's iPod, when sudden inspiration came to them. "We thought we could sing the songs better than the artist who actually sing them, so we decided to record an album." And from there making "Epic: The Album" took off.

The pair spent six weekends recording in Goss's loft, with some help from Garage Band and a microphone. "Epic" is filled with tunes that reflect a certain style and certain range of both Goss and Semmel. "We chose songs that would accommodate our voices," says Goss. "We also picked the songs based on how well we would sound singing together and solo." The album includes songs by John Mayer, Rob Thomas, and Jack Johnson. ""˜Upside Down' by Jack Johnson and "˜Lean On Me' by Bill Withers are our favorites," says Semmel. "We also liked recording "˜Chariot' by Gavin DeGraw."

Goss showed singing and musical promise early on by being a part of All County Chorus in fifth grade, as a soprano. However, singing was not always a favorite activity for both Goss and Semmel. "In middle school, Mr. Hebert, the music teacher, signed us both up for chorus," says Semmel. "We were recruited against our will. We didn't want to sing, but it was on our schedules on the first day of eighth grade."

In the end, it seems Mr. Hebert was right to make the boys join. Goss and Semmel have now both been bass parts in chorus for five years.

What started as an event on Facebook, the album's release was highly anticipated by J-DHS classmates, weeks before it was dropped. As word of the album continues to spread, Goss and Peter are relying on friends for promotion. "We don't plan on advertising the album in any way besides Facebook," says Goss. "We're looking for someone to create a fan page." With all of the hype surrounding the album, is there going to be a cost in order for fans to get a hold of a copy? "Technically we can't sell the album because it's just cover songs," says Semmel, "So for now we can make copies for people who give us blank CDs."

The true measure of these chorus buddies' talent will be put to the test at their first live performance. "We plan on performing in the future," says Semmel. "We'll see how the Senior Showcase goes."