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 Michael and Marisa Michael and Marisa Perform at Ivy League Day Camp on July 9, 2010 By Damien Monaco On Friday, July 9, 2010, Michael and Marisa (www.michaelandmarisa.com) took the stage at the Ivy League Day Camp in Smithtown (www.ivyleaguekids.com) through part of the Camplified tour (www.camplified.com). Although performing only a short set, they were well received by the campers, staff and parents. Starting their set off with “It’s Like That,” it was clear that these 12- and 13-year-old artists were going to put on a good show. The Boston, MA, sibling duo both sung throughout the songs, while Michael played guitar and Marisa played the drums. In between songs they engaged with the audience to create a more interactive experience. For their second song, they performed “Can’t Miss a Beat.” They split the audience in half (one side of the venue belonging to Michael and the other to Marisa), and tasked them to see which side could be better dancers. As a reward for being the best side, they would receive free merchandise thrown into the crowd. There was some debate as to which side was better, but in the end, both sides won and got something. After that song, Michael and Marisa performed a cover of a Hall & Oates song, “You Make My Dreams.” Although perhaps an odd choice for such a young crowd, the group did an excellent job of recreating the song to put their own signature on it. Before they started their next song, Michael and Marisa took a moment to speak about bullying and its negative effects. More specifically, they were concerned about an incident that took place in January 2010 when a 15-year-old girl committed suicide in Massachusetts due to being bullied. Being New Yorkers, we can relate with the recent suicide of Alexis Pilkington, a 17-year-old who was bullied online. Michael and Marisa wrote the song “The Same” to help to try and stop the act of bullying. Also, the duo has agreed to donate 20 percent of the sales of this song to Kids Against Bullying (www.pacerkidsagainstbullying.org). “If our song causes even one bystander to take a stand, that one action could be the start of a chain of events that could help to stop bullying," Marisa said. As they performed “The Same,” it was an enjoyable song in the sense that the music and vocals were excellent, but at the same time you couldn’t help but feel touched and a little saddened for the reason behind it. Moving along, Michael and Marisa performed “You Make Me Feel Like Saturday,” which was another catchy tune. Before their last song, they decided to have another competition with the crowd. As an adult, it was a competition I could have done without. The duo had Michael’s side verse Marisa’s side of the crowd in a screaming match. Though not to my taste, the children had fun, and that is all that matters. Finally, Michael and Marisa performed a cover of the song “(If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To” by Weezer. You may think it would be hard for these 12 and 13 year olds to be able to perform an adult song by Weezer, but the duo seem very mature for their age and portray that in their stage presence. Speaking with Michael and Marisa’s manager, she said the duo try to do a combination of original material and covers to keep the crowd interested, since the crowd might not be able to relate to the newer and less-known music of Michael and Marisa.
It should also be noted that there were many other talented acts that performed that night. Dexter Scott (www.myspace.com/dexterscott), from New York, NY, opened for Michael and Marisa. He had a very soulful voice, reminiscent of Jason Mraz. He performed some of his original music from his self-titled EP Dexter Scott, as well as a cover of “Hey Soul Sister” by Train to help the children relate to the music.
About Camplified
The concert tours feature emerging artists in a stage show that accomplishes HH’s multi-faceted commitment to creating a unique experience for its participants, being a responsible partner to its hosts and a resource to the camping industry. Camplified has successfully completed eight seasons in the Northeast and has now expanded its reach into the Midwest camping region. Goodwill generated from the previous tours, camping industry relations and the success of the Camplified artists’ drew significant attention to HH’s efforts and has accelerated the growth of the opportunities. Camplified 2010 will reach 31-plus summer camps during this camp season and 20,000-plus teens/tweens on its summer tour. Camplified is a celebrity, music and branded interactivity fantasy experience. It begins in the morning when trucks roll into camp, prep the camp stage, break out the sound system, lighting and generators, band equipment, and set up the branded tents and activities for campers. Day-long interaction between the bands, campers and brands take place by way of lunch/cook-outs, scavenger hunts, relay races, games/contests, guitar clinics and Q&A’s with artists. Campers are treated like VIPs who have all day access passes to this music festival. The concert performance is the finale of the day and runs about 90 minutes. Artists take the stage performing 25-minute sets, promising a menu of talent for the campers, representing the music tastes of campers of all ages. Directly following the concert is a meet-and-greet, whereby campers are handed a commemorative tour poster that they have signed by the artists appearing at their camp. Campers can also expect to walk away with product giveaways provided by its sponsors. 
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