Emma Willard in the News
'Little Life' Ready for Big Debut
September 29, 2006
opular local folk duo and Emma Willard School faculty members, The Bookdrop Bees, will debut their first album, Little Life, at a release party on Saturday, October 7, from 8–11 p.m. at Flavour Café, 228 Fourth St. in Troy.
After playing together for five years, Gemma and Ilan Halfi (about to celebrate their second wedding anniversary) formed The Bookdrop Bees last year, taking their name from a bee-infested book deposit at a library they each used to frequent. Their smooth, layered blend of original songs and classic covers has gained the group a devoted following at Capital District clubs and cafés, as well as regular gigs at Flavour Café, Slow Jed’s Mud House, Brown’s Brewing Company, and Professor Java’s Coffee Sanctuary.
Bringing Little Life to fruition was a labor of love, and of life. The couple lives in a dormitory at Troy’s Emma Willard School, a private independent school for girls, where Gemma works as a resident faculty member and student advisor. The Halfis wrote the music and lyrics, performed and recorded the songs, and mixed the tracks almost entirely within their dormitory apartment, amid the frequently boisterous noise of teenage girls at work and play.
Despite the challenging environment in which they were conceived, the 12 songs on Little Life clearly reflect The Bookdrop Bees’ easy charm and poignant blend of rich, colorful vocals (Gemma) and masterful folk guitar (Ilan). The songs’ graceful, poetic narratives—influenced by artists such as Joni Mitchell, Wilco, Aimee Mann, Ani DiFranco, and Ben Folds—convey profound ideas told from detailed and personal points of view. The Bookdrop Bees were recently chosen as one of the winners of the “Shine” capital region songwriting contest sponsored by Sunmark Federal Credit Union.
The Bookdrop Bees will perform songs from Little Life at the October 7 release party, which will also feature performances by Maurizio, Sunset Sam, and Ryan Kaplan.
For more information about the Bookdrop Bees and Emma Willard School, or to schedule interviews or photos, contact Steve Ricci at sricci@emmawillard.org, (518) 833-1785.
