The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
A RETURN HOME
VVS grad Molly D’Agostino filming music video in Vernon, Oneida
VERNON, N.Y. » It’s coming full circle for Molly D’Agostino as she returns home to Central New York to shoot a new music video.
A Vernon-Verona- Sherrill High School graduate of 2013, D’Agostino has always had a love of music growing up. Her parents would always play music, whether at home or in the car. And while she started playing the clarinet in elementary school, she picked up the guitar in high school.
After her first rock concert, D’Agostino decided on the bus ride to school that she wanted to be a musician.
“I think its one of the few schools in the country that has a full recording studio.” — Molly D’Agostino
“VVS has a great program called ‘Entertainment Industries’. I think its one of the few schools in the country that has a full recording studio,” D’Agostino said. “That program started me on the path of a songwriter. I even formed my first band at VVS called ‘Pacinello’. My first show of my life was at the Madison House in Oneida with Pacinello. It was a Halloween party and our first show and we were terrible, but that’s where it all started.”
Pacinello had a rocky beginning, but started to shine and ended up getting a record deal, toured the country and even opened up for The All American Rejects at Syracuse’s Westcott Theater.
While staying in Florida, D’Agostino met Hugo Ferreira, the singer for Tantric; the ones behind the charttopping hit single “Breakdown” that hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts.
D’Agostino talked with Ferreira after the show at Daytona Beach and became quick friends with a love for music. Ferreira even invited D’Agostino to join Tantric on their 2018 tour.
“At one point, he called me up and said ‘Hey, I’m working with this great producer in Detroit, let’s do a song’,” D’Agostino said. “Chuck Alkazian, the producer, owns Pearl Sounds in Detroit. He’s worked with Madonna, Eminem, Pop Evil and many more. We recorded the song ‘Lifetime’, a duet that features us both vocally at his studio. I’m a guitar player, so I don’t sing a lot. I do a lot of song writing and make songs for other people, so this was something special.”
Alkazian agreed and thought the song deserved a music video. Off a break from a tour with Puddle of Mudd, Ferreira and D’Agostino just needed a place to shoot.
“I don’t live in the area anymore, but I wanted to do this video in Central New York,” D’Agostino said. “I thought it would be great to give back and I wanted to give the area some attention.”
D’Agostino said the music video will be shot on lo- cation in Vernon at Bartholomew Park and a private residence in Oneida on July 14.
“Growing up in my hometown of Vernon, it has a feel that I have not been able to find anywhere else,” D’Agostino said. “I’ve lived in Florida, Connecticut and New York. But Vernon has a family feel and it’s got character. When I walk into Nice N’ Easy, there’s at least people there to say hi to you.”
Bartholomew Park was chosen due to the strong memories D’Agostino has of walking to the park and walking the trail back to the waterfall at the back of the park as a child.
“It’s cool to be able to capture that memory and feeling, to have it forever. Not just as part of my life, but as a part of my career going forward,” D’Agostino said.”
Joining D’Agostino is her mother Laura for the video shoot.
“I’m thankful for my mom and her friend Steve. They’ve been really supportive of me,” D’Agostino said. “I’m really lucky. The amount of heartbreaks I’ve had to get to this point is insane. But you always have to keep going. It’s been a struggle and it’s still a struggle, but I don’t want to stop until I’m at the top.”
An opening for an extra in the music video is currently available at the time of writing. Any male, between the ages of 25 and 35, interested can send a headshot to pgiaccona@gmail.com with the subject line LIFETIME CASTING.
Openings are also available for park goers. Those interested can arrive at Bartholomew Park on July 14 at 12:30 p.m.