CTO Rock Strings

My name is Mary Giannone, and I'm the director of Cara Mia Wedding and Event Music (www.yourcaramia.com).  I also have a few projects I manage on the side.  The above video is my newest project, "CTO Rock Strings."

Cara Mia has recently partnered with CTO Artists (www.cto.com) to promote this newest group- an ALL ELECTRIC string quartet, playing pop and rock songs with a drummer! This is not your grandma's string quartet.  Although I know a few grandmas who would totally get down with it... including my friend Shauna's 86 year old grandma who came out to hear us play at Macy's in Center City and loved it!  It was her birthday that day too- happy birthday Shauna's Grandma!

Since this group is BRAND NEW we did a few promo gigs this December to get the word out.  The video above was taken at Neiman Marcus in King of Prussia.  The first violinist and the violist's son, Andrei, took the video- I bet you couldn't tell a 10 year old boy did that!


CTO Rock Strings will be visiting Europe for both music and pleasure over the next month, and when they return we will have ALL NEW REPERTOIRE! These are not store-bought arrangements, people.  But rather, we are CUSTOM ARRANGING these for electric rock strings.  (Shout-out to Ben!) Kind of like the difference between store-bought cookies and homemade... oh no! I mentioned cookies and now I've lost you in your cookie-filled day-dreams.  COME BACK TO ME!  Here's the list:

-Michael Jackson Medley- Billie Jean, Annie Are you OK, ABC
-Sublime- What I Got
-Black Eyed Peas- Let’s Get Retarded (Let’s Get It Started) with Tonight's Gonna Be a Good Night
-Journey - Don't Stop Believing
-Alicia Keys - Fallin'
-Bryan Adams – (Everything I Do) I Do It For You into When a Man Loves a Woman
-Eric Clapton - Wonderful Tonight
-Extreme - More Than Words
-Maroon 5 - This Love
-Eagles- Hotel California
-White Stripes- Seven Nation Army
-The Killers- Medley Mr. Brightside into Somebody Told Me
-Smash Mouth- I’m a Believer
-Papa Roach- Forever or Scars
-Red Hot Chili Peppers- Californication
-Pearl Jam- Even Flow
-Smashing Pumpkins- Today
-Elton John- She’s Always a Woman into Candle in the Wind
-Chumbawumba- I Get Knocked Down
-Lady Gaga- Poker Face (or Gaga medley?)
-The Rolling Stones- Wild Horses
-Chuck Berry- Johnny Be Good
-Bruno Mars- Just the Way You Are
-Usher/Pitbull- DJ's Got Us Fallin' In Love Again
-One Republic- Secrets
-Ke$ha- We R Who We R
-Rhianna- Only Girl in the World

Plus, my business partner Carmen chose these five to add to the repertoire as well:
-Live & Let Die
-Cashmere
-I Don't Like Mondays
-It's a Livin' Thing (ELO)
-Africa (Toto)


(I made sure to call him an old-head because three of those five songs I had to look up...)

To see the list of repertoire we already have, check out www.cto.com/rock-strings.html.

This January we will also be FILMING A NEW PROMO VIDEO! And re-doing our website.  Any suggestions for this new, amazing group, please let me know!

I'm so excited to be working with these talented musicians.  Shout out to my boy Mugu, the lead violinist in the video who has been amazing to work with, and who has been working on this project since it's conception almost a year ago.

I'll keep you posted next time we play!

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