Amanda McTigue the vocal powerhouse in Mildly Medicated band
WHY ARE WE MILDLY MEDICATED ?
What do you get when you combine a lead singer with Hemophilia, a guitarist with ADD, a guitarist with diabetes, a bassist with Tourette’s, and a drummer on HGH therapy? You get the modern rock band Mildly Medicated. Against all possible odds, these uniquely talented young musicians from Monmouth County NJ found each other in 2012, all unaware that each of them had medical issues. It was only until they were discussing possible band names that they all realized that they shared a commonality. Mildly Medicated was started by drummer Rocky Basile and best friend guitarist Steve Freed, but the band fractured in 2011 as both their original singer and guitarist left to start their college careers out of state. Guitarist extraordinaire Ryan Chiarella had just ended his 2 year run with his old band and heard Mildly Medicated was looking for another guitarist and offered up his services. Lead singer Amanda McTigue literally fell out of the sky as she stopped into the music facility that Mildly Medicated runs rehearsals in to inquire about voice lessons because she said she was told she was never good enough to be anything but a background singer. When the band heard Amanda sing, they were literally blown away offered her the job on the spot. Their youngest member, Jenna Basile at age 16, is recognized as one of the top female bassists in Monmouth County, and rounds out the band providing the thump to their unique sound. Their inspirational message of unity, tolerance, and anti-bullying is woven into every high energy song. Through music, and their unique band family, and hard work, they believe that anything is possible.
Member BIOS
Amanda McTigue, age 19, is the vocal powerhouse behind Mildly Medicated’s unique sound. She also has a form of hemophilia, and needs to be very careful to not injure herself in any way. “Even paper cuts, while not serious, will bleed for days or until I take medications that promote normal clotting.”Amanda’s soaring vocals and commanding stage presence are the cornerstone of the bands live act. Amanda is also the lead contributor of lyrics during the development of their original music. “I carry a book with me everywhere and jot down thoughts or lines that I think are meaningful.
“To be honest, the rest of the guys usually wind up stringing together snippets from my notebook and then write the music around it. I usually take what they have written and rework all the phrasing. It really is a team effort which I thoroughly enjoy. These guys are like my family, so it is easy for me to share lyrics and bare my inner thoughts. We all have great respect for each other.”
Amanda is influenced by bands such as Paramore, P!nk, Taylor Swift, The Parlor Mob, Bruno Mars, and Black Country Communion. Despite her proclivity for popular music, Mildly Medicated’s music does have a bit of an edge. “I come with my lyrics, and I let the guys set the direction of the song. While it is sometimes a departure from what I thought it would sound like, I trust these guys. So far they have never let me down. I am very proud of our debut CD.”
Ryan Chiarella, age 20, started his career at the School of Rock performance based music program at just 14 years of age studying diligently under a multitude of instructors. Ryan found that playing guitar was a helpful exercise in combating his ADD. Spending countless hours compulsively studying the licks and techniques of the very best guitar players in the world enabled him to focus his energies and improve his grades. Before joining Mildly Medicated, Ryan was very active in the Asbury Park music scene with his former band. “When I joined Medicated, I knew from the first rehearsal that I had found the right combination of players to take this very far. From the very beginning, it just felt comfortable and right. Our writing sessions are insane. We get more done in 6 hours than my other bands were able to get done in six months. It really is incredible.” Ryan is influenced by Eric Johnson, Joe Bonamassa, Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen, B.B King, just to mention a few. Ryan is currently completing his training as a Luther and custom guitar builder and is now an instructor at the Monmouth County School of Rock, where Mildly Medicated calls home base.
“This is an incredible time for me. I am part of a great band, building custom guitars that I am very proud of, and teaching at the school that gave me so much when I was growing up. It just does not get any better than this.”
Steve "Scooter" Freed, age 18, started playing guitar at age 9, around the time he was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. He currently controls his Diabetes with insulin injections. Steve started taking lessons at The School of Rock and found himself being interested in any and all types of music. “I really can appreciate just about anything. I don’t like to limit myself with one genre of rock and roll. I like to maintain a balance and challenge myself. While I do like listening to heavy stuff, I also practice my acoustic classical and Spanish guitar technique.” Steve started playing with friend and current drummer Rocky Basile when they were younger. “I really wanted to have a band so the day I met Rocky I just asked him if he wanted to start a band. I guess that was a little crazy because I barely knew him at the time. He had all the equipment we needed in his basement, so we gave it a try. While we always had a pretty good time, we did not have the right members to be successful, so we just kept floating from band project to band project. I think we were on the verge of stopping to try to make something happen when Ryan and Amanda joined and suddenly we really had something special." Steve is influenced by too many guitarists to list as his appreciation for music spans rock, metal, pop, latin, indie, and the list goes on and on.“I really enjoy collaborating with the members of Medicated. It allows me to be creative and write music that showcases our collective talents. These guys are my best friends and it is amazing to share the stage with them. I think we have all grown as musicians and as individuals because of this band.”
Jenna Basile, age 16, is the bass shredding Phenom that provides the thump to Mildly Medicated’s high energy sound. Jenna studied classical piano for over two years before giving it up after being diagnosed with Tourettes Syndrome, specifically spinal dyskinesia, which made it very difficult to be precise when striking keys. On a spur of the moment hunch, Jenna’s father put a bass in her hands and Jenna has not looked back since. While controlling her condition with drug therapy, Jenna is able to comfortably rock the stage without thinking about her condition while keeping in constant motion during performances. “I was not a popular kid in school, in fact I was made fun of a lot. Music has helped me get through that. Now kids at my school see me on stage and say ‘I wish I can do that’. "I work very hard at my technique, and all that work has really paid off. All of us in this band sacrifice a lot to push us forward and get us to the next level. I get calls from friends that say ‘Let’s go to the movies, or let’s go to the mall, or let’s go ice skating.’ Nine times out of ten I tell them I can’t because we are either practicing or writing. We all take this seriously and treat it like a business or a job. At least we know what we are getting ourselves into early. We know all the hard work that goes into this before the fun part of being on stage. We must spend like 200 hours between performances getting ready and prepared.”
Jenna is influenced by heavy metal bands, or anything that must be played at blinding speed, but now has embraced the hard rock/pop rock music that Mildly Medicated pumps out. Jenna’s signature red and sometimes green hair is usually being whipped around on stage as she pounds out the bass lines that complement the guitar work of Freed and Chiarella.
“This band is truly my world. Asking me to stop playing with these guys is like asking me not to breathe. It’s just not happening. These guys are very much a part of my family. I think that is probably why our music works so well. We all fit together like pieces of a puzzle. They complete me just as much as I complete them. We were all meant to do this.”
Rocky Basile, age 18, is the compact dynamo that provides the hard driving beats behind Mildly Medicated’s sound. Rocky started drumming at age 9 and has studied under various local music professionals. When Rocky is not playing with Medicated, he is working on percussion parts for classical music. Rocky also plays Timpani, Conga’s, as well as other percussion instruments. Surprisingly, Rocky is the most versed Medicated member in music theory. His ability to read and write music, in addition to his ability to technically structure songs, makes him unique as a percussionist. Because of this ability, Rocky is an instructor at The Monmouth County School of Rock. His students are exclusively young beginners and special needs children.
“I am amazed how many people come to the school who have previously taken music lessons but cannot write or read it, or have any grasp of fundamental concepts. This is especially true for drummers. Music is more than just being able to play a song. Teaching younger students gives me the best chance to help them learn the fundamentals so they have a solid foundation to build upon going forward. I truly enjoy teaching special needs kids and watching them grow as musicians. It is really great to see the reaction from parents when I am able to build a connection and help their kids do things that they never thought they could do. Who better to relate to them or their needs than I?” At age 12, Rocky was diagnosed being HGH deficient, as his pituitary did not make enough of the hormone. At age 13, his growth velocity was close to zero, and his doctors decided to intervene and put him on hormone therapy, which is taken by IV injection every day.
“The needles don’t bother me anymore. Most of my life has been a struggle. Being small is not easy. It is hard to compete with normal sized kids in sports, and let’s face it, people can be cruel. I spent many years learning to deal with labels like ‘midget’, ‘shrimp’, ‘dwarf’, and so on. For me, music was the great equalizer. It doesn’t matter to my band mates or my audience how tall I am. All that matters is that I am able to make great music. In that regard, I am the tallest one in the room. There is no other place in the world that makes me feel the more comfortable than being behind my drums and seeing Amanda, Steve, Ryan, and Jenna in front of me.”
What People are saying about Mildly Medicated:
"Quite honestly, I was expecting a total train wreak when I booked them, I mean look at their story, they're all messed up and on drugs, right? I was shocked by their music, I mean I honestly like it. Amanda's voice is powerful, this kid has some set of lungs on her and she's beautiful. The bassist with Tourette's is adorable. I was disappointed that they are actually lovely kids, which makes it harder for me to make fun of them which I think should exclude them from ever coming back on my show...but for some reason I've had them back 4 times. There were my house band for my 10th anniversary show. Their road stories are ridiculous and hilarious. Motley Crue should have these stories... Their poor parents."
Jay Thomas - The Jay Thomas Show on Sirius/XM
