By AARON SHILL
A pair of BYU students is hoping to get a boost from another duo with ties to Utah Valley.
Dan LaPray and Mike Gardner, who are two members of a band called Stylus, are among ten acts chosen as finalists for the “Be a Cyberstar” contest sponsored by the Donny and Marie Show.
LaPray, 24, a senior from Idaho Falls, Idaho, majoring in marketing communications, and Gardner, 28, a senior from St. George, majoring in film, sent in a videotaped version of their song “Sunlight in the Rain” to the show after seeing the contest advertised on television.
“We didn’t think too much of it,” LaPray said. “We just decided to send in a tape. There was nothing to lose.”
The two musicians, who have been writing music together since September, were then informed by the Sullivan talent agency that their act would be among the final ten considered. The finalists have been posted on the show’s website at www.donnyandmarie.com.
The top three entries will be chosen from voting done on the website. The final three acts will then have their demo tapes reviewed by the show, after which the winner will be flown to Los Angeles to audition for the show.
According to LaPray, the duo’s act is currently in fourth place in voting on the website. LaPray said “Sunlight in the Rain” has a good shot to make the top three because it is one of the few original songs among the ten finalists.
Stylus is a four-man group that also features bassist Peter Douglas and drummer Ryan Hawkins. The contest, however, was limited to solo and duo acts.
DuPray said his goal is to get a record deal so the band can have a chance to record 11 other songs that are in the works. “Sunlight in the Rain” has already received radio play in DuPray’s hometown.
And although the duo hasn’t yet secured a seat on the plane to California, Gardner said the chance to make an appearance on the Donny and Marie Show would be a good starting point for the band.
“It’s credibility, being on a show like that,” Gardner said. “If bands have resumes, that’s just another point on the resume.”
LaPray describes the group’s music as modern rock. But LaPray also said he wants to write powerful music that has a positive affect upon people.
“It’s just feel-good music, and we want people to feel good when they listen to it, so we want to get it out to everybody,” he said. “We really want people to have good music to listen to, so we’re trying to write music that means something.”
