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Making Music: O’Brien
House members form band
by Mallory
Joseph
O’Brien House has been a home to many
people throughout the years, as they seek help in recovering from
alcohol and drug addiction. They have housed future teachers,
businessmen and artists. But could O’Brien House currently be
housing the next big Christian rock band? It’s a good possibility!
Residents of O’Brien House Erroll Brown, Michael DiTucci
and Bobby Ryan have recently recorded a record filled with original
songs that were inspired by their past addictions and present
treatment and counseling at O’Brien House.
The idea of starting a band within O’Brien House came to
fruition after the center’s successful fundraiser “12 Bands for 12
Steps” in which local bands from around Baton Rouge played for
O’Brien House residents and other audience members from around the
area. As the residents of O’Brien House sat listening to local bands
singing to O’Brien House residents words Brown, DiTucci and Ryan
realized that they too had something to say.
“We asked Ms. Katherine Martin for practice space and
she was nice enough to give us the warehouse on Saturday and Sunday
afternoons, and since then we haven’t turned back,” said guitarist
and lead vocalist Michael DiTucci.
Making the Band
All three members of the currently unnamed band have a
storied musical history. Between the members they have roughly 20
years of experience, and while DiTucci leads the vocals and guitar,
Brown heads the bass and Ryan plays the drums, all three have
experience playing several instruments.
While the members of the band have all played in
different bands throughout the years, DiTucci and Brown are of the
former band Requirem based out of Houma, LA; all three members are
currently focused on this current incarnation of this band.
“So far it has been a really positive experience. Before
we were using drugs to escape and now being over here we are
learning how to have fun doing sober things and we are healing.
Music and this band have been very therapeutic in that healing
process,” said bassist Erroll Brown.
Currently the band is writing all of their own songs and
it is not lost on them that they many of them have a common theme.
“A lot of our songs tend to be about recalling the past and our
mistakes and coming back full circle showing how our perspective on
a bad situation has changed,” said Brown.
Making
Plans
When the members of the band’s time of treatment is
complete at O’Brien House they plan to get an apartment and try to
make it as a Christian Rock band. With their eclectic punk rock
style they hope to distinguish themselves in the emerging Christian
Rock genre of the music industry.
While they acknowledge that the music industry can be
brutal and cater to the very lifestyle that they are trying to avoid
they are confident that the life skills they are currently learning
at O’Brien House will help them.
Michael DiTucci explains,” We will stay together and
keep each other in line. Bottom line- we are just going to see where
this goes, take it one day at a time. That is what the program has
taught us.”
Click here for
the lyrics to the bands song "Dying to Live" | 
