The Independent Study Sessions

The Independent Study Sessions was a series of recording sessions which took place from February - May 2005 under the guidance of Frank Lettieri Jr. and Brian Erickson. These sessions were - essentially - the beginning of the band that would become The Paper Jets

History
Lettieri and Erickson had worked together at Rider University's radio station - WRRC-FM - as General Manager and Program Director, respectively.

For their senior thesis (to record a professional-level studio album using only consumer equipment), the pair decided to collaborate.

Recording
The equipment the band used to record and mix their sessions were as follows:


 * Boss BR-8 Zip drive multi-track recorder


 * MXL 990 and MXL 991 condenser microphones


 * Shure SM 57 microphones

The sessions themselves began in February 2005 and were an inconsistent affair. Lettieri and Erickson's experiences were minimal at best. Lambusta was invited to participate in March and Novelli in April. Sessions wrapped by April's end and the ten completed songs were mixed in May.

Lettieri shot a "making-of" video documentary which he and Erickson edited. This was eventually released as a bonus feature on The Paper Jets' 'Bored In Town' DVD.

While it had no official album title, the group sometimes referred to these sessions under the working title, Children of the Cowduck, stemming from a story Lambusta had told about, "...growing up on a canal near a flock of black-and-white-spotted ducks."

Track Listing (Composer)
1. So Unreal (Erickson)*

2. Memories (Lettieri)*

3. Always Will (Lambusta)

4. You'll Come Around (Erickson)

5. Invisible Stain (Lettieri)

6. Eternity (Lettieri)

7. Joseph (Erickson)

8. Goodbye on Tuesday (Lettieri)*

9. Drive Down 495 (Erickson)*

10. You'll Come Around reprise (Erickson)*

All songs unreleased except * released on 2011s 'Sorta Bored.'

Personnel
While the band never credited a producer for these sessions, session notes reveal Lettieri to have produced and engineered the bulk of the recordings while also mixing the songs he wrote. Lambusta mixed the remainder of the sessions except for the reprise of "You'll Come Around," and "495" which Erickson handled.

Brian Erickson - vocals, guitar, keyboard

Bill Lambusta - bass, guitar

Drew Novelli - bass on "You'll Come Around"

Frank Lettieri Jr - vocals, drums, guitar, bass

Amanda Gregory - piano on "Goodbye on Tuesday"

Eventual Release
The band had prepared an early mix of the 10-track album in May of 2005. However, Erickson and Novelli's respective college graduations and subsequent moves back to New York (Erickson lived on Long Island, Novelli on Staten Island) delayed the album's release. By the Winter of 2006,Novelli now having been replaced by Jeff Fiedler, the band decided to release an abridged version of the sessions titled, A Smattering, consisting of songs, "So Unreal," "Memories," and "Always Will.'  A Smattering was ultimately cancelled by the Spring of 2006 in favor of a proposed live album.

In the Spring of 2007, Philadelphia-based director Michael Bednarz approached Erickson about the inclusion of "So Unreal," and "Drive Down 495," in his film, Thomcats. Terms were agreed upon and Erickson attended the big-screen premiere. The film's run was short and eventually Thomcats fell into obscurity.

On November 19, 2011, The Paper Jets issued Sorta Bored, a rarities compilation that featured five songs from the Independent Study Sessions. It was the first time any of the songs had been officially sanctioned for commercial release. Original mixes were used for four of the five tracks while Erickson gave "Drive Down 495" a slight remix.

We'll Call You When We Get There
The sessions were documented in writing by a band friend named Madeline Johnson whose unpunished piece, "We'll Call You When We Get There," follows the project from conception to completion. The Paper Jets released a two-sentence excerpt of the piece on their Facebook page in 2013. To date, there are no plans to issue the full article.