Originally published October 18, 2002

ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER / SHOW SECTION
Taming Ingrid's Big Break
By Robert Kinsler
Special to the Register

It may well be a working musician's biggest challenge: how to strike a balance between creative and commercial forces that seem to occupy entirely different worlds.

Indeed, some of Orange County's most gifted artists in recent memory failed to spark the kind of momentum necessary to score success beyond a regional level.

Taming Ingrid seems poised to conquer a wider audience thanks to a combination of high-profile shows, radio airplay and a little thing called MTV.

TV-radio personality Poorman is a fan of the quintet and helped get it featured on Rick Dees' morning show on KIIS 102.7 FM in May. As part of a stunt, the band showed up at 7 a.m. at the door of an Elektra Records A&R rep to perform. That appearance was so successful the band was invited two days later to be part of a radio station event at Edison Field promoting the Anaheim Angels.
Another break came in June, when, while performing at a music festival at UC Davis, MTV happened to be filming at the campus.
"Two days later, MTV faxed us a contract asking to use footage they shot of us," Salci said.

Indeed, the episode of "Sorority Life" featuring the band playing "You Are All That" was broadcast Sept. 9. And now the band has learned its music will be used in a future episode for the music network.

Taming Ingrid has seemingly burst on the scene only this year, but the group's history reaches back five years when lead singer Monica Salci and guitarist Rhonda Valles began songwriting together.

The band's impressive lineup also includes guitarist Josh Wolfsohn, drummer Drew Masterpole and bassist Sheldon Bradley.
"A lot of our ideas come from open jams, letting it flow. All of us have a lot of influences; we're pretty open to different ideas," Wolfsohn said.

Taming Ingrid has released a five-song CD that features the group's winning style, which effortlessly blends pop and modern rock in infectious tunes such as "I'll Be," "You Are I Am" and "I Can See."

A large part of the outfit's success can be traced to the virtuoso musical talents of each member, all of whom provide strong backing vocals behind Salci's powerful and distinctive soprano.

"It's all about having the biggest ears possible," said Masterpole, one of the few area rock drummers who can provide rich vocal harmonies while keeping a beat. He noted how it is important to the members of Taming Ingrid to work together to arrange their music on a song- by-song basis.

"Actually, we're more respectful of the other players and we don't overplay; it takes a lot of listening," Masterpole explained.
All five members get together and rehearse; the best sonic ideas are put on tape and then Salci puts down her lyrical ideas at home before bringing them back to the band.

Watching Taming Ingrid perform on stage is to see a group already coming into its own, armed with a catalog of songs, a strong stage presence and sound that sets it apart. On a recent evening, the band blew away its competition before an enthusiastic crowd at Sing Sing in Irvine.

"I never understood people in (other) bands that were family; now I do. We're together just about everyday of the week," Salci said.
Added Valles: "We'll be on stage playing these songs - and new ones - 20 years from now."

Taming Ingrid members emphasized that the originality of the band's sound, strong live performances, and constructing songs with choruses and melodies are all equally important parts of the equation.

"It's such a good fit (between members). Offstage, it's a friendship, and the lines of communication are wide open. It's amazing; if a set feels good, all that energy feeds the crowd," Masterpole said.

For more information about how to get a copy of Taming Ingrid's new CD or details about coming shows, visit the band's official Web site at www.tamingingrid .com.

Contact Kinsler at rockwrite@yahoo.com