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winnetkacurrent.com life & arts
the winnetka current | November 9, 2017 | 17
Musician credits Northfield upbringing
with grooming unique music talents
Maryann Pisano
Freelance Reporter
Cody Fry may have
traveled the world and
been a contestant on
Season 14 of “American
Idol,” but he said his musical
abilities truly began
on the North Shore.
Hailing from Northfield,
he said he “grew up
with music in the house
all the time.”
“My dad was a working
composer when I
was growing up and he
wrote a lot of TV commercials
and jingles,”
Fry said.
After many years of
studying music, Fry’s new
CD, entitled “Flying,”
was released on Oct. 6.
“I’m a singer and songwriter,
but I love pop music,”
he said.
Fry said he combined
his love of pop music and
orchestra and blended it
together for his new album.
Fry said producer
Chad Capelin collaborated
with him to create what
he considers “killer pop
tracks.”
According to Fry, creating
the CD took a long
period of time — nearly
three years — to complete,
since he contemplated
the nature and the
music of the album.
“Once I decided that the
orchestra would be a part
of the album, it opened a
lot of cool musical doors,”
he said. “It was just trying
to find a sound that was
little more unique to me.”
Fry said he has always
been interested in music,
but many remember the
starting point of his career
when he competed
in 2015 on “American
Idol.” He said the opportunity
to audition for
“American Idol” fell into
his lap.
“The people from
‘American Idol’ listened
to my music and asked me
if I’d like to audition,” he
said.
Fry said the process for
“American Idol” wasn’t
anything like he’d experienced
before.
Unlike in live shows
where there are a lot of
people in the background
helping performers succeed,
“American Idol” is
the opposite. Fry noted
contestants have to win
over the judges in only
40 to 60 seconds. He said
you must “captivate them
right off the bat” and added
there is “no room for
error.”
“With ‘American Idol,’
and any reality show, the
people there want to see
what happens,” he said.
“It’s a different performing
situation.”
Fry made it to the Top
48, but said he received
a good amount of time to
do what he wanted on the
show.
After “American Idol,”
Fry said he is sometimes
recognized at the airport,
but is mostly known in the
circles of fans related to
pop singer Ben Rector.
“Those are the fans that
like my music,” he said.
Although Fry currently
lives in Nashville, he
credits his education at
New Trier High School
for helping him expand
his musical talents. He
noted that during his senior
year, he took six music
classes and only two
regular classes.
“Other schools wouldn’t
support that,” he said.
He credits his music
teachers at New Trier for
encouraging him when it
came to music. Fry said
he was a “music punk” in
high school and thanked
Nathan Landes and Jim
Warrick for being outstanding
music teachers.
“There was just so
much to dig into, and it
helped me grow as a musician,”
he said.
To hear Fry’s new album
“Flying,” visit his
website, codyfry.com.
ABOVE: Northfield
native Cody Fry,
who competed on
TV’s “American
Idol” in 2015,
released his new
album “Flying” in
October. PHOTOS
SUBMITTED
LEFT: Fry a few
years ago during
his audition
performance for
“American Idol,”
where he sang
“Over the Rainbow.”