Living the dream
Retired Monroe actor creates children’s musical CD in a hometown production MONROE You’re never too old to pursue a dream; just ask 82-year-old Jay Devlin of Monroe. Devlin, a retired actor, was forced to end his acting career after a hip replacement and four knee surgeries limited his commuting ability. But he remained determined to find a new undertaking to consume his time and creative talents. And, he was able to accomplish everything locally. His project? Writing the lyrics and music for an album’s worth of children’s songs. With assistance from three Monroe residents, his new children’s music CD, “J’s Tunes 4 Ages 4 2 8,” is now on the market. The CD “focuses on self-esteem, good family values, nutrition, pets and just plain silliness” and Devlin is hopeful to have a big impact in the children’s music industry. “It’s a fun CD,” said Devlin, who has appeared on NBC’s “Law and Order” and was a frequent face on commercials and infomercials in the 1970s and 1980s. “I tried to make it entertaining for parents too, there is some comedy involved.” Unwilling to travel to the city to find a producer, Devlin met Phil Bulla of Monroe, who heads Platinum Productions. Bulla is an award-winning audio engineer and professional musician who has his business studio in his Museum Village Road home. The pair spent hours developing the songs, with Devlin singing the lyrics and Bulla writing down the notes. Together, they were able to make rough copies of the songs and prepare for the next steps. “He’s just brilliant at what he does,” said Devlin. “I don’t think there is anybody in the city who is better.” After finding male and female vocalists and piano and drum players from the West Point Jazz Band, the duo needed one more person to create animal sounds and key vocal additions. Bulla enlisted the help of his daughter Sydney Bulla, a fifth-grade student at Pine Tree Elementary. The songs were finally ready to be created. Throughout the process, all coordination and business aspects were handled by Jeannie Devlin, Jay’s wife. “This is a very local production, which I’m pleased about,” added Devlin. “I believe kids and parents will find it very entertaining.” - Nancy Kriz