In the Wee hours joins Millersville University in Iceland
Bicoastal production company In the Wee hours is partnering with the Tell School of Music at Millersville University to shoot their annual winter holiday music video – this year, in Iceland.
Since 2020, the Clair Brothers Music Business Technology (MBT) Program at Millersville University has been producing a winter holiday video each year. This initiative provides students the opportunity to collaborate with award-winning filmmakers and Grammy Award-winning music producers. Past music videos have received accolades at international film festivals, and this year’s video concept promises even greater international appeal, bringing unprecedented publicity to Millersville and its programs.
The story revolves around the Icelandic legend of the Yule Cat (Jólakötturinn) which prowls on Christmas Eve. According to the legend, if children didn’t receive new clothes for Christmas, the Yule Cat would eat all the food in their house and then take the children back to his home to eat them. This legend originated in Iceland, a clothing-making society where receiving new clothes for Christmas was a reward for hard work, while those who didn’t work hard had to wear old clothes and face the Yule Cat. Children were also encouraged to share their old clothes with the poor, as these would be new to them.
Dr. Barry Atticks developed the concept after learning of the legend last year while attending the Iceland Airwaves Festival, the world’s most northerly music showcase and industry festival. Stretching all the way back to high school, Dr. Atticks then recruited Central Dauphin High School alum and In the Wee hours director/dp Dan Hertzog to join him with this ambitious undertaking.
The video will be shot in Iceland’s stunning and unique landscapes, including volcanic rock formations, towering waterfalls, isolated black sand beaches, and rustic houses. It will feature actors portraying an Icelandic family from the 1860s, along with mythical figures such as Freya (the goddess of love and magic) and the Yule Cat itself. The band will also appear in various locations throughout Iceland.
The Clair Brothers Music Business Technology (MBT) program at the Tell School of Music offers a distinctive blend of courses in music technology, music business, live audio, and performance. Students in the program build a strong foundation in these areas before choosing a concentration in one or more specializations: Music Production, Music Management, or Live Audio Production. Notably, all 150 MBT majors are also performers.
Each year, select MBT students form the Lilla Jul Rockeband, which then records the song for the program’s annual music video. This year’s lineup features Kaitlyn Myers (vocals), Aden Getz (guitars), Zoey Noble (bass), Dylan Gehringer (drums), Em Haas (percussion), and Dr. Barry Atticks (keyboards), with additional students contributing background vocals and synth parts.
Dr. Atticks says, “The song is 99% finished and let me tell you, this baby rocks!” If you’d like to support these gifted musicians and be a part of their Icelandic Yule Cat journey, please make your tax-deductible contribution today at icelandicyulecat.com.
