The Story Thus Far . . .
In the beginning, the band was made up of Ethan Johnson, Jordan Rittmeyer, Brent Morning and Josiah Rittmeyer. Ethan Johnson is cousin to Jordan and Josiah Rittmeyer, who are identical twin brothers. Brent Morning was a long-standing friend of Ethan’s, and they all grew up in the same church.
The group started their journey in the music industry under the name F.O.G. (For Our God) and debuted at the Winnebago County (Illinois) fair talent show, where they took 2nd place. They were told afterwards that they would have won 1st place, but there wasn’t enough money to send them all to the state competition. After a short period of time, the band learned that there was another group known as “FOG,†prompting a search for a new name. Ethan suggested the name “The Broken Fall†and the rest agreed, which began a new chapter for the young band.
Hiring a Manager and More
On October 17th, 2005, TBF brought on Caleb Johnson — Ethan’s brother — to be the band’s manager, eventually becoming a member of the band proper. In addition to his managerial responsibilities, he has been a big part of the lyric-writing process, having been a poet for many years. He has also contributed in the area of musical composition, website management and equipment procurement.
Since bringing on Caleb as their manager, the band has played a little over 56 concerts and smaller scale shows in IL and WI, performed for crowds ranging from 50 to more than 4,000 people, won first place in several “Battle of the Bands†competitions, and has performed at the Rockford MetroCentre arena and many other well-known venues. They have also expanded to selling merchandise of various types, launched their material on the web, legally trademarked their name, and have gained many pieces of equipment that they use in their home studio today.
And Then There Were Three . . .
On October 27, 2007, bassist Brent Morning made the final decision to leave the band. He dropped the bass and began playing drums, venturing out on his own to form a “metal band.†After recording only a few of their songs, drummer Josiah Rittmeyer also opted to leave in January 2008, deciding instead to pursue a career in the U.S. Army. Being multi instrumentalists, Ethan Johnson, Jordan Rittmeyer and Caleb Johnson are undeterred by these changes. As multi-instrumentalists, they are completing the album on their own at the band’s recently built recording studio, with assists from some special guest musicians.
The Reformation...
After almost a year of inactivity with the band, as well as various life decisions, Jordan Rittmeyer by actions alone made the decision to leave "The Broken Fall".
Since early 2008, Ethan and Caleb Johnson have been writing non stop. With their aim high and their spirits unfailing, they have been in preparation of unveiling a new reformed more mature sound that has been molded by a steady hand and the fires of life.
Much like any reformation it has come with pain and some cost. But through the pain we grow, we learn and the purification of the process refines what was there and transforms it into something more valuable and more beautiful than ever before.
(To Be Continued)
Members of the well-known bluegrass group, The Rische Family, have joined the Broken Fall in the studio. Multi-instrumentalist Peter Rische toured in a jazz ensemble that performed at New York’s Lincoln Performing Arts Center. His younger brother Seth, an accomplished violinist and proficient multi-instrumentalist, also contributed brilliant performances in TBF’s recorded work.
The Music
The TBF’s songs are all original, and the band is committed to bringing their fans a show that is “Original, Positive and Energetic.†Their music is composed with a broad range of influences, and appeals to all ages.
The band’s lyrics cover a wide rang of issues, such as love, loss, God, and many life issues that people deal with from day to day. The band members are all Christians, and that means they keep their music clean (no vulgarities). They take their faith very seriously, but do not intend to restrict themselves to a Christian audience. As the band puts it, “We not only want to be in competition with Third Day, (a Christian band) but Green Day (a secular band) as well.†TBF is committed to pursuing their dreams of recording their music, and being a major player in the music industry.
Finally, a word of special thanks from the band to two special people. Holland and Ian Zander - the son and daughter of Cheap Trick’s Robin Zander - have been generous in their encouragement, friendship and praise, both public and private. “TBF†are very thankful for this recognition from Holland and Ian, both accomplished musicians in their own right.
We are looking forward to introducing to you a new 2nd Guitarist and a New Bass Guitarist in the near future.
Caleb Johnson----------Manager---Backing Vocals---Drummer
Ethan Johnson----------Lead Vocals/Guitarist
Unknown----------Bass Guitarist/Backing Vocals
Matt Sell----------2nd Guitarist/Backing Vocals
Disclaimer
The comments, profile images and/or profile names of the Fans, are not necessarily approved of by The Broken Fall, and do NOT necessarily reflect the views or beliefs of any of the members of this band.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Caleb S. Johnson
The Broken Fall
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