Just ‘Nuts:’ Lafayette Jeff freshman’s viral TikTok score
Plus, The Paint Crew understood the assignment. What do you mean Gene Keady’s not in the Hall of Fame? Dr. Jerome Adams on Omicron. And still waiting on a Teising verdict
I’m asking you. What are you going to do when you stumble across this one afternoon on Facebook?
“Apparently my son's song ‘Nuts’ has been used in 271 TikTok videos (looks like only about 1/4 of them are testicle related).”
That’s almost unfair. You know you’re going to click.
Now, a few dozen trips down the TikTok rabbit hole, good luck getting that song out of your head.
The post was courtesy of James Stanchfield of Lafayette. The song, “Nuts,” was courtesy of his son, Corbin Stanchfield, a freshman at Lafayette Jeff who wrote the spare arrangement in 2019 that has been picked up lately by hundreds of TikTok producers.
And, yeah, the rough count is about a quarter of those TikToks devoted to tales of vasectomy pain, dogs in revealing positions, pick-up truck accessories and one of a scientist cutting medical samples, in a video that had more than 7,200 views as of Thursday on the social media platform devoted to quick hit videos.
Squirrel-related segments and assorted irrational moments – laid over a musical bed of Stanchfield’s light chant of “Nuts, nuts …” – were the clear winners among the 271, as far as themes go.
“I'm surprised so many people are using it,” Corbin Stanchfield said. “It is a very versatile song. Also, there aren't many songs with the same name, so it shows up high in search results.”
How does a song wind up on so many strangers’ TikToks? First off …
“Kid is a prodigy,” Greg Simpson said.
Simpson is a music teacher and host of a podcast called, “This Might Be a Podcast,” devoted to the band They Might Be Giants. Simpson gave Stanchfield private lessons for a time.
“French horn, drums, guitar, and I gave him recording engineering lessons, too,” Simpson said. “Then he was off to the races.”
Stanchfield, 14, is in the jazz band, orchestra and show band at school. He won the Mike Lane Horizon Award from the Songwriters Association of Mid-north Indiana for his song “Hole Underground,” released in 2021.
As for the rest …
Question: What can you tell me about the song “Nuts”? When did you write it and how did it come about?
Corbin Stanchfield: “Nuts” is the title track off my album that came out in October 2019. I don't remember exactly when I wrote it. I started work on that album in late March 2019, so sometime in those seven months. The way I wrote songs then is very different from the way I do now. On that album, I wrote a song about a coin, the Battle of Tippecanoe, baby shower, birthday, yard sale and one I made for a school project. I was probably eating some almonds and thought I could write a song about nuts.
Q: How did it wind up on so many TikToks? Did you make it available somehow special?
Corbin Stanchfield: I think most songs released nowadays are available on TikTok. I didn't know until recently that mine were. At some point there was probably a checkbox with TikTok next to it that I didn't read.
Q: Do you have other songs doing similar viral numbers/uses?
Corbin Stanchfield: I don't have any songs getting as much attention as “Nuts,” but I do have an instrument demo on YouTube that has been getting some decent views in the last week or so.
Q: Is it lucrative? You can tell I don’t know exactly how this works, so school me.
Corbin Stanchfield: I'm not sure how it works, either. … To put it in perspective, I got $0.00306670 from Apple yesterday from one stream. This is from 127 streams on TikTok. (A form shows 127 streams, as of November, amounting to $0, so far.)
Q: Tell me about the kind of songs and music you like to make. What are your influences?
Corbin Stanchfield: I like to think that the music I make is better now. I've improved in my songwriting, recording and playing instruments. I think I probably spend as much time on my songs as I did then, but now I'm more focused and efficient on what I'm working on. I like Steely Dan, Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu and D'Angelo, just to name a few. Lately I've been listening to “A Charlie Brown Christmas” by Vince Guaraldi Trio.
Q: What other context should I know?
Corbin Stanchfield: I released an album in October called "No I Don't Have A Problem" and also might put a cover of "This Christmas" on my YouTube soon.
Q: For now, it’s TikTok. But no cash, right, even with hundreds of people picking it up?
Corbin Stanchfield: Correct. I have gotten no money from the TikTok use. They could have a minimum payout or something, I don't know. … It's possible that it's my fault that I'm not getting any money. Maybe I forgot to fill out some form.
Simpson brought the payoff back into focus.
“But if it gets people over to his Spotify he could make upwards of $10,” Simpson said. “It’s just good to know people are listening to your stuff.”
For the TikTok rundown of Corbin Stanchfield’s song, “Nuts,” check here.
PURDUE’S PAINT CREW, THEY UNDERSTOOD THE ASSIGNMENT
Nice story this week in The Sporting News from Mike DeCourcy, about the Paint Crew, the Purdue student block at Mackey Arena, who reached out to RayQuan Evans, a Florida State guard, after he missed a trip to West Lafayette a few weeks ago after his brother died of leukemia. As DeCourcy tells it, during the game at Mackey, The Paint Crew made sure a card got to Evans, via the Florida State bench. As Evan told DeCourcy, the card read:
“Dear RayQuan, first and foremost we want to send our condolences to you and your family for the loss of your brother. The entire college basketball community is behind you, including your new fans in West Lafayette. Best of luck the rest of the season.’ And it was signed by ‘The Paint Crew.’”
You should read the whole story: “Gesture from Purdue fans to Florida State's grieving RayQuan Evans shows hoops world can be a lovely place”
KEADY’S CREDENTIALS
How is Gene Keady not in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame? Seems Purdue basketball isn’t going to be shy about touting the retired Boilermakers coach, after the Hall of Fame this week released its latest class of eligible candidates. Keady is among dozens on the Class of 2022 ballot. Results about which candidates get in are expected in April. Meanwhile, Purdue basketball had this reminder about Keady’s resume …
HEADS UP ON OMICRON, FROM THE FORMER SURGEON GENERAL
Former U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams, now leading Purdue University’s health equity initiatives, has been active on social media, particularly with the budding concerns about the Omicron variant at this point in the COVID-19 pandemic. He’s definitely worth a follow at @JeromeAdamsMD, even if you’re sure you’re not going to agree with him 100% of the time on risks, tests, masks and more. This post, answering news of another breakthrough COVID case, put things into perspective – particularly in a state where the vaccinated and unvaccinated come in roughly equal herds.
Along those lines, this was a good read and a good primer from Washington Post reporters Derek Hawkins and Lindsey Bever. The headline: “With omicron, many vaccinated Americans will at some point test positive. Here’s what to do.”
STILL WAITING ON A VERDICT IN WABASH TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE TRIAL
Testimony wrapped up a week ago in Wabash Township Trustee Jennifer Teising’s felony theft trial. As the courts closed for the long Christmas weekend, Tippecanoe Superior 5 Judge Kristen McVey had not scheduled a hearing to announce a verdict. Until then, and in case you missed recent coverage, here’s a wrap up from the final day of the three-day trial, with links to the first two days’ testimony.
JUST A REMINDER … COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS DINNER. (HEY, THAT’S TOMORROW!)
The Friends of Downtown’s Community Christmas Dinner returns with meals from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Christmas Day at Lafayette Jefferson High School, 1801 S. 18th St. Kris DeHahn, a dinner organizer, said volunteers expect to serve more than 2,000 meals that day – all carry-out this year. All are welcome. When you arrive, go in Lafayette Jeff at the south entrance. The dinner dates to 1989, when the Community and Family Resource Center – later renamed the Bauer Community Center – initiated the community dinner. It continued there for 20 years. The Friends of Downtown picked up the tradition in 2010.
ANOTHER CLOSING NOTE … THANKS FOR GETTING IT
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