{"id":396632,"date":"2019-09-16T15:48:05","date_gmt":"2019-09-16T19:48:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/?p=396632"},"modified":"2019-09-18T16:54:58","modified_gmt":"2019-09-18T20:54:58","slug":"spotlight-on-the-performing-arts-alumni-on-the-fringe-396632","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/spotlight-on-the-performing-arts-alumni-on-the-fringe-396632\/","title":{"rendered":"Spotlight on the performing arts: Alumni on the Fringe"},"content":{"rendered":"

The University is home to world-class programs in the performing arts through the Eastman School of Music as well as programs in music<\/a>, theater<\/a>, and dance<\/a> in the School of Arts and Sciences. The new Sloan Performing Arts Center<\/a>\u2014 a 25,000-square-foot facility on the River Campus\u2014is slated to open in fall 2020 and will house a theater, scene shop, dressing rooms, costume shop, and green room.<\/em><\/p>\n

Each month, we\u2019ll interview a faculty member, student, or visiting artist in the areas of music, theater, or dance.\u00a0Learn more about performing arts on the Institute for the Performing Arts website<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Chris Palace \u201918, left, and Siena Facciolo \u201919 worked together on musical projects while students at the URochester, and as alumni that work continues at the Rochester Fringe Festival. (Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ photo \/ Jeanette Colby)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A native of Vermont, Siena Facciolo<\/strong> \u201919 graduated from the Ä¢¹½´«Ã½<\/a> with a degree in music. In 2018, while still at student, she released her first album, Dear House<\/em>. A well-rounded artist, she\u2019s a pianist, songwriter, and vocalist, and recently accepted a job at the City of Rochester\u2019s Academy of Health Science Charter School as a 5th-grade music teacher.<\/p>\n

Chris Palace<\/strong> \u201918 earned a degree in audio and music engineering at the University\u2019s Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences<\/a>. A drummer, he has studied under Chase Ellison, a faculty member at the Eastman Community Music School, with Bill Tiberio, a faculty member at the Eastman Community Music School<\/a>, and Kerfala (Fana) Bangoura, an adjunct instructor in the Program of Dance and Movement<\/a>. He\u2019s a founder of Juicy Connotation<\/a>, a five-piece funk-jazz-rock ensemble that has been on two tours and released two studio albums.<\/p>\n

Facciolo and Palace can be seen performing Facciolo\u2019s soul-folk music at Nox at the Village Gate as part of the KeyBank Rochester Fringe Festival<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What did you most appreciate about studying music on the River Campus? <\/strong><\/h3>\n

Facciolo:<\/strong> The music history curriculum [in the Department of Music] on the River Campus is extremely rigorous. The music professors on the River Campus are top notch. I looked at music from different perspectives and I could also see my peers were interested in looking at music from a variety of perspectives. For example, I had a classmate who was into Catholic music history, and one classmate into Sondheim musicals and musical theater. I had another classmate who was into Beethoven and wanted to be a conductor. All these people were doing very different things and they enriched my learning so much.<\/p>\n

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Siena Facciolo \u201919.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What are you working on now? <\/strong><\/h3>\n

Palace:<\/strong> I\u2019ve been on two tours this summer\u2014one with Juicy Connotation and then I went on an international tour through Europe with the band Archive Ravens. I\u2019m also about to release an album that\u2019s my own project, Dream Float. I play in a ton of bands as drummer. But I also teach lessons at Roberts Wesleyan College, at its community music school.<\/p>\n

Facciolo:<\/strong> I\u2019m slow-and-steady-wins-the-race moving towards my next album. I\u2019m writing songs for it. I already recorded one of the songs. I\u2019m really working on practicing and making my own technique better. [My current job] is my first teaching job, so I\u2019m anticipating it\u2019s going to take a lot of energy and balance. My other project is teaching piano lessons to young students.<\/p>\n

What was your most memorable experience in performing arts at Rochester?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Facciolo:<\/strong> I went to the end-of-semester dance performance, and that was so inspiring that I would go and practice afterward because I needed to create. The student lighting was amazing. The dancing and choreography were incredible. Going to see other performing artists at the University was really inspiring.<\/p>\n

Todd [Union] is also right near the practice rooms, so I could practice right before a show and go see a show and then practice afterwards. The close proximity and accessibility really helped.<\/p>\n

I also took a meditation class, which was part of the Program of Dance and Movement, my first semester and that was life-changing. It really helped my music and makes the piano a relaxing space for me.<\/p>\n

Palace:<\/strong> I regularly used the audio studio at Rettner Hall. I was the recording engineer for three of the song’s on Siena’s album. Stephen Roessner [a lecturer in audio and music engineering] really believes that the only way to become really good is to keep working on projects independently. He knows from his own experience that you have to record in bands; make and mix records. He makes the studio available to you as long as you\u2019ve taken the class [on studio rules and guidelines.]<\/p>\n

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Chris Palace \u201918.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Q: What\u2019s something that people might not know about you? <\/strong><\/h3>\n

Facciolo:<\/strong> In February of 2019, we both [Siena and Chris] organized a music and arts festival at the Yards at the Rochester Public Market. We also both played for the event. I also planned a senior showcase with two of my classmates for all the music majors on the River Campus\u2013which had never happened before. I plan events that I think the community needs and that I think people would really benefit from; or I plan events that I think will build community. I\u2019m obsessed with building communities and nurturing them\u2013which is probably why I\u2019m a teacher.<\/p>\n

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What\u2019s on at the Institute for Performing Arts<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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