The Rock Voices of Central New York
The human voice.
When it comes to communicating through music, there is no instrument more accessible to the human listener than the human voice.
Rock and roll.
It’s not just a music genre. It was and still is a cultural wave that redirects the current of our generation in so many ways. The parlance of our time.
I have been a fan of rock music – in all of its incarnations – ever since I heard everyone screaming at the Beatles on Ed Sullivan’s show. I’ve been a lifelong rocker ever since that moment.
Actually, by now I love most every form of music. As long as it’s authentic in its spirit and presence…accessible, I can dig it. And since there is no way to hide from your own voice, there is nothing more visceral than that. Multiply this by Rock and Roll – carry the 2…and “shabamba!” you have a great big sound.
Enter Rock Voices. An organization representing in 29 US cities including right here in Syracuse, NY. This is a group of people who love singing and singing in harmony. And of course they love rock and roll. The group features a panoramic repertoire of rock classics and the artists who pioneered them. And as I get to know the few people I’ve met belonging to this choral group, there is a feeling of community and fellowship among the members equal to their love for singing some of the greatest songs beloved by our generation.
Rock Voices performs several times throughout the year, with their next performance scheduled for Sunday, January 12th at 4pm at OCC’S Storer Auditorium, according to music director, Nina Pelligra – who is here to tell us all about Rock Voices.
Chuck Schiele: Hello Nina. My good friend Bill Frye was sharing with me his endeavors with Rock Voices. Excited to hear more about it, he directed me to you. Tell us about Rock Voices.
Nina Pelligra: Thank you, Chuck! Bill has been with RV since our first season. Rock Voices is a community rock chorus made up of members of the Syracuse community who love to sing. RV is unique because we don’t sing traditional classical choral repertoire. We sing rock music from the 60s to the present, including songs by Fleetwood Mac, The Beatles, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and many other favorites. Members have all different experience levels. Some have never sung with a group before, and others have sung with many choirs or even performed locally. Many don’t read music. Anyone who enjoys singing and harmonizing with others is welcome to sing with us.
CS: What is your role?
NP: I’m the musical director. I lead rehearsals on Tuesday evenings to prepare for our concerts, prepare our live band, and conduct the musicians on concert day.
CS: You have theater in your life. Tell us about your interest there?
NP: I grew up in Jamesville, and I got into the local theater scene very young, performing in shows with Theater ‘90 and The Talent Co. These days, I enjoy working behind the scenes whether it be directing Rock Voices, recording and producing collegiate a cappella albums, or teaching voice lessons and local singing workshops.
CS: How did you come to be involved with Rock Voices?
NP: There are actually 29 Rock Voices choirs in the country, including locations in Ithaca, Albany, Saratoga Springs, and Buffalo. When Founder Tony Lechner was thinking of bringing RV to Syracuse, the Albany/Saratoga Springs director Nate Altimari got in touch with me. We connected because we’re both active members of the a cappella community. I had previously let my dream of becoming a choral conductor fall by the wayside in pursuit of more popular genres of music, so when Nate told me about a choir that sings only popular rock music, I was instantly excited.
CS: You have a show coming in January. Please tell us where it is and what we can expect.
NP: Rock Voices concerts are very much a community activity. Our first concert was a bit over 2 years ago now, and it was Beatles themed. Strangers in the audience were arm in arm singing their favorite songs and dancing and swaying together. It’s not a traditional choir concert. It’s a rock concert, so we’ll be singing with a live rock band, and singing and dancing in the audience is encouraged! This season’s concert will be on Sunday, January 12th at 4pm at OCC’S Storer Auditorium, where we’ll also be hosting the Food Bank of CNY for a raffle fundraiser. I’ll also be directing the Ithaca Rock Voices concert on Saturday, January 11th at 7pm at First Unitarian Society of Ithaca.
CS: How might interested folks become involved with the project?
NP: Following our January concert, we’ll begin our spring season rehearsals on Tuesday, February 4th. Rehearsals are Tuesday evenings from 7-9pm at May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society. On February 4th, all new and returning members are invited to a meet and greet at 6pm to catch up with friends and distribute new music and materials. When enrollment opens, you can sign up in advance at RockVoices.com. The first three rehearsals are free to attend, so I would really encourage any music lover to come and meet the group and see what it’s about!
CS: What do you enjoy most about being part of Rock Voices?
NP: The people. We’ve built a really supportive, fun, and welcoming community of friends, and that energy is contagious. At our concerts, there’s a really special exchange between the singers and the audience, not to mention the band, volunteers, charitable organizations we host, and everyone else involved. Rock Voices’ mission is healing ourselves and others through song, so our hope is to spread a little joy by bringing people together.
CS: Tell us some of the artists or works you’ve represented in your reperatoire.
NP: At this concert, you’ll hear a lot of hits by diverse artists from TOTO, to Radiohead, to Taylor Swift. Every summer, we perform a concert with a specific theme. I mentioned our debut concert tribute to the Beatles, and our most recent concert was a tribute to Queen. We worked hard to meet the challenge of performing Freddie Mercury’s genius harmonies in concert, and I think we really pulled it off! Some of our more memorable past repertoire has been Roundabout by Yes! and Helplessly Hoping by Crosby, Stills & Nash. It’s so rewarding when the harmonies finally “click.”
CS: What is the best way to stay in touch with the Rock Voices program and upcoming shows?
NP: You can follow “Rock Voices Syracuse Fans” on Facebook to get an inside look at what we’re up to. You can also visit RockVoices.com to find tickets and enrollment details, or reach out to me personally at rockvoicessyracuse@gmail.com. I love hearing from community members!
CS: Thank you, Nina for chatting with us here at Sounds of Syracuse.
NP: It is truly our pleasure. Thank you for having me!
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