Music is an outlet which provides a release for many people, but these local parents take it to a new level.
They are all over the County, and sometimes travelling beyond, all while working and raising kids. Whether a lifelong musician or just starting now, no matter how busy you think you are, you too could be on stage!
Adult Learners
Jenn Filardi and Jason Haberman of local band Red Grenadine just began taking guitar lessons as adults. Filardi, a stay-at-home mom since leaving a busy career in advertising to raise her children, studied at the Mike Risko Music School in Ossining. The upshot? At age 41, Filardi was performing vocals and playing electric rhythm guitar. The band rehearses once a week for about two hours, sometimes longer right before a gig.
The couple also took part in an adult music workshop and were able to stretch their abilities by working with musicians with varied skill sets. Over time their band evolved, some of the players changed, but since 2017, Red Grenadine plays in many local county venues. You can catch them at popular clubs/pubs like Lucy’s in Pleasantville or Garcia’s in Port Chester.
They are not a typical cover band that plays songs to sound exactly as they do on the radio; rather, they play different versions of classic rock songs and R&B, often versions covered by other artists. Sometimes the key is changed, or it has a funkier vibe, so it is very recognizable but not what people may expect.
“People are very pleasantly surprised a lot of the time,” Haberman shared.
They tend to select songs that feature different solo parts for the other members of the band to showcase their talents, such as Larry Yavner (drums), Rob Guglielmo (keyboard), Mike Bisceglia (lead guitar), Danny Golub (bass). Golub is a teacher with Music in Chappaqua. Occasionally they add horns by collaborating with the Horn Dogs.
On September 21st, they will be performing in the Battle of the Bands at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center. Follow Red Grenadine on Facebook and Instagram for more information.
Rocker Mom
Christina Joerss has been performing in bands since age 15 working with many different bands throughout high school and college. After she began work as a behavior analyst for children on the autism spectrum, she continued to perform. She put music on hold when she decided to start a family.
After not performing for several years, she decided to get back involved once her daughter went to kindergarten. She connected with other musicians on social media. She started attending some local open-mic nights and, voilà, she got back into performing.
Joerss auditioned for and joined a women’s a capella group, something she had done in college at Sara Lawrence, where she had started such a group. While she found it gratifying, she also missed rock and roll. Spotting a flyer at a local music store, she joined an adult rock band workshop. Over a nine-week course she connected with musicians at all levels and performed a show at the end. The only drawback was sometimes she felt less accomplished than some of the 20 to 30 year veteran musicians she encountered out on the music scene.
She took another course with people who were at a similar level. From that experience, she met many of the people from her current band, Out After Curfew. There was an instant ‘click,’ easy harmonizing and shorthand music-speak that made communicating ideas clear and simple.
A little over two years together, they perform popular cover music at local clubs and outdoor concerts as well as private events.
One thing I’ve heard consistently about Pleasantville lately is how fiercely proud residents are of their town and of Mount Pleasant at large. As I produced this edition over the summer, and learned about Break the Hold, via Sabra Staudenmaier’s cover story for us, it was not hard to see why.
