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.
Exit 5, described by the band’s drummer Jeff Silverman as “a bunch of dads from the Bedford area playing five decades of rock,” was on tap for the bar and restaurant’s first anniversary bash in November, playing a mix of classic rock covers, pop, punk, and current indie favorites spanning the 60s through today. When they started their set with Van Morrison’s “Brown-Eyed Girl,” our favorite, my husband and I knew we’d come to the right place. Joining Silverman were lead singer-guitarists Brian Belfiglio and Lee Davis, bassist Dave Wills, and Dan Paige on keyboard.
Petrovich said she loves how the people of Armonk have embraced her.