ÌÇÐÄlogo

The University is home to world-class programs in the performing arts through the Eastman School of Music as well as programs in , , and in the School of Arts and Sciences. The new — a 25,000-square-foot facility on the River Campus—is slated to open in fall 2020 and will house a theater, scene shop, dressing rooms, costume shop, and green room.

Each month, we’ll interview a faculty member, student, or visiting artist in the areas of music, theater, or dance. Learn more about performing arts on the .

A native of Vermont, Siena Facciolo ’19 graduated from the University of Rochester with a degree in music. In 2018, while still at student, she released her first album, Dear House. A well-rounded artist, she’s a pianist, songwriter, and vocalist, and recently accepted a job at the City of Rochester’s Academy of Health Science Charter School as a 5th-grade music teacher.

Chris Palace ’18 earned a degree in audio and music engineering at the . 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 , and Kerfala (Fana) Bangoura, an adjunct instructor in the . He’s a founder of , a five-piece funk-jazz-rock ensemble that has been on two tours and released two studio albums.

Facciolo and Palace can be seen performing Facciolo’s soul-folk music at Nox at the Village Gate as part of the .

What did you most appreciate about studying music on the River Campus?

Facciolo: 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.

What are you working on now?

Palace: I’ve been on two tours this summer—one with Juicy Connotation and then I went on an international tour through Europe with the band Archive Ravens. I’m also about to release an album that’s 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.

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

What was your most memorable experience in performing arts at Rochester?

Facciolo: 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.

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.

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.

Palace: 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’ve taken the class [on studio rules and guidelines.]

Q: What’s something that people might not know about you?

Facciolo: 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–which 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’m obsessed with building communities and nurturing them–which is probably why I’m a teacher.

What’s on at the Institute for Performing Arts