Interview by Emily Hessney Lynch.

Published May 22, 2020.

Where are you from? How did you end up in Rochester?

I’m from a small town downstate called Liberty, NY. I moved here to go to the University of Rochester, where I studied philosophy. When I graduated, I left, but then I came back following a boy who is now my husband.

What are some hidden gems you've discovered around Rochester?

Red Fern restaurant is one of my favorite places. That creek off 441, Linear Park, I love that area. Taste of the Bahamas is great too! It’s down near Charlotte Beach; they have live West Indian music and amazing Bahamian food. Get the curried goat! Three Heads Brewery is another favorite of mine.

What are some of your favorite local nonprofits to support?

Roc/ACTS is an organization that’s been bringing faith groups together from different churches and mosques; I’m part of the Baha’i faith. They’re bringing congregations together in a situation where you think they’d be highly divided. 

I also appreciate the African American Initiative which supports Black-owned businesses in the Rochester area. We’ve been excited to support their causes and how they’re uplifting African Americans in the city of Rochester.

If you had $100 and two hours to kill, how would you spend the money/time in Rochester?

Shop! I’d go to Archimage on Monroe Ave. I’m a hippie at heart! I’ll shop anywhere off of Hudson, there’s a lot of cool fashion things you can’t find in malls. 

If you could only eat one Rochester food for the rest of your life, what would it be? 

It would be that curried goat at Taste of Bahamas. 

What's one memory you have that captures what Rochester means to you? 

I’ve had some amazing memories at Three Heads Brewery- I love being around other musicians and seeing them do what they do best. I really like live music. Seeing Nas at the Armory was amazing! Live music is a therapy for me, whether I’m performing or watching someone else.

What makes Rochester unique? 

The diversity- I feel like Rochester is a wonderful, diverse community. It’s so kid-friendly and family-oriented. That’s a huge plus for me and one of the reasons why I don’t see myself ever leaving. My children benefit so much from the activities that are here for them. The ability to have that city life but also experience outdoorsy things that I’m more used to with country living and great parks. And the diversity of people too. 

What would you like to see change in Rochester over the next year? 

Interaction of the diverse communities. As diverse as we are, it’s sad that we’re very polarized. I’d love to see more of that and people understanding that despite our differences, we actually have so many things in common. There are huge disparities between the suburbs and inner city communities. Both communities are beautiful and they don’t even see it. 

If Rochester was a genre of music, what would it be? 

I think it would depend on the season! In the winter it’d be emo rock, in the summertime, it’d be boy band pop.

How did you get your start in music? 

I was introduced through a guy named Christopher Jay. He did a lot of show bands. He really introduced me to a lot of Rochester musicians in the chitlin circuit, funk bands, performing at places like Clarissa St. when it was open. I was in some show bands traveling throughout North America area when I was in college. From there, the second big music community was through Nick and the Nice Guys. I did that for awhile and made a lot of great friends. Managing Silver Arrow is the love of my music life right now.

How would you describe our local music scene? 

The same way I’d describe the city- diverse. People might not realize how diverse it is. We get inundated with a lot of the same type of music. People don’t realize there are other layers and groups existing and performing, doing wonderful things. We’re so trapped in our bubbles, we don’t know that. 

How has COVID-19 impacted local musicians?

Most of my friends, myself included, have lost tons of income. It’s really hard to keep the optimism up. A lot of friends are shifting to online platforms. There’s a movement towards Twitch, it’s a better platform for musicians to stream live music. The biggest thing is the loss of income. Most of us didn’t diversify or push the online social media part of being a musician, that’s not our passion, our passion is performing and practicing our craft. We have to rethink how we do things; we are going to have to reinvent ourselves. We’ll figure out how to move forward as things get back to normal. It’s so hard to watch the train slowly crash into the wall.

How can Rochesterians help support local musicians right now?

Stream their music online, that’s huge. A lot of festivals book bands based on how much visibility and streams they have online, through Spotify or Apple Music. Support them by following them on Instagram and sharing their music with your friends. 

What advice would you give to up and coming musicians in Rochester?

Keep going. I believe the only ones who don’t make it as full-time musicians are the ones who give up. It really is a hustle, diversifying and constantly reinventing yourself. Look at examples like Janet Jackson or Justin Timberlake- you have to find ways to both still be yourself but also evolve. We like to be comfortable, but as a musician, similar to comedy, you can’t stay comfortable. You have to keep pushing boundaries and your own expectations of yourself.