Sydney Schizzano

Chances are if you’ve been to a concert or music event on campus you’ve heard of Sydney Schizzano.
But in case you haven’t, Schizzano is a multitalented singer-songwriter who sings of life, love and longing in ways that are both modest and intriguing.
Although relatively young, Schizzano has been turning heads for quite some time with her vocal and guitar skills that shine way beyond her years. The various unique timbers of her voice combined with her incredibly tuneful and soulful originals are enough to fill the entire stage.
Schizzano is also known for breathing life into classics such as The Commodore’s soulful “Brick House” and arranging pop songs into high energy masterpieces.
In her freshmen year of college, Schizzano joined Saint Rose’s Rose Record Label Group as a songwriter, writing songs for the various artists on the label. Her innate ability to write hooks portrays a brilliant Ed Sheeran vibe. Her songs made such a statement, that in 2015, Rose Record Label Group signed Schizzano on as an artist.
Originally part of a duo that played all throughout Long Island during her high school years, Schizzano made her solo debut and won the crowd’s hearts with her song “Pamela” in early 2014, in which she sings of unrequited love. She has been making quite a statement since, and has played all throughout the capital region.
Schizzano is set to be a part of the upcoming Artist Management show on Friday, Nov. 20 in Jack’s Place. Other acts of the night include folk-rock band Cobblestone and the pop-punk/alternative band Boy Go Fast.
Artists were chosen for the show by audition and ranked on not only their songs, but all aspects of their performances including stage presence, instrumentation and originality.
The show is being put on by Laura Hartmann’s artist management class which has been vigorously preparing for the show for the past 12 weeks.
Be sure to stop by and check out Schizzano, Cobblestone, and Boy Go Fast at 9 p.m. in Jack’s Place. - The Chronicle

One of the greatest things about the music industry program at Saint Rose is the frequency with which local bands can show off their talent to their peers. Anyone can play guitar on the quad, but it’s the concerts on campus that draw a crowd and give real exposure to up-and-coming musical talent.
Each semester the Artist Management class holds open auditions for three artists to be featured in a free concert at the end of the semester, which is organized and prepared entirely by the students in the class.
This semester’s Artist Management Showcase took place on Friday, Nov. 20 in Jack’s Place (located in the Hearst Center for Communications and Interactive Media) at 9 p.m. and featured three artists: singer/songwriter Sydney Schizzano, folk ensemble Cobblestone, and indie rock band Boy Go Fast. All three acts are comprised of Saint Rose music students.
The turnout for the event was impressive for a late night show: more than 70 people—friends, family, and colleagues—populated Jack’s Place to support the diverse bill of artists.
Though admission to the event was free, there was a table of baked goods and refreshments for sale to fund Rose Record Label Group, the college’s student-run record label.
Junior Meghan Mallon introduced the bands and acted as emcee for the night. Her charming humor kept the audience engaged between sets.
“Meghan brought a lot of charisma to the whole thing as emcee!” said Elena Karpoff, a freshman who attended the showcase.
Schizzano kicked off the show with a solo acoustic set. Her meticulous control over her full-bodied, metallic voice shone in emotionally-charged, Ed Sheeran-esque originals including “Gibberish,” “Angels,” and “Money.” With thoughtful lyrics and nostalgic imagery, Schizzano wowed the crowd. She also put her own sensitive spin on Tove Lo’s “Habits (Stay High).” As an artist on Rose Record Label Group, she will be performing in the label’s Indie-Cember event on Dec. 3 at the Low Beat, joined by fellow label-mates Alenni and Saint Rose alum Ryan Leddick.
Six-piece folk ensemble Cobblestone followed up with their first-ever entirely original set, including “Mind Reader” and “Soireé” (co-written by Sydney Schizzano), among others. Their modern Americana sound resembles Of Monsters and Men and The Lumineers. The band is made up of multiple songwriters, including guitarist/vocalist Zach Karpinski, vocalist Maria Malafronte, and banjoist Dan Frank, who all contributed their songs to the setlist. Joining them are violinist/vocalist Amelia Rossettie, bassist Kevin Bohen, and drummer Bud Sheer. Cobblestone was recently chosen to open for Rose Rock 2016, and they won Best Acoustic/Instrumental and Best Group at the Saint Rose Music Awards, proving they are a force to be reckoned with.
Closing the concert were energetic indie alt-rockers Boy Go Fast, a four-piece band whose catchy grooves had the entire crowd dancing along. Undoubtedly the loudest group of the night, Boy Go Fast rocked Jack’s Place with self-described “bitter pop” tunes like “Bent” and “Hey Ramona.” They also premiered a new song, “Second Time.” Singer/songwriter and rhythm guitarist William Fredette is backed up by bassist Joe DeTillio, lead guitarist Tom Bystryk, and drummer Nick Cavin. The members got together about a year ago to combine their individual influences—from pop punk to classic rock to shoegaze—to cultivate a unique and cohesive sound.
“There were just a lot of people there! It was fun to play Jack’s Place all dolled up like that. It sounded good and it looked professional,” enthused Fredette after the show.
The students in the Artist Management class prepared for the showcase for months by acting as managers for their bands and organizing all the logistics of the concert in the weeks leading up to it.
Each student wrote bios, put together press kits, and organized photoshoots for their bands throughout the semester while learning what it means to be an artist manager from a manager herself, Ms. Laura Hartmann. Her real-world experience as the owner of an independent artist management company allowed the students to see what it’s really like to work with artists on a daily basis, instead of just reading theories from a textbook. The students got to work with their artists throughout the semester, which is a win-win: the bands got free promo materials and exposure from the show, and the students got real experience communicating with bands and organizing a concert.
Specific roles, such as stage manager, promotion director, or artist liaison, for example, were assigned to the students in preparation for the showcase so everything would run smoothly. The event started right on time—an unlikely feat for most concerts nowadays—and the changeover times between the bands were under ten minutes, so the night flew right by with little wait time. - The Chronicle

Alternative folk artist Brian Marquis stopped by Jack’s Place recently to raise awareness for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, the most common fatal genetic disorder diagnosed in early childhood. He rode his bike all the way from his last stop in Brooklyn, and he’ll be continuing with that mode of transportation for his entire tour.
Before the show started, Marquis hung out with the students setting up the stage and made casual conversation, comfortably assimilating himself into Saint Rose culture. He has played Jack’s Place before, in February 2014 for the Acoustic Basement Tour with Transit, Front Porch Step, and Hit the Lights. Marquis’ friends, one of whom has DMD, accompanied him on his tour. The audience turnout was impressive for the first show of the season.
Sophomore Sydney Schizzano opened the show with a jazzy acoustic cover of The Commodores’ 1977 funk hit, “Brick House.” Her electric energy resonated with the crowd as she continued her set with a few original songs. The Ed Sheeran-esque rap/pop tune “Felt” described a harsh breakup. “Flowers” showed Sydney’s softer, lighter side. Her song “Gibberish” is a quirky collection of thoughts from a car ride. She closed with her unique rendition of Rihanna’s “Bitch Better Have My Money,” with Bud Scheer accompanying on cajon.
Next up was The Bonnie Masons, an alternative rock band comprised of guitarist Pat Flores, guitarist and lead vocalist Matt Dalton, and bassist Kevin Bohen. They played a set of original songs written by Dalton. The setlist included, “Colors,” “Whatever It Was,” “If You Can,” “Fate,” and “Are You There?” The band’s experimental polyrhythms and uncommon chords, paired with Dalton’s pun-filled banter, kept the audience intrigued and entertained.
Brian Marquis broke a guitar string in the middle of his first song, so he stopped to talk while someone put a new string on for him. He is embarking on A Bike & A Mic For A Cure Tour, where he will ride his bike over 1,200 miles across New England to play several shows to raise money for Spaghetti Arms and to raise awareness for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
He believes touring is much more effective than social media or other digital campaigns in supporting his cause.
“The purpose is to slow it down and have a conversation,” explained Marquis. His music moved the audience in a way that they listened to what he had to say.
Marquis grabbed his newly-strung guitar and continued with an upbeat folk song titled “Run.” He brought out a harmonica for his next tune, then went on to cover Weezer’s “Say It Ain’t So,” during which he asked the audience to sing the guitar solo. His goofy manner made the concertgoers laugh through his set.
The mood shifted when he introduced his next song, “Breathing In Ghosts.” He wrote the song 13 years after his experience during 9/11; it took him that long to recollect his thoughts and make something out of those emotions.
His last song, “From Boston,” proudly declared the stereotypes of Bostonians which he fit. The chorus went, “when you’re from Boston, you join an Irish gang / you’re surely Roman Catholic, you eat chowder every day / you park your car at Harvard Yard, you’ll be buried at Fenway.”
After his set was finished, Marquis emphasized the importance of biking and touring to spread the word about causes he cares about: “It’s really being here in the moment and seeing people and talking to people that makes a change happen.”
Raffle tickets for Marquis’ guitar, vinyl collections, hats, posters, and other merchandise from his record label, Equal Vision Records, were sold. The proceeds are going to research for DMD. - The Chronicle