Danielle Roberts has earned her Bachelor’s degree in Music from SUNY New Paltz with a concentration in Vocal Jazz Performance and a minor in Black Studies. She has performed with numerous Jazz Ensembles and performed independently at venues such as the BSP Lounge in Kingston, Gomen Kudasai and the Nuyorican Poets Café in NYC. She has also acted as a student teacher in an intro vocal class during her study abroad experience in Ecuador. Danielle is additionally well versed in R&B, Pop and Hip-Hop. Her original compositions are based on pop and soul but are also influenced by many other styles of music. She is enthused to teach and pass on various techniques to her students. In the past, Danielle has participated in the NYSSMA solo festival, was president of the Jazz Society at SUNY New Paltz, president of Urban Lyrics (a rap and spoken word team) and worked with industry professionals at Webster Hall. In addition to voice, she has dipped her toes in piano, guitar and the cajón.
More About Danielle: School: SUNY New Paltz Major: Music - Jazz Studies At R&D Since: 2015 My Best Gig: Healy's in Carmel Favorite Jazz Artists: Nina Simone and Oscar Brown Jr. Favorite Singer: Jazmine Sullivan First piece of music that had a profound effect on me: The first thing that I ever remember really affecting me was distinguishing the sound of the cello for the first time. My friend got student tickets to the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the sound of the cello brought me to tears. Nothing in music had ever affected me so much in my life, so that summer I began to take cello lessons. Unfortunately I only got good enough to hold it, and that’s about it! So I stuck to voice. I still absolutely love the cello though! Music teacher who inspired me the most: My mother. I remember going to her gigs as a kid and falling asleep in the restaurants where she sang. Looking back I truly appreciate all the passion she's had for music over these years. It has helped me to accept and embrace my own music. Favorite quote about music: I don’t have an exact quote, but one of my favorite thing about music is that it would be nothing without silence. Think of all of the pauses and breaks. Without those, it’d just be a bunch of noise!