Exclusive Interview with GFS Percussionist Alyssa Falk Verheyn

‍Alyssa Falk Verheyn is a JUNO nominated drummer, percussionist, educator, & clinician based in the capital district. Her talents and unique style have led her around the world to perform in a variety of settings. Alyssa holds degrees in both classical/jazz performance and education, receiving degrees from both the Crane School of Music (2004) and Manhattan School of Music (2006).

In the United States, Alyssa has performed and recorded with a variety of traditional & experimental jazz groups including artists such as Steve Wilson, Joe Lovano, Dave Liebman and Bret Zvacek, among countless others. In Canada, she has shared the stage with acclaimed artists Alex Dean, Pat Labarbera, Dave Restivo, John Geggie, Sienna Dahlen, and Christine Jensen. She has recorded on numerous projects throughout the years and continues to record actively with new up and coming projects in the area. Alyssa was the recipient of the IAJE Sisters in Jazz Award honoring women in jazz at the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival. She has toured as the drummer with the American Wind Symphony and is currently a tenured percussionist YOUR Glens Falls Symphony as well as the drummer for the Adirondack Theater Festival.

Internationally, Alyssa has mentored jazz students as part of many different festivals. With a passion for teaching, she maintains an active career in music education working in both the public school and college settings year round.

Alyssa is currently a band/orchestra teacher in the Queensbury School District where she lives with her husband and two children and on Sunday, April 19, 3pm at the Hyde Collection in Glens Falls, Alyssa will be performing with David Restivo, Christine Jensen and Danica Rebudiao as they bring “Jazz to the de Blasiis Chamber Series.”

The GFS had the chance to speak with Alyssa on ensembles, David, Christine, educating the future, the great outdoors and all things Jazz!

Exclusive Q & A with Composer, Producer, Percussionist, Educator and Super Mom: Alyssa Falk Verheyn

GFS: This is your first time performing with the de Blasiis Chamber Series! What are you looking forward to most about this performance?

AV: I’m really looking forward to connecting and interacting with the audience through original and standard jazz compositions in an intimate setting. Every audience provides us a unique opportunity to bring listeners on a musical journey and provides us the inspiration to improvise and react musically in the moment

GFS: What do you enjoy most when working with a small jazz ensemble?

AV: There’s a certain bit of performing what’s “On the page,” but a whole lot of room for spontaneity and that can be so exciting! No two performances are exactly the same. It’s really like having a conversation with friends. There is a freedom to create freely and allow emotions to flow.

GFS: David Restivo recently told the GFS that you are his favorite "musical dance partner" due to the way you both feel rhythm and time the same way. What do you value most about your history and collaboration with David?

AV: Oh boy, where to begin! The feeling is mutual. There are certain musicians you sit on the stage with and are welcomed with an instant connection. This happened for us for the first time in 2006 in Prince Edward Island (Canada) when we both were hired for a summer music festival. There were endless nights of music making and feeding off one another where we would just look up and really be in awe of the unspoken musical connection. There is such a comfort in sharing the stage with Dave. I can open my mind and not think of the technicalities of playing my instrument but really I feel like my hands just follow my heart and the response to the sounds and energy around me.

GFS: You have performed with acclaimed artist Saxophonist Christine Jensen who will be performing with you once again on Sunday, April 19. What do you enjoy most about sharing this space with her?

AV: I’m so thankful our paths have crossed musically over years. It is such a joy to lay the groove behind her on the drums, as she really has an amazing sense of shaping a solo. She can play with both fire and sensitivity and the way she and Dave interact harmonically is like no other. As a woman in jazz I am really inspired by her success in the music industry. We have had the opportunity to have countless conversations and serve on panels together to pave the way for young women looking into the jazz profession. Her compositions are always something amazingly new. I’m so happy everyone in the audience will be able to experience this on April 19th.

GFS: With an active career in music education working in both the public school and college settings year-round as well as being Conductor, of Repertory Jazz Orchestra at the ESYO what does the next generation of musicians bring to jazz in the years to come?

AV: They are risk takers for sure with so many resources at their disposal. Locally, we are fortunate to have so many collaborative educational programs (School music programs, ESYO, Skidmore Jazz Institute, Freihofers Jazz Festival) where master jazz musicians are eager to pass on their knowledge to the next generation. In today’s world it is something that will continue to remain relevant as a need to connect with others on an emotional level. Working in education I am confident that we have students that will continue to preserve the tradition of this style of music while also paving the way for unique interpretations relevant to the times.

GFS: As tenured percussionist in the Glens Falls Symphony Orchestra as well as the drummer for the Adirondack Theater Festival, you are part of a region rich in the arts! What do you value most about audiences in our region?

AV: Part of what led my family and I to move to the area in 2011 was exactly that! We were coming from the New York City area and looking for a northern community in which we could comfortably start our family and thrive professionally both in teaching and performing. The audiences of Glens Falls and the patrons of these organizations have allowed us to do just that. There is never a shortage of warmth and pride from this local audience. I love looking into the audience and seeing smiles from friends and colleagues and eyes of wonder from the youth. They are supporters of both new creative projects and standard repertoire of any music style. We can make music for ourselves, but a supportive and motivating audience keeps us creating and wanting to give more. I really hope you know how appreciated you all are.

GFS: Composing, producing, preforming, teaching... What do you do outside of it all to ensure balance?

AV: Getting outside is so important. I love to exercise and be outdoors in all seasons. My family and I love to camp. We have done many cross country trips during the summers to explore both the US and Canada. I have spent time in all Canadian provinces and been to all but two states in the USA. I am an avid reader and spending time with friends and family is extremely important to me as well. But, some of my favorite moments are sitting around a campfire in the backyard with my husband Greg and our two daughters, Mia and Lily.

To Purchase Tickets to this performance, Click Here * Seats are limited

Adults $25 Students $10 (Tickets will be sold at the de Blasiis Box Office one hour prior to the concert at the Hyde Collection based on availability).

For more information on the Glens Falls Symphony visit our website: www.theglensfallssymphony.org