Res Publica

"The band had started. And...They sizzled. Afro-Carribean influences on a firm rock foundation. Tight rhythms. And lead vocalist Connor Ralph was channeling Jim Morrison esctatically."

~ Austin American Stateman’s social columnist Michael Barnes on Res Publica's July 8th performance at the Mohawk

"Last night was the biggest crowd on the square and Res Publica was amazing!" ~ American Red Cross PR Coordinator Allison Bono on Res Publica's July 16th performance at Lansing's Blues on the Square

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Our story is short and sweet. We have been together for almost two years now and have been making socially inspired music ever since. Since forming, we have gone on our own national tour and played shows with bands such as Thriving Ivory, Lights, My Favorite Highway, Sister Hazel, The Hard Lessons, Dirty Americans, Larry McCray, Soul Dub, and Sponge. We recently took 1st place in the Lansing Red Cross Battle of the Bands and 2nd place in Lansing's 2009 Common Ground Music Festival Contest. We have been featured on two TV commercials - one in Austin, TX for Music Entertainment Television and another on WHOV television in mid-Michigan. Our 2009 tour included stops in Austin, Dallas, Chicago, St. Louis, Arlington and Kansas State playing such venues as Austin's Mohawk, Dallas' Prophet Bar, Flint's Machine Shop, and Six Flags throughout the midwest and Texas.

The biggest thing that sets our band apart would be our care for the community and our social activity and awareness. Our name, Res Publica, is Latin term meaning "a matter of public concern. So far this year we have raised over $1200 for Genocide prevention in Sudan. We are also working with Partners in Health to help rebuild the Haitian infrastructure, and locally with The American Red Cross of Mid-Michigan, St. Vincent's Home for Children and The American Cancer Society's Relay for Life.

Another thing that sets us apart is our FRESH SOUND AND POSITIVE MESSAGE. We integrate a variety of genres to create a sound that is uniquely ours. Our upbeat set draws crowds of all ages.

Perhaps most notable is that fact that we are ALL CLASSICALLY TRAINED and have earned numerous individual awards and First Division ratings for our various instruments.

• ANTHONY STANCO, our trumpeter, is a rising talent in today's music scene. His playing is diverse and his compositions are influenced by many different musical genres. Now with the MSU Jazz Program, Anthony spent two years performing and teaching in New York City while studying at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music. He has played with the Detroit Symphony Civic Orchestra and Civic Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Marcus Belgrave and Rodney Whitaker. He also spent two summers on a full scholarship to attend the Stanford Jazz Residency Program where he performed in the top jazz combo and studied with jazz greats Jimmy Heath and Lee Konitz.

• CONNOR RALPH, our lead singer, is a Michigan State vocal performance major studying privately under MSU vocal chair and former Metropolitan Opera tenor Richard Fracker. Connor has performance experience in a wide range of genres and hopes to sing opera some day. Also active in music theater, Connor earned lead roles all four years of high school, including Tevye in "Fiddler on the Roof", Nathan Detroit in "Guys and Dolls", Sid Sorokin in "Pajama Game" and the title role in "The Wiz". Connor's ties to Africa, and subsequent humanitarian efforts, are rooted in the friendships and experiences he gained while on a baseball mission trip there in 2007. He is also lead singer and drummer in a blues band that was showcased on Beale Street as part of the International Blues Challenge in January 2010. He plays trumpet, French horn, drums, guitar and piano.

• PETER NELSON, our trombonist, is a seasoned musician having played with many of Michigan's top performers including Ritmo, La Familia, Phredley, the Scott Gwinnel Jazz Orchestra, and The Bebop Spartans to name a few. He spent two summers during high school in western Europe with the Blue Lake International Jazz Orchestra directed by Trombonist David Jensen and Miami Trumpeter James Olcott. Now a student in the jazz studies program at Michigan State, Peter also enjoys an active arranging career and has appeared as a guest clinician for different jazz and Afro-Cuban music festivals in Michigan and Ohio. He plays percussion and keyboard.

• JORDAN OTTO, our drummer, hails from Ann Arbor, MI. Jordan began playing drums at the age of 13 when he studied with Detroit drummer, Sean Dobbins. He is now a jazz studies major at Michigan State University studying under Randy Gilispie. Although jazz is is focus, Jordan also enjoys playing rock, blues, reggae, funk, hip hop and R & B.

• SEAN STYNES, our lead guitarist, has played viola for nine years, receiving one ratings at S & E and Orchestra Festival all four years of high school. He is cu