The RockNRoll Chorus

"...At the Grunin Center of the Arts tonight, the local opening act for Vocalosity is New Jersey’s own RockNRoll Chorus. The group is directed by Joe Cantaffa, who also serves as the director of the Fine and Performing Arts Academy of the Freehold Regional High School District.
According to Cantaffa, The RockNRoll Chorus is an extra-curricular a cappella group comprised of 20 to 25 high school-aged students between the ages of 14 and 19. The vast majority of members — who attend a variety of schools in the Garden State — come together to learn and rehearse a varied selection of a cappella arrangements and choreography, which they then perform on tour around the country.

In 2007, Cantaffa and the RockNRoll Chorus launched their very first tour, in addition to recording their first album, What They Didn’t Teach Us in School. Since then, the group has featured over 15 different casts of up-and-coming performers. Over the years, these casts have opened for and/or performed with such well-known musical artists as Bruce Springsteen, Darlene Love, Judy Collins, Jefferson Airplane, Foreigner, and Kenny Loggins, in addition to singing as guest choirs on various studio recordings.
The Chorus has also been on the ballot for several Grammys for songs which appear on the group’s subsequent albums — 2009’s Take a Second Look and 2012’s Rounding Third — where the group was nominated for awards in categories such as “Best Performance by a Pop Vocal Group or Duo,” “Album of the Year,” and “Best Rock Record.”

As the lights in the Grunin Center auditorium dim, the 24 current members of the RockNRoll Chorus take their places on stage and open their mini-set with a live a cappella rendition of Queen’s 1975 masterpiece, “Bohemian Rhapsody.” As the choir serenades, the audience is treated to their full sound — which includes melody, harmony, bass, and percussion — the young vocalists singing from their hearts, their musical energy flowing through the auditorium as they vocalize and move to the music.

For their second number, the Chorus performs the 1981 David Bowie/Queen collaboration, “Under Pressure.” As the hooky bass line sets the scene, pulsing percussion emerges from the singers’ voices, and bodies in black move to the vocalizations emanating from these up-and-coming performers.

To conclude their portion of the program, the RockNRoll Chorus performs Fleetwood Mac’s 1976 hit, “Go Your Own Way” — high energy continuing to radiate as they belt out the number with their youthful look and sound..." - Spotlight Central

It was any teenager’s typical July Sunday. That is, if in your teenage world, “typical” is defined by starting out the day at noon – performing the National Anthem in front of 20,000 Tampa Bay Rays / New York Yankee fans, and then commuting immediately (via a luxury tour bus) from St. Petersburg’s Tropicana Stadium to an afternoon soundcheck for an evening concert appearance at Orlando’s famed Full Sail Live. But for the teenage members of The RockNRoll Chorus, life on the road – touring across the country, playing to thousands of fans each summer is their definition of “typical.” And for the last decade, this celebrated New Jersey-based vocal troupe has been providing dream-come-true experiences for aspiring young performers, while building an impeccable reputation as a world-class concert act.

The brainchild of veteran vocal teacher and music biz insider, Joe Cantaffa, The RockNRoll Chorus was first launched in 2006 as the ultimate opportunity for high school-age kids to learn the ropes of the entertainment industry in a variety of authentic, professional settings. Despite operating initially on less than a shoestring budget, a handful of hungry teenagers in cutoffs and T-shirts believed in Cantaffa’s vision of creating a national-level, rock-appella-style, recording and touring group – and were all too eager to sign-on. In short order, their debut album, What They Didn’t Teach Us in School, had been produced and released. By 2007, a slew of live concert dates had been slated. And so it began.

The RNRC tagline is direct and to the point – “No instruments. Just voices.” And from the vocalized guitar parts (cue distortion effects), beat box techniques, soaring voices and arena-style audio / visual production, the group’s live show has developed into a bona fide rock and roll spectacle. As a result, there was considerable anticipation regarding their current 10th Anniversary concert tour – including tonight’s show in Orlando.

By 6pm, Central Florida fans already were being wanded by security and ushered into the Full Sail auditorium, while the group made final backstage preparations – primping, preening, body-stretches, vocal warm-ups and receiving pre-show instructions from its team of professional coaches and experienced handlers. Showtime – 7pm!

In typical fashion, The RNRC truly delivered the goods in O-Town, with each of the 25 members leaving behind a quart of sweat on Full Sail’s enormous, state-of-the-art stage. Throughout the high-energy, hour-long performance, fans cheered and sang along to much-loved classics by U2, Journey and Queen, as well as more recent favorites from the likes of Parachute and Coldplay.

Having delivered an amazing performance, most cast members clearly were experiencing a post-show, backstage adrenaline rush. However, for the group’s senior members who are heading off to college this fall, the Orlando concert evoked a mix of emotions, as it brought the tour one day closer to completion – the tour that would be their last with The RNRC – a cross-country trek that also would culminate in an appearance at the iconic Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

At the ripe old age of 18, Natalie Lorenzo is the cast’s “elder stateswoman.” Having performed with The RNRC throughout her entire high school career, the recent graduate reflected openly on her personal experiences with the group over the last four years.
“It’s been wonderful,” Lorenzo commented, while relaxing in the greenroom with fellow veteran cast members, following the Full Sail show. Preparing to pursue entertainment business studies in the fall, she spoke humbly, and quickly made clear that for her, being in The RNRC was not about trying to become a star, but rather, about building relationships. “The RockNRoll Chorus affects so many people in so many ways,” Lorenzo continued. “You could be in the group for two months, or four years, and can still have connections with people for years after.”

With plans of studying theatre this fall, Danielle Burg echoed Lorenzo’s sentiments. “It was better than great,” the retiring cast member recalls of her three-year RNRC run. “(Joining this group) was honestly, the best decision I ever made,” she continued. “I’m really not ready to leave yet.”
“It’s hard to think about what it will be like when I leave for college and I don’t have this – a show every day,” confessed Mackenzie Price, of her two years performing with the group. Soon to be pursuing a career in the fashion industry, Price added that she’s grateful for, “the friendships that I’ve made, and the experiences that I’ve had.”

“This group actually has helped me to define what my strengths are, what my weaknesses are, and what I love to do,” mused longtime member, Ethan Greenberg. As an incoming senior, Greenberg still has one more year with the group – and he seemed to hit upon the precise reason why being part of The RNRC has meant so much to so many members over the last decade. “Connecting with people is one of the reasons why I love this group so much. But it’s really the connection we have with each other.”

But as seasoned cast members bid farewell to the group, fans and life on the road this summer, new members who share the same hopes and dreams, stand in the wings, waiting to experience their big break. And as the cast evolves, and the brand continues to gain recognition, the future of The RockNRoll Chorus remains bright, indeed. In fact, the group’s latest album, No Guilt ‘Til Monday, (their 7th overall) arrives this October. And with founder, leader and visionary, Joe Cantaffa mapping out next summer’s tour, he’s also already planning to produce their next album – one that he expects will be the first RNRC record to contain ALL original songs. - Christopher Long

Nothing great ever started out as a reasonable idea" — final words of wisdom and encouragement offered by director and producer Joe Cantaffa as he ushered the group of 20 fabulous-looking, professional young singers from the vocal warm-up room and onto the mammoth concert stage at Orlando's state-of-the-art venue, Full Sail Live.

The brainchild of high school music teacher and entertainment biz insider, Joe Cantaffa, the New Jersey-based RockNRoll Chorus was formed in 2007 — and in the immortal words of AC/DC, "It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock and roll." Cantaffa recalls that in the beginning, the project merely was "a grassroots effort — hungry kids in cutoffs and T-shirts, operating with minimal resources." Furthermore, the group's first "season" offered the aspiring teenage singers only a handful of live performance opportunities. Today, their schedule has morphed into full-scale national summer concert tours.

"I wanted to create a project in a non-academic environment for high school kids who are looking to pursue a career in the performing arts," Cantaffa reflected as we stood backstage in Orlando discussing his bold vision. "But for the kids pursuing other professions, this is as close to the big leagues as they'll ever come. And they'll always remember that summer they spent on the road with The RockNRoll Chorus."

Never intended to reflect any one particular high school, the seasonal cast members represent various high schools in the New Jersey area. Cantaffa states that the project is meant to "exceed the limitations of school." Ranging in ages from 15-17, would-be members face a stringent audition process — culminating in an ensemble that boasts the best of the best.

Currently touring in support of their latest record, Listen Like This, the 2013 summer outing is taking the troupe from Baltimore to Cleveland to New York, Boston, Charleston, Savannah and beyond — including tonight's show in Orlando.

Like any other bona fide rock concert tour, the 30+ entourage that includes 20 performers and an 11-member administration and production staff, enjoy all the perks — a luxury tour bus, swanky hotel and backstage accommodations and of course, performances at top-caliber venues throughout the country.

The group's tagline is straight and to the point — "No instruments. Just voices." But if you think you're gonna miss anything by their super-stripped-down, "less is more" a cappella approach, you'd be dead wrong. From vocalized guitar parts (distortion effects and all) to beat box techniques to the soaring, layered voices, this was a no-holds-barred rock and roll spectacular.

Opening tonight's 75-minute onslaught with a mighty rendition of U2's "Where the Streets Have No Name," RockNRoll Chorus members hit the stage rocking. In addition to original material, the group also laid down a smorgasbord of classics — from such high-octane favorites as Journey's "Separate Ways" and "I Want You to Want Me" from Cheap Trick to Mötley Crüe's power ballad "Home Sweet Home" and the show-stopping Fleetwood Mac standard "Landslide."

These kids are living the dream — rockin' like Dokken 'til the break of dawn, for sure. I was blown away completely, not only by their impeccable musical talent, but also by their world-class professionalism. Each one of them oozed self-confidence, but without arrogance — refreshing indeed. But fear not, moms and dads — despite the fun factor, these young performers are kept under the watchful eye of equally professional adult chaperons at all times. They also remain protected from worldly harm by my new hero, ace industry veteran, Rex "The Doc" Smith.

In sum, The RockNRoll Chorus delivered a top-notch production while prepping a bumper-crop of up-and-coming stars for their most certain futures in the "big league." Kudos to cast and crew! - Christopher Long