C3 began with an informal jam session between a few friends in the basement of a college dorm. As Kyle, Rohan and David started reaching out to more players, the jam evolved into an experimentation of musical styles and a fun compositional and performance outlet for all involved. Now the group plans to release its debut EP, 'The Unanswered Question,' in Spring 2017 in conjunction with Performance and Composition majors at New York University.
C3 plays music that explores the worlds of jazz, fusion, funk, R&B, hip hop, soul, and electronic styles. 'The Unanswered Question' will feature guest artists and five original songs, recorded at some of the most acclaimed studios in the Northeast.
MEMBERS
KYLE BRENN
DRUMS, PERCUSSION, COMPOSER, ARRANGER
Kyle is a composer, musician and actor originally from Norwalk, Connecticut. He has written and arranged concert, chamber, theatre, film and vocal music. He has been acting professionally since age nine, his credits including the 2009 Broadway revival of West Side Story (as Kiddo), the 2012 original Broadway production of Leap of Faith (understudying Jake), numerous NYC readings, workshops and festivals and, most recently, the 2014 Live from Lincoln Center national broadcast of Sweeney Todd (as Tobias Ragg), which featured Emma Thompson, Bryn Terfel, Audra McDonald, Christian Borle, and the New York Philharmonic under the baton of Alan Gilbert. He is also a percussionist and pianist, who has played with Connecticut Western Region jazz bands and won a handful of local jazz awards. He currently studies Music Composition with Pedro da Silva and Percussion with Sean Statser at NYU Steinhardt.
Rohan Chander
Keyboards, Composer, Arranger
Rohan Chander is a composer and musician originally from Barrington, Rhode Island. From a young age, Rohan has been composing music for classical, jazz, hip hop, and pop genres. Over the last several years, Rohan has had the pleasure of composing chamber music for the Worcester Chamber Music Society as well as duo Transient Canvas as part of Boston Conservatory's Composition Intensive Program, and has additionally had the privilege of debuting original big band music at the NAfME All Eastern Jazz Convention. In 2016 Rohan also received a judges choice award at the Berklee High School Jazz Festival and placed second in the S2 Small Combo Division at the festival, receiving honors from trumpeter Christian Scott. Rohan has also scored award-winning short films and is currently working on a collaboration with the NYU Tisch Dance Program and JCC Manhattan on an upcoming dance/music project. He currently studies Music Composition with Pedro da Silva at NYU Steinhardt.
DAVID MAYERS
GUITAR
David Mayers was Born in Miami Florida and moved to Orlando Florida at the age of 4. In the 6th grade he began playing Bassoon and is still currently playing it as a member of the NYU symphony Orchestra. David has performed with prestigious ensembles playing bassoon in such venues at Carnegie Hall and and South Carolina’s Gailliard Center. David began teaching himself how to play the guitar in the 9th grade and became a freelance Jazz Guitarist in Orlando by the age of 17. Davis is now a member of the band C3, a recording session guitarist and a Bassoon Performance major at NYU.
DANI STRIGI
BASS, COMPOSER
Dani Strigi was born in Biella, Italy. He has spent most of his life in the United Arab Emirates, however he currently resides in New York City as a student. Dani plays bass in C3 but is also a guitarist, vocalist, and saxophonist. He is studying Music Composition at NYU. He is happy to be a part of this collective as it fulfils the desire to play and perform, something which as a composer he feels he doesn’t do enough.
SHYAM NATARAJAN
TENOR SAXOPHONE
Shyam Sankar Natarajan is a saxophonist, pianist, composer, and student of music. He began classical piano lessons at the age of four and picked up the saxophone at age 11. He has spent time as a student and composer at the Curtis Institute of Music, and has performed for Philadelphia arts venues and festivals in classical, jazz, funk groups. He also performs alongside NYU Jazz Majors and has participated in Martin Wind's Jazz Ensemble at NYU. Shyam currently studies mathematics and economics at New York University.
PAUL HUTCHINGS
TRUMPET, flugelhorn
Paul Hutchings has been a musician for over twelve years. He was a member of the Youth Orchestra of Bucks County for six years, traveled overseas to Europe on two tours with them, and was the winner of the 2015/2016 Concerto Competition. Paul has also been an active participant in many music competitions and festivals, including PMEA All State ensembles, National Trumpet Competition, and the National Youth Orchestra of the United States. He has won awards at jazz festivals around the South Pennsylvania area and is a member of Cherry Lane Band. Paul currently studies film scoring and music composition at NYU and has had music performed by YOBC and the NYU Brass Ensemble. His recent projects include theme music to After Hours on the Penn State TV Network.
ZACHARY VOELBEL
TROMBONE, KEYBOARDS, ARRANGER
Zach Voelbel grew up in North Brunswick, New Jersey studying music composition under James Egan, Stephen Komar and Jeff Smith. He began composing his junior year of high school, around the same time he began studying piano under Bruce De LaCruz. He's written for the NBTHS String Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble, as well as played keyboard in local pit orchestras. He now studies Music Composition with Marc Consoli at NYU Steinhardt, where he met the rest of his bandmates.
ALSO APPEARING ON 'THE UNANSWERED QUESTION'
THOMAS JANKOVIC
Thomas is a French hornist and student at Princeton University ('20), where he is a member of the Princeton University Orchestra and sings bass with the Princeton Nassoons. He has played horn with CMEA Western Region, All State and All National Orchestras, and played jazz bass throughout high school. He's not sure what to do with his life yet, and that's okay.
french horn
GUEST VOCALIST
Ryan Waller is a musician from South Brooklyn. He started falling in love with music at a young age, and has finally begun to pursue his dreams as a Performance Studies major at NYU. He considers himself happy and privileged to collaborate with C3, a band he sees as filled with unrivaled talent and passion for making music.
RYAN WALLER
YAZ LANCASTER
violin
Yaz Lancaster is a musician and poet currently pursuing a BM in violin performance with a minor in Creative Writing Studies at NYU, studying violin under Shmulik Katz, Jesse Mills and Adela Stajnochrova. Yaz is a member of the NYU orchestra and the non-profit Orchestra Amadeus. In the summer of 2016, Yaz was invited on scholarship to play for the Miami Music Festival's opera, orchestra and conducting institutes and worked with world renowned artists including Andres Cardenas, Christine Goerke, Gary Levinson and Larry Rachleff. Yaz's poetry has been self-published as well as in online publications including Dion-y-sus and Potluck Magazine. They are also a member of the NYU Steel Ensemble, directed by Joshua Quillen of Sō Percussion, as well as a radio host of 'Not Just Clara' on WNYU, devoted to the music of women composers throughout history.
CONNIE LI
violin
Connie Li is a sophomore studying violin at New York University. She previously studied with former Atlanta Symphony associate concertmaster William Pu and currently studies with NYU and Oberlin faculty member Gregory Fulkerson. After participating in the Atlanta Youth Symphony Orchestra, she developed a passion for community arts education and hopes to increase accessibility of the arts and illuminate its value. She is a member of the NYU Orchestras and has performed with both the NYU Composer’s Collective premiering student works and in Tisch New Theatre’s production of Hairspray as a pit musician. In the summer of 2016 Connie participated as a counselor and performed in the festival orchestra at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan, working with illustrious artists such as Dr. Raphael Jimenez and Dr. Salvador Brotons. Outside of violin, she is an active member of NYU Intervarsity’s Asian American Christian Fellowship, where she has served as worship team leader and now leads a small group geared towards artists. Her favorite composer is Tchaikovsky but a strong case can be made for Bach.
DOROTHY CARLOS
CELLO
Dorothy Carlos is a cellist from North Carolina. She left home at 15 to study cello at college-conservatory University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where she premiered a number of student works and recorded scores for student films. She has held assistant principal positions in the UNCSA Symphony Orchestra, UNCSA Jazz Ensemble. and AJ Fletcher Opera Pit Orchestra. Last year, she won honorable mention in the NC America String Teacher's Association competition. She has studied with Jonathan Kramer, Brooks Whitehouse, and Bonnie Thron, and currently studies cello on full scholarship with Marion Feldman at NYU.