Songs from Studio B is a News 8 WROC digital exclusive series dedicated to both showcasing Rochester’s incredible musical talent, as well as featuring artists who come through our town for shows.
All of the music is recorded live, the video captured live; all of it refined for a product that blends the electricity of live show, and the polish of a studio session.
For each episode, artists are tasked with presenting two “A-sides” and two “B-sides.” The A-sides are songs that you know from the artist: whether it’s their signature song, their most promoted song, or the one with the most airtime. The B sides are tunes near and dear to the heart of the artist, but don’t always get the public love they deserve. In this format, listeners can take in the favorites, and learn the deep cuts.
This episode features Alyssa Rodriguez. Alyssa is a fixture in Rochester’s folk and Americana music communities for her skill on the fiddle, as well as the nyckelharpa. She has been playing this Swedish instrument for years, and even studied the instrument on a Fulbright scholarship. The instrument has four main strings, and others tuned to every note in the major scale to give the violin relative it’s own resonance and reverb. She played dance music, and threw in an original.
The tunes:
- Årepolskan (A side): 00:00
- Polska från Tenala (B side): 03:32
- Waltz after Lasse in Lyby (A side): 06:19
- Pääkallokeli (B side): 09:12
This series is produced, recorded, and mixed by Dan Gross. He shot and edited this one. Hanna Berger provided assistance with production.
