SCHENECTADY - Most musicians hope listeners relate to their music. Albany singer-songwriter Areli Mendoza-Pannone hopes hers helps people connect with one another.
“I want it to touch people and I want it to impact people in a personal way, but I hope that it does so in a way that’s community-oriented — in a way that people can connect with each other,” Mendoza-Pannone said.
The artist is set to debut a series of original songs Monday at SUNY Schenectady County Community College, where she studied music. The tracks all fall into the indie genre, though growing up Mendoza-Pannone listened to music from around the globe.
“I was surrounded by a lot of different kinds of music from different cultures, which I’m very appreciative of because I think it’s influenced my tastes in music and how I write music,” Mendoza-Pannone said. Those genres included jazz, blues and rock, as well as Arabic, Mexican, Indian and African music as well.
Mendoza-Pannone’s grandfather also took her to see the Metropolitan Opera Live recordings in local movie theaters.
“I fell in love with that,” Mendoza-Pannone said. “When I was [at SUNY] Schenectady I started bringing arias from operas to work on and that was kind of, at least at the time that I was there, a little unheard of.”
Mark Evans, one of her former professors at the college, praised Mendoza-Pannone’s vocal versatility and passion.
“She is comfortable performing art songs and arias as well as really demanding contemporary music,” Evans said.
Opera became her concentration as she went on to attend SUNY Purchase, from which she graduated earlier this year. She’s performed in various operas and concerts locally, including an original micro-opera at SUNY Schenectady. But when it comes to writing music, Mendoza-Pannone gravitates toward indie music in the style of Ingrid Michaelson, Aurora and Sleeping at Last.
She began writing original music back in high school.
“It started because I used to write out a lot of poetry,” Mendoza-Pannone said, adding that she at first tried pairing her poetry with music.
“I realized that regular poetry is not the same as lyric poetry,” Mendoza-Pannone said. “I spent years trying to restructure my poetry into something that could be more musical.”
It’s taken years of practice and rewriting, but it has paid off. On Monday, Mendoza-Pannone will perform a version of one of the first songs she wrote. Titled “I Love You More,” it’s a melancholy tune with wistful lyrics: “The days will come and go but I will stay right here, whether or not you choose to stay with me.”
“I’ve written that song three times, actually, about different things,” Mendoza-Pannone said.
She wrote most of the songs to be accompanied by ukulele or piano, though for the past few months she’s been working with a full band including musicians Jacob Konisky, O’Brun Jules, Nellie Cordi, Andrew Craner and Rocco Gigante.
They’re all studying music at SUNY Schenectady and have been rehearsing there as well.
“It’s been really exciting to just work with them. I’m just amazed by their skill,” Mendoza-Pannone said.
Hearing the full-band versions of her songs has been a dream come true.
“It’s amazing to see the way they bring my music to life in a way that I couldn’t even really imagine because one of my weaker points is instrumentation,” Mendoza-Pannone said. “I’m decent at writing for my instrument, but writing for other instruments I don’t really know how to do. So I was really blessed by having such creative people who were willing to just write their own part.
“For example I don’t write baselines, but our bassist just writes on the spot and they’re amazing. So it’s been really incredible to just be part of that process and see that they’re so inspired by the music I write to do these things, which is exciting and humbling.”
The group also plans to record the songs at SUNY Schenectady in hopes of releasing an album next year.
“A lot of them are audio students, so they’re helping out with that process,” Mendoza-Pannone said.
For now, the focus is on debuting these tracks on Monday — some of which have been in the works for years.
“I’m thrilled that she is giving a concert of her own songs. Because this is her own music, her own words, those who come out to hear Areli & Company will get to experience in the most direct way her passion and artistry,” Evans said.
Areli & Company
WHEN: Monday, 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Carl B. Taylor Auditorium, SUNY Schenectady County Community College
MORE INFO: sunysccc.edu