Album Release Party: 

Sold For Parts by Used Karmas

Saturday, June 21 at 7:00pm

Tickets: $20 suggested tax-deductible donation

Rockland Center for the Arts (RoCA) will be hosting an album release party for the Rockland-based indie band, USED KARMAS, on Saturday, June 21, 2025, at 7:00pm. 

The event will be a fundraiser for RoCA and a $20 donation is suggested to help RoCA continue its 75-year-old mission to be an essential arts destination in Rockland County.

USED KARMAS is a collaboration between James Farkas (guitars and vocals), Jeffrey Yager (drums and vocals), Steve Weissberg (guitars and vocals), and Gary Graifman (bass, guitar, keyboards and vocals) who record and perform original songs driven by an eclectic mix of influences, from rock, blues, and alt-pop, but with a distinctive sound. USED KARMAS’ new album, SOLD FOR PARTS, is now out on CD and streamers. This is USED KARMAS' second album.

RoCA hopes to see all local music fans at the release party.  Aside from great music and a worthy cause to support a snack and drink will be included with your $20 donation. So, come and meet us there!  

Honoring the Wonder and Beauty of the Spoken Word through a Diverse Group of Poets in Recognition of National Poetry Month.

Leah Kogen-Elimeliah originally from Moscow, is a poet & writer based in New York. An Adjunct Assistant Professor at The City College of New York & John Jay College, Leah is also the founder & director of WordShedNYC Reading Series & an Editorial Associate for Fiction literary magazine. She has collaborated on various poetry/visual/dance projects with independent artists, experimenting with cross genres, multimedia and poetry, and has performed her work on The Red Stage organized by Creative Time, The NYC Poetry Festival, The Higher Ground Arts Festival, and was selected as a Public Humanities/Arts Graduate Fellow for the Zip Code Memory Project supported by Columbia, CCNY, NYU, Yale and the Social Science & Humanities Research Council. Currently, Leah is crafting her debut poetry collection, working on an art project "Notes from Daughters" & a film, "Good Girl." Her writing focuses on identity, language, immigration, intergenerational trauma, sexuality and culture. Leah lives in Nyack, NY with her husband and their children.

Bryan Roessel is a poet/event organizer/science teacher in New York's Lower Hudson Valley. Bryan is one of the founders and organizers of Rockland Poets, which has held poetry open mics, slams, and workshops in and around Rockland County NY since March 2011. Bryan's been featured at a variety of poetry events, including at the Utah Arts Festival. Bryan also has exactly one poem on Button Poetry. Their poetry is mostly about science, mental health, relationships, existentialism, and gender.

Ari Mack is an actor, dance/fight choreographer, and writer. He served as the choreographer for the Ramapo High School Players in Spring Valley, NY, from 2014 to 2021, having been affiliated with the group for 16 years. He was also the choreographer for the Cultural Arts Theatre at Rockland Community College in Suffern, NY, and for the Rockland Shakespeare Company (2016–2024). In addition to his choreography work, Ari is an Advanced Actor Combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors. He devotes himself to various forms of writing, including poetry, playwriting, and podcasting. YouTube: @AriumX, @TheAriHour. IG and TikTok: @ari_mack027

Judith Rose remains curious. She writes, she teaches, she creates, she choreographs,  she dances, she listens, she learns. She is  the director of  Vital Movement™, the wellness practice she founded, which is based in Nyack, NY. She collaborates regularly with artists in various media to create new works addressing crucial themes in contemporary life. Her belief in the healing power of the arts and the beauty of shared study salons,  continue to inspire her work, as does her ever-deepening reverence for the mystery of life.  www.judithroseVM.com

Litany Burns is a world-renowned medium, clairvoyant, lecturer, screenwriter, poet and author of Develop Your Psychic Abilities, The Sixth Sense of Children, and her new novel Goddess.Com all available on Amazon, iBooks, Google Play and featured in The 100 Top Psychics & Astrologers In America. Her poetry has been in the International Women’s Year Poetry Anthology and read at: New York University, Amnesty International Fundraiser, Hopper House Prison Art Program, Lehman College, The Nuyorican Poets Café. Having worked on the infamous ‘Son of Sam’ case she has also been featured on national and international TV, in Goop.com, New Yorker Radio Hour, popular magazines/social media and lectured nationally and internationally. Having sold a TV story to NBC and a feature film HK/LA she has several books, film/ TV projects in development. www.litanyburns.com 

Matt Pond PA

Anya Marina

Bathtub Cig

Saturday, February 1,
at 7:00pm:     Anya Marina
                         Bathtub Cig

8:30pm:          Matt Pond PA

Tickets: $25 (seniors/students $25)

Matt Pond

. . . .

From the band’s beginnings in Philadelphia, to their current home in the heart of the Hudson Valley, through 13 albums (among them Emblems, Several Arrows Later, The Dark Leaves, The State of Gold, and, most recently, the luminous The Natural Lines), Matt Pond PA has always been a living, breathing organism—one that’s constantly changing. Two notable mainstays are Pond’s longtime right-hand man, Chris Hansen, and cellist Hilary James.

. . . .

Anya Marina

A murderous girl with a spine of steel. An asteroid hurtling toward a ruminating woman. Shards of glass leading to a dark, friendly place. 

 Welcome to the provocative vision of singer-songwriter Anya Marina’s stunning new album Asteroid, her most assured work yet. Almost two decades into a distinctive career encompassing songs featured in Twilight: New Moon, Gossip Girl, and Grey’s Anatomy, an award-winning web series (Anya Marina: Indie-pendent Woman), seven albums, three EPs, and extensive touring with artists ranging from Jason Mraz to Spoon to superstar standup Nikki Glaser, the riveting performer / creative powerhouse is looking back, taking stock in song. Marina calls Asteroid “a coming-of-age story about a late bloomer. This record is about growing up, becoming fully who I am, and celebrating it.”

....

Bathtub Cig

Bathtub Cig is the intimate depression pop project of Hilary James.  Born in a Minneapolis bedroom, it is an honest attempt at coping with her long struggle with mental health.  The new EP, coming out September 2024 is entitled "Good Mourning, I love you" and is about love, loss, and moments of joy during a time of intense mourning- the death of Hilary's mom. . . .

Creators’ Retreat with Naomi Vladeck

Space is limited!

Sunday, January 26 @ 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Free of charge. Registration Required

For women ready to activate their confidence, make bold choices and clarify their commitment to create the life and work they love in 2025.

Kick off 2025 with a deep-dive retreat with life and artist coach, Naomi Vladeck.

Naomi works with women artists and creators to develop their awareness skills, declare their commitments and take action to create the life and work they love. Naomi is the award-winning author of Braving Creativity, Artists Who Turn the Scary, Thrilling, Messy Path of Change into Courageous Transformation. If you feel stuck or afraid to take steps that feels risky, this retreat will create the movement you’ve been waiting for!

Please wear comfortable clothing, bring a wrap or small blanket, a journal and your favorite pen!

Creators of any kind: Welcome! 

Space is limited to 20 participants. 

About Naomi Vladeck

Naomi Vladeck is the award-winning author of Braving Creativity, Artists Who Turn the Scary, Thrilling, Messy Path of Change into Courageous Transformation. She is a certified creativity & life coach with a Masters in Performance Studies from NYU. Naomi has been working with and around independent artists for thirty years. As a performing artist, fundraising executive, event planner and non-profit founder and coach, Naomi has helped hundreds of artists create something new from an empty stage, blank page and canvas in their work and lives.

Music Sessions @ RoCA

Adam Falcon
Saturday, December 14 at 7:30pm
Tickets: $25/ seniors & students: $20

With Carl Carter (Bass/Vocals)
Gene Lake (Drums/ Vocals)
Etienne Stadwijk (Keyboards/ Vocals)

Adam Falcon
The music of guitarist/singer-songwriter Adam Falcon has been widely considered to be absent of genre, and yet ranges from folk to rhythm and blues. In the past, as a sideman, Falcon has worked with and shared the stage with some of the brightest luminaries in music. Some of those artists were Roberta Flack, Nona Hendryx, Jim Lauderdale, Sophie B. Hawkins, Steve Jordan, Marcus Miller, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Robert Palmer and Peter Gabriel. Stepping out on his own, he’s opened for the The Wailers, Tower of Power, Danielle Ponder, Ruthie Foster, the late great blues giants James Cotton Blues Band, and Matt “Guitar” Murphy. Writing a couple of Grammy nominated songs for jazz guitarist George Benson and having songs on national television, Falcon became noticed by The SongWriters Hall of Fame, which honored him with The Abe Olman Scholarship Award for Songwriting. For his composition “Woke Up Cryin’“ Falcon became an International Songwriters Competition semi-finalist and was also nominated for an Independent Music Award.

“If you are unfamiliar with this stellar artist, take some time to get to know Adam Falcon as his career continues to ascend.” (Living Blues Magazine)

Etienne Stadwijk (Keyboards/ Vocals)
Born in The Netherlands, Etienne Stadwijk became exposed to music at a very early age. By the time he entered kindergarten he was already performing in school and local events in his home town. Relocating to Suriname, South America in his early teens, Etienne quickly established himself as one of the premiere keyboard players, with a broad interest in styles. From high school, he went on to study contemporary arranging at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston Massachusetts. While currently living in New York, he divides his time there and abroad, both recording and producing. His large array of performing and recording credits includes: Kenny Garrett, Richard Bona, Paul Simon, Harry Belafonte, Marcus Miller, and Labelle, just to name a few.

Carl Carter (Bass/Vocals)
Carl has forged a career as diverse as his musical background, performing with an eclectic group of world-renowned R&B, jazz and rock artists that includes: Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Williams, Spin Doctors, Maxwell, Adam Lambert, Billy Ocean, Digable Planets, Clark Terry, Maysa, Joe Henderson, Aaron Neville, Chuck Loeb, Nile Rogers and CHIC, Ivan Neville, Vanessa Williams and more. His playing experiences are just as vast, performing on stages around the world, numerous television shows, and a host of Broadway credits. They include: The Tony Award hit musical, ‘COME FROM AWAY,’ The Tony nominated hit show “Disaster: The Musical,” “Holler If You Hear Me,” and Tony nominated “Bring it On: The Musical."

Gene Lake (Drums/ Vocals)
This native of St. Louis, Missouri who now resides in Montclair, New Jersey embodies the contradictions of modern music. With a variety of styles, Lake began playing at 5 years old and later studied with drummer Pheeroan akaLaff while attending The High School of Music & Art in New York City. Afterwards, graduating from Berklee College of Music, he went on to play with his father, saxophonist Oliver Lake, later joining composer Henry Threadgill's ensemble. Examining his resume reveals the extent of his versatility. Those artists include: David Sanborn, Steve Coloman, Marcus Miller, Joe Zawinul, Maxwell, and Me’Shell Ndegeocello. As a leader, he has several albums released under his name: “The Oliver Lake Quartet,” “Dedication,” and “At This Time."

A “Performance of Poetry with Sign Language & Music Improvisation”

by August Vanderbeek & Max Vanderbeek
November 22, 2024, 8 p.m. Rockland Center for the Arts

This sister & brother lived at the Gate Hill Co-op (“The Land”) from the late 1950s to 1976. Their parents were part of the founding members, Johanna (artist) & Stan Vanderbeek (film). Their house was a Quonset hut with a large, round multimedia dome theatre and art studio in the backyard. Our performance is a visual and musical celebration of the creative energy that was present and influenced us as children. . . .

. . . .

Embodied Artist Talk with Alexis Elton and Bel Falleiros

November 14th, 7pm at Rockland Center For the Arts

Gate Hill Co-op, or ‘the Land’, was founded in the 50’s by Black Mountain College Faculty and Alumni for artists to live and work. Over the years, artists and their practices were deeply transformed by this place.

Alexis Elton and Bel Falleiros, current residents of Gate Hill, invite the public to an embodied artist talk, engaging with ideas behind their current show The Body Remembers, The Vessel Contains in conjunction with The Land: early artist @ Gate Hill Co-op.

Elton and Falleiros practices are informed by natural materials and the stories they carry. Together they will guide participants through a multisensory experience using natural foraged materials from ‘the Land.’