Montclair’s First Mountain Music Festival
Written by cupor1 on February 25, 2026
By: Jocelyn Salles
Montclair State University had its first music festival this week. With 3 bands and 2 solo artists from Montclair in attendance. The performance took place at the memorial auditorium and was filled with live music and an even livelier audience. I got to interview each artist and hear their take on the importance of music. And how they got to where they are now.
The first solo artist I interviewed was Ellie Beder. Who is an indie artist from Central Jersey. Her love for music began when she was a child. Her father played the guitar, and that inspired her to pursue music as her career.
Her sophomore year is when she learned how to play the guitar and started writing music. Beder said, “I found songwriting, and I just knew I couldn’t do anything else with my life.” She then started creating her own songs and made her own album. She just released a new song, “Something needs to change.” Which is a folk and grungy type of song that she is proud to share with everyone.
The second artist was Alessandra Foti, who is a singer-songwriter here at Montclair State and is graduating soon. Foti says that she has been songwriting since she was little, stating, “It’s like therapy and really healing.” She loves to make connections with her audience through her lyrics.
The first song Foti wrote was in middle school, when she got her own guitar. This moment made her realize her love for music and her desire to pursue it as a career. Her lyrics are based on events or things in her life, like movies and books. A song that Foti is most proud of is her song Chrysalis. As she loves butterflies, but most importantly, she says, “It feels like me in a song. Talking about where my life is right now and what I hope to continue doing.” To her, it is like a manifestation of what she wishes to come. As she hopes to make her own album.
The first band I interviewed was the Tabby Cats, a group of friends from Montclair State. With Alexa Tabbacchino as the lead vocalist, Luke Suddeth as the drummer, Nate Robin playing the keyboard, and Cristina Clare playing the bass. They were all friends and went to choir together. They just recently started performing Tabbacchino’s music.
The first song that Tabbacchino had ever written is called “Don’t know when” and was performed as the band’s last song during the festival. The band shares a close friendship, and Tabbacchino says, “Knowing I have people like the 3 of you, friends, and family who genuinely 100% believe in me…That keeps me going.”
The second band was Mauner, which was a fun and lively group. With Brandon Perez as the main singer and guitarist, Tyler Apple as the lead guitar player, Sophia Lebron as the bass, and Gabriel Pascual as the drummer.
They decided on the name Mauner because it means raid or attack. Perez said, “Part of our gimmick is that we like to attack the scene…Going full force at it.” Which is the reason they painted blood on their faces. To show they got attacked as they are attacking the stage.
The band got together as Perez was part of an old band who graduated. So he told his roommate, Pascual, that he needed someone on the drums. Then he got Apple to be the guitarist, and put an ad on TikTok for a bassis,t and that’s how Lebron joined the group.
Their second performance will be on March 19,on the Battle of the Bands. They are also working on some new songs that are coming out soon.
The final band interviewed was Roe Knows Best. A rock band of Alum students who went to Montclair State. Roe O’Brien as the lead singer, Ben Delloiacono as the drummer, and Mike Farrel as the guitar player.
They came up with their band name because Roe had started her own blog named Roe Knows Best. So she decided that the blog should become the artist. Hence, how they got their band name.
Each member of the band came to love music in a different way. O’Brien had always had a love for music; she was part of the choirs and did a lot of music prep. Stating, “It was always such a huge part of my life.” Farrel started playing the guitar in 7th grade and was in a different band at the time, touring. Farrell says, “It’s a hobby, but it’s also a thing that’s so fundamental to who I am.” Delloiacono has been playing the drums since he was 14, wanting to be a rockstar. He says, “The greatest feeling in the world is playing music with friends…There’s nothing better than it.”
