The inspiration for Rock-a-Baby came after years of working with children of all ages and recognizing a need for early childhood exposure to music. An accomplished musician, Trachtenberg made a career early on as a piano teacher by day and gigging keyboardist by night. With a B.S. in Music Education from N.Y.U. and a strong desire to enrich children’s lives through music, Trachtenberg expanded his career as Music Director for several plays and music programs at schools and community centers in Rhode Island. The passion continued when he became the accompanist for Looking Glass Theater, a touring group that brought children’s theater to underprivileged schools and communities. While in New York, Trachtenberg continued performing, teaching, accompanying and directing. He served as Musical Director for "On Broadway," a children’s musical theater class offered at the JCC in Manhattan, co-wrote the children’s musical The Lady & the Ladle, and co-wrote Hood, a children's musical production of Robin Hood for the Wheeler School in Rhode Island. He has performed nationally with 60’s rockers, Jay and the Americans, and with cover band, The Tremors, and recording artists including PT Walkley. Trachtenberg’s diverse and extensive experience culminates with Rock-a-Baby – a unique and enriching musical adventure for you and your child.
Barbara Hollander
Teacher, Vocals, New York
Barbara Hollander is thrilled to be joining the Rock-a-Baby
team! A member of SAG, Aftra, and
Actor’s Equity, Barbara graduated with a BA from BarnardCollege
and with distinction from The Atlantic Theater Company Acting
Conservatory. Some of Barbara’s most
recent theater credits include A Year
With Frog and Toad (Atlantic Theater Company for Kids), and Max and Ruby (Theatreworks USA). In these two shows, she played many animals,
including a bird, turtle, frog, and bunny, just to name a few. But Barbara has played some humans as
well. She caught the performing bug
quite early, and made her film debut at the age of ten, playing Judy Wasserman
in the film Life With Mikey (directed
by James Lapine). Other highlights from
Barbara’s days as a child actor include working with Woody Allen on the films Everyone Says I Love You and Deconstructing Harry. Some of her favorite theatrical experiences
from her adult days include playing Tzeitelin Fiddler On The Roof, Diana in I Love You Because, and performingwith The Atlantic Theater Company in Luck, Pluck and Virtue (written and
directed by James Lapine). Barbara was
born and raised on the Upper West Side of Manhattan,
and her favorite activity is spending time with her three amazing nephews,
Banjo, Caleb and Charlie, all of whom are very musical.
Kate Jones
Teacher, Vocals, Rhode Island
From rocking out in the shower and backup vocalizing, to
involvement in a Cappella, choral groups and bands, Kate Jones has been singing since she was a little tot herself. After graduating from Providence
College in '08 with a BA in Elementary and Special Education and a minor in
Music, she has enjoyed working with children to help empower them as creators and artists through open-ended play experiences in formal and
informal educational settings. Currently, you can see Kate play music at
venues around Providence solo, with other local artists, and in the band
Dan&Kate. She is super excited to have the opportunity to help spread
the sense of joy and community that involvement in music imparts to little ones
and their families as a member of the Rock-a-Baby team in Rhode Island!
Alisa Ledyard
Teacher, Vocals, New York
Alisa Ledyard is so excited to join the
Rock-a-Baby team! She holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Kent State University
in Ohio and has been performing since anyone started paying attention to her.
Both of Alisa's siblings are extremely musical also, something she
attributes to the wide variety of music her parents exposed them to when they
were young. Immediately after graduation Alisa toured the US with the American
Shakespeare Center performing Shakespeare and rock and roll to the
masses. She was married in the spring of 2009 to a
really great guy named Chris and sang "Barracuda" by Heart
during the reception.
Dan Mills
Teacher, Guitar, Vocals, New York
In July of 1985, the walls of Rhode Island shook and a young Rock-a-Baby boy entered the world. This marked the beginning of an
unprecedented musical journey that no human could have predicted. By
age six, Mills was already performing at sold out concerts beside rock
legends such as David Byrne, Eric Clapton, and Chaka Khan. After
graduating from Ithaca College in 2007 with a doctorate in Musical
Genius, Mills grabbed his guitar case and moved to Brooklyn, NY. He now
rocks for babies by day, and the world by night.
A Vermont native, Adam Podd is a pianist,
composer, arranger, and producer/engineer currently living in New York City. He
holds a Bachelor of Music from The Hartt School in Hartford, CT, where he studied music
production technology, piano, and tuba. Adam has recorded and produced several
albums including singer-songwriters, choral ensembles, and jazz combos. Adam
enjoys a diverse career consisting of work as a church musician, music
director, pit musician, pianist, and third leg of the Rock-a-Baby power trio.
He is often collaborating on projects with his colleague, and twin brother Matt
Podd. More info and samples of Adam's work can be seen on his website. www.poddability.com/adam He also has
a weird thing for orange footwear.
Joann Sacco
New York Regional Manager, Teacher, Vocals
Joann Sacco thinks music is one of
the most important parts of every person; she joins the Rock-a-Baby team with
joy and enthusiasm! Joann got her BA in Theatre from SUNY New Paltz, and
has since been acting here and there around the square. Outside of singing for
children, she enjoys crafting the perfect cappuccino.
Benny Tilchin
Teacher, Guitar, Vocals, Rhode Island
Benny Tilchin has been a member
of many musical acts over the years, including Wordsworth, Dingo, The Mammoth
Jammoth, Lil' Jonny, Five Guys Twelve Shoes, The Free Union Band, The Stone
Enders, and Banjovi. He is the founder and sitting chairman of SOFTAMERICA
(society of free theatrical and musical entertainers redefining interactive
community arts), and writer/director/conductor of the Open Air Funk
Opera. Benny is currently running the SOFTAMERICA Free Funk Recording
Studio in Rumford, RI. He knows that today's Rock-a-Babies are tomorrow's
heroes.
Paul Wyatt
Teacher, Guitar, Vocals, New York
Paul Wyatt is a multitalented singer and actor who has performed in
New York City as well as at regional theatres nationwide.
Paul began his professional acting career at the age of 10 playing Peter Cratchit
in the Denver Center Theatre Company's production of A Christmas Carol. He earned a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre from
the University of Michigan, and promptly moved to New York City to
pursue acting.
Paul's Off-Broadway credits include: Sessions (Preston, Dylan) at
Playwrights Horizons; The Yellow Wood (Adam Davies, lead) at The York Theatre
Company; and Growing Up 70s (Jason) at Theatre at HA! He has also toured with
Theatreworks USA in Dr. Dolittle (Colin) and in Nate the Great (Nate).
Regional credits include Pump Boys and Dinettes (Jackson) at St. Michael's Playhouse, Vt.; Respect (Kenny) at New York Stage and Film, Grease (Doody) at Sacramento Music Circus, Austentious (Blake) for the New York Musical Theatre Festival; The Full Monty & Big River at the Weston Playhouse; and Brighton Beach Memoirs (Stanley) at the Emelin Theatre in Mammaroneck, N.Y.
Paul is also an accomplished songwriter, guitarist and clarinetist, having
co-written songs with his sister, longtime New York singer/songwriter Maddy Wyatt.
Bios 
