Students form band after chance meeting on campus

A chance encounter on the Rochester Institute of Technology campus has resulted in a student band forming, playing gigs, and working on an album. It’s a testament to the performing arts ecosystem at RIT, and how easy it can be to find other students who share the same passion for performing arts.

Courtyard, an indy-pop-funk band, got its name from the location of its inception.

Max Klot, a second-year computer science major from Brooklyn, N.Y., plays guitar. Ryan Richter, a second-year software engineering major from Jeffersonville, Vt., plays saxophone. They met at New Student Orientation in 2023, before their first classes even started.

“He asked if I played music because I wore a music shirt,” Richter said. “We had our own jam session in the courtyard, and it ended up with about 10 people.”

One of those people was Jack Moreland, now a second-year cybersecurity major from Lebanon, N.J.

“I was walking outside, going for dinner, when I heard a guitarist and saxophonist outside playing. I asked if they needed a drummer, and I joined them,” Moreland said, recalling the August 2023 encounter.

In just a few weeks, the group found a vocalist and began some public performances. Last October, bassist Michael Reineke, was playing in another student band, Slick Mick and the Novatones, when he heard Courtyard performing.

“They had a great vibe and a great singer, but they didn’t have a bass player,” Reineke said. “I said, ‘Oh my god, I have to inject myself in this group.’ I said, ‘I’d love to jam with you,’ and was invited for a tryout. The rest is history.”

Among their first performances was RIT’s Brick City Homecoming and Family Weekend last year. They also played at this year’s event, at the Unlabeled Music Festival last spring, and have been approached to do shows in venues in Rochester. They have more than 600 followers on Instagram.

Gabriela Rivera Araujo, a third-year biology major from New York City, became their new lead singer in April, after meeting Richter and performing with him at jazz jams on campus. Richter liked what he heard, and Courtyard asked her to audition.

On Oct. 12, Courtyard released its first single, called “11:30,” which refers to the time at a bar, where everyone is enjoying the nightlife.

The bandmates write, record, and engineer their music by themselves. Their single was recorded in a percussion practice room on campus with a laptop.

An album, with seven or eight of their songs, is expected to be released soon.

Although Reineke graduated last spring, he stayed in Rochester and remains a member of the band. His fellow bandmates are among his closest friends.

“We can hang out just to watch TV, and it can turn into a rehearsal, and we can wind up writing a new song,” Reineke said.

Rivera Araujo agrees. She says the band members all live close by and get together often, even without playing music together. They plan dinners, movie nights, even trips to thrift stores.  

“I’m really glad I met them,” she said. “They are such talented people who encourage me to get better and break out of my shell more. Singing with them has been so fulfilling.”

Moreland, who has been a musician since elementary school, said music remains a big part of his life and he appreciates his performing arts opportunities at RIT.

“When I went to college, I thought it would be really awesome to make music with like-minded individuals,” he said. “But I was not expecting to be in a band and make such good friends in my first weeks in college.”