Alumna musician performing on Mississippi River tour

Claudia Troyer ’14 and Adam Springob in the Quad Cities region of Illinois and Iowa.

This fall, Claudia Troyer ’14 is combining two of her favorite hobbies: traveling and performing as a member of the musical duo Springob & Troyer.

The pair of Americana/rock musicians is currently canoeing the Mississippi River from Minneapolis, Minnesota to New Orleans, Louisiana as part of a three-month tour. As of Tuesday, they had reached Alton, Illinois, just north of St. Louis, Missouri. Future destinations include Memphis, Tennessee; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and many more cities along the river.

“Our biggest goal is to put together a full-length album of songs inspired by the journey, written in some of the musical styles native to the river,” Troyer said. “We’ve finished one song, and have seven or eight more well underway. We’ll record the album later this year in Reno, Nevada, and we’re hoping to raise enough money to promote its release in New York next spring.”

An English major with an emphasis in creative writing, specifically playwriting, at Randolph, Troyer plays the trumpet while her bandmate, Adam Springob, who plays the guitar, ukulele, and harmonica. Both sing to create an eclectic mix. The two met in Brooklyn, New York, where they recorded their debut EP in the spring.

Troyer gained plenty of experience in performance at Randolph thanks to her involvement in both the College’s theatre and music programs. She sang in Chorale for four years and Touch of Harmony for three, and was a founding member of the coed a cappella group Voices. She was a part of five theatre productions, including The Great American Trailer Park Musical and the 2012 Greek Play.

“I think my favorite thing about performing is the feeling of sharing something—communicating something that is deeply meaningful with an audience who, hopefully, is receptive and willing to be a part of the experience,” Troyer said. “I got into theatre—both the writing and performing aspects—in pursuit of that collaborative spirit, and I’ve found it applies to the creation and performance of music as well.”

Listen to Springob & Troyer’s music and keep up with the band’s progress and upcoming shows on the Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/springobandtroyer/.