Members of staff and faculty teem with musical prowess, and they revealed their exceptional stage presence at the Faculty Rocks concert on Friday, Dec. 3.

The event opened with the band Ridiculously Loud and Overly Educated, known as RLOE, with Godfried Toussaint on drums; Richard Lennon on bass; Larry Langs on the keyboard; Jim Savio, Sunil Kumar, Goffredo Puccetti and Phil Kennedy on guitars; Alana Barraj on female vocals for the song “Save Me” and Adam Ramey as the lead vocalist.

Host to a broad lineup of performances ranging from contemporary musical ensembles to an Emirati-American standup comedian, Faculty Rocks catered to a wide array of palates. Classical numbers were not precluded: Visiting Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Music Performance flautist Celina Charlier performed several classical pieces accompanied by a pianist. The diverse acts showcased NYU Abu Dhabi’s versatile staff and faculty.

“The event started because our band, RLOE, wanted to showcase some of the songs we were working on,” said Ramey. “Initially, we played at a student Open Mic. Then, our manager had the idea to involve all faculty and staff, turning it into a broad celebration.”

Organized by engineering professor Ramesh Jagannathan, the event plans to become a semiannual tradition with the next event scheduled late next spring.

Ramey, assistant professor of politics at NYUAD, is no stranger to music.

“I grew up with music,” said Ramey. “I started playing instruments (initially, the trumpet) in fourth grade and was part of various school-organized bands my entire life. I also played gigs with an Italian band in Boston and a German band in the same town.”

Music has been at the crux of bassist Lennon’s life.

“I started formal training in Classical and Jazz Theory in secondary school [in] Brentwood, New York, and began playing multiple instruments and formal vocal training through choirs,” said Lennon. “I then attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts before switching my studies to film.”

With hits like “Can’t Find My Way Home,” “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” and “Cadillac,” as the crowd favorite, Ramey created uproar, and the crowd wanted more.

“I never really sang publicly until the year before I moved to Abu Dhabi,” said Ramey. “I was living in New York and goaded my wife to go with me to karaoke night at a pub near our home. She came, I sang, and the crowd went crazy. Ever since, I sing at every chance I can get.”

Visiting Assistant Professor of Social Research and Public Policy John O’Brien performed second. O’Brien, who conducted almost four years of ethnographic fieldwork on Muslim American youth interaction with hip hop music, also has his music for sale on iTunes. His voice and guitar silenced the previously rowdy crowd.

“It was awesome to see how multi-talented the professors here are,” said senior Cassie Flores. “The event was fun and I’d happily go again.”

Some performances were more unexpected than others.

"Perhaps the most surprising act of the night was the duo 'Diezmonz,'" said senior Manuel Jose Nivia Oband. "This duo used an oscillator, prerecorded tracks, a guitar and a synthesizer. It was like witnessing retro techno being performed live."

DiezMonz featured Lecturer for the Writing Program Andrew Starner as the band's main vocalist.

“The event was great,” said senior Ayaz Kamalov. “The last song by [RLOE was] great in terms [of] engaging with the audience … I am definitely looking for the future events because this is something you don’t see everyday.”

Since its inception last spring semester, the event has grown considerably in scope.

“When we first started this event … we didn't quite know what to expect,” said Ramey. “Its reputation has now grown to an extent that we had nearly double the number of requests to perform than we did last spring.”

“I am in talks about more music events sprinkled throughout the year with a couple of fun ideas ready to go,” Lennon added.