Young Kindred Spirits finding each other

 

Sometimes, the universe has a way of bringing people together. That’s exactly how The Word, a group of four young musicians with an old-school soul, came to be in 2024.

 

Dante Marchesiani, at the time, was a 10-year-old bassist with a bold vision: to form a Beatles cover band. Dante had been learning bass lines and vocals to the Beatles’ greatest hits, dreaming of recreating the magic of the '60s with a band of his own. Determined, he designed a poster and pinned it up at Parkway Music, a local music store, calling out for a guitarist, keyboard player, and drummer to join him on this journey. For months, the poster hung there quietly. No calls. No interest.

 

At that same time, a group of like-aged musicians from Waterford, NY had been practicing and performing the music of The Beatles, The Monkees, and Elvis. One of the kids' fathers was notified by the owner of Parkway Music about Dante's poster hanging on the wall of the entrance to the Store in Clifton Park, NY. 

 

Then one day, seemingly out of nowhere, Dante’s father received a message from someone who had seen the poster. This person had a group of young players who had already been jamming together, sharing the same passion for the late 60s songs. Unknowingly, two separate groups of kids had been walking parallel paths, each fueled by the same love for late '60s rock & roll.

 

The first major milestone came when they arranged a meet-up with the potential bandmates at the Halfmoon Diner. It was here that Dante met the guitarist/singer (Frank Knorr) and drummer (Keegan Mahoney) for the first time. Over plates of diner food, they bonded over their shared love for vintage rock and their excitement about playing music that was older than their parents.

 

The next step was pivotal: a band practice. The moment they plugged in and started to play, it was clear—this wasn’t just a jam session. There was an instant musical connection, an energy that felt effortless yet electric. The chemistry was undeniable.

 

From there, milestones came quickly. Their first live show became a rite of passage, marking the moment when The Word transformed from a practice-room project into a real band with an audience. Each subsequent gig only strengthened their bond and sharpened their sound. Show after show, their stage presence grew, their harmonies tightened, and their dream of honoring the golden era of rock became more real.What began as two separate groups, unknowingly sharing the same passion, had merged into a single band with a single purpose: to revive the timeless spirit of rock & roll—live, loud, and from the heart.