January 19, 1967
A Publisher Extra Newspaper
Democrat and Chronicle from Rochester, New York · Page 46
Rob Constantino' Geneseo Junior Builds Folk Singing Career By BOB BICKEL Special to The Democrat and Chronicle Cuts Line mixture o f contemporary and traditional material. Constantine believes that audiences want to know what the singer as well as the songs are like and therefore has added to his programs a certain amount of talk about himself and his material. He is concerned that the personality projection be authentic, without gimmicks. He puts folk singers Judy Collins and Buffy Saint-Marie at the top of the profession not only because of the inventiveness and emotion of their work, but because "they are the same off stage as on." Constantine shares some of the present folk preoccupation with protest. In the current hassle between Joan Baez and Al Capp he is emphatically on the side of the singer and thinks Capp is way out of line in making his character "Joanie Phoanie" a hypocrite
Constantine has certain reservations about Baez's style, however. "That sweet voice and clean guitar can drive you right up the wall after a while," he says. Constantine is of medium height, lean, projects a certain taut, nervous energy. He works now with Ron Rubadeau, another Geneseo State student, who plays bass behind the singer. Geneseo will be able to hear the two of them April 13 and 14. Constantine is putting together a Genesee State Folk Festival for which he has so far booked the Greenbriar Boys, Judy Roderick, Patrick Sky, Tom Rush and Rob Constantine. GENESEO A 21-year-old State University College junior here is building a career as a folk singer. In 1963, Rob Constantine, a natvie of Amsterdam, sang in a "hoot" Competition at a coffeehouse in Boston where he was attending Emerson College. He was one of two winners, was given a booking and other bookings started to come in immediately. Since then he has sung at concerts, coffeehouses and supper clubs from Maine to North Carolina. His first album, "Rob Constantine Sings," has been distributed; a second, "Rob Constantine in Concert" is scheduled for release in the spring. He gets $450 a concert, $400 a week for a club or coffeehouse date, considers himself a professional, and believes he may have a future as a singer. Constantine's young career has the marks of the professional performer discipline imposed on talent and combined with some factor of personal magnetism. He was a boy soprano and took singing lessons when he was nine. At 13 his voice changed. When he was 15 it had settled into its present low register with a "vibrato" added. He began singing again, had to learn breath control, and worked hard at developing a personal style. He taught himself to play the guitar and has learned to use such specialized folk instruments as the mouth bow and the auto harp. ; He has a repertoire of about 350 songs,



Crimson and White VOL. XXIX, No. 5 THE MILNE SCHOOL, ALBANY, N. Y. FEBRUARY 25, 1966
Seniors Hold Concert Milne’s Senior Class will sponsor Rob Constantine in a Folk Music Concert, March 26, 1966, at 8:30 p.m. in Page Auditorium. Tickets will be $1.00 when bought in advance; $1.25 at the door. Mr. Constantine has sung professionally for three years. He and his accompanist, Ray Sabatelli, have made two records: Rob Constantine Sings and Rob Constantine in Concert. Mr. Constantine sings in area coffee houses and won a folk music contest in Virginia Beach, Va. last summer.



AMSTERDAM [NY} RECORDER July 1 1967 Amsterdam NY Daily Democrat and Recorder
TO SING AT EXPO '67
Rob Constantine, Amsterdam folk singer, is scheduled to appear.as one of the featured artists at The Canadian Folk Festival, Montreal, Canada, the festival, which is sponsored in conjunction with Expo 67, will take place at the Youth Pavlllion, July 30-Aug. 3, with Constantine performing each night. The local singer recently performed at "The SingerComposer Festival" In Provincetown, Mass. He will return to the Cape shortly to appear at the Blues Bag Coffee House, where he will be. performing with Dave Van Ronk and Tom .Rush. (Kampus Studio)



Thomas.