Director of sacred music has found lifelong love
BY PATRICIA YOCZIS
Correspondent

Steven A. Russell, of Matawan, the director of sacred music at St. Thomas More Church, Manalapan, and Mari-Jo Policastro perform together as Polymania, a musical performance of piano for four hands.

Steven A. Russell pursues music in all its forms from church liturgy to instrumental music and all its facets. A native of Ohio, he began learning piano at the age of 6 when his sister, Rebecca, was taking lessons.

"Rebecca would teach me what she learned from her lessons," Russell said. "At the age of 8 I started formal lessons. Music was in my family. My mother, Virginia, sang and was in theater, while my father, Bon, a teacher and principal, appreciated the music."

Now, Russell, 46, is the director of sacred music at St. Thomas More Church, Manalapan, and is the organist, choir director, teacher of staff and volunteer keyboard players and cantors. He is also forming a handbell choir at St. Thomas More.

Previously, Russell was the director of music ministry in several area churches including St. Mary's parish, Colts Neck, where he conducted musical productions and formed, directed and performed as a tuba player with the Barnburner Brass.

"As a music director for church liturgy, I'm involved with a variety of aspects of music from instructing people of different ages in choirs, instruments and the congregation, too." he said. "I've learned all the instruments of an orchestra with my expertise being keyboard."

While he was the director of music ministry at St. Joseph's parish, Keyport, Russell met Mari-Jo Policastro, a member of the congregation.

"I was teaching piano to her daughter, Elaine," he said. "I learned from Mari-Jo's husband, Donald, that Mari-Jo was a good piano player and he suggested pooling our talents for a production. Well, we did and formed Polymania, a musical performance of piano for four hands."

Polymania started in 1994 and has continuously performed throughout New Jersey in churches, libraries, colleges and a mall, and outside the Garden State in the Grand Bahamas American Women's Club, Freeport, Bahamas. The latest performance was at the Tuesday Supper Club at Fiddleheads, Jamesburg.

Russell studied piano and voice at Concordia College, Moorhead, Minn., and received a bachelor of music in education from Westminster Choir College, Princeton. While Russell enjoys music in all its forms and has taught music and voice in public and parochial schools, including St. John Vianney High School, Holmdel, his preference is choral music.

"I love getting all the voices to sing together," said Russell, who has a master of music in choral conducting from Rutgers University, Mason Gross School of the Arts, New Brunswick. "It's teaching, singing and accompanying on the keyboard all in one. It's fun, too."

For the last five years he has been the artistic director and conductor for the New Jersey Gay Men's Chorus, Princeton. Previously, he has directed the Rutgers University Queens Chorale, New Brunswick, conducted the All-Shore Chorus, Holmdel, and was Scandinavian tour conductor for the Monmouth Civic Chorus, Red Bank.

Benefit performances, including an AIDS concert and a joint concert with the Center for Holocaust Studies at Brookdale Community College, are an important part of Russell's musical life.

"A wider range of people come to a benefit performance and not only because of the music," he said. "They experience a live performance with interaction and reaction with the performers. While recordings are great, there's nothing better than watching and listening to music live."

Composing seems to be the only aspect of music that Russell does not pursue.

"It's more exciting for me to work with the contemporary composers," he said. "I may commission them for Polymania performances or use their work with permission in concerts or events."

Russell continues his musical education by attending various institutes and workshops, such as the Conductors Institute of Southwestern University, Georgetown, Texas, and taking voice lessons with Bill Reed at the Circle in the Square, New York. Presently, dance at the Red Bank Dance Academy has been added.

"I'm studying tap because it's good exercise and helps with coordination of the pedals when I play the organ," he said. "Also, I learn choreography that's helpful when I direct a musical. Tap is really rhythm for the feet."

Practice is part of every day for Russell.

"I'm either performing or it's actual practice time," he said. "Plus, at least once a week Mari Jo and I practice selections for Polymania."

Russell's upcoming performances include a solo cabaret at the Tuesday Evening Supper Club at Fiddleheads, Jamesburg, Aug. 14, and Polymania at St. Thomas More Church, Manalapan, Sept. 16.

Among Russell's professional affiliations are National Association of Pastoral Musicians, the American Guild of Organists and the American Choral Directors Association.

Russell, who is a resident of Matawan, enjoys gardening and skiing as time permits.