Sharing the Sound

For Ellen Sorber ’20 and Ally Vail ’25, Making Music Accessible Truly Matters

Ellen Sorber ‘20 and Ally Vail ‘25 grew up surrounded by a cacophony of sounds, tunes and chords. Sorber was trained in voice and piano, Vail in dance. Music served as a source of inspiration for them throughout their childhoods. Now, as adults, they have come to appreciate the ways in which it shapes human beings, informing their experiences and their memories. Music is, in Sorber’s words, “not just a form of self expression, but also a foundational part of who we are.” It is little wonder that the young alumnae are passionate about sharing their love of music with others. 

That is precisely what they do through their work for the Skaneateles Festival, a monthlong event whose mission is to bring the world’s best music to the Finger Lakes region. Sorber has served as the festival’s manager of marketing and communications and is now transitioning into a new role as its marketing consultant, while Vail serves as its digital marketing and social media coordinator. Established in 1980, the Skaneateles Festival initially featured classical and chamber music. However, in more recent years, it has broadened its offerings to include jazz, bluegrass and Broadway show tunes. The event’s organizers are working to ensure that in addition to expanding its repertoire, it also continues to grow its audience. That is where many of Sorber and Vail’s efforts have taken root. They use a variety of platforms, including Instagram and Facebook, to share stories from the festival and to encourage people who have not experienced it to do so.

The alumnae, who studied communications on the Heights, say it is easy to be enthusiastic about their work. They have watched live music connect people to one another in ways that recorded music simply cannot; it is an experience that can never be replicated. As Vail puts it, “Even if the people sitting next to you are strangers, you are experiencing something with them that is once in a lifetime.” She and Sorber are particularly excited about the Skaneateles Festival’s efforts to go beyond its usual home at First Presbyterian Church and Anyela’s Vineyards, and to bring programming to the community with outreach performances at the Auburn Public Theater, Seward House Museum and Golisano Children’s Hospital. 

Sorber and Vail say Le Moyne, where their liberal arts courses exposed them to a wide array of ideas and perspectives, left them well prepared for the work of ensuring that various genres of music are accessible to as broad an audience as possible.