Soft Spoken Band - Bio
Reggie Seigler is bandleader of the Soft Spoken Band (SSB). He founded the band back in the early to mid 1980’s along with his longtime friend Isaac Wynn of UAD. “That was before midi keyboards, sampling and computerized music editing software changed the way music is made”, he said. Musicians had to have ‘chops’ to get in the game back then and artists like Stevie Wonder, Kool and the Gang and Earth wind and Fire were still using live players to dominate the pop and RnB charts.”
The Soft Spoken Band (SSB) was no different. They were gifted with the ability to play. Their gifts made room for them too. They were blessed to get in at a time when the live music circuit still had enough juice to run a band four to six nights per week and good bands didn’t have to search too hard for work. For years on end the SSB received regular invitations to perform casinos, cruise ships, resorts, colleges, weddings and festivals. They played their share of corner bars too.
Donna Alford, as she is known professionally, is the front person of the band. She has been the band’s lead vocalist since almost the beginning and has been married to the bandleader for nearly as long. Singing comes naturally for her. She is an exceptional vocalist who comes from a family where singers and musicians are plentiful and extend across generations. As a child Donna sang in her family’s church group. (The talent line didn’t end there though. She and Seigler have a daughter, Missy Danielle, who is a singer in her own right currently working in Philadelphia, PA.)
In addition to Donna on lead vocals, Soft Spoken’s regular touring band is a traditional rhythm section consisting of Seigler on bass; Benjamin Terry on drums; Robert Brown on keyboards and Glen Mc Arthur on guitar and Miles Tucker, saxophonist.
The band’s musical director is Robert Brown. He is also a music teacher for the Syracuse City School District. Brown recognized Benjamin’s drumming potential while he was a student in his middle school class so he began mentoring him and after quite a few years got him an audition for the SSB where he has been holding down the chair ever since.
Seigler noticed Miles’ superior talent and maturity in a way much similar to the how Brown noticed Ben’s. Miles was a saxophonist with Missy in the award winning 315 All Stars high school orchestra. Upon finishing his up schooling at Eastman School of Music, Seigler approached him about playing some gigs. He’s been a regular ever since.
Mc Arthur is a phenomenal guitar player who goes way back to his teenage with Seigler and Donna.
Soft Spoken Band is Reggie Seigler, Donna Alford, Robert Brown, Benjamin Terry, Glen McArthur and Miles Tucker.