Who We Are
The Tempo Tantrum Players expands performance opportunities for dedicated musicians across the New York/New Jersey region, building an inclusive, joyful community that welcomes players from every background and stage of their musical life.
We believe great music shouldn't depend on where you trained. It started with a clarinet choir and a simple idea: give dedicated players a serious stage. Now we're building an ensemble that grows with its musicians, from woodwinds today to a full orchestra tomorrow. The first downbeat is just the beginning.
Music is the universal language of mankind.
– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Who We Are (And Why We're Like This)
The Tempo Tantrum Players exist because someone had to.
Every instrument has a personality. Some are warm and a little conspiratorial. Some are dry-witted, some are dramatic to a fault, and some would rather sit back and quietly steal the scene. Put enough of them in one room and you don’t get a lineup. You get a cast of characters.
The people who play them are no different. Ask any musician why they chose their instrument, then get comfortable, because it’s never a short answer. We’re built on that: the voice of each instrument, and the personality of the person behind it.
Our mission is simple: find the music worth hearing, find the musicians who mean it, and put them in a room together until something extraordinary happens.
Our vision is a little grander: a world where ensemble music feels alive. Audiences lean forward instead of nodding off, and every voice on stage has a reason to be there and a story to tell.
We’re not trying to be the most polished ensemble in the room. We’re trying to be the most honest one, the kind that makes you feel something, argue about it afterward, and come back next season to do it again.
We believe music is better when it’s specific. It’s better when it’s made by people who genuinely care about what they’re playing, and when the ensemble itself has a point of view.
That’s us. We have a lot of points of view.
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.
- author unknown, often misattributed to Plato
Our Team
Marni Rosner
With a vision for building something meaningful, our founder brings a blend of big-picture thinking and hands-on experience. They set the tone for everything we do.
Co-Founder and President
Jason Speenburgh
Focused, approachable, and driven by results, our sales manager is all about building strong relationships. They help connect people to the right solutions—with clarity and care.
Co-Founder, VP, Treasurer
Secretary and Grant WritingCara Lustik
Creative and strategic in equal measure, our marketing director brings fresh ideas to every campaign. They turn insights into action and help our message resonate with the right audience.
Artistic Director & AdvisorVincent Kaumuali’i Hoffarth
Friendly, attentive, and always ready to help, our customer service manager ensures every interaction is a positive one. They keep communication clear, timely, and human.
There are approximately 2,500 community bands across the United States — making ensemble music one of the most widespread forms of adult arts participation in the country.
79% of community band musicians surveyed agreed or strongly agreed that social interaction with other musicians is important to them — underscoring that ensemble participation is as much about community as it is about music.
After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.
– Aldous Huxley