Meet the Band

April’s rich, bluesy alto voice brings a dynamic edge to transit’s sound. Her heartfelt passion for vocal music began at an early age as she sang alongside family members in a professional gospel quartet. She quickly became infatuated with mimicking various voice parts and not only did she discover her multi-octave range, she developed an impeccable ear for creating harmonies and blending with other vocalists.

April fueled her singing obsession by becoming involved with drastically different vocal groups during her years as a college undergraduate. She sang the high soprano for Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem, and other classical and sacred pieces as a member of Duke University’s Chorale and Chapel Choir. She concurrently developed her soulful lower alto voice on pieces from the varied pop repertoire of Lady Blue, one of Duke University’s leading all-female a cappella groups. April became captivated with the a cappella style and the endless capabilities of the human voice. As a member of transit, April is constantly innovating. Be prepared – she may surprise you with what she learns to do next!

With his driving beats and thumping patterns, James is transit’s rhythmic backbone. Having studied piano, drums, and voice from an early age, James began his life in a cappella music as part of a traditional high school quartet. As a member of the Grains of Time at North Carolina State University, he began to experiment with vocal percussion and developed a passion for the vocal band style.

Over the course of three years and hundreds of performances, James honed his skills as a vocal percussionist and quickly developed a reputation as one of the most talented “mouth drummers” in the area.

Audiences frequently ask James where he stores the drum machine, only to be amazed to learn that EVERY drum sound they hear comes only from his mouth. Since founding transit in 2005, James has performed throughout the United States and has led numerous vocal percussion workshops and master classes.

Adam Lee Decker used to roam the halls of Cortland High School with a song in his heart. After graduating in 2001, he found musical theater at SUNY Cortland. The love affair with music bloomed. He began touring the East Coast as the lead singer for The Fault Line, a vocal rock band.

Adam and the Faultline took on the world and entered America’s Got Talent sailing through to the top of the show. Adam set his sights even higher and took on the challenge of American Idol; impressing judges Randy, Jennifer and Steven Tyler. He was a vocal force to reckoned with and climbed through the Idol rounds but just missed grabbing the brass ring.

Adam met up with the established group Spaceship Days and reenergized the group. His first project with them would earn Spaceship Days a Grammy nod. With Adam fronting the band, the group took home a coveted Regional Rock Band of the Year award for two years in a row. Adam is currently still fronting Spaceship Days and has a passion for performing acoustic shows throughout the Triangle area of North Carolina.

Oren has been singing since he was born, and hasn’t stopped since then. Borrowing inspiration from musicians including legendary jazz vocalist Bobby McFerrin, Rajaton bass singer Jussi Chydenius, and former Police frontman Sting, his vocal and rhythmic style is as unique as it is diverse.

In 2014, he joined NC State’s all-male a cappella group, the Grains of Time, becoming music director in 2015 and cultivating a love for a cappella that continues to flourish. When not singing with Transit or making a cappella arrangements, Oren is usually writing music on his own, with his original song Secret to Me being nominated for two Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards in 2016.

Oren has performed with numerous groups as a bass vocalist, vocal percussionist, and lead singer, though also delves into the dark world of actual instruments, playing bass with the band Retro Candy and guitar for Going Dutch.

He was delighted to join Transit Vocal Band in 2016, and cannot wait to see what the future holds for the group’s ever-evolving sound!