Syracuse Students Formed Acoustic Trio Mothers and Mirrors
The folk band debuted online in 2025 and currently resides together on the Syracuse University campus.
Updated on Sept. 30, 2026 in Folk
Live Poll
Do you believe social media is a reliable platform for discovering new local musical talent?
Alyssa Pena, Kyra Rubenstein, and Ronnie Kabbash formed the acoustic group Mothers and Mirrors in October 2025. The trio of Bandier Program students currently lives together on South Campus.
Why it matters
The members established the group as a creative outlet to collaborate on vocal performances after beginning their collegiate careers at Syracuse University. They now balance their academic studies with a growing social media presence.
The group has amassed over 30,000 likes on TikTok since their debut on the platform in December 2025. They also maintain an active presence on Instagram, which began in January 2026.
The players
Alyssa Pena
She is a student in the Bandier Program at Syracuse University and a founding member of Mothers and Mirrors.
Kyra Rubenstein
She provides guitar accompaniment and vocals for the group and is enrolled in the Bandier Program.
Ronnie Kabbash
She is a member of the acoustic trio and a student within the Bandier Program at Syracuse University.
The details
The band features Kyra Rubenstein on guitar, with all three members contributing vocals to their cover arrangements. The trio meets weekly to record songs they have individually selected to perform.
Timeline
The band formed and played their first gig in October 2025.
The group posted their first TikTok cover in December 2025.
The group debuted their content on Instagram in January 2026.
The trio has lived together on South Campus since September 2026.
Industry Dynamics
The emergence of student-led bands like Mothers and Mirrors reflects the collaborative environment fostered by the Bandier Program at Syracuse University. These groups utilize direct-to-consumer social media strategies to bypass traditional gatekeepers in the folk music scene.
Fans can access the group's cover performances directly through their established TikTok and Instagram profiles. The trio also performs live at local Syracuse venues, including appearances at events like the Crossroads Collective Food Crawl.
The takeaway
Collaborative musical projects offer students a practical way to apply their studies while building an early public portfolio. Aspiring musicians can emulate this model by using consistent weekly meeting schedules to ensure steady content creation.
Further reading
Discover more local musicians in the Folk section of our site.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Daily Orange.
Live Poll
Do you believe social media is a reliable platform for discovering new local musical talent?
