Philadelphia Strong is a new unifying anthem created for Philadelphia — written, produced, engineered, and performed entirely by Philly talent spanning several generations. Led by powerhouse vocalist Namarah, and produced by the talented and respected Brendan McGeehan, the song is a love letter to our grit, pride, and legacy as The Original Music City.
Philadelphia Strong is a new unifying anthem created for Philadelphia — written, produced, engineered, and performed entirely by Philly talent spanning several generations. Led by powerhouse vocalist Namarah, and produced by the talented and respected Brendan McGeehan, the song is a love letter to our grit, pride, and legacy as The Original Music City.
Philadelphia Strong is a new unifying anthem created for Philadelphia — written, produced, engineered, and performed entirely by Philly talent spanning several generations. Led by powerhouse vocalist Namarah, produced by the talented and respected Brendan McGeehan, and co-produced by John O. Senior, the song is a love letter to our grit, pride, and legacy as The Original Music City. Songwriters Angela Falco and Joe Reilly have captured the spirit of Philadelphia in this thrilling new composition.
The Philadelphia Strong Team
Angela Falco | Writer, Flute, Piano, Piccolo
Angela Falco, pianist, flutist, and composer is a highly motivated teacher and board-certified music therapist. She was awarded “Teacher of the Month” July 2025 for 350 Music & Arts Stores across the United States.
Angela’s educational studies include a Master of Arts degree in music therapy, a special education certification from Immaculata University, PA and Bachelor of Art degrees in music performance & music education from Philadelphia College of Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA. She also studied music therapy Nordoff-Robbins improvisational courses at New York University and earned certification for Music Together® Program, a childhood music and movement program. Angela studied flute under Adeline Tomasone & Joseph Musemeci, soloists with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Harold Bennett, NY Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, John Krell, piccolo with the Philadelphia Orchestra & Latin Grammy winner, classical/jazz flutist, Nestor Torres. She continues to study piano with renowned classical and jazz pianist, Andy LaVerne.
Angela received the prestigious Pi Kappa Lambda award, a Delta Psi Award for Composition from the National Music Honor Society and is listed in Who's Who in American Colleges.
She formerly performed with the Falco Jazz Quartet, featuring her brother James, saxophonist and mentor, who has been and remains an inspiration to her career. Angela's past performances include major events, grand openings, and festivals in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, California, and Puerto Rico. A particularly memorable performance was playing the flute for former U.S. President Bill Clinton. She was acknowledged by the Grammy Association for her piccolo contributions to the soundtrack song selection “Reach Out” in the two-time Grammy award winning documentary Standing in the Shadows of Motown.
She is a former faculty member of Rosemont College, PA. where she created the first music appreciation course at the college, which was taught both online and in the classroom. A graduate of Immaculata University, PA she became an adjunct faculty member, teaching “Music Therapy Activities for the Classroom and Therapy Sessions.” This course was taught to the graduate and undergraduate division in weekend courses called "“Circle of Healing"” that also incorporated original music from her album “Unforgotten Toys.”
Angela’s affiliations are with the American Music Therapy Association, Local 47 of the Los Angeles Musicians Union, Greater Flute Society of Philadelphia, PA, ASCAP (performance rights organization) and the National Academy of Recording and Sciences (NARAS.)
Currently, Angela is writing a Music Therapy book featuring her creative therapeutic concepts and original musical compositions.
Angela continues to compose and record her music, much of which can be heard on various platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon, and Pandora Radio. Background information about how the songs were created, videos, and behind the scenes photos can be seen on her website at www.angelafalco.com.
Email: angela@philadelphia-strong.com
Namarah | Lead Vocalist
Namarah, a Christian indie singer-songwriter, is a Philly born creative, advocate and activator. With a passion to use her voice and talents to connect, empower and encourage by any means necessary. She began her musical career in 2011 with a song and a guitar, singing at local bars and coffee shops. Always looking to expand her expression and art making, Namarah began to infuse dance, theater, poetry and the visual arts to produce experiences that welcome anyone who hears to feel seen, heard and loved.
Namarah has performed all over Philadelphia and the United States for multi-generational audiences as a solo act and also as a featured performer for tours with Us the Duo, Changing Aging and most recently, Synnergy (a female acapella quartet). Her artistic reach knows no bounds; whether producing a one-woman show, creative workshops, podcast features and shows where she costars with her husband (Earthly Good Podcast), or authoring her own findings in coaching and cultivating creativity in “Artistry is for Everyone” — Namarah seeks to build and serve a community where everyone feels supported and uplifted through authenticity and passion.
When she is not performing, she is seen serving as the Director of Programs of We Love Philly, empowering the youth of Philadelphia; and also serving the greater Philadelphia community of musicians as a Governor-at-Large for the Philadelphia Chapter of the Recording Academy.
Joseph Reilly | Writer
Philadelphia area singer/songwriter Jo Francis Reilly began writing tunes in the mid-seventies. He performed at college coffee houses around the city where he met Mark Miller and began sharing the stage and the spotlight in the Reilly Miller Band. After their performance at the Main Point in November 1978, the Philadelphia Inquirer called their music “an eclectic fusion of acoustic folk/jazz” - whatever that means…
Within a few years Jo Francis formed The Circus of Heaven Orchestra, a 17- piece band as lead singer, guitarist, and composer. This ensemble represented the American music front at the Painted Bride Arts Centers’ prestigious World Music Festival series.
Over the last 30 years, Jo Francis Reilly has continued to write and showcase his original material at concerts in Philadelphia and its’ environs. All of this while founding Tune-Up Network Enterprises (TUNE), a small but respected music therapy company. His wife Judye comments, “man does not live by songwriting alone.”
So now with the release of PHILADELPHIA STRONG, co-authored with piano composer Angela Falco and record producer Brendan McGeehan, Jo Francis is fond of saying “well, every 50 years—give or take—we have a hit song whether we like it or not!”
Email: joe@philadelphia-strong.com
Brendan McGeehan | Writer and Producer
Brendan McGeehan is a true utility player in the music industry. A trained recording engineer and studied musician, he is adept and comfortable behind the board, in the producer’s chair, as well as being a player on the other side of the glass.
Equally at home at a rock venue, classical concert hall, or jazz club, Brendan’s enthusiasm, love, and understanding of many genres of music keeps him in demand.
Recent highlights include working with Cyndi Lauper on her next Broadway musical, producing a one-day, multi-location festival celebrating the life and music of Nina Simone, a weeklong residency at the Kennedy Center with award winning author Jacqueline Woodson and Wondersmith Entertainment, producing a Brazilian jazz album incorporating over 60 musicians for Philadelphia-based group Minas, and many more. He also just put the finishing touches on his first solo album, under the moniker “Peace Fortress.”
As an engineer, Brendan is constantly involved in the production of sounds, whether it’s working as the in-house producer/engineer for an 88 year-old Philadelphia accordion legend or mixing audio for 20,000 people at Subaru Park for the Philadelphia Union at an MLS game, and all things in between. Brendan works as an engineer, producer, arranger, and session musician at Elm St. Studios in Conshohocken, PA.
Brendan helped produce monthly jazz salons @exuberance in South Kensington, where he recorded every performance. He has taught sound design at Lebanon Valley College, and proudly serves on the board of Symphony21, a non-profit organization that inspires youth and unites communities through the power of music.
On the live stage, Brendan currently plays bass for Philadelphia act The Right Fiction (with whom he produces a podcast called The List), and has toured extensively up and down the east coast. He also regularly performs with Ron & The Hip Tones, Matt Santry, Minas, and others.
As a composer and sound designer, he has scored music for many films over the last few years, working with directors from Philadelphia to LA on shorts, features, corporate, and non-profit films. His documentary, “Dizzy Fingers: the Life of Joe Soprani” was featured on NPR and enjoyed a sold-out premiere.
Email: brendan@philadelphia-strong.com
John O. Senior | Co-Producer, Engineer
After starting to play guitar during his teenage years in the Philadelphia suburbs, John attended the University of Pennsylvania where he met, among others, Eric Bazilian and later Rob Hyman of The Hooters, who would become good friends and musical collaborators over the years. Since then, John has gone on on to pursue an interesting and varied career as a successful software and audio engineer, songwriter, musician, arranger and producer.
After graduating from college with a degree in biological science and a growing interest in electronic music and computers, John co-founded Sensible Sound, Ltd., a regional sound company in the Philadelphia area specializing in sound reinforcement and live recording, and working in many regional venues with a wide variety of musical artists, promoters, and other music business professionals.
In late 1982, John's interest in digital electronics led him to join a small but growing biomedical company called Interspec, Inc. as an R&D engineering technician where he worked on hardware and software support for the ground-breaking Neurotrac EEG monitoring system.
A strong interest in the creative applications of computer technology led to involvement with the Philadelphia-based Small Computers in the Arts Network (SCAN), and work on organizing the group's annual Symposium, which over the years attracted a diverse group of talented artists including Todd Rundgren, Joel Chadabe, and many others.
In early 1984 John was invited to join a small team of former Commodore Computer veterans in starting up a new music company called ENSONIQ Corporation. The first product was the then revolutionary and now legendary Mirage digital sampling keyboard. Subsequently, John worked on the development of the ESQ-1, ESQ-M, SQ-80, VFX, VFX-SD, SD-1, and TS-10 families of digital synthesizers. After that, his interest in guitars and audio recording equipment led to participating in the development the DP-4, DP-4+, DP-2 and DP-Pro family of digital effects systems before serving as project manager for the development of the landmark PARIS digital audio workstation (DAW) system.
During his long tenure at ENSONIQ, John also served on the Technical Standards Board of the MIDI Manufacturer's Association (MMA) and actively participated in the process of maintaining and extending the MIDI protocol.
In 1998, John joined eCal Corporation, a Philadelphia-based Internet software company, and managed a group of engineers responsible for the development of software for large-scale database synchronization and mobile device connectivity for corporate clients including Nokia, AT&T, British Telecom, and many others.
In the fall of 2001, John rejoined old friend Rob Hyman to complete the building of Elm Street Studios and begin serving as Chief Engineer, providing a perfect opportunity to combine and utilize many areas of interest and realms of experience gathered over the years, as well as a chance to work closely and creatively with many old and new friends.
The years since then have been filled with recording, mixing, and mastering for a wide variety of other album, stage, and film projects with a great cast of amazingly talented studio clients. Selected highlights include engineering for the albums: Time Stand Still and Both Sides Live with The Hooters; The Beauty of the Rain, My Better Self, In the Time of the Gods, and Emerald with Dar Williams; Little Wild One with Joan Osborne; Symphony in Bossa and Beatles in Bossa with Minas; The Singing Gobi Desert, The Anchoress, Mending Wall, Color Theory 2.0 (and others) with the PRISM Quartet; Adventures in Time and Space, Afrika Love, and Under the Surface with Alchemy Sound Project; This Here Neighborhood, Torch, and Foothills of Home with Bob Loy; and, not to forget, the original version of Philadelphia with Angela and Joe in 2014.
John has been an active member of the Producers & Engineers Wing in the Philadelphia Chapter of the Recording Academy for over ten years.
Email: john@philadelphia-strong.com
Full Credits
Angela Falco – Writer, Piano, Flute, Piccolo
Joseph Francis Reilly – Writer
Brendan McGeehan – Producer, Mixer, Engineer, Bass, Writer
John O. Senior – Co-producer, Engineer
Namarah – Vocalist
Arjun Dube – Drums
Kevin Hanson – Guitar
Judye Reilly – Assistant
Nancy Kimmons – Assistant
String Section
Bill Jolly – Arranger
Albert Douglas – 1st Violin
Vilme Joselin – 2nd Violin
Nina Wilkerson – Viola
Ajibola Rivers – Cello
Mike Spangler
Design and Website Support
Alston Choir
Waverly Alston – Arranger
Laura Hall-Carney
Tiffeny Ciodelle
Darcell Coklay
John Eggleston
Dwayne Grannum
Lydia Hilliard
Alexander Ortiz
Helena Reich
Cyrile Trawick
Kennedy Wilson