Writing by Emma Lazar
Dora Acevedo: vocals; pediatric nurse practitioner
Joe Cambareri: guitar; automotive technician
Chris Dessi: guitar; founder & CEO of Torque AI
Amy Holmes: vocals; trusts and estates attorney
Paul Levis: bass; financial planner
Rebekka Levis: bass; pediatrician
Amrit Bipat: drums; pre-school & music teacher (he had to work that day)
Bitten is a dynamic seven-piece rock band whose music leans into classic and heavy rock. “We were just a random pairing of people who joined a band through them two and a half years ago,” Amy explains. “Chris and I have been best friends for years, so we knew each other, but the rest of us didn’t know each other until we were grouped together. All of us had been in different bands with School of Rock before, but never together. And it was just amazing chemistry from the start, so we decided to be our own band. Now, we still do stuff with School of Rock and perform with them, but we do stuff on our own as well.”
Get to know them
What drew you to your instrument?
Dora: Singing was easiest to practice—45 minutes to work, 45 back—so I’d sing in the car. Music was a big part of my childhood because of my dad.
Rebekka: I joined so I could hang out with my boys and husband, who were all in School of Rock. I tried guitar first; I was awful, and my teacher said, “You should try bass.” I haven’t looked back.
Amy: My kids were in School of Rock, and I just got curious. I tried drums but didn’t love it—so I switched to vocals, and it stuck.
Joe: Amy dragged me in! I’d played stand-up bass as a kid but hadn’t played anything for years. I saw her perform, saw an old gym buddy in her band, and thought, “I need to be part of this.”
Paul: I started playing guitar with my son after I gave up competitive cycling. All the energy I had for racing, I poured into learning guitar.
Chris: I played piano as a kid, then bought a guitar that sat in a closet. I finally picked it up again after I passed by School of Rock one day. That was six years ago, and now I’m drumming with Bitten.
Let’s talk about the recorder. Thoughts?
Amy: It’s a great gateway instrument. My daughter started on the recorder and now plays the flute. It’s squeaky, but it gets kids interested.
Rebekka: I hated it at the time, but it did lead me to trumpet and then bass, so… it served its purpose.
Dora: We didn’t have a lot of money growing up, and the recorder was accessible. It’s an affordable way to introduce music to kids, and that matters.
Joe: Let’s be honest, though. If my kid brought one home today, I’d melt it into a spoon.
What was your most memorable gig?
Chris: Our British Steel show at School of Rock—it was our first time really playing as this full group. Think Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Ozzy…
Rebekka: We all wore black nail polish. The crowd was amazing.
Amy: It confirmed for us that this was something special. The music came together perfectly, and we just had so much fun.
Music Trivia
We asked eight music trivia questions. Here are some of their answers.
Name at least three famous musicians who play more than 10 instruments.
Paul: Oh, I know this! Kid Rock plays like 30 instruments. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it’s true.
Rebekka: Prince.
Connect to Northern Westchester (CTNW): I just looked it up, and it seems like Kid Rock only plays nine instruments. But Prince is correct.
Paul: Paul McCartney?
CTNW: Yes.
Dora: Lady Gaga?
Paul: Well, Prince is probably the most talented. Okay, how many do we have?
CTNW: You have Prince and Paul McCartney. You need one more.
Paul: Trent Reznor?
CTNW: Wow! You’re the only band to guess that one, and it’s shocking. (Everyone laughs.)
Paul: You’re welcome! So who did we miss?
CTNW: You missed Flea, which is surprising, Beck and Brian Jones.
Which artist rejected singing “Don’t You Forget About Me” from “The Breakfast Club?”
Paul: So they rejected it? That means somebody from the early 80s wrote the song for them, and they refused it?
Amy: Brian Adams?
Paul: Well, it’s a little early for him. It would’ve been somebody huge, who was massive in the 80s.
Joe: Michael Jackson?
Rebekka: : Prince? Or Madonna?
Paul: I know Prince wrote “Nothing Compares to You.”
Amy: Really?
Paul: Yeah. So maybe Prince is the best bet, because I feel like Prince was doing that.
CTNW: It was actually Billy Idol.
Everyone: Really?
Would you rather?
We gave the band 12 “would you rather” scenarios of possible bandmates. They had to choose one for each. Here are our favorite answers.
Mark Zuckerberg or Jeff Bezos?
Paul: Zuckerberg looks a little nerdy.
Amy: Can they be in the crew and not in the actual band?
Rebekka: We’ll hire both of them for that.
Chris: And they can be our financial backers. (Everyone laughs.)
Chewbacca or Hermione Granger?
Everyone: Chewbacca!
(Someone makes the Chewbacca sound.)
Chris: We already have Chewbacca.
Beyoncé or Jay-Z?
All the men: Jay-Z.
CTNW: Why Jay-Z?
Amy: Well, I like Beyoncé better. I like her vibe. Plus, I’m the queen bee, so…(Everyone laughs.)
Chris: (while laughing) That’s going to be the headline!
Sabrina Carpenter or Olivia Rodriguez?
Joe: Who?
Rebekka: I don’t even really know who they are. But Amy is the queen bee (laughs), so maybe she knows?
Prince William or Kate Middleton?
Rebekka: Ugh.
Paul:: Nope. I’ll hang out with Zuckerberg or Bezos instead. (Everyone laughs.)
Dora: I’d say Prince William.
Amy: Yeah, Kate’s a little uptight. I don’t think she’d mesh well with us. (Everyone laughs.)
Batman or Superman?
Dora: Batman.
CTNW: Why Batman?
Dora: He’s so nice.
Rebekka: Superman is too clean-cut.
Amy: But maybe Superman could be our male singer? He’s got a nice deep voice.
Elphaba or Glinda?
Joe: Who?
Dora: Elphaba. Elphaba, Elphaba, Elphaba all the time. Elphaba.
Rebekka: Which one is the green one?
Dora: Elphaba is the green one, and her voice is amazing.
Taylor Swift or Eminem?
Amy: Eminem.
Paul: Yeah.
Paul: I was just talking about him. He just joined Jelly Roll on stage in Detroit, and the crowd went absolutely ballistic. I felt like an old man, but I thought it was kind of cool that the young crowd went crazy for him and he’s still relevant. I do have a lot of respect for Taylor, though.
Amy: Same. I bet we could make her songs more rock.
Dora: No, I just can’t.
Joe: She’s too cookie cutter?
Rebekka: I’m not a fan.
Anything else we should know about Bitten?
Joe: Yeah, the name of our band is Bitten because Amy bites everyone. (Everyone laughs.)
Paul: But in a good way!
Amy: Have you ever heard of cute aggression? That would be another really good name for a band.
Follow Bitten on Instagram @thebittenband to learn more
This article was published in the July/August 2025 edition of Connect to Northern Westchester.
Emma Lazar
