By Juli Reppert Student Writer/Photographer
The Fall 2004 CoffeeHouse Series of musical performances at Pennsylvania College of Technology will begin Sept. 14 with acoustic guitarist Shevy Smith.
The Tuesday performances are sponsored by the Office of Student Activities at Penn College and are held in the CoffeeHouse, located on the first floor of the Bush Campus Center. All performances begin at 8 p.m. and are free and open to the public. Smith grew up on a farm in central Kansas and began playing classical piano at age 4, moving to guitar at age 4. Her musical influences include the likes of Tom Petty, Jackson Browne and Sheryl Crow. Smith's greatest passion lies in performing live, which allows her to connect with her listeners on a much deeper level and interact with the audience. With her vulnerable and imagery-filled lyrics, she offers an alternative to the mainstream music of today.
Performing on Nov. 9 will be Eric Hutchinson. Hutchinson, 21, grew up in Washington, D.C., where he began his musical journey. His unmistakably original songs are filled with bits of humor and tons of energy. Influenced by the music of Billy Joel, Elvis Costello and Michael Jackson, Hutchinson also has been compared to artists such as Ben Harper, Paul Simon and Dave Matthews.
Wrapping up the series on Nov. 16 will be instrumental guitarist/composer, Dominic Gaudious. Nominated for the 2002-03 Best Instrumental Artist by Campus Awards, and a finalist on FOX TV's "30 Seconds to Fame," he blends the sounds of classical, jazz, flamenco, rock, Spanish, Indian and world beat music to create a unique style all his own.
Working with six- and 12-string acoustic guitars and adding other exotic instruments, Gaudious' music has been featured on Echoes, Hearts of Space, National Public Radio and other local and syndicated stations around the world.
For more information about the Fall 2004 CoffeeHouse Series, call (570) 327-4763 or visit Student Activities on the Web.