Debut Concert Comes to 7th Street

You have heard whisperings, it is showing up on your Facebook feed and you love the name of the band.  Now here we are to give you all the up close and personal information you need to be at the right spot on the 20th of October.

A live recorded Debut Concert at 7th Street Theater for Roy Reinertsen and The Oarsmen at 7 p.m. is where you need to be this Saturday night.  If you need more convincing check out these videos here, and here!

Roy Reinertsen is a Bluesy-Folksy-Country singer who also happens to play an amazing acoustic guitar.  Born near Pullman, Wa, Roy grew up playing in the school band, however it wasn't until High School that Roy picked up a guitar and the rest was history.  Those first guitar chords he learned because of Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, but Roy is also inspired by the songs of Woody Guthrie, Bukka White, Hank Williams, Willie Nelson, and Bob Dylan as well as by the places he has lived and traveled though over the years. He has lived all over the pacific northwest including Portland, Seattle and Aberdeen, but traveled extensively through Europe, Canada and Korea.  Roy and the band currently live in Olympia, Roy with his adorable dog Bart.  Roy's day job is a full time nurse at a retirement community in Lacey, but his passion is and will always be music as he plays at local festivals and fairs around Puget Sound, including our own Lake Sylvia Festival in Montesano.

Recorded last year was Roy's first studio Album entitled Roy Reinertsen, and he is hoping that the upcoming debut concert will give him the push he needs to become a full-time mainstream musician.  His songs are one part heartbreak, one part fun and most importantly they tell a story.  What is so unique about this debut concert that began as a Kickstarter campaign is that Roy will not only be performing his solo routine, which consists of songs from his first album, but The Oarsmen will be joining him and playing songs from their upcoming album of the band.

The special guest of the evening is none other than Kelsey Bergey of Bergey Voice Studio. A contralto and voice instructor and a personal friend of GoGo Grays Harbor, you can learn more about her here. She will be lending her amazing voice singing arias, expressive melodies for a solo artist, in Italian, French and English.

Tickets are available at Brown Paper Tickets online and Grays General Store.  Tully's Coffee will be working on promotions and 7th Street Theater is putting on the production.  It is sure to be a wonderful evening, and remember it will be recorded live and the live production will be for sale after the show.  Come out and support local music and musicians while you dance the night away to great live music!

Music Monday: Ballad of Skinny Roy

Craicmore at GHC Bishop Center

Craicmore is the perfect mix of Irish words to describe the band.  Craic is an Irish word meaning fun, and mor is an English translation of the Irish work for big.  Craicmore is quite literally music that is "Big Fun".  Grays Harbor College Bishop Center is playing host to this fun group of musicians this weekend, Saturday October 13th.  Sponsored by Lewis and Helen Lord and the Washington State Arts Commission, the contemporary Celtic band will be delivering three part harmonies that are breathtaking.  No rebel music and drinking songs here, this family event will bring a smile to your face, young or old. You might even recognize the music from some of the popular shows on Prime time television.

Right to left: Sean FayeCullen, Nancy Johnston, John MacAdams,Dave Champange

$15 Adults, $12 Seniors, $10 Student
Childern 12 and under are free w/adult ticket


Visit  www.craicmore.com for more information on the band and click on the link for GHC Bishop Center to buy tickets in advance!

Music Monday: Gun Me Down

Giving some love to Roy Reinertsen and The Oarsmen who will be performing at 7th Street Theater on October 20th!

Blue(s) skys are in Westport this weekend

When thinking of Blues music, one might just picture a New Orleans bar around midnight.  The lights are low, candles flicker, and clinking ice is the bass drum of the music on stage.  A three piece band is swaying in the middle of the room to low notes with a rhythmic beat, while a singer belts out a folksy song reminiscent of the working hollers.  

You might just think that blues music has no place in our world, but you only need to look no further than Westport this weekend to prove yourself wrong.  Like our parents listening to Elvis and James Brown, blues music is as current today as the popp-y tunes that blare out of the DJ booths at any dance club in the city. (think White Stripes)

In the serene setting of the Westport Inn grounds the band line up this weekend is a perfect mix of Blues standards and today's stars.  The Dock of the Bay Blues Festival is starting a day earlier this year on Friday night September 7th at 6 p.m. with Blues Attitude and continues all weekend long.  A jam session and dance on Saturday follows Spider Murphy and Sunday begins with "Badd Dog".  The entire weekend is a chance to expand your musical tastes and enjoy the ocean breezes at the same time.

Make sure you pick up one of the custom Tee's that are available now.

photo courtesy of westportblues.com

Music Monday: Hot Rod Circuit- The Pharmacist

Discover Your Singing Voice

I have been what I will call an amateur singer for quite some time now.  I sang in elementary school,(while playing the drums mind you), and took choir classes in Jr. High School.  In High School I joined the concert choirs and the jazz choirs, sang in musicals and competed in singing competitions.  In Jr. College I joined the jazz choir and participated in the musicals as well, and at WWU I sang in the concert choir.  However nothing has ever scared me as much as private voice lessons.  Maybe it is the thought in the back of my mind that the teacher is going to be judging my voice! 

So when i walked into BVS (Bergey Voice Studio) to do a mock consultation with Kelsey Bergey, the owner, I was slightly nervous.  Kelsey's studio is on the second floor of the Rosavear building in downtown Aberdeen and is painted a cheery yellow.  The bay window has a lovely window seat and looks out to the bridge and the people passing by.  The room, while not large, is spacious enough for a piano, comfy chairs and Kelsey's office.  Music books are stacked on the piano top and stashed neatly in bookshelves, the decor is artsy and fun, a great learning environment that puts one at ease immediately.

The first piece of information that Kelsey asked for was my contact information, she tries to do most things electronically to be environmentally friendly.  She then handed me her studio agreement and her overview and polices brochure, told me there would not be a quiz and then asked me to sit so we could chat for a bit about why I wanted to take vocal lessons.  She has recruited students of a wide variety of ages from 9 to 73, and each one has a different reason for wanting to learn to sing, so getting to know your students from the first meeting is the key to success.  When getting to know her new potential students she wants to understand what gets them excited, what kind of music they love and stresses that they are not going to be judged for their ability, but coached to reach their goals. 

What many people might not know about a vocal consultation is that it is the teacher that is getting interviewed, not the student.  As a client, you need to find the vocal instructor that is going to have your vocal health in mind when teaching you to sing.  Kelsey says that her main focus is healthy singing.  She checks in with her students often to make sure they are not experiencing any discomfort.  The first rule of being a teacher she believes is "first, do no harm". 

After we had discussed why I wanted to have singing lessons, Miss Bergey gave me a rundown of how her studio works.  She teaches weekly lessons (1/2 hour, 45 min and 1 hr), and teaches throughout the year.  Kelsey is happy teaching at any level and it is not a requirement to be able to read music.  She does provide many opportunities for her students to perform in the public realm, but is it not a requirement.  If you prefer to keep your singing private she is great with that as well.

You can tell that Kelsey is a very passionate teacher when she speaks about the process of teaching vocal lessons.  When I asked about the challenges of being a teacher she mentioned, "Teaching is about thinking on your feet..its also a measure of experience, the more information you have the better",  "There is no rulebook, lots of resources but everyone learns differently", she says, however she has been a student for so many years that she understands that feeling of nerves and the scariness that comes with singing in front of someone new.  The 'great pile of unknown' goes away with familiarity, and as Kelsey says, "it is usually a positive experience getting to the comfort zone."

After we had talked for about a half-hour about her studio and what I wanted to get out of vocal lessons, we talked about the lessons themselves.  Kelsey claims she is not the best piano player, but that has benefited her students as she is able to focus on the technical aspect of singing as well.  She works on phrasing, breathing, vowel shapes and making the singing process healthy.  Her goal is to make the student comfortable singing the song at any level.  The best way to get your feet wet is to jump right in. Try the six week Seasonal Lesson Session and if you decide to continue BVS will waive the registration fee!

Bergey Voice Studio is Kelsey's passion and she wants to share that with students who are willing to learn and eager to sing.  She encourages questions during her lessons and makes sure that each student is able to track their progress and get excited about the upcoming lessons.  Get started today and while you will most definitely learn to sing, you will also feel a boost in your self confidence that helps each day begin on a high note.

Music Monday: The Captain & Tenille- Love Will Keep Us Together

Music Monday: Chet Atkins- Mr. Sandman

Summer Music Festival

So much music, so little time!  End the summer on a high note out at the beach!

Seabrook is bringing the music to our warm summer nights. 

Friday, August 10 - Sunday, August 12

Seabrook's is hosting their first annual Summer Music Festival!

Starting with music at Mill 109 on Friday evening and continuing with live music on every street in Seabrook on Saturday. Saturday performances include Tom May, Jim Sanders, Oliver Mulholland, Peter Jordan, and John Basker.

The Dusty 45s from Seattle are the headliners on Sunday and will be playing on the Village Green.

Mill 109's wonderful food is the highlight of a cookout with hot dogs, burgers, and a Beer Garden!


photo courtesy of Seabrook Blog

Saturday

Event Stage

12-1:30pm - Oliver Mulholland

1:30-3pm - Jim Sanders

3-4:30pm - Tom May

4:30-6pm - Peter Jordan

Mill 109 Restaurant & Pub

6:30-9pm - John Baker

Sunday

Mill 109 Restaurant & Pub

11-3pm - Cronin Tierney

3-5pm - The Dusty 45s

Music Monday: Tom Jones- It's Not Unusual

Music Monday: The Edgar Winter Group- Free Ride

Music Monday: Wilson Pickett- Land of 1000 Dances

Music Monday: Ramones- I Wanna Be Sedated

Music Monday: Aretha Franklin- I Say A Little Prayer For You

Music Monday: Kindness - Swingin Party

Music Monday: The Faces- Stay With Me

Music Monday: Cake- The Distance

Music Monday: Islands - Hallways

I love this song!!

Music Monday: Tony Rice and Mountain Heart- Me and My Guitar