Legendary Guitar Maker Paul Reed Smith to Speak and Perform Friday Night of Fall Family Weekend

CHESTERTOWN, MD—World-renowned guitar manufacturer Paul Reed Smith will return to Washington College Friday, September 21 to speak and perform with his band.

            At 5 p.m. in “the Egg,” an intimate performance space on the first floor of Hodson Commons, he will talk about finding success in the music business. That talk is part of the George Washington Leadership Series of accomplished speakers.

            Later that evening, at 8 p.m., Smith will grab one of his guitars and lead the members of the Paul Reed Smith Band – bassist Gary Grainger, drummer Greg Grainger, guitarist Mike Ault and vocalist Mia Samone Davis—in a concert in Martha Washington Square, the open terrace outside the Gibson Center for the Arts. (In case of rain, the concert will move inside, into Decker Theatre.)

            Both the talk and the concert, which are part of a full schedule of events for the College’s Fall Family Weekend, are free and open to the public.

            A native of Bowie, Md., native Paul Reed Smith first began making guitars while studying at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. In 1975, he opened The Guitar Shop in Annapolis, where he custom-built guitars for local musicians. He formally established Paul Reed Smith (PRS) Guitars in 1985, and today the Stevensville-based firm is one of the largest manufacturers of high-end guitars in the world. Smith’s guitars, known for their distinctive tone and style, have been played by famous musicians of all genres and generations, from Carlos Santana to Dave Navarro to Jimmy Buffett.

            The Paul Reed Smith Band plays an eclectic mix of classic rock, current hits and original compositions and is known for its high-energy performances and interaction with the audience. The musicians have played throughout the United States and internationally. The band last performed at Washington College in late April, when Paul Reed Smith also offered a master class for students. For more information on the company, visit: http://www.prsguitars.com/index.php.

Honored Violinist Joins Pianist Kim for First Free “12@Hotchkiss” Concert of Season

CHESTERTOWN, MD—Violinist Nabeel Abboud Ashkar will be the special guest Friday, September 7 as the Washington College Music Department kicks off the second season of its popular “12@Hotchkiss” lunchtime concert series on campus.  The free public performances, which are hosted at noon in Hotchkiss Recital Hall on the first Friday of each month during the academic year, feature acclaimed musicians from the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area.

Pianist Grace Kim directs the
12@Hotchkiss concert series.

In the opening concert, Ashkar will collaborate with pianist and faculty member Grace Eun Hae Kim in a program that includes Mozart’s Sonata for Violin and Piano E minor, K. 304 and Beethoven’s Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 5 in F major, “Spring.”  

Ashkar, a Palestinian native of Nazareth, has earned international praise for bringing young Arabs and Jews together through music. He founded the Polyphony Conservatory in Nazareth in 2006 with support from the Barenboim-Said Foundation. In 2011, he helped found the Polyphony Foundation and launch the Polyphony Youth Orchestra. He will receive an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from Washington College during Fall Convocation on Thursday, September 6. 

Hotchkiss Recital Hall is located in the Gibson Center for the Arts building at Washington College, 300 Washington Avenue. For more information on the 12@Hotchkiss series, please visit the Music Department website at http://music.washcoll.edu, or contact series director Grace Eun Hae Kim at gkim2@washcoll.edu.

A day after receiving an honorary degree from the College, violinist Nabeel
Ashkar will perform with Kim Friday, September,  in the first concert of the
 free lunchtime series on campus. The community is welcome.

April 22 Concert by College Consorts Offers Renaissance Music and Period Instruments

CHESTERTOWN, MD—The Washington College Vocal Consort and the Washington College Early Music Instrumental Consort will perform a free concert on campus on Sunday, April 22, at 4 p.m. in Hotchkiss Recital Hall, Gibson Center for the Arts.

The program will include English Renaissance motets, German instrumental music from the early Renaissance, and choral works from the 20th century. In addition, audience members will be treated to a range of Renaissance period instruments, including the sackbut, rauschpfeife, lute, viola da gamba, drum, and various sizes of wooden recorders.

The Vocal Consort is led by Professor Garry Clarke, long-time chair of the Washington College Music Department. Dr. Clarke also serves as Director of Music for Trinity Cathedral. Leading the Instrumental Consort is Dr. Jonathan McCollum, Assistant Professor of Music at the College.

For more information, visit music.washcoll.edu, www.washcoll.edu.

Free Noon Music Series Concludes April 13 With Opera Talent of The Figaro Project

CHESTERTOWN, MD—The Washington College Music Department presents its last “12 @ Hotchkiss” concert of the season on Friday, April 13 at noon with The Figaro Project, featuring soprano Caitlin Vincent (pictured at right), contralto Kristina Lewis, tenor Andrew Spady, baritone Jason Buckwalter, and pianist Julia Sheriff. Their Opera à la Carte program will include an exciting selection of arias from operas by Mozart, Donizetti, Rossini, Bolcom, Saint-Saëns, and Bizet.

The Figaro Project was founded in June 2009 as a way to create performing opportunities for emerging artists and present opera in accessible and affordable ways. With the encouragement and support of the local community, The Figaro Project quickly developed into a full-fledged opera “troupe” and currently maintains a roster of 23 talented performers. For more information about the troupe and current season, please visit www.thefigaroproject.com.

Photo: Soprano Caitlin Vincent is one of the young talents who perform with The Figaro Project.

Washington College Gospel Choir To Hold Annual Holiday Concert, November 22

Chestertown, MD, November 5, 2003 — The Washington College Gospel Choir, under the direction of Reverend Eric Scott, will hold its annual holiday concert on Saturday November 22, at 7:00 p.m. in the College's Casey Academic Center Gallery. Admission for the concert is $3 per person; children 12 and under are free. The public is encouraged and invited to attend.

“If you want to start the holiday season off in a wonderful way, you should come to this concert,” says Gospel Choir advisor Sara Ann Smith. “We plan to start off the holidays with a ‘Shout to the Lord' in praise, and we invite all members of the community to join us.”

Now in its sixth year, the WC Gospel Choir welcomes students from many states, as well as countries, as members.

“If you have not had an opportunity to come out and hear this choir, please mark your calendar, and come join us for a marvelous time,” says Smith. “You will be very glad you came!”

A Brighter Day: Washington College Gospel Choir To Hold Annual Spring Concert April 12

Chestertown, MD, April 4, 2003 — The Washington College Gospel choir, under the direction of Reverend Eric Scott, will hold its annual spring concert on Saturday April 12. The concert will be held in the College's Martha Washington Square (Casey Academic Center Gallery in case of rain) starting at 4:00 p.m. Admission for this concert is free and the public is invited to attend.
"This is a marvelous way to celebrate spring and the coming Easter holiday," says Gospel Choir Advisor Sara Ann Smith. "The choir has added many new songs to its repertoire, and the concert will delight all who attend. Please mark this date on your calendar and plan to attend. We will make sure that you have a 'Brighter Day.'"
Now in its fifth year, the Washington College Gospel Choir is made up of students from many states, as well as students from other countries. If you would like more information about or want to share in the praises of the Washington College Gospel Choir, contact Sara Ann Smith, 410-778-7290 or ssmith5@washcoll.edu.

Rusted Root To Perform At Washington College April 5th

College's Homegrown Astralyte To Open Show

A colorful and multifaceted band, Rusted Root has a winding history. Mike Glabicki (lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter) and Liz Berlin (vocalist, guitarist and songwriter) initially started working together in their college years. Jim Donovan (drums, percussion and background vocalist) and Patrick Norman (bassist, guitarist and background vocalist) joined in 1990, providing a uniquely driving rhythm section. They began performing together in their hometown of Pittsburgh and were later joined by multi-instrumentalist and visual artist John Bunyak who added the signature flute and pennywhistle melodies featured on the band's first hit single, "Send Me on My Way." The band has been rejoined for this tour by former member Jenn Wertz, along with percussionist and keyboardist John McDowell.Chestertown, MD, March 1, 2002 — Rusted Root will perform Friday, April 5, 2002, beginning at 8 p.m. in Washington College's Lifetime Fitness Center. Washington College's homegrown Astralyte will open the show. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 each for Washington College students, faculty and staff, $25 for general admission, and available at the Washington College Campus Center Café and from Ticketmaster by calling 800-551-SEAT. Ticket sales begin March 18, 2002.

In response to a growing public enthusiasm, Rusted Root released its first independently produced full-length CD, Cruel Sun, in 1990, which attracted the attention of Mercury Records who subsequently signed them to a major label recording contract. In 1994 they released When I Woke, which spawned the hit, "Send Me On My Way," as well as other Rusted Root standards such as "Ecstasy," "Martyr" and "Drum Trip." When I Woke went certified platinum in 1996. A more introspective album, Remember, released in 1996, was recorded at Skywalker Ranch in Marin County, CA, and the band's self-titled disc, Rusted Root, released in 1998, featured a spirited cover of the Rolling Stones' classic, "You Can't Always get What You Want." In addition to these recordings Rusted Root has released three EPs entitled "Evil Ways," "Live" and "Airplane," as well as a full-length live video. Their music has been used in several major motion picture films, such as Home for the Holidays, Race the Sun and Mathilda, and they have toured with some of the icons of rock music, including the Grateful Dead, Page and Plant, the Allman Brothers Band, Sting and the Dave Matthews Band.

Opening for Rusted Root will be Washington College's own homegrown band, Astralyte, which includes former members of Ghostbox. Comprising recent graduates Ted Knight '97, Andrew Stein '99, Greg Parent '00, Tim Parent '97, and Ross Dettmering '00, Astralyte's sound is a mix of organic jams, electronic rhythms, and spacey beats, influenced by such artists as Radiohead, The Disco Biscuits, Widespread Panic and Groove Armada. Knight, Stein, and the Parents were founding members of Ghostbox, a campus band that produced two CDs together, while Dettmering formerly played in another campus band, NRG.

The concert has been organized by the Washington College Student Events Board and Student Government Association.

Coming to Washington College October 13, 2001...

8:00 p.m.
Lifetime Fitness Center
Washington College

Chestertown, MD, July 25, 2001 — Counting Crows, whose 1993 album August and Everything After redefined roots-rock for a new generation, will perform Saturday, October 13, 2001, at 8:00 p.m. in Washington College's Johnson Lifetime Fitness Center. Doors open at 7 p.m.

All tickets for this performance are sold out as of September 25, 2001.

Born in the music scene of the San Francisco Bay Area, Counting Crows was formed in 1990 by singer and lyricist Adam Duritz and guitarist David Bryson, taking their group's name from an old English divination rhyme. By 1991, the duo grew to include Matt Malley (bass), Charles Gillingham (keyboards) and Steve Bowman (drums). With an undeniable chemistry, the band started performing at San Francisco clubs and by April 1992 signed with DGC Records. Through the fall of 1992 and winter of 1993, Counting Crows recorded their debut album, August and Everything After, at a rented mansion in the Hollywood Hills.

Produced by T-Bone Burnett, August and Everything After was hailed by Rolling Stone as "one of the best rock releases of the year" and remained on the Billboard 200 chart for 93 weeks, topping at No. 4.

In 1994, Counting Crows joined The Rolling Stones' Voodoo Lounge Tour as special guests and won the MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist in a Video for "Mr. Jones." The band's second album, Recovering the Satellites, was released in 1996, debuting on the Billboard 200 at #1 and eventually reaching double platinum sales. In 1998 the band's first live album, Across a Wire-Live in New York, was released, and Counting Crows began writing and recording their third studio, This Desert Life, released in November 1999. In January 2000, the band released the first of a series of official bootlegs titled By the Time We Got to Woodstock, followed up by Faced the Promised Land in May 2000.

For more information on Counting Crows, visit their official website atwww.countingcrows.com.

The Ethos Percussion Group Appears at Washington College

Chestertown, MD — The Ethos Percussion Group will perform music from around the globe at their Feb. 27 concert at Washington College. The 4 p.m. Sunday matinee performance at the Tawes Theatre is open to the public. Tickets cost $12 for adults and $5 for people 18 and under.

Hailed by The New York Times for "expert togetherness, sensitivity and zest," the group has performed together since 1990. Their programming highlights vibrant musicianship using an extensive, unique collection of instruments. The group has performed at Merkin Concert Hall, Weill Recital Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and at conservatories, universities, and schools across the country. They have offered master classes at The Julliard School, Clemson University and the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, as well as for Percussive Arts Society events in New York, Indiana, and New Jersey. The Ethos Percussion Group has presented their educational program, Bing ! Bang! Boom!, in more than 14 states for thousands of children.