Southeastern Louisiana University

Outdoor 'All Styles Guitar Night' features campus, community musicians

Contact: Christina Chapple

4/7/06

      HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana University’s annual Guitar Festival continues Tuesday, April 11, with an outdoor concert featuring an eclectic mix of pop, jazz, and classical guitar music performed by students, faculty, alumni, and local artists.

      “All Styles Guitar Night” is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., at the Performance Circle adjacent to the Pottle Music Building Auditorium, said festival director Patrick Kerber, coordinator of guitar activities in the Southeastern Department of Music and Dramatic Arts.

      “This type of concert is a new venture for us, and I look forward to it bringing the community into more intimate contact with the university,” Kerber said. “If a music lover likes guitar in any style, this concert is sure to please. It is showcase for what is happening on campus and in the area with guitar music. Add the ambience of a Louisiana April evening, and I think all can look forward to a very pleasant outing.”

      “I think the audience will be quite surprised with the level of composition that is taking place with guitar students and local artists,” Kerber added. “Sophisticated songwriting, and instrumental composing integrating jazz, popular, and classical influences is becoming an important part of the music scene in general – we will hear a lot of this type of music.”

      He said the concert also will feature jazz standards performed by “one of Southeastern’s best kept secrets,” math professor Danny Acosta, who plays jazz on a classical guitar. He will perform solo and duets with Southeastern student, Wilson Marks of Hammond.

      Doyle High School history teacher Davey Brooks, described by Kerber as “the Chet Atkins of Livingston Parish,” will perform in the country/ragtime tradition. “He’s got he best right hand thumb in town!” Kerber said.

      Additional Guitar Festival events during April include a guest recital by guitarist Robert Wetzel on Wednesday, April 25, at 7:30 p.m. in the Pottle Music Building Auditorium, and a concert by the Southeastern Guitar Ensemble, performing Renaissance to contemporary music for two, three, four and 20 guitar, on Thursday, April 27, also at 7:30 p.m. in Pottle Auditorium.