Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Jake Friel, a 14-year-old harmonica player from North Canton Middle School, tells his story and gives a free lesson to Patch videographer Nicholas Rock
Jake Friel, 14, the lead singer of the Brighter Side Band, sits down with Patch videographer Nicholas Rock to give his story along with a free lesson on the harmonica. The band will head to Memphis next week to compete against 27 other bands in the 2011 Memphis International Blues Challenge. The Brighter Side Band includes Keith Wilson, 18, on drums; Fuad Farah, 14, lead guitar and saxophone; and Noah Simionides, 16, bass.
Monday, January 17, 2011
North Canton Middle and Hoover High schools’ musicians to showcase their skills at the Canton Blues Festival June 10-11
Musicians with rhythm and soul at North Canton Middle and Hoover High schools, are invited to join other Stark County students in learning the history and art of the blues genre through the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce’s fourth “Blues in Schools" program. Nancy Leffler*, chamber events manager and chairperson of Blues in Schools said the program, which begins in early March, offers 14 weeks of hands-on instruction and ends with a two-hour performance by the young musicians in front of thousands at the Canton Blues Festival June 10-11 in downtown Canton. The program aims to drum up appreciation for the musical genre. “There really is not another arena for young musicians to learn the blues," Leffler said. "It is kind of a lost art. …
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Food ran low and spirits high when about 280 people showed to the Brighter Side Band's benefit dinner and concert Sunday
People packed the North Canton Eagles Sunday night to support the Brighter Side Band, a group of young musicians raising money to compete in a blues competition next month in Memphis. Nan Friel, "band mom" and manager, estimated 280 people attended. Several local bands played, while people danced, drank and bid on raffle tickets and gift baskets. The Brighter Side Band consists of lead singer Jake Friel, 14, Keith Wilson, 18, on drums; Fuad Farah, 14, lead guitar and saxophone; and Noah Simionides, 16, bass. *Jake Friel is a North Canton Middle School student.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Benefit dinner and concert to help local youth blues band get to a Memphis competition
The chance of a lifetime. That's how the Brighter Side Band views its upcoming blues competition in Memphis. (Forget that a lifetime is a mere 14 for a couple of them.) The blues band — with members aged 14, 16 and 18 — earned a trip to Memphis after being named the Northeast Ohio Youth Showcase representatives in a recent Cleveland competition. Now they’re set on raising $1,800 each to attend one contest in the weeklong competition — the 2011 Memphis International Blues Challenge. They see this as their biggest accomplishment thus far. Of course, the band wants to win the youth showcase, which consists of 28 bands and takes place Feb. 4, but being able to compete at all is what they’re really proud of, they said. For now, they’ve set no …
Nan Friel
11:59 am on Sunday, February 13, 2011
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