Keeping the Beat

As the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out local gigs this spring and summer, local teacher, historian and musician Van Wagner has remained busy writing more of his regionally inspired songs and creating a new album.

He shares some valuable lessons he has learned over the past several months, gives advice for musicians who feel they are spinning their wheels during this time of uncertainty and gives us a taste of new songs that have yet to be released to the public.

Pulling from five decades of experience playing throughout the Valley with numerous artists, Kimbo Reichley incorporates a wide variety of styles and experiences into each song he records in his personal studio. He shares some of the lessons learned, memorable moments playing in gigs from China to Memphis and even on the beaches of Maryland and talks about the impact of COVID-19 on the local music scene.

Some of the region's most active musicians as live performances begin to return within a minefield of COVID-19 concern, Ann Kerstetter and her band members say they appreciate the venues are finding ways to keep the live music playing as they continue to struggle for survival.

Singer, musician, composer and teacher Jen Wagner developed a passion for all aspects of music during her time in the Lewisburg Area School District and as a member of the Susquehanna Valley Chorale's Children's Choir. Now a teacher at the Milton Hershey School, she led a group of students in song at the White House and more recently composed a piece performed by students from various schools in a video that has gone viral online.

After numerous weeks without playing live music, Brandon Barnhart was one of the first local musicians to share in a public venue after the COVID-19 outbreak, bringing years of experiences with numerous bands and a more recent solo career.

From rescue efforts at Ground Zero in New York City during the attacks of 9/11 to helping his premature daughter endure 36 surgeries, Dave Miller has plenty of inspiration for the songs he writes.

The recipe for success for those who aspire to start their own band boils down to the fundamentals, according to Jamie Rodgers, of Middle Road Acoustic. "The more you play — the more you practice — the better you get," he said. "Find the people you have fun around, put the time in, and be sure to enjoy the process."

Using a cell phone placed on a pillow, Scott and Cathy Douglas recorded the song "Danny Boy" at their Central Pennsylvania home in mid-March as a way to have some fun during quarantine, then shared it online. The response led to a series of 50 daily music posts as the couple hopes to cheer up and inspire people during an uncertain time.

Life seemed a little surreal for 9-year-old Antonio Andrade when he first saw the Beatles' famous appearance on the Ed Sullivan show. Two years later, he acquired his father's old guitar and was signed up for his first lessons. He stuck with it ever since, working to improve his playing and ultimately the path led him to a new album that was recently released called "Lucky in Love."

Addicted to a variety of drugs and alcohol, a 21-year-old Allan Scott vaguely remembers praying out to God for help while drunk one night. Later, well on the way to recovery, he joined a music-based church program and honed his skills, ultimately forming a band that ministers to people who feel they have no where else to turn and have fallen too far to have worth. The band now performs 100 shows throughout the country, including a number of performances for inmates at penitentiaries in Pennsylvania and beyond.