Ahead of his President's Day performance at Bucknell University's Weis Center, Eric Ian Farmer stopped in for a podcast interview about his musical career. Specializing in vocals, songwriting and telling an emotional story, Farmer offers unique insights into how to approach music. He also talks about performing throughout Central Pennsylvania as a musician of color.

A master of engaging the audience, Ed Varner plays gigs throughout the region where he tries to connect with people via his music.

He performs regularly at the Rusty Rail and Isle of Que, starting his music career with classic rock albums and continues to evolve his repertoire to best engage his audience.

A man of many instruments, blues musician Doug McMinn started playing horns in the high school band, evolving over the years to incorporate the clarinet, saxophone and guitar.

Ricky Koons and Harvey Young — better known musically as Ricky and Harv — perform approximately 200 shows a year in the Valley in various venues, including nursing homes.

The musicians share how they got into music, how they met and how their music provides therapy that has helped them endure personal loss, a Parkinson's diagnosis and other life trials.

Ricky Murphy's family still has a home video of him at age four playing his first song on a guitar. From that early rendition of the song "Do Lord" to the present, Murphy has carved out a role in the region's contemporary Christian genre, playing with a variety of bands including His Servants and the Danelle Cressinger Band.

Playing numerous genres for more than three decades throughout the Valley, Bryan Noaker has performed with Ann Kerstetter, Kimbo Reichley, Allan Combs and even legendary drummer Steve Mitchell.

Beyond his musical performances, Noaker is a longtime educator, using his love of music to connect with students while also evolving his skills of working on various musical instruments. 

He talks about how music has become a universal language for him and students, shares original songs about his son and an inspirational student he had and much more in this week's Keeping the Beat at dailyitem.com. 

Nurtured in the thriving blues scene in the Buffalo and Niagara regions of New York, Chris Smeal moved recently to the Central Susquehanna Valley and has performed a number of gigs while working on his first album.

Twenty-eight podcast episodes spanning 854 minutes — nearly 14.5 hours — were produced in 2019, as we strive to tell the stories behind the musicians who perform here in the Valley.

As we close out the year, we look back at some of our favorite comments and live music from the studio with performers such as Ann Kerstetter, Buzz Meachum, Becky Blue, Bob Randall, Danelle Cressinger, Van Wagner, Allan Combs II, Greg Burgess, Sean Farley, Brett Alexander, Stacia Abernatha, Billy Kelly, Diversifyed, Jeremy Goodling, Travis Wilt, KJ Reimensnyder-Wagner, Runaway Stroller, Brent Mestach, Jesse, Gabe Stillman, Jay Vonada, Re-Creation and Achording to Dad.

We hope you and your family enjoy this special installment of Keeping the Beat — found at dailyitem.com, Apple Podcast and Google Play Music apps — and have a great holiday season.

Local singers and musicians, including Runaway Stroller, KJ Wagner, Greg Burgess and Beverley Conrad, Re-Creation, Bob Randall, Danelle Cressinger and brothers Van and Ollie Wagner share songs for the holidays.

Using just a pitch pipe and their voices, Ken Paulhamus and his three sons formed the barbershop quartet Achording to Dad more than 20 years ago.

The group has changed a little since then ­— one of the brothers has been replaced with a cousin — but the traditional barbershop quartet sound remains the same.

Check out our interview with Paulhamus and his family — along with some of their music — in this week's Keeping the Beat podcast at dailyitem.com.

The podcast is also available on Apple Podcast and Google Play Music apps and platforms. To listen or subscribe, search for "Keeping the Beat."