The Gathering Place in Clarks Summit hosts first NEPA Songwriters Coffeehouse Concert on Jan. 17
From a press release:
The Gathering Place in Clarks Summit will “showcase the cultural riches of our region” with its first NEPA Songwriters Coffeehouse Concert on Friday, Jan. 17 at 7 p.m.
This is the first concert in a quarterly series featuring songwriters who call Northeastern Pennsylvania home. Those who appreciate the effort and skill it takes to craft a song or compose a work of art will enjoy the artwork of Zoja Forsberg and the songcraft of Gary Carl, B.W. Deery, Tina Graye, Zach Sprowls, and Timothy Zieger from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Fresh coffee and homemade baked goods will be available for $1.
A $5 donation is suggested to support the work of The Gathering Place (304 S. State St., Clarks Summit), a dynamic community center that celebrates creativity, education, and the arts. This unique and inclusive venue embraces the entire community and facilitates an environment filled with creative energy, a passion for lifelong learning, and strengthened sense of belonging.
WVIA Radio host George Graham described Timothy Zieger as “a singer/songwriter of uncommon depth. His lyrics can touch on weighty subjects with great sensitivity and also address more the mundane with a poetic eye. Blessed with a warm tenor voice and a gift for melody, Zieger often brings distinctive arrangement ideas into his songs while keeping in an acoustic context. He is the epitome of the articulate folkie, whose music extends beyond the conventions of the genre, and whose songs have staying power.”
Tina Graye wrote her first song at the age of 7. She has appeared twice on WVIA-FM’s Homegrown Music and has performed at the Kutztown Folk Festival, Art Block Wilkes-Barre, and local open mics.
After several years working in other states as a worship leader, Zach Sprowls is glad to be back home in NEPA pursuing his music full-time. Given an upbringing in classical music, a penchant for writing and arranging, and a love of modern indie music, Sprowls finds himself constantly straddling the old and new. Perhaps that admixture best characterizes his work as a neo-classical composer, singer/songwriter collaborator, published sacred music arranger and maybe everything else about him too.
Brian William Deery has been writing songs and lyrics since he was 16 years old in Shirley, New York in Long Island where he allegedly “grew up.” His family hails from Liverpool, England, home of a somewhat famous musical group, The Beatles. Most of Deery’s lyrics are based on personal observations balanced by a cheeky take on life in general. He formed The Bystanders, an all-original rock band, in the early ’90s in the hopes of securing a record deal – c’est la vie.
His dear old guitar has taken a back seat to his new love, the ukulele. In addition, Deery plays a mean blues harp when allowed to sit in with local musicians. He and his high school sweetheart, Emilie, moved with their three sons to NEPA in 2001 and enjoy the local arts and music scene.
From 1992-2014, singer/songwriter Gary Carl played in the “World of Coverbandom” in the groups Eternity, Jeffrey James Band, Tom and Gary Duo, Johnson, Brothers Capone, Inside Out, and other projects. Carl plays acoustic and electric guitars, harmonica, trumpet, alto and tenor saxophone, bass, sings lead and background harmony vocals, and does what he can to entertain from backyards and front porches to restaurants, dive bars, mobile bandstands, wedding venues, and even plays for prison inmates.
His first taste of writing and recording came in February of 1990 at SI Studios. After a few years of playing in cover bands and continuing to write original songs, he returned to SI Studios in Old Forge in the fall of 2008 with his original rock project Jakesway.
In September of 2019, Carl was announced as a winner in the WVIA/PBS/Froggy 101 Country Music Singer/Songwriter Contest in conjunction with Ken Burn’s “Country Music” documentary. That December, he was named Artist of the Month on Honesdale’s DNH Discovered radio segment on 95.3 DNH.
He is on the board of directors of the Endless Mountains Visitors Bureau and a proud artist member of the Americana Music Association, International Singer Songwriters Association, and the Kitson Arts Alliance.
The Gathering Place transformed the first floor of the former Clarks Summit firehouse into its new home in 2017. This is the main location for the popular Community Classroom sessions and a venue for local artists and community groups to learn, create, and share their talents and knowledge in a welcoming, caring community in the Abingtons. The space features an art studio, kitchen, classrooms, and an open area that can accommodate small events, exhibits, and theatrical productions.
