Student musicians poised for greatness

All famous musicians started somewhere. A small town open mic, a high school concert, or in the middle of the living room floor, taking it a few chords at a time every step of the way.

Big dreams, big talent, a spark of inspiration here, a bit of hard work there, and love of the game is only half the battle towards fame, fortune and big record deals.

For some student musicians in Buffalo, the swanky limos and estates and lavish parties and clothes are quite a few big dreams away.

At the core of these students' dreams are making music and finding that special connection. For them, this is the greatest part of the journey.

For a new pop rock band, Sunset City, the beginning of their journey to recognition is only a few weeks away at their first live performance at a battle of the bands at Daemen College, Feb. 5.

Vocalist Joel Shue, a junior communication major, is excited for the future his band may have.

"We're really psyched about it. We really love our music and we want other people to enjoy it too," he said. "Our band has a really good time together. That will show through on stage I think."

Members also include Rob Grabowski on drums, Don Spence on rhythm guitar, Tom Uhteg on bass guitar, and lead guitarist Adam Bucelli. They came to play together through mutual friends and auditions.

"We're all like brothers, best of friends," said Grabowski, a junior at Maryvale high school.

For now, Sunset City's goals are open to the wind and audience feedback.

"Creating music that people will actually like has always been a dream from the beginning," Grabowski said. "This is something we all really would love to do, we are trying very hard to promote ourselves and go as far as we can with our band."

More information about Sunset City, their performances, and some sample songs can be found on their Web site at www.sunsetcitymusic.com.

Rhys Hall, a senior psychology major who has been rapping for the past 4 years, has big plans for his skills.

"After I graduate, I'm going to take a few years off to focus completely on rap," he said.

Always an avid poet, a freestyle concert in high school inspired him to put his words to music, and he hasn't stopped since.

Hall, who has two recorded mix tapes, said his songs are easy to relate to.

"I focus on life. Period. I'm a strong believer that people all go through the same things, be it relationships or family," he said.

Hall has samples of his music at www.soundclick.com/rhyson and www.deepthinka.com.

Part of the art form of hip-hop is stage performance, also called emceeing. Hall said he thrives in this arena.

"I'm a different person when I'm on stage," he said. "It's all about getting the crowd into it, especially at this level when people don't know your songs."

For Hall, rapping goes beyond dreams of making it big.

"I have to rap, I don't know what I would do If I didn't rap and write. It's something I have to do," he said. "Even if it doesn't work out professionally, I'll still write rhymes because hip-hop is that important to me. It's the way I express myself."

Evan Johnson, a third year music graduate student and a 2002 graduate from Yale University, composes classical music and has already had a taste of success.

His music has been performed at various events and he has received a number of prestigious awards. His Web site http://kalvos.org/johnsoe.html has sound clips and a full bio.

Like Hall, Johnson knows what it's like to have music on the mind and in the heart. He started playing piano at age three with his father's guidance. At 16 years old, he won a local competition, which made him think he could compose music for a living.

"For me a lot of it comes from the fact that I'm interested in instruments as physical objects and the choreography of it," he said.

Johnson admitted that while it is natural for him to think in musical terms, the process includes "a lot of drudge work as well," complete with mathematical problem solving, he said.

One of his biggest challenges is composing without having a full-fledged orchestra at his disposal.

"One of the most exciting things about being a composer is having your music played because a good performer will bring their own ideas and expertise to it and will do things you never would have predicted," he said.

"It always sounds better than I envisioned it when I hear it for the first time being played," Johnson added. "As a composer you have to wait until it is played until it is actually done."

In June 2006 Johnson will graduate with a doctorate in music, after which he hopes to continue composing and teaching.

Alixandra Krzemien, a freshman English education major at Canisius College, has a more private outlook on her involvement in music.

Krzemien's love for her acoustic-sounding songs runs deep, but she isn't ready for Alanis Morissette status.

"I'm not aspiring to be a pop star. I'm more low-key. I mostly do it for my own enjoyment and to share my voice and ideas," she said. "I'd like to continue to do open-mic type of things and see where it goes from there."

Krzemien taught herself to play the guitar five years ago and has since amassed a collection of her own original songs.

"I just really wanted to jump in and do my own thing," she said. "There's just a really great feeling when you are performing and can share your music."

Like many musicians, Krzemien's music is a way for her to wind down and do a little soul searching.

"It's something to look forward to because as a college student things get busy and hectic and it's just nice to be able to slow down and play my music," she said. "My music definitely helps remind me of who I am."