University of Connecticut | Summer 2009 Vol. 10, No. 2
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From the EditorUnpluggedCoffeehouse Revival Comes to Dining HallsEditor's Note Audio Box Kristin Errett Ben Bishop Raymond Day Six years ago Jim Rogers, area assistant manager for Dining Services, decided to try his hand at reviving a 1960s college staple – a coffeehouse featuring folk music. Hosted twice each semester in various dining halls across campus, Rogers’ coffeehouse often attracts audiences of more than 100 students. A late-blooming guitarist, Rogers himself sometimes performs as he introduces the coffeehouse musicians, including students and alumni. He adopted the format and name of WoodSongs Coffeehouse, a national organization affiliated with community- based radio stations, which provides guidance on how to organize, promote and operate a local folk music venue. Many similar coffeehouses gather in restaurants, bookstores as well as other college campuses. One of the advantages of having the support of UConn’s Department of Dining Services is that snacks – vegan brownies, popcorn, fresh-baked cookies and fair-trade coffee – are available for students who are encouraged to "come for the snacks, stay for the music." They do. This past spring, Rogers sought to realize one of his goals with the coffeehouse: a singer-songwriter contest for students. He put out the call for entries, lined up a panel of judges (full disclosure: including me) and waited. To his surprise, more than 20 compact discs of such high-quality music arrived that he could manage to cut the finalists down to only 10, four or five more than his original goal. On a cool April night in Whitney Dining Hall, each of the finalists performed two original songs, accompanied by their own guitars or piano. Songs ranged from ballads to jazz-influenced tunes to upbeat folk-rock. After the performances, one of the judges, Connecticut State Troubadour Lara Herscovitch ’95 M.S.W., sang several original songs while results were tabulated based on criteria adapted from the Connecticut Songwriters Association. "Take Me Away" and "Look Me in the Eyes," by Kristin Errett ’12 (CLAS), whose vocal and piano style combined echoes of Carole King and Laura Nyro, took first-place honors. Ben Bishop’s ’10 (CLAS) melodic "Echoes of Static" and "Clouds Tonight" earned second place, and Raymond Day’s ’11 (CLAS) rocking "I Saw" and "If They Told You to Like Me" was third. Based on the enthusiastic response from the singer-songwriters and the audience, Rogers says the 2009 competition will be considered "the first annual" competition. He is working on some ideas for improving what was already a successful first event. Ken Best
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