Noon-Time Concert Series offers free live music

By Nicole Fay
Collegian Staff Writer

While grabbing a bite to eat or stopping to relax, students and others can now also be entertained with free live music. The NoonTime Concert Series is back again this year treating everyone on the ground floor of the HUB-Robeson Cultural Center to some quality performances at noon on Thursdays.

The series has been taking place at Penn State for a few years and has been very popular, especially since it is featured at lunchtime when the HUB is busiest. It is a collaboration ofStudent Activities, the Recording Industries of America Music Performance Trust Fund and The Central Pennsylvania Musicians Association, Local 660.

The concerts are all performed by area bands which are scheduled through the Local Musicians Union, a typical way local bands are exposed in State College and all concerts are free giving the bands an opportunity for some good exposure.

The idea for the hour-long weekly concerts came from Marla Jaksch, assistant director of student activities and organizer of the event.

The first concert this semester was the Chris Byrne Quartet, a popular group that featured jazz-type music. They performed on Feb. 24 with quite a nice turnout said Kathy Moore, staff assistant to Jaksch. There were hundreds in the audience creating a welcoming atmosphere and a thunderous applause for the quartet. People were coming in from other buildings to listen and crowding the main stairway, Moore said.

Three Musicians and a Banjo also welcomed a large turnout of people, many who stopped and sat to watch and listen. 3 Musicians and a Banjo perform traditional jazz music with a banjo, tuba, keyboard and a clarinet throwing in a little bit of swing.

"I usually wouldn't sit down to watch but I enjoy this kind of music. They're really good," said Linda Jun (junior-sociology).

Josh Castillo (junior-architecture engineering) also enjoys this particular type of music. "They're helping me study because they're putting me in a good mood," he said.

Jack Eggert, clarinet player and leader of the band said, "It's fun to play and get to see smiles and toes tapping."

This particular band has been together for four years and is part of a larger dixieland band, The Dixie Lion Jazz Band that has been in this area for about nine years.

"I like to see live music at the HUB," said Jacqueline Purtell (sophomore-communications). "It makes a nice atmosphere and I hope they have more jazz bands and live music here in the future," she said.

Concerts are scheduled every Thursday through April 13. Upcoming performers include Latin Connection and Simple Gifts, promising an extensive variety of quality entertainment from folk to blues music.