Brian Alexander will be stopping in to Starbucks tonight, but not for a latte.

Instead, he will play an array of self-written songs under his stage name, Nodd Morris, from 5 to 7 tonight at Starbucks, 232 W. College Ave.

The 23-year-old Penn State junior looks forward to entertaining the customers with his acoustic sounds like he's in the comfort of his own living room, he said.

"People will come in and drink their mocha lattes with skim milk, or whatever they drink, and I'll just be there playing and I'll be kind of invisible," Alexander said.

Although he may blend in with the masses of a crowded coffee shop, this free show is all part of Alexander's plan to be a little less invisible within the State College music scene.

"Music is my life, but I'm not doing it enough," he said.

Alexander plans on doing various free shows at least four nights a week at

different venues in State College. He said he is already set to play Sunday

and Wednesday nights at the Sports Café & Grille, 244 W. College Ave .

"If you're out between Sunday and Thursday, there is a good chance you'll see me," he said.

This sudden surge of promotional effort is attributed to the upcoming release of his sophomore album You Are Here, which he hopes to have out by April 14.

Alexander said the new CD captures a live feeling he generates when he is playing for an audience. It was recorded within a 24-hour time span at a studio in Massachusetts, he added.

"It has a warmer sound, and is not so produced," he said. "It really showcases my songwriter side as opposed to my composer side. I'm just trying to be myself."

Alexander plans to take any measure possible to be sure he promotes this record the right way, unlike he did for his first album, Burning Bridges.

"I got it up online, but I never really let anyone know about it," he said.

Taking a less conventional promotional method, he resorted to handing out free copies of the album on the streets of State College, distributing 1,000 CDs in two months, he said.

With all of this behind him, there are people who have started to take notice of Alexander's talent.

"I really believe in him as an artist," said Marc Frigo, who worked on producing the new Nodd Morris album in his Boalsburg studio. "He has something that is unique and tangible to a wide audience."

Alexander and Frigo came together after the album was recorded in Massachusetts, Frigo said, adding the album was then taken to Frigo's studio in Boalsberg to add in harmonies here and there.

"They tried to record the band all at once to get that raw sound, which was better than trying to piece it together," he said.

Frigo said he can see why Alexander may let something like promoting his new album fall to the wayside.

"That is one area where a lot of artists fall short," he said. "They just want to focus on the music and making great songs, and then the marketing is the hard part."

Frigo said he enjoyed working with a Penn State student even though the process was slowed because of a lack of funding.

"[Alexander] may be eating Ramen Noodles for a few years to get where he needs to be but that may be all it takes," he said.

Alexander said he does what he does for the music, not for the green.

"I'm just trying to go to school, play music full time, and maybe fit a girlfriend in somewhere," he said.

Alexander added what he gets out of playing free shows is much more valuable than money.

"I'm just trying to promote my new record and make connections with people," he said.

Alexander said he knows that by getting his face and his talent out there, people will start to listen.

"They won't just go looking for it," he said, "you have to give it to them."