2008 Woodie Awards
Concert to Benefit Scholarship Fund
Press Release / Brandon J. Mendelson
Issue date: 2/6/06 Section: Entertainment
- Page 1 of 1
SUNY Potsdam student Brandon Mendelson will hold a benefit concert to raise money for the scholarship he is establishing in honor of his late grandfather, Oscar Cohen.
The concert, featuring five groups, will be held on Thursday, February 23 at 7:30 p.m. in the Sara M. Snell Music Theater. The doors will open at 7:00 p.m.
The concert is free for all college and high school students with ID and $10 for general admission. All of the proceeds will be put toward establishing the Oscar Cohen Memorial Scholarship endowment.
Once established, the scholarship will award $1,000 annually to an entering freshman or transfer student in The Crane School of Music's Music Business program.
"The scholarship is meant to give a student interested in running their own business in the music industry an affordable opportunity for an excellent education and background in the business," said Mendelson.
The groups performing are Ask Ryan, Cassandra Bacon, Bare Compassion, and The Shpiel. Dr. Rick Bates will perform a solo set.
Ask Ryan is an original pop-punk band that has developed a large cult following at SUNY Potsdam. The group features SUNY Potsdam students Rachel Neway (vocals), Matt Gayle (guitar), Ryan Beucke (bass), and Jeff Braunreuther (drums).
Cassandra Bacon is a 20-year-old singer/songwriter from Glens Falls, NY, who is currently working on her first album. She will be returning to SUNY Potsdam in the fall.
Bare Compassion, an original rock band that is often compared to Fleetwood Mac, features SUNY Potsdam students Erik Sifuenties (guitar, vocals), Preston Martin (drums), Krista Lewandowski (bass), and Kim Holowacz (vocals).
The Shpiel, an original rock band seasoned with a touch of klezmer, blues, and reggae, features Gregory Warner (vocals, accordion, keyboard, harmonica), SUNY Potsdam faculty member Dr. Phil Neisser (drums), Terrence Williams (bass, vocals), and Dan Caldwell (guitar, vocals).
Dr. Bates, a SUNY Potsdam faculty member, is a seasoned master of blues guitar, both acoustic and electric. His more than 30-year career has carried him as far north as Montreal and as far south as the Mississippi Delta.
The concert is the beginning of Mendelson's campaign to raise money for the scholarship. Donations will be accepted at the door, and online donations can be made on the SUNY Potsdam secure server at https://secure.potsdam.edu/giving/ and by including "Oscar Cohen Memorial Scholarship" in the "specific program" box.
The concert is being sponsored, in part, by Northern Music and Video and the Potsdam Copy Shop.
The concert, featuring five groups, will be held on Thursday, February 23 at 7:30 p.m. in the Sara M. Snell Music Theater. The doors will open at 7:00 p.m.
The concert is free for all college and high school students with ID and $10 for general admission. All of the proceeds will be put toward establishing the Oscar Cohen Memorial Scholarship endowment.
Once established, the scholarship will award $1,000 annually to an entering freshman or transfer student in The Crane School of Music's Music Business program.
"The scholarship is meant to give a student interested in running their own business in the music industry an affordable opportunity for an excellent education and background in the business," said Mendelson.
The groups performing are Ask Ryan, Cassandra Bacon, Bare Compassion, and The Shpiel. Dr. Rick Bates will perform a solo set.
Ask Ryan is an original pop-punk band that has developed a large cult following at SUNY Potsdam. The group features SUNY Potsdam students Rachel Neway (vocals), Matt Gayle (guitar), Ryan Beucke (bass), and Jeff Braunreuther (drums).
Cassandra Bacon is a 20-year-old singer/songwriter from Glens Falls, NY, who is currently working on her first album. She will be returning to SUNY Potsdam in the fall.
Bare Compassion, an original rock band that is often compared to Fleetwood Mac, features SUNY Potsdam students Erik Sifuenties (guitar, vocals), Preston Martin (drums), Krista Lewandowski (bass), and Kim Holowacz (vocals).
The Shpiel, an original rock band seasoned with a touch of klezmer, blues, and reggae, features Gregory Warner (vocals, accordion, keyboard, harmonica), SUNY Potsdam faculty member Dr. Phil Neisser (drums), Terrence Williams (bass, vocals), and Dan Caldwell (guitar, vocals).
Dr. Bates, a SUNY Potsdam faculty member, is a seasoned master of blues guitar, both acoustic and electric. His more than 30-year career has carried him as far north as Montreal and as far south as the Mississippi Delta.
The concert is the beginning of Mendelson's campaign to raise money for the scholarship. Donations will be accepted at the door, and online donations can be made on the SUNY Potsdam secure server at https://secure.potsdam.edu/giving/ and by including "Oscar Cohen Memorial Scholarship" in the "specific program" box.
The concert is being sponsored, in part, by Northern Music and Video and the Potsdam Copy Shop.