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Business & Tech

Hootenanny at Syosset Borders

Songwriters share their passion the first Friday of each month.

Suzanne Ernst strums a guitar and sings, "There's a light shining from her eyes to the canvas." Her song "Ghost Horse," about an artist chronicling life, is a fitting metaphor.  She's been sharing her music at Borders—on the first Friday of the month—for the past decade.

Among the whirring cappuccino machine, books and mahjong tiles, musicians step up to the mic every month at the cafe, converting Borders to a '60s Village hootenanny.

"Two songs each, sometimes three," says Vincent Crici, member of Island Songwriters Showcase (ISS), who runs the gig.  "We have one headline act for a half hour and about eight other performers usually, and you don't have to be a member to sign up."

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Ernst and Crici are part of the ISS core group of friends and family, along with a few fresh-faced newcomers seeking a live audience. Crici knows the drill. As band director for elementary schools in Locust Valley and Bayville, and an accomplished musician himself, Crici dutifully helps set up equipment-- microphone, speakers and even extra amps--as part of hosting the night.

Ernst, a 59-year-old tai chi instructor from Huntington, writes her own stylized Joan Baez/Joni Mitchell heartfelt ballads or whimsical tunes like "17,000 People."

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"ISS is all about supporting Long Island songwriters," says Crici.  "We bounce ideas off one another, and it's great to see what works in front of the audience."  Crici recently asked Syosset's advice on using a ringing phone in a recording as he sang "Thank You for Loving Me," written by a friend, Bob Campbell, who had died.

Dave Anthony, who grew up in Syosset and now resides in Smithtown, still comes back and sings humorous blues tunes about being lucky in love. It's a nurturing, playful environment with memories of Long Island weaved into the songs.

You can see the dusty ball field and worn gloves as Jim Morse of Bayville ( www.jimmorsemusic.com) sings about being a "big league little kidgrowing up playing baseball in Glen Cove. He doesn't leave the mic before dedicating a waltzing "Things Ain't What They Used to Be" to daughter Amy.

When talk turns to songwriting inspiration, their eyes light up.

"Sometimes it's the lyrics first or even just a title," says Guy Pezzullo, who found music at 7 and now works at FedEx, teaches guitar at the Forest Hills YMCA and lends a hand in four bands due to perform around Long Island this summer. "I've been playing more than 30 years and have written hundreds of songs in kind of classic blues." 

His titles include  "Jam Up Ahead" and "Who's They?" Pezzullo adds, "I come back to Borders and the ISS because it's a very supportive atmosphere."

New to the Borders crowd in March is Michael Korb, 29, debuting as a headline act–which means seven songs.  As a housepainter by day and musician at night, Korb has two CDs out, "Ghosts" and his latest, "Sleepwalker" which a few audience members bought.  ( www.MichaelKorbMusic.com )   With an impassioned voice reminiscent of George Michael, Korb's lyrics offer an interesting contrast between modern life about communicating "zeroes and ones aren't enough, I just want to feel loved" and saving a life in "Missing Persons Report."

You could credit Harry Chapin with having a hand in creating Syosset Borders' jam fest.  Rob Baranello and Sonny Speed were part of similar songwriting circles and met Chapin back in the '70s.  They created ISS with co-facilitator Todd Suprina in the spirit of sharing music with other Islanders, much like Chapin's gatherings.

For a while, Bill Ryan took the helm trying to find venues to perform and was lucky Borders agreed. ISS also invites people to join for free and come to Five Towns College the first Monday of the month, where more than 200 songwriters have shared their music. 

"ISS is really a place for songwriters to get their legs and find a voice, " says Walter Sargent (www.waltsargent.com), who has been running the ISS since September. "We welcome songwriters, lyricists, producers, engineers, performers and DJs to come and support one another."

 As the night comes to a close, longtime member Bob Mist often ends with the up-tempo, swinging tune "At Border's Café," written about the First Friday hootenannies.

"Friday nights work best," Crici says, expressing his appreciation for a business that has been so welcoming. "Syosset Borders has been a good venue for us."

Don't miss April 5 as Bill Ryan's daughter, blues singer/songwriter Tierney Ryan will headline. For more information, log on to www.islandsongwriters.org

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