SHOWCASE AT STUDIO BEE: MIKE MELTON, VERONIKA STRING QUARTET AND PHIL VOLAN AND JOLEEN BELL
When: Thursday, February 18, 2010 - 6:00 PM (Doors open 5:30 PM)
Ticket Info: Tickets on sale soon!

This event is FREE (no tickets required) and open to the public!

KCME presents "Classical Night" at the Showcase at Studio Bee!

Mike Melton (6:00 PM): Mike Melton received his first guitar as a Christmas present when he was 8-years-old.  Shortly thereafter he began guitar lessons with John McDaniel of Graner Music – who now tours with Zoso, the premier Led Zeppelin tribute band in the country, in the role of Jimmy Page.  Through these early lessons Mike gained a strong love for the instrument – it was not uncommon for him to play his guitar 4 or 5 hours straight.  At age 14 he began studying classical guitar with Wayne Hammerstadt.

Melton enjoys playing improvisational jazz at the Acid Jazz Jam in Manitou Springs with such well known musicians as Kim Stone (bassist for The Rippingtons) and Mike Reese.  Melton has also performed classical guitar at UCCS, as well as playing with an improvisational jazz group.  Currently he performs classical guitar at the R & R Coffee Café in Black Forest.

A 2007 graduate of Lewis-Palmer High School, Monument,Colo., Melton currently attends UCCS.



Veronika String Quartet (6:30 PM): In 2010 the Veronika String Quartet is selebrating the 20th anniversary of playing music together and the 10th anniversary at the Colorado State University. Listen to an interview with the quartet on KCME.

Program:
Four, for Tango by Piazzolla

Chrysanthemum by Puccini

Nice work if you can get it by Gershwin

Lento from Dvorak’s American Quartet

And Polka by Shostakovich.





Phil Volan and Joleen Bell (7:15 PM): Phil Volan and Joleen Bell  play beautifully crafted original compositions and covers for mainly fingerstyle guitar and vocals.  The duo began in 2003 with a mutual love of acoustic music and share a rich musical past.  The Black Rose Newsletter's reviewer Stew Levitt describes Phil and Joleen's playing on they're instrumental CD of duets:  "Starting with the opening harmonics of “Carousel,” each guitar teases, withdraws and pursues each other like two children on an afternoon outing. This is acoustic guitar at its best."   In 2002, Phil earned 2nd place at the prestigious National Fingerstyle Guitar Championship in Winfield, Kansas.  Phil and Joleen are widely versatile and perform at concerts, conventions, festivals, churches, restaurants, and the always-loved house concert.