One-man band and UWGB audience find commong grounds
Katie Fredericks
Issue date: 11/5/09 Section: Entertainment
Fans of a multiple-talented musician were excited to see Ari Herstand, Oct. 22, at the Common Grounds Coffee House in UW-Green Bay's University Union.
Herstand plays the guitar, piano, trumpet and even beat-boxes a bit. He is able to sing and multi-task with the different instruments during his concerts by using a loop station recorder.
Senior business major Adam Kuehn said, "I think it was a unique, different type of sound- something I had never heard before. And it was really interesting to listen to."
Influenced by artists like Dave Matthews Band, Bruce Cockburn, Ben Folds and Death Cab for Cutie, Herstand has been playing full time as a solo act for nearly five years now. He started playing gigs at coffee houses. In 2008 he quit his job at Starbucks to pursue music full time.
"I realized I wanted to pursue the music world as a profession my freshman year of college," said Herstand. "I was a music major and I started playing the coffee shops around the Minnesota campus, performing some original acoustic music that I had never really performed before. I really enjoyed doing it and people kept coming back to the shows.''
That's when Herstand discovered his passion for performing and song writing. He decided to make it a career.
Music has always been a pursuit of Herstand's. As far back as he can remember he has been playing piano, which he taught himself. He took up the trumpet in fifth grade band class. Freshman year of high school he took up playing the guitar for a band he was in and to impress a girl.
A few years ago, he got a loop station, which enables him to beat-box and play the trumpet during his concerts.
Undeclared sophomore Kyra Karenke said, "I thought it was really good. He is really talented."
Herstand has had the opportunity to share the stage with Folds, one of his influences. The Folds concert was one of his most memorable shows because it was simply euphoric for him, Herstand said.
"It's been a great ride; I mean I still feel like I'm kind of starting out," said Herstand. "I've come a long ways from six years ago when I was in school at the University of Minnesota as a music major performing in coffee shops to doing this full time. And there have been a lot of bumps along the way and I'm by no means at my peak, I'm not even close, I'm still kind of working my way up. I'm so grateful that I'm able to make a living doing this."
To keep up with his upcoming shows, or to contact Herstand visit his Web site AriHerstand.com.
"I just want to keep challenging myself musically, and I just want to keep developing myself musically and artistically and staying inspired and continuing to create better music and write better music and make better albums," Herstand said. "And really bring something unique and different into the musical world. I would like to offer something into the musical world that hasn't been offered yet, and I hopefully will break through and leave something. And, honestly, just being able to survive playing music is all I can really ask for."
The event was sponsored by Good Times Programming. For a list of upcoming campus events, visit uwgb.edu/goodtimes.
Herstand plays the guitar, piano, trumpet and even beat-boxes a bit. He is able to sing and multi-task with the different instruments during his concerts by using a loop station recorder.
Senior business major Adam Kuehn said, "I think it was a unique, different type of sound- something I had never heard before. And it was really interesting to listen to."
Influenced by artists like Dave Matthews Band, Bruce Cockburn, Ben Folds and Death Cab for Cutie, Herstand has been playing full time as a solo act for nearly five years now. He started playing gigs at coffee houses. In 2008 he quit his job at Starbucks to pursue music full time.
"I realized I wanted to pursue the music world as a profession my freshman year of college," said Herstand. "I was a music major and I started playing the coffee shops around the Minnesota campus, performing some original acoustic music that I had never really performed before. I really enjoyed doing it and people kept coming back to the shows.''
That's when Herstand discovered his passion for performing and song writing. He decided to make it a career.
Music has always been a pursuit of Herstand's. As far back as he can remember he has been playing piano, which he taught himself. He took up the trumpet in fifth grade band class. Freshman year of high school he took up playing the guitar for a band he was in and to impress a girl.
A few years ago, he got a loop station, which enables him to beat-box and play the trumpet during his concerts.
Undeclared sophomore Kyra Karenke said, "I thought it was really good. He is really talented."
Herstand has had the opportunity to share the stage with Folds, one of his influences. The Folds concert was one of his most memorable shows because it was simply euphoric for him, Herstand said.
"It's been a great ride; I mean I still feel like I'm kind of starting out," said Herstand. "I've come a long ways from six years ago when I was in school at the University of Minnesota as a music major performing in coffee shops to doing this full time. And there have been a lot of bumps along the way and I'm by no means at my peak, I'm not even close, I'm still kind of working my way up. I'm so grateful that I'm able to make a living doing this."
To keep up with his upcoming shows, or to contact Herstand visit his Web site AriHerstand.com.
"I just want to keep challenging myself musically, and I just want to keep developing myself musically and artistically and staying inspired and continuing to create better music and write better music and make better albums," Herstand said. "And really bring something unique and different into the musical world. I would like to offer something into the musical world that hasn't been offered yet, and I hopefully will break through and leave something. And, honestly, just being able to survive playing music is all I can really ask for."
The event was sponsored by Good Times Programming. For a list of upcoming campus events, visit uwgb.edu/goodtimes.
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