HOW TO GO
What: Fourth Avenue
Where: Turner Pavilion, Veterans’ Park, Springfield
When: 8 p.m. Thursday, July 2
Admission: Free; donations are accepted
More info: Call 937-324-2712 or go to www.SpringfieldArtsCouncil.org.
You can enjoy a cappella music in several ways — with the “Pitch Perfect” movies on the big screen or with “The Sing-Off” or “Glee” on television.
Probably the best way to appreciate it is live, and that’s where Fourth Avenue hits fifth gear.
While a lot of groups experience personnel changes, the award-winning a cappella group still has its original founding members and even added a new member.
It’s the type of chemistry a lot of people would like to bottle. The secret is simple.
“We love singing and hanging out together,” said Scott Dawson of Fourth Avenue.
With ties to the local area, Fourth Avenue will croon its way into the Summer Arts Festival at 8 p.m. Thursday, July 2, at the Turner Pavilion in Veterans’ Park.
There is no admission cost.
Fourth Avenue started in 1993, when Dawson, Maurice Harris, Ryan Holway and Jim Brown combined. They met working together as entertainers at Kings Island amusement park, then spent years honing their skills and winning contests.
In 1998 they became a full-time group and went on to play for several big-name bands such as The Temptations, Three Dog Night, The Beach Boys and Styx.
Fourth Avenue learned and became successful in its own right, tuning the act to keep audiences involved and entertained.
“When we started, we learned an audience will stay involved for about 20 minutes, so we worked to make sure the time in between songs is planned out,” said Dawson.
This led to recordings and several appearances. The members eventually chose to stay together, but pursued other full-time careers.
Dawson said he’s proud not just to perform but also to get to work with school choirs and do workshops, another part of the group’s mission.
Fifth member Geoff Moss joined in 2014. Both work for Clark State, Dawson as faculty coordinator of graphic design and new media, and he met Moss as a student.
Moss now works at the Clark State Performing Arts Center and also helps with Summer Arts Festival shows.
Dawson suggested him as a substitute performer for Fourth Avenue and the group decided to welcome Moss to form a quintet.
Fourth Avenue could easily entertain on just covers of songs in a variety of genres. They range from jazz, rock, doo wop and hip-hop.
But they began to write original material, as well. Attendees of their show will hear some originals with recognizable tunes from several decades done Fourth Avenue style.
Dawson said the resurgence of a cappella music in recent years with “Pitch Perfect” and the television series has raised the group’s profile.
Dawson is excited about the Summer Arts Festival appearance. He is the former outreach and education director for Project Jericho. So it’s a way of performing in his own back yard.
“We’ve wanted to play here for years,” Dawson said. “It’s exciting to play in front of coworkers and friends.”
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