Folk for the Folks

By Lisa Hammett
Retriever Weekly Staff Writer

"This is all in my face, in an instant, and then gone to decipher like a lover… this is grace undercover and I'm trying to discover where I last left myself, is it too late to speak, as I swim in the streets and I sweat in my sleep?" Tina Vero expressed in her intricate Indie/folk set at the Commongrounds Coffeehouse.

Vero performed after Josh & Nil, both were part of the new set-up for this semester's Commongrounds Coffeehouse series. Acoustic sets achieved the Office of Student Life's goal of providing musical entertainment in a study or chat-appropriate atmosphere. Some folks came out for the folk and others for the folks. "I think it's important to attend campus functions so that I can be more aware of the different kinds of people that are here," said Harry Myers, Senior.

Senior Bernie Mullin also enjoys the "folksy" feature of the Commongrounds Coffeehouse and other on-campus events. "Campus events are a great place to meet girls," he remarked.

Whether they came for the "folk" or "folks," the audience was captured by Vero's intimate sound and confessional lyrics. The music she is creating allows listeners to relate and reflect, just as she is reflecting. The song her album is named for, "In the Waiting," is a wonderful blend of emotion, strength, and still, uncertainty, which she uses to expose the pain that comes in times of waiting. "The songs on this album are mainly about leaving the past," Vero expressed. "It was an emotional waiting period for me—I was in college and deciding what to do next in life."

Supporters of Indie music can be grateful that she chose the musical path, as she was considering attending medical school after her graduation from Rutgers University. It was while she was at Rutgers that she began to play guitar and perform music at on-campus events. "I began to play at a coffeehouse in Brunswick, New Jersey, and the music community there was very supportive," she said. This influenced her decision to focus more on music during her time "in the waiting."

Her sound and lyrics were emotionally affective, and caused one UMBC junior to reflect on his experience of music. "Music is such an intricate part of life," said Sean Mullin. "It provides a close relationship between the artist and the listener—a way to share an experience."

Vero's "hero" in the musical world is Indie musician Neil Finn, whom she has appeared with on stage on two different occasions. She particularly enjoys him as a part of Crowded House, and has to some degree followed him stylistically. Samples of her music can be accessed through her website, www.tinavero.com.

Next week's Commongrounds Coffeehouse will feature folk musician Leslie Helpert and rock artist Sarah Pinsker.