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Musicians show a giving spirit
By Shawn Strannigan

Adam Hillis and Nathan Harpham presented Dana Massopust with a guitar at an Americana Project/U-Turn Lounge event.

It wasn't even December yet, the traditional month of gift-giving. But on November 29, the spirit of good will and generosity prevailed in a musical gathering in Sisters.

Youth pastor Paul Stone and Americana Project director Brad Tisdel worked together to host an open mike night at Epicure Exchange. The event, sponsored by U-Turn Lounge, was offered to provide a constructive alternative activity for students from junior high to college.

"Our goal is to give the students an opportunity to spread their artistic wings in a smoke-free, alcohol free environment," said Stone. "U-Turn has hosted several Karaoke nights, but this was our first open-mike night. I was pleased with the turnout. About 50 people came and went throughout the evening. The place was packed out."

According to Stone, pretty much anything goes during an open mike night. From poetry, to cover songs, to original compositions, the performers display their talents before their peers.

"We offered a Jasmine guitar as a prize for the best original song written and performed," said Stone. "We didn't just want a gimmick give-away -- we wanted something that would make the students dig deeper musically."

Tisdel and Stone brainstormed to keep the competition from being a popularity contest. They devised a system where only the performers could vote and they weren't allowed to vote for themselves. Positive feedback and constructive criticism were offered after each performance.

After the performances ended, the ballots were cast and the decision made. Cousins Adam Hillis and Nathan Harpham won by a landslide for their performance of "The Storm," a song they had co-written.

"It was awesome," said Hillis, who graduated from Sisters High School last year. "Nathan and I were sitting there talking during the evening, wondering what we'd do if we actually won the guitar. I'm learning to play bass and don't want a guitar and Nathan already has a really nice one.

"So we decided we'd give the guitar to the only performer who didn't have one of their own. As we looked around the room, we realized that Dana Massopust was that person. She had to borrow a guitar from the high school to even perform."

Hillis and Harpham went forward to accept the guitar, but then announced their decision to give it to Massopust. After screams of disbelief, the teary-eyed high school senior stood to accept the guitar.

"I went up, but didn't know if I should take the guitar," said Massopust.

"I had actually been praying for a guitar. I'm in the Americana Project at school and they have guitars we can use. But I wanted a guitar for after I graduated and now I have it!"

The song Massopust wrote and performed that evening was called, "Just Another Storm."

She had not come that evening expecting to win, but was excited about the opportunity to perform.

"I just wanted a chance to play my song," she said. "So I really won both ways -- I got to perform and I received a guitar."

Stone described the atmosphere of the evening as magical.

"It felt almost surreal," he stated. "The intuitive respect of the students for the performers was incredible. And when Adam and Nathan presented the guitar to Dana, everyone was impacted by that special moment of generosity."

Stone hopes to work with Tisdel to plan and host future U-Turn events, which he hopes to offer once a quarter. He is also grateful to Jeanine Smith for opening Epicure Exchange for student performances.

U-Turn requested a $2 cover charge from the students as well as two non-perishable food items. The money and food will be given to needy families around Central Oregon.

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