Pickin' And Grinnin'

It's Friday night, and The Bertin Rouse Performing Arts Room is rocking gently. Seated in a circle, songbooks in front of them, twelve folkies are strumming their guitars joyously, as they rip through "(Take Me Home) Country Roads." Most of the participants sport the telltale signs of middle age: wedding bands, graying mustaches and hair, eyeglasses and extra-warm sweaters to ward off the February chill.

But as the group begins to sing the chorus of this John Denver tune, the years drift off. You can't tell the middle-aged folks from the two teens who complete this ensemble. Welcome to The Westchester Acoustic Guitar Group, happily hanging out at The Rye Arts Center.

"I only started guitar lessons in 2006," says Chris Troise, a Harrison resident and the man who formed the group. "But after playing for a year or so, I wanted to jam with other players."

"I first began playing in Rockland County, but it was too much of a trip. So, I went to meetup.com and found a few folks who wanted to get together and play. And eventually we got space here in Rye," Troise said. "We meet every Friday night. Its ten bucks admission. The money mostly goes toward making copies of the songs for everyone, so they can play along."

With Valentine's day approaching, Troise has designated tonight's theme as "Love Songs," either happy or sad. Clutching her Gibson guitar, Michelle Palamindy next leads the group through "I Heard It Through The Grapevine," easily negotiating the song's bluesy paranoia and wailing about the dark side of affection. Bruce Springsteen's "Because The Night" restores the idea of romantic and sexual bliss. Then everyone launches into The Everly Brothers' "Bird Dog," which comically explores a teenage love triangle. 

As good as some of the players are, no one here has quit their day job. Troise is a commodities trader. Seated opposite him is Mark A. Siesel, an attorney, whose specialty is personal injury and criminal law. Although he works in White Plains and lives in Peekskill, Siesel is clearly as happy here as he is in a courtroom.

"I've been playing for about thirty five years," Siesel said, holding a new and intricately-detailed Ovation guitar. "I found the group by looking at Meetup, too."

"I was in a band in college and I found that even though I wasn't going to go pro, I missed playing with other people once I started working," Siesel added. "I'm deeply into music. The Beatles, Dylan, Tom Petty. It's great to be able to play with people each week and not have to think about how to earn a living playing or how an audience is going to react. This is pure fun."

It's not long before Siesel and the group launch into Buddy Holly's "Rave On," a song about love's more manic side. The two teenage boys, Rye resident Robert Cords and Port Chester resident Kyle Thomas, have come in a bit late, but are soon strumming along. Clearly, though, the night belongs to the 40 and 50-somethings. And there's no shortage of middle-aged angst and worries about the real world beyond the Arts Center's walls.

Steve Cadenhead, a man whose face and hair are both covered with grey, is happy just to be playing tonight. He's currently looking for work.

"I'm a hedge fund manager and entrepreneur," Cadenhead said. "I've got some things lined up that might get me back in business, but this has been a difficult time, for me and a lot of Americans."

As the players launch into the Beatles tune, "I Will," Cadenhead is visibly lifted by the sound of ringing guitars. Smiles light up the faces of the entire group. The Westchester group is ostensibly about fun and music. But it's impossible not to see it's also about something more essential—giving people the strength and optimism to get through these troubled times.