Get your own Free Home PageFor those of you who think State College is filled with bands of college students who would like to leave the local scene for someplace better the first opportunity they get, think again. There is a music act who likes to play in State College and doesn't plan to move out anytime soon, JR and Sharon.
JR and Sharon are a duo consisting of JR Mangan and Sharon Clendenning. Playing all types of music that ranges from classic rock to country, JR and Sharon are able to attract all types of fans, and fans is one thing JR and Sharon are getting an abundance of. Come in to see a show of JR and Sharon at the Saloon on any given Thursday, and you will see a packed house of fans waiting to see their show.
This could be because of the duo's friendly demeanor. Mangan has a quick wit about him that he will display in between songs. Also, JR and Sharon respect their fans, even conversing with them before and after the show and during intermission.
One thing JR and Sharon have is experienced, especially Mangan. He started playing at State College approximately 13 years ago, five of those years as a solo artist. Getting bored of being solo, Mangan looked for something different. Three years ago, Mangan got together with Clendenning to do an act for the Arts Festival. They liked the way they sounded together, so they decided to make a career out of it.
"I like harmonizing," said Mangan. "I was tired of being solo."
"With me, we were able to do women vocals now," said Clendenning.
This pairing would prove to work out for the duo. They could now add twice the songs to their repertoire. This only meant more songs they could play for their fans. Usually when picking a song to play, the duo will listen to what the audience requests.
"We try to become interactive with the audience," says Clendenning.
On any given night, you will hear songs from artists such as Jewel, Billy Joel, Neil Diamond, and, as Mangan likes to call him, "the late great John Denver."
JR and Sharon also have their share of original songs they like to perform. Most of them you can hear on their CD "JR and Sharon Live". A couple of their songs to watch out for are "Make it Matter" and "Cinderella".
The duo is not picky on where they perform either. Besides playing in bars at State College, they have played in Scranton, Philadelphia, at private parties and even at weddings. At some of these places, they will even play with a back-up band.
Their music is a full-time job for them. With the music scene in State College being so big, they have plenty of opportunities to make a living playing music here.
"It's hard to find bands with music being all they want to do," says Mangan.
However, JR and Sharon are happy with what they are doing and would like to continue making the fans happy. Clendenning has a goal set in mind.
"We just want to get better with each show we do."
Get your own Free Home Page