Crafting a unique sound that affects his audience on a personal level is important for Tanner Azzinnaro, who will be one of four acts to take the stage Saturday night as a part of the 2015 Christian Music Showcase.
The sophomore Audio Engineering Technology major describes his sound as a mix of the music he listens to– namely “singer-songwriter genre with pop, hip-hop, rap” and sometimes other genres– which he pulls from to create a distinct style complemented by what he calls his “weird singing voice” and a desire to expand his audience’s perspective by introducing them to genres they might not listen to otherwise.
“I make music in hopes of better understanding my own life and my relationship with God and to help other people learn and think about their own lives as well,” Azzinnaro said.
Azzinnaro discovered this deep love of music in his early teenage years, when he learned to play guitar and first began to call himself an artist.
“I had a solo at an eighth grade choir concert, first performance I ever had playing guitar, and I knew at that moment that I wanted to create music and perform,” he said.
As the showcase approaches, practice has been at the forefront of Azzinnaro’s preparations; Saturday’s performance will be his first show to include a full band. He will be joined onstage by his best friends with Kevin Monahan and Jonny Therrien on electric guitar, Rowdy Domstead on bass, Garret Moshier on keyboard, Rashaan Jiles on background vocals and Dave Czuba on drums.
And while preparing for a showcase can be a stressful experience, the band makes sure to have some fun along the way.
“The biggest challenge in preparing has been keeping our focus on rehearsal and not cracking hilarious jokes all the time,” Azzinnaro said.
The 2015 Christian Showcase will be held on Saturday at 7 p.m. in the Curb a Event Center. Admission is free.
Photo by Chloe Hall