An Evening of Songs & Stories by PBS Host Eric Gnezda, with Guests Sally Fingerett & Arkadiy Gips
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Join award-winning singer-songwriter Eric Gnezda for a conversation with his good friend and fellow musician Sally Fingerett about his new book, Stories at the Center, as well as live performances of Eric's original songs with virtuoso violinist Arkadiy Gips! Highlighting Eric as a songwriter and author, this evening will also feature readings by Eric, an audience Q&A, and a book signing.
SCHEDULE:
‣ Main Event at the Columbus Museum of Art | 6:30-8:00 pm
Sit back, relax, and enjoy the program! Eric and Sally will discuss Eric's latest book, Stories at the Center, a memoir chronicling his unconventional path in the entertainment business, including creating and hosting the popular PBS series, Songs at the Center. The main event will also include live performances accompanied by virtuoso violinist Arkadiy Gips, readings from Eric, and audience Q&A.
‣ Book Signing | 8:00 pm
Purchase books and get them signed.
REGISTER:
https://www.thurberhouse.org/events/eric-gnezda
ABOUT THE BOOK
STORIES AT THE CENTER
Chronicling Eric Gnezda’s unconventional path in the entertainment business, Stories at the Center is set against the backdrop of his lifelong passion for distance running as he jogs through the hometown he never left, reflecting on a journey of resilience, sacrifice, persistence, and artistic purpose.
From a childhood with a disabled father, through adolescence when he discovered his passion for songwriting, and into adulthood, he remains true to his dreams, all the while refining them with an openness to what life offers him. Ultimately, he creates and hosts the PBS series, Songs at the Center, which spotlights music legends such as John Oates, Janis Ian, and Ray Stevens, as well as emerging artists, giving voice to the unsung heroes of the music industry—the songwriters.
Blending humor, tension, and resolution, he explores a life devoted to serving others in an entertainment industry often driven by ego and money. His path is interrupted by the loss of loved ones, mistakes, and cultural resistance. He navigates his way through an increasingly transactional world, cherishing his family, nurturing friendships, and finding that investing in the dreams of others can lead to the fulfillment of one’s own.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS/PERFORMERS
SINGER-SONGWRITER & AUTHOR ERIC GNEZDA
Eric Gnezda is an award-winning singer-songwriter and the creator and host of Songs at the Center, a TV series that airs on over 400 PBS stations across the U.S. He writes and performs a wide range of songs, both serious and humorous—from inspirational anthems and love songs that touch the heart and soul to country tearjerkers and comedic/satirical numbers.
In addition to his performances on Songs at the Center, his songs have been featured on broad media, such as ESPN, Entertainment Tonight, Car Talk, and NPR's All Things Considered. His anthem, "Everyone Wins," has been used nationally to promote the Special Olympics, while "Blossoms of Hope" has been a favorite among cancer survivors through the U.S. and Canada.
Based in Ohio, Eric is a recipient of the Ohioana Citation for Music Composition and was named "Best Satirist of the Year" by Columbus Monthly magazine, which described him as "witty and caustic without being cruel." He was also a humor columnist for The Columbus Dispatch.
His book, Stories at the Center: A Memoir of Miles, Music, and Meaning, shares a childhood with a disabled father, through adolescence when he discovered his passion for songwriting, and into adulthood, where he finds that investing in the dreams of others can lead to the fulfillment of one’s own.
INTERVIEWER SALLY FINGERETT
Sally Fingerett is a contemporary, award-winning songwriter and performer, author, textile artist, and a founding member of the musical comedy group, The Four Bitchin’ Babes. She has released 6 solo recordings, 9 Four Bitchin’ Babes cast recordings, and has participated and contributed songs to over 15 compilation recording projects, both commercial and benefiting various philanthropic organizations. She’s composed music and lyrics for the theatre, television and film. She taken her talents to more than 800 stages around the country.
As a 1990 Kerrville, TX New Folk Award Winner for songwriting, Sally’s composition “Home Is Where the Heart Is” has been recorded by folk legends Peter, Paul and Mary for their 1995 LifeLines CD/PBS special, and published in Contemporary Cabaret, a songbook that includes Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Weber. She has appeared in Putamayo’s Songwriter Festival at NY’s Carnegie Hall, and was a featured musical guest on Michael Feldman’s Whad’Ya Know, NPR’s Mountain Stage, and CBS Sunday Morning. Singing for radio and TV, Sally has been the voice for Butterfinger, Hallmark, Sears, and A Star for Jeremy NBC. She is also the author of various short stories and essays, as well as the 2015 memoir The Mental Yentl: Stories from a Lifelong Student of Crazy.
MASTER VIOLINIST ARKADIY GIPS
Arkadiy Gips is a master violinist originally from Ukraine and now residing in Columbus. He was a featured musician on two of Madonna’s world tours, and brings his audiences a blend of folk, Gypsy, Americana, and country music.
Arkadiy began playing violin at the age of three, and at six, he was admitted to the School for Talented Children in Kiev and graduated from the Rostov Music Conservatory. Arkadiy became a well-known violinist in Eastern Europe, where he played with a variety of orchestras. His performances have included Ukrainian, Jewish, Gypsy, Hungarian, and Polish music.
In the U.S., Arkadiy has performed with many noted musicians, playing jazz and country in addition to ethnic and classical styles of music. Today, Arkadiy not only plays, but conducts, arranges, and composes music.
SCHEDULE:
‣ Main Event at the Columbus Museum of Art | 6:30-8:00 pm
Sit back, relax, and enjoy the program! Eric and Sally will discuss Eric's latest book, Stories at the Center, a memoir chronicling his unconventional path in the entertainment business, including creating and hosting the popular PBS series, Songs at the Center. The main event will also include live performances accompanied by virtuoso violinist Arkadiy Gips, readings from Eric, and audience Q&A.
‣ Book Signing | 8:00 pm
Purchase books and get them signed.
REGISTER:
https://www.thurberhouse.org/events/eric-gnezda
ABOUT THE BOOK
STORIES AT THE CENTER
Chronicling Eric Gnezda’s unconventional path in the entertainment business, Stories at the Center is set against the backdrop of his lifelong passion for distance running as he jogs through the hometown he never left, reflecting on a journey of resilience, sacrifice, persistence, and artistic purpose.
From a childhood with a disabled father, through adolescence when he discovered his passion for songwriting, and into adulthood, he remains true to his dreams, all the while refining them with an openness to what life offers him. Ultimately, he creates and hosts the PBS series, Songs at the Center, which spotlights music legends such as John Oates, Janis Ian, and Ray Stevens, as well as emerging artists, giving voice to the unsung heroes of the music industry—the songwriters.
Blending humor, tension, and resolution, he explores a life devoted to serving others in an entertainment industry often driven by ego and money. His path is interrupted by the loss of loved ones, mistakes, and cultural resistance. He navigates his way through an increasingly transactional world, cherishing his family, nurturing friendships, and finding that investing in the dreams of others can lead to the fulfillment of one’s own.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS/PERFORMERS
SINGER-SONGWRITER & AUTHOR ERIC GNEZDA
Eric Gnezda is an award-winning singer-songwriter and the creator and host of Songs at the Center, a TV series that airs on over 400 PBS stations across the U.S. He writes and performs a wide range of songs, both serious and humorous—from inspirational anthems and love songs that touch the heart and soul to country tearjerkers and comedic/satirical numbers.
In addition to his performances on Songs at the Center, his songs have been featured on broad media, such as ESPN, Entertainment Tonight, Car Talk, and NPR's All Things Considered. His anthem, "Everyone Wins," has been used nationally to promote the Special Olympics, while "Blossoms of Hope" has been a favorite among cancer survivors through the U.S. and Canada.
Based in Ohio, Eric is a recipient of the Ohioana Citation for Music Composition and was named "Best Satirist of the Year" by Columbus Monthly magazine, which described him as "witty and caustic without being cruel." He was also a humor columnist for The Columbus Dispatch.
His book, Stories at the Center: A Memoir of Miles, Music, and Meaning, shares a childhood with a disabled father, through adolescence when he discovered his passion for songwriting, and into adulthood, where he finds that investing in the dreams of others can lead to the fulfillment of one’s own.
INTERVIEWER SALLY FINGERETT
Sally Fingerett is a contemporary, award-winning songwriter and performer, author, textile artist, and a founding member of the musical comedy group, The Four Bitchin’ Babes. She has released 6 solo recordings, 9 Four Bitchin’ Babes cast recordings, and has participated and contributed songs to over 15 compilation recording projects, both commercial and benefiting various philanthropic organizations. She’s composed music and lyrics for the theatre, television and film. She taken her talents to more than 800 stages around the country.
As a 1990 Kerrville, TX New Folk Award Winner for songwriting, Sally’s composition “Home Is Where the Heart Is” has been recorded by folk legends Peter, Paul and Mary for their 1995 LifeLines CD/PBS special, and published in Contemporary Cabaret, a songbook that includes Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Weber. She has appeared in Putamayo’s Songwriter Festival at NY’s Carnegie Hall, and was a featured musical guest on Michael Feldman’s Whad’Ya Know, NPR’s Mountain Stage, and CBS Sunday Morning. Singing for radio and TV, Sally has been the voice for Butterfinger, Hallmark, Sears, and A Star for Jeremy NBC. She is also the author of various short stories and essays, as well as the 2015 memoir The Mental Yentl: Stories from a Lifelong Student of Crazy.
MASTER VIOLINIST ARKADIY GIPS
Arkadiy Gips is a master violinist originally from Ukraine and now residing in Columbus. He was a featured musician on two of Madonna’s world tours, and brings his audiences a blend of folk, Gypsy, Americana, and country music.
Arkadiy began playing violin at the age of three, and at six, he was admitted to the School for Talented Children in Kiev and graduated from the Rostov Music Conservatory. Arkadiy became a well-known violinist in Eastern Europe, where he played with a variety of orchestras. His performances have included Ukrainian, Jewish, Gypsy, Hungarian, and Polish music.
In the U.S., Arkadiy has performed with many noted musicians, playing jazz and country in addition to ethnic and classical styles of music. Today, Arkadiy not only plays, but conducts, arranges, and composes music.
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Where is it happening?
480 East Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215, United States
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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Host or PublisherThurber House
