Community Corner

Connecticut State Troubadour Kristen Graves to Perform in Somers

Graves will be performing at the Piedmont Percolator Coffee House on Nov. 10, courtesy of the Somers Cultural Commission.

The below posting came from a press release.

Somers, CT - Connecticut State Troubadour, Kristen Graves, will be performing at the Piedmont Percolator, hosted by the Somers Cultural Commission on Sunday, November 10.

The show starts at 7 pm, at Piedmont Hall, 604 Main St in Somers. Admission is free.

Kristen Graves was recently named Connecticut's 15th State Troubadour. She was selected by the board of the Connecticut Office of the Arts, and will serve as an ambassador to the arts throughout the state, as well as represent Connecticut in song, through 2014. 

Graves performs approximately 175 shows a year throughout the country. She has four albums, as well as a Christmas CD and two EPs to her credit. 

Though Graves writes songs with catchy melodies, she puts a lot of her focus on lyrics, never shying away from social issues or hard topics. These subjects of social justice come from her experience in service to others.

"In 2001, I took a trip to a children's home in Mexico to volunteer for a week. The kids that I met there, and the things I experienced in seven short days changed the entire course of my life." Currently, Graves spends about three months of her year volunteering with Simply Smiles, a Connecticut-based charity run by her husband, Bryan Nurnberger.

"I play benefit concerts whenever I can. I have a few non-profits that I'm really passionate about and to me, the combination of arts and service makes perfect sense."

Graves also has a political passion. "During the 2012 election things got so mean and nasty. I thought it would be funny to start my own political party called 'Just Be Nice'.  I'd mention it at shows as a joke, and people started asking if they could join!"

Graves now has a website for the 'Just Be Nice' party (www.thejustbeniceparty.com).

It's a page that lists small non-profits that take on a variety of social issues.  And the plans don't end there.

"During my time as the State Troubadour, I want to take the opportunity to encourage other artists of all ages to not only make great art, but take things a step further outside of themselves and use that art to inspire change," Graves said. "When we all do our part to make the world a better place in whatever way we can, beautiful things happen."

Graves will share her stories and songs throughout the evening in Somers. She is available for interviews, quotes, and/or appearances by contacting kristen@kristengraves.com. 

For more information on Kristen Graves, please visit, www.kristengraves.com. For more information on the Somers Cultural Commission, please visit, http://somerscultural.org


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