Singer, songwriter and recording artist Mike Viola will perform at a concert Thursday, Feb. 20, to raise funds for student scholarships.
Viola will perform at 8 p.m. in the Music Recital Hall (Building 24, Room 191). Tickets are $15 general admission and $10 for students. They are available online or at the box office, Building 24-142, (909) 869-3554.
The Los Angeles-based musician entered the spotlight as the founder of pop-rock band the Candy Butchers and later created music for films including “Get Him to the Greek,” “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” and the Oscar-nominated title song from “That Thing You Do!”
Viola also has written and produced for other artists including Ryan Adams, Matt Nathanson, New Politics, Fall Out Boy, Brett Dennen, Mandy Moore, Rachael Yamagata, Tim Christensen, Kelly Jones, and Gin Wigmore.
Proceeds from the concert will fund scholarships for students participating in the 11th Songwriter Showcase this spring quarter. The showcase concerts promote the creativity of student-songwriters from throughout the university who create original songs in all styles of popular music. Producers, musicians and vocalists from the music department accompany the songwriters.
Viola had an indirect role in starting up the Songwriter Showcase. He was scheduled to participate in a master class in 2007 but was running late to campus. Professor Arthur Winer had students perform on stage to pass the time. Winer realized that students performing original songs would make a fabulous concert, and so the showcase was born.
The showcase concerts will take place May 15-16 in the Music Recital Hall. For more information, contact Winer at ahwiner@cpp.edu.