Homegrown Music is WVIA-FM's exclusive series which each week showcases the talents of regional contemporary music artists in recordings produced in the WVIA-FM studios by series host George Graham and is broadcast Tuesdays at 9:00 PM and Saturdays at 6 PM on WVIA-HD2. A special feature during May is an encore of a 2005 acoustic concert by Dakota, in tribute to founding member Jerry Hludzik who passed away last month. Further information on Homegrown Music may be obtained via the World Wide Web at http://homegrownmusic.info and http://www.wvia.org/radio/local/homegrown-music/

May 5 Teen Town. A virtuoso jazz-rock fusion trio comprising literal teens from North Central Pennsylvania, Teen Town, named after a Jaco Pastorius tune, were a big hit at the 2018 Scranton Jazz Festival. This is an encore of their Homegrown Music debut session from 2019.

Teen Town at WVIA in 2019

May 12 Acoustic Dakota Duo: Remembering Jerry Hludzik. Jerry Hludzik and Bill Kelly were the key members of the early 1970s band The Buoys, who scored a national hit with the song “Timothy.” The duo decided to start their own project with original music, first appearing on Homegrown Music in 1977 as The Jerry-Kelly Band, and later achieved considerable international success as Dakota. After going their separate ways, the duo reunited in 2005 and one of their first appearances together was a live concert that year. Jerry Hludzik passed away last month at the age of 68, and we remember him with an encore of that memorable concert.

Jerry Hludzik and Bill Kelly performing at WVIA in 2005

May 19 Don Slepian. Stroudsburg area composer, synthesist and guitarist Slepian describes himself on his business card as "technologist." Known nationally for his electronic music, he was resident music technologist years ago at the famed Bell Labs. His 2011 Homegrown Music appearance combined classical orchestral sounds, realized electronically, with improvisation, performed in real time. The result is fascinating and very engaging.

Don Slepian at WVIA in 2011.

May 26 Mickey Spain. A veteran folksinger, Mickey Spain has been a member of the traditional Irish band Makem and Spain and has recorded with such luminaries as Tom Paxton, Roger McGuinn, Noel Paul Stookey, and Jonathan Edwards, and is now living in Scranton. This is an encore of Spain’s solo Homegrown Music debut from 2018 with a collection of original folksongs in a solo acoustic setting.

Mickey Spain at WVIA in 2019.

Contact Series Producer: