2nd Stage Acoustic Trio
Who We Are …
2nd Stage is made up of Ann Searcy, Don Schlenger and Stuart Gordon. After 3 years of informal jamming and exploring musical ideas the three decided to form 2nd Stage and bring together their different styles of performing. Their songs draw from various genres including bluegrass, country, traditional, and folk.
Stuart is a New Jersey native and came to North Carolina State University nearly thirty years ago. He has lived in the area since. His musical style is influenced by folk and folk-rock from the 1960s and 1970s as well as bluegrass and early country. Stuart sings and plays guitar, mandolin, harmonica, and piano. Over the past several years, he has performed with acoustic duos and trios at coffee houses, parties, and outdoor events and is a regular performer at several retirement communities. Stuart is featured with Don Smith on “Steel Rails through the Valley”, a compilation CD of railroad songs produced by the New Hope Valley Railway in Bonsal, NC.
Don is from New Jersey and lives in Cary, NC. Inspired by folk music of the 1960’s, country and the gospel favorites of his Oklahoma-born mother, he bought his first guitar in 1963. As a teen he would go to Greenwich Village in New York City to take in jazz, blues and folk music at the local clubs. While working his way through college he waited tables in a hotel and started playing guitar and singing in staff talent shows. Years later he played in a folk-rock band covering artists like Dylan, Leonard Cohen and Simon & Garfunkle. He has been playing in various venues in the Triangle area for five years and now brings his excellent singing and pickin’ talents to 2nd Stage.
Ann grew up in Smithfield, NC and has been singing since childhood. Her experience ranges from college folk-singing groups and church choirs to community choruses and solos in the shower. She gained an appreciation of classical composers and show tunes from high school and college voice teachers and now loves singing folk music, country tunes and pop standards with 2nd Stage, especially tunes that feature the group’s signature vocal harmonies. The group’s “percussionist”, she also plays a mean tambourine. Ann lives in Cary NC.