Crown of the Continent guitarist to perform, hold workshop

Crown of the Continent guitarist Chuck Suchy will perform “Songs and Stories of a Prairie Troubadour” in a benefit concert to support the education programs of The Crown of the Continent Guitar Foundation on Saturday, Feb. 16 with a public workshop prior to the show.

Suchy’s songs and stories have earned him broad acclaim and performances at esteemed venues such as the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, the Smithsonian Institution and on Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion.”

As a working North Dakota farmer his music is rooted in a universal theme of connection to the land conjuring images of the Great Plains region and praising its lifestyle. His music also includes songs about human relationships, spirituality, motorcycles, and even sailing.

Well-known Flathead Valley musicians Andre Floyd and David Griffith will open for Suchy. Floyd is a guitar instructor and leader of the band Mood Iguana. Griffith is a multi-instrumentalist and popular performing musician in the Flathead.

Sponsored by the COC Guitar Foundation and Plum Creek Timber Company, the concert will wrap up Suchy’s three-day visit in the Flathead Valley. Proceeds from the concert will support the COCGF educational programs that Suchy will be providing to Whitefish High School, Columbia Falls Junior High and Flathead Valley High School students where he will be introducing them to his renowned style of songwriting and guitar playing.

The COCGF Community Youth Guitar Education Program started in 2010 with the goal of introducing Flathead Valley youth to studying the guitar and to increasing their interest in the study of music.

The family-friendly concert will be held at 204 7th Ave. West, Kalispell, at the former United Church of Christ. Doors open at 6:45 p.m. for the 7:30 p.m. concert. Donations are accepted and seating is limited. A public workshop will also be offered prior to the concert on Saturday from 1-3 p.m.

Call 407-5962 for information and instructions on disability access.

For information about the concert or about the Crown of the Continent Guitar Foundation and its 2013 Guitar Workshop, visit www.cocguitarfoundation.org or call 407-5962.