Four Harding University students have been invited to perform at The Peabody Hotel for the Catfish Farmers of America’s 2013 annual meeting.
The Catfish Farmers of America is a non-profit trade association that was formed in 1968 and is the United State’s strongest aquaculture organization. The CFA is an association of U.S. farm-raised catfish producers, suppliers, processors and marketers.
Sophomores Adam Dell, Austin Lowery and Mariah Swisher and senior Sam Morris will be performing on Feb. 14-15 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. for the CFA’s opening reception and second night dinner assembly.
This will be the group’s first time performing together, playing 12-14 songs each night or more depending on crowd requests. They will cover country and bluegrass songs to rock and current hits. The group will play the guitar, banjo, mandolin, violin and piano.
Lowery’s family is associated with the CFA and has performed with his sister for this event in the past. Lowery invited Dell, Morris and Swisher to create the group to perform specifically for this event.
“I knew that these three would be good to perform with because they are my good friends who love to play music like I do,” Lowery said. “They are very talented musicians who I would like to perform with in the future.”
Lowery and Swisher sing together in the Harding University music group “For Certain.” “For Certain” started in the fall of 2011 under the guidance of Chuck Hicks, an assistant professor and guitar teacher at Harding, who directs Belles and Beaux and Good News Singers. Hicks is currently overseas with the Harding University in Florence program..
Swisher has been singing and playing the guitar since elementary school. Since coming to Harding, she said she has developed more as a musician and is excited for this opportunity to do what she loves.
“I have played for different types of crowds before, but never on a scale as big as this,” Swisher said. “Austin and I have great chemistry playing and singing together in “For Certain.” I am really excited to be working with Sam and Adam, who are both extremely talented.”
Morris said he is very excited about the experience he will gain from performing for such a large group of people at a well established venue.
“I am really looking forward to the crowd participating in our performance,” Morris said. “Nothing is better than a crowd that participates and dances.”
Dell and Morris are involved with Harding University’s music group Belles and Beaux.
Concert schedules and more information on these students and their singing groups can be found on Harding’s website.
