General News: Wisconsin Singer Shines Despite Challenges
Tony Memmel and his wife, Lesleigh, from the cover of his new album, Potter Road.
Tony Memmel will perform at 2 Alices this week.
October 21, 2009
At age 23, singer/songwriter Tony Memmel has organized his first road trip, a notable accomplishment for any young musician, but even more notable because of the obstacles Memmel faced on the way.
He spoke to News from Cornwall and Cornwall-on-Hudson recently from his home in Wisconsin before embarking on the tour that will bring him to 2 Alices Coffee Lounge in Cornwall-on-Hudson on Friday night. Memmel talked about his years of singing lead in a local rock band and of his voice skills that won him a scholarship to the University of Wisconsin, where he earned a degree in music business. He barely mentioned a birth defect that would have kept many from the musical stage.
Born without a left forearm, Memmel didn’t let that stop him from learning to play the trumpet as a youngster or to take up the guitar at age 13. He strums the guitar with a pick attached to his left arm and he says his biggest problem was finding a tape strong enough to withstand the pressure when he plays.
Memmel taught himself to play the guitar and, in college, he played the piano as well. He also poured his heart into writing songs that he has recorded on his new album, Potter Road. Memmel’s music is acoustic folk and his lyrics speak of the simple pleasures of love, home and hope for the future. (Listen here.) He is accompanied on some of the songs by his wife, Lesleigh, a fellow musician whom he met and married while in college.
“I love the creative process,” Memmel said when speaking of the challenges presented by his music. “Songwriting is something I am trying to improve on. The most difficult thing for me is trying to convey my message.”
You can meet Tony and hear his music in the village this Friday night.
Check out his live performance at a Wisconsin television station below.
