Two Washington musicians are bringing the local music scene to life with their original music and dedication to young musicians.
Lucas and Sarah Doremus, both 22, have lived in Washington, where Lucas was born and raised, since they graduated from Millikin University and were married last June. Sarah is originally from Seneca.
The couple met at Millikin University, where Lucas studied commercial music with a specialization in guitar, and Sarah studied music business with a specialization in vocal performance.
Although they took many of the same music classes, Lucas and Sarah met in a philosophy class.
Sarah, who plays the piano and performs vocally, said she remembers the moment she knew music would be a major part of her life.
“I got a tiny little Casio keyboard and one of those voice recorders with a microphone clipped on the side. I would play with my left hand and hold the microphone with my right,” Sarah said. “That’s how I wrote my first song when I was in fourth grade. I’m proud to say I’ve gotten better from there.”
Lucas also found his way to music at a young age.
“I was in band in fifth grade up until high school. I started playing guitar right before my freshman year. I was lucky to play guitar in the musicals at the high school,” Lucas said.
“Then I went to school for music, not knowing what I would do with it,” he added.
Still, a love for music does not always translate into a career in the music industry.
“I didn’t expect it to be my bread and butter. I knew it probably wouldn’t be what paid the bills but [music] is definitely something I wanted to keep on the side,” Sarah said. “It makes me happy.”
“It is tough to break into doing music full-time. It’s all about people you know and if you don’t know many people, it’s hard to stay employed,” Lucas said.
The Doremuses both veered away from music toward the end of their college careers. Sarah dabbled in public relations and graphic design, while Lucas became interested in video production.
To earn their “bread and butter,” Sarah works as a classified advertising representative for TimesNewspapers, and Lucas writes video scripts for Digital Media Communications.
In their spare time, they write music for their debut album, which does not yet have a planned release date.
“It’s really bare bones right now. We just have some songs and an idea in mind,” Sarah said.
Their songs are all original. Lucas said he usually writes the instrumentals, while Sarah starts singing, forming the lyrics as she sings.
They both describe their style of music as “all over the place” and a mixture of genres.
“The instrumental stuff I do has some country, folky thumb picking. It’s somewhere between country, folk and bluegrass but it’s also influenced by rock, blues, old and new country and even funk. And I still play some classical stuff,” Lucas said.
Although his instrument of choice is the guitar, he also tinkers with the bass guitar, piano, mandolin and banjo.
He cites guitarists Chet Atkins, Phil Keaggy, Tommy Emmanuel and Leo Kottke as major influences on his personal music.
“My favorite band is Led Zeppelin, so there’s a good amount of that in my music as well,” Lucas said.
Sarah’s musical influences are similar.
“I grew up listening to classic rock. I also latched onto Jewel when I was in junior high and high school. Then when I got to college, I started to listen to the Avett Brothers and more country,” Sarah said. “When ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou’ came out, that’s when I fell in love with country bluegrass music.”
Their musical talents have been showcased at dinner parties, weddings and summer or fall festivals in the area.
Sharing their love of music
Not long after they moved to Washington, Sarah and Lucas decided the town needed a venue to provide local musicians with an artistic outlet.
They approached the owner of The Blend, a coffeehouse on Main Street in Washington where Sarah and Lucas had occasionally played, and proposed an open mic night that they would host and manage.
“There are plenty of musicians in Washington, they just don’t have a place to play. So, this opens up a platform for them,” Lucas said.
Open mic night is at The Blend from 7 to 9 p.m. the third Tuesday of every month.
The Doremuses said they only perform on open mic nights to fill time if there are not enough performers, since their goal is an artistic outlet for others.
Sarah knows first-hand how important having a place like The Blend is, especially for younger musicians.
“There are a lot of open mic nights, but largely, those are taking place at bars or at a nightclub where high school kids can’t get in,” she said. “I wish that I had had something like this when I was growing up. When I was in high school, my parents would actually come with me sometimes to bars before I was 21 so I could get in there and play, then leave.”
Overall, they said they have had a very positive response from people who come to open mic. A few of the performers have been asked by the owner of the coffeehouse to come back and play during their regular live music nights.
Musicians are not the only performers taking advantage of open mic night. The Doremuses said people have recited poems, speeches and even told jokes.
No matter what the format, it is all about having fun.
“I feel like The Blend is relaxed and it’s easier for the younger age group to get some experience performing and have fun,” Sarah said.
Washington, Ill. —
