Blood
Artistry in local musician’s blood
Nov
Submitted photo
Nathaniel Mowery will perform at Hungry Run Wine Bar and Bistro in Lewistown tonight at 6 p.m.
REEDSVILLE — Born into a family of artists, it’s not surprising Nathaniel Mowery hit his musical stride at an early age.
After all, his parents, Gary and Terry, met during a theatrical production. Dad was an actor, who loved to play opera and big band numbers on the piano, while Mom, a harpist, worked in the props department.
“That’s how they met,” said the 44-year-old Mowery, referring to how music brought his parents together. His grandfather also played the violin.
“It was always around me, so I was born into it,” said the 44-year-old Mowery, a solo artist from Reedsville. “I’m all about music. It’s just in my blood.”
A full-time corrections officer, Mowery and wife, Claire, have four daughters. He still finds time to perform at area venues throughout the Juniata Valley, including a live performance at Hungry Run Wine Bar and Bistro, 10042 Route 522 South, Lewistown, tonight at 6 p.m.
“I started playing bass originally – the electric bass,” Mowery recalled of his first experience with music around age 9. “I wanted to go anywhere and everywhere with my music, so I picked up an acoustic guitar because it was easier.” The acoustic guitar didn’t need power, so it was one less thing to worry about.
A month before Mowery turned 19, he won a pair of first place awards for guitar and art portfolio at the Ole Bull Art and Music Festival in Gallitzin, Cambria County in 1996. That earned him a trip to perform at the Lincoln Center in New York City.
“That’s the only big award I ever did win,” Mowery quipped. “I just wanted to play music. I’m not very business oriented. I don’t market myself very well. I don’t have websites or any of that stuff (social media). I’m old and I don’t like computers.”
Despite the lack of a business acumen, Mowery still finds himself landing a lot of work.
“I started doing gigs when I was pretty young,” Mowery said. “I got a lot of gigs in the Jersey Shore and Williamsport areas – bars, pubs and hotels.”
It helped that he grew up in Jersey Shore. Mowery was born in Mifflin County, but his dad became superintendent of schools in Jersey Shore, so the family moved away. Eventually, Mowery relocated to Colorado, but he ended up coming back to the Nippenose Valley after almost three years to be closer to family.
The diversity of Mowery’s musical performances is matched only by his wide taste in music. “I’m a big grunge fan,” he added. “I love Nirvana and Tool, but I also like the oldies – “Stand By Me” and “What a Wonderful World.”
Typically, he plays the acoustic guitar or ukulele during a show.
“I do from the ’50s to current, I try to keep it as spread out as possible,” Mowery said. “It’s cool because somebody real young will compliment me, ‘That song you did was really great.’ Then, somebody in their 80s will say the same thing.”
He loves to perform for an audience no matter if it’s a small crowd in a dive bar or a large crowd at a bigger venue. “I like doing it because I enjoy it,” Mowery explained. “The energy and the vibe are important to me, and that’s the biggest part.”
