Cathy Miller’s Next Big Thing: Celebrating A Center And A Song  

by Cathy Miller

Warren County Habitat for Humanity (WCHFH) has been a mainstay in Washington for many years. They are fully dedicated to their mission of putting God’s love into action by bringing people together to build homes, communities, and hope.

On February 3, 2020 construction began on the Warren County Habitat for Humanity (WCHFH) Community Center at 31 Belvidere Avenue. On April 6, 2022, the Community Center opened its doors to serve the needs of youth, senior citizens and Veterans in the community.

The Community Center consists of a nicely appointed conference room and a great room. The great room, designed to resemble a nest, features a great stage, fantastic acoustics, a professional sound system and lighting, and plenty of room.

Two years later, the space has been utilized by individuals and businesses for an assortment of events, including free open mic sessions featuring live music by local musicians.

Spotlighting the two year anniversary of the Community Center, Habitat is hosting several free events over three days. Everyone’s invited!
April 4: Stop in for open Tai Chi with Ernie from 5:45 to 6:45 p.m.
April 5: Crafts for Kids and Adults takes place from 2 to 5 p.m.
An hour later, it’s Zumba Gold with Sandy from 6 to 6:30 p.m., Zumba with Camee from 6:30 to 7 p.m., Zumba with Marina from 7 to 7:30 p.m., and Yoga with Sylvia from 7:30 to 8 p.m. Try one or all four!
A week later, the festivities continue –
April 12: Enjoy a special Open Mic from 1 to 3 p.m. with live music by Fred Romano, Diana Dove, and Avoiding Foreclosure.
For added listening pleasure, join hosts Steve Kirchuk and Kevin McCann that evening, April 12, at their regularly scheduled Open Mic from 7 to 9 p.m.

What’s this Open Mic? Also celebrating a two year anniversary is the WCHFH Open Mic at the Community Center. Now, firmly established, the Open Mic is a perfect place to share music, talent, and conviviality. And it’s FREE!

How did it happen? Kevin began playing benefit concerts for Habitat in 2021. When the Community Center opened, he checked it out, and ultimately pitched the idea of an Open Mic to JJ Norment, development director.

That same week, Steve spoke with Norment and also inquired about the possibility of an Open Mic.

Having known each other since 2000 and performed several gigs as a duo around that time, it seemed destiny that the two men approached WCHFH separately, at the same time.

The stars aligned, guitars were tuned, and WCHFH Open Mic was born! The first show was on May 20, 2022. Steve said, “It took us a few weeks to figure out the schedule. Then we had to gather up the board, mics, and other integral equipment. I created the logo a month or two later.”

The first official Open Mic was on June 17, 2022, with subsequent shows scheduled for the second and fourth Fridays of the month from 7 to 9 p.m.

Kevin noted, “I’m amazed at it’s growth and all the people I’ve met! We’ve got a large group of musicians who come in on a regular basis. I hope we can inspire younger musicians to join us too. It’s such a great opportunity to spotlight local talent.”

Steve added, “I ran several open mics in the past. My approach has always been pretty low key, to let everyone participate without any restrictions on level of experience or playing ability. Doing a jam at the end worked well for me in the past, so we do that here too. It lets less experienced people play with other musicians.”

Both Kevin and Steve are happy with the public’s response to their Open Mic. Turnout varies, but every Open Mic brings in new people, as well as several of the regulars. Folk and blues, reggae and jazz, a young rock band, spoken word, scenes from a musical, poetry – the performances are undeniably eclectic.

The organizers hope to resume booking “guest performers.” On April 26, Erin from the musical “Angels Everywhere” and her stage band (Tom Donohue, Reid Boates and Steve Kirchuk) will grace the stage. Percussionist Chuck Wood is coming up. Past guest acts were Rich Ortiz, Kate & Paul, Winterlong, Wendy’s Words, The Inquisition, Jam-Bone, Gary Reed, Rick Barth, Fred Romano and Avoiding Foreclosure.

The ever-expanding list of talent that has graced the Community Center stage also includes Rick Houston, Fred Burton, Brian Peterson, Kevin DeFeo, Diana Dove, Carl Scimeca, Glenn Whitmore, Elaine Molinari, Jack Tannehill, Chuck Wood & Maria Haydon, The EZ Livin’ Band, Ted Dillenkofer, Erin Encore, Tommy Schimminger, flautist Corrie, Jeff Scalia & Steve Slutter, Tony Sky, Brian Kathenes, Steve Azzaro, Ed Winck, BBQ & Son, Bernie Drury, Karen Kamenetsky, Kathy Moser, Arminus Stevens, Chris Polacco, John Beavin and his wife Lainey (a poet), and of course, Steve Kirchuk and Kevin McCann.

Kevin said, “The icebreaker is the music. At the end of the night, as equipment is packed up and chairs are stored away, everyone gets together and chit chats. It’s great!”

Those interested in performing at an Open Mic, should arrive around 6:30 to sign in, and be prepared to play three songs. Music starts around 7:00. Any questions, reach the Open Mic through Facebook: habitatforhumanityopenmic.com.

Thoughts on the Open Mic’s two year anniversary from a few musicians:

Kevin DeFeo: “What drew me to this Open Mic was Steve Kirchuk. He’s been a friend and mentor ever since I wandered into an open mic he used to host in Budd Lake nine years ago. What has kept me coming back to the Habitat for Humanity Open Mic is the venue, the hosts, the audience and the other performers. I’ve attended many open mics and this is a great one. It’s a listening room environment with professional sound and an attentive audience. This is much better than a bar setting where it’s noisy and people often don’t pay attention to the performances. As a songwriter, this is an excellent venue to present your songs. I love to perform for people.” From picking up a $35 ukulele around ten years ago, to his first guitar about six months later, Kevin, who is self-taught, now plays multiple instruments and continues to write music. He freely admits, “It’s been a fun journey so far.”

Diana Dove: Music has always been an integral part of Diana Dove’s life. She has sung at restaurant lounges in New Jersey and Virginia. She is a 30 year member of the Warren County Community Singers, was named First Place Talent Champion at the Warren County Farmers Fair, and won a Talent Award in the Miss New Jersey/Miss America Pageant while putting herself through college. The Warren Reporter/Star Gazette aptly nicknamed her “The Singing Dove.” In her day job, Diana is an environmental educator who uses music and kids’ songs as a teaching tool with preschoolers to second graders, and children with special needs. Diana said, “I love singing gentle, soothing songs that carry a message – singing for a cause. I very much enjoy WCHFH’s Open Mic. It has brought such wide a variety of local talent together.” Diana will perform at the April 12 early afternoon Open Mic show.

Jeff Scalia: “I first heard about the Habitat Open Mic from Diana Dove. I then started seeing it advertised on Facebook. I decided to give it a try back in early 2023 and enjoyed it greatly. I use the time to test out new songs, and experiment with old tunes.” Jeff sometimes performs as a duo with Steve Slutter, playing classic rock/folks songs. At other times he puts on a cool blues-y set. To round everything out, he also sings with the Warren County Community Singers.

Elaine Molinari: “I was initially drawn to the Open Mic because I grew up in Washington and I love coming back to my hometown. It’s nostalgia for me. I love the wonderful variety of singers and musicians there and the incredible talent! They are a friendly and fun bunch.” Elaine has played various instruments for many years, including keyboards, guitar, harmonica, a little flute, and for the last two years, lap steel guitar, which she says, “has been challenging yet fun.”

REMINDER: Come enjoy ALL the FREE festivities during Warren County Habitat for Humanity’s Special Second Anniversary Multi-Day Community Center and Open Mic Celebration at 31 Belvidere Avenue in Washington on April 4, 5 and 12.

Warren County Habitat for Humanity, 31 Belvidere Avenue, Washington NJ
908-835-1300        www.warrenhabitat.org