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SSG Songwriter Spotlight Series

Three artists from Skylands Songwriters Guild perform

Come hear three local singer-songwriters -- Karen Kamenetsky, Joanne Lurgio, Don Elliker -- perform for 30 minutes each.

About the Singer-Songwriters:

Don Elliker: Born in the canyons of Manhattan Island, raised on the cliffs of the Palisades, Don has been a musician almost from birth. Principally a vocalist as a baby, he later moved to percussion followed by a love of all things strings. He writes and performs his own music. He has performed in Madison Square basement many times and rubbed elbows in public performance with several famous people who would prefer we didn’t mention them here as well as won the MTV Beach House Band Search, a songwriting and performance contest sponsored by MTV (when they were a music channel).

Joanne Lurgio: A talented songwriter, combined with her gifted voice and wonderful guitar work, will prompt you to chase your dreams and offer a tale or two about ordinary people who, like her, excel and inspire. Her songs, singing and guitar work honed and polished in the venues of New England, have a distinct Americana feel with New England charm. She moves from country to bluegrass, folk and r&b to gospel, all with a bluesy undertone. A hard-hitting voice that fills the room with original songs that will awaken your soul with visions of life's great moments. Writing songs of life, love and simply being during our ever changing lives; bound to make you ask, “Is she talking about me?"

Karen Kamenetsky: Is a singer-songwriter, host of the Fig Tree Coffeehouse in Morris Plains, and author of Stage Frightened to Death, a musical murder mystery featuring five original songs (e-book and paperback available on Amazon, signed paperbacks on her website). Her album, With This Flame, has been playing on Sirius XM radio’s Hanukkah Channel since 2013.  Her Story Songs program of original music inspired by Jewish folk tales was featured at several New Jersey synagogues in 2025. She has appeared multiple times at the Sacred Bean Coffeehouse in Flanders, Cafe Artiste in Ocean Grove, Cafe Improv in Princeton, The Rhode Island Songwriters Association Song Writers in the Round in Providence and Cranston, RI, and the Sunday Singer Showcase Series at the Edenville General Store in Warwick, NY. She appeared with her band, The Friends, on the Folk Project's Horses Sing None of It cable television show in 2012 (available for streaming on YouTube).  Music, videos, details of upcoming shows and updates on the second book in her mystery series can be found on Facebook at “Karen Kamenetsky Music” and  at www.karenkamenetsky.com.

Don                             Joanne                               Karen

Skylands Songwriters Guild is an educational non-profit organization [501 (c) (3)] dedicated to nurturing the community of Singer/Songwriters of Northwest New Jersey and the surrounding region. We seek to provide enlightenment for the public, revealing the talents of songwriters, and to offer educational and performance resources for artists to advance their craft.  

This showcase is made possible by the Skylands Songwriters Guild.  Register online or by calling the library at (973) 584-2400.

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