DEAN SMITH - Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Emeritus | Former Owner: The Smith Design Agency

Dean Smith was a 20 year veteran in the graphic design field. He worked in the capacity of art and creative director for several publications Fortune 100/500 companies. He ran his own design agency for the past 8 years. He was always asking "how can I make this better?" he poured his passion into every job he undertook. If it was not a knockout, it never left his desk.

 

Dean was dedicated to causes, as he was a founder on the Board of Directors of local 501(c)3 charities OATH-Operation Address The Homeless, Angel Hearts of the Lehigh Valley, and the Bully This! Foundation.

When he was taking time to unwind, he picked up one of his instruments and got into a groove and let his musical talents shine. As a former member of many bands, he appreciated all styles of music and was a firm believer in supporting local musicians. We honor his memory and will keep him in our hearts, and on our pages forever. 

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Jennifer Miklus - Publisher/Editor in Chief | Owner of She Said Sunday LLC 

Jennifer Miklus was our Art and Layout director for issue #2 of Noreaster.  She is currently the owner and Lead Singer of the band She Said Sunday. For the past 10 years she has been in the music industry as a performer, writer, and composer.

From her award winning Original Band Beyond Eden, of Flexitone Records, to her creative graphic design skills, which she learned under the wing of Dean Smith, she is the perfect person to carry the torch of Noreaster into the future. 

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MICHAEL McKENNA - Managing Editor | Owner of McKENNA Review Agency

Michael McKenna is an award winning International Music Reviewer receiving awards from GLVMA in 2010 and 2011 and from The Mohave Indie Music Awards in 2015 as an Honorable Mention for Best Indie Music Reviewer. He has reviewed over 250 artists and 100 shows over his career. He has also authored "Reelin' In The Years - Lehigh Valley Music Vault 1960-1990" in 2010 as a historic remembrance of the early years of music in the Lehigh Valley.

 

As a retired Radio & Club DJ for 35 years, he has worked for WKAP, WGPA, WIFI, WLEV, Cat Country 96 and WXKW in various capacities, and also numerous area nightclubs. He is a former Director of PA. Assoc. of Songwriters, Composers & Lyricists and was instrumental in the formation of The Airport Music Hall in the 80's in Allentown, PA. 

 

 

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Flamin' Harry McGonigle - Staff Writer | Professional Musician

The Rev. Flamin' Harry McGonigle has been making music for over 50 years. His love of Rockin' Blues with the Roadhouse Rockers has earned him a spot in the New York Blues Hall of Fame in 2014, garnered him the Philly Music Lifetime Achievement Award and many awards from GLVMA. His finger-pickin style is legendary, has been copied, but never duplicated. 

 

For more than two decades, the blues rock guitarist performed 300 shows per year across the United States. His travels have taken him from state fairs in Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the Buffalo Chip at Sturgis, S.D., where he played for crowds of around 500,000.

 

 

 

CA Marshall - Writer/Contributor | Owner of Starlight Music Chronicles

Candice Marshall is a widely respected and recognized music journalist from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. She started her career by studying Journalism, Photography/ & Graphic Design at Grant MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and has never looked back from that point.

 

Candice has her hands full with her work including web design, branding, social media campaigns, photography, photo editing, layout, graphic design and autobiographical work.

 

She is a very focused individual who doesn't take NO for an answer, seeks solutions to all problems, dislikes bullying in all forms and has a soft heart for organizations and causes. She is sassy and witty, but can have a serious side. She is fiercely independent, but is also a great team player. What makes her tick is her passion for all things MUSIC and all related subjects. Give her a goal and she will exceed it! We are proud to partner with a contributor of her caliber and our readers will see some of the best journalistic talent to come from north of the border!

 

 

Mark Uricheck - Staff Writer | Contributor

Mark Uricheck, from Hazelton, PA, is a graduate of Kings College in Wilkes-Barre, PA and comes to Nor'easter with some awesome references. Having been a part of The Weekender Media staff and Elmore Magazine, both regional pubs from his area and  now a Features Writer for Ion Magazine and Master Control Operator at FOX56, WOLF-TV, we see an individual that is multi-talented and respected.

 

Mark has that eye and ear for that special story or piece of music that will entice and hold captive his readers  His contribution to the debut issue of Nor'easter is proof of that! When one has that special feel for what is good or hidden talent that needs to be exposed, rest assured that Mark will ferret them out and pounce on the story. We welcome Mark's creative writing and look forward to his features and reviews.

 

 

Sherilyn Jones - Staff Writer | Food Critic

Sherilyn Jones is a multi-talented individual as she is part of the backing on vocals for the Pink Floyd Tribute Act - Outside The Wall. As a graduate of Wilkes University,  Sherilyn embraces theater, food and music with a passion that leaves her little time for other pursuits. As a soloist or in a duo, she prides herself on her abilities to be able to juggle many outlets of her talents and project them to her audiences.

 

Sherilyn's palette for fine foods, especially from independent and family owned restaurants, will give our readers a complete and accurate account of what she experiences in her visits to these establishments. We all will wait to see her critiques and how she rates those culinary delights.

 

 

 

Rob Petitti - Staff Writer | Professional Musician

Hailing from the Philadelphia area, Robert Petitti has been recognized for his lyrical prowess, how he projects his inner feelings in his writing, and how he is able to craft content that holds the reader or listener captive. His band, Waterfall, has received acclaim as one of the down-to-earth home-brewed Country acts to emerge from the Philadelphia area.

 

His creative and exposing thought processes are evident in his articles as he goes the extra mile to give a vivid description of what he experiences and offers the full picture of that exposure that takes the reader to the scene and allows them experience the entire event in exquisite clarity.

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Sheila Wood - Staff Writer | Reviewer

Sheila Wood is no stranger to the music and concert scene in the Lehigh Valley.  Her experience as a publicist for the Dave Goddess Group, her work with many musical projects in the Lehigh Valley and her way of expressing those experiences, gives her a very creative and outgoing way that she puts them to paper in her writings.

 

Her graduate studies at Northampton Community College in Computer Networking gives her a leg up on her articles as she is able to do some awesome data-mining to support her journalistic offerings. One only has to read her concert reviews to bear witness to that. She is meticulous in her note taking at shows and doesn't miss a beat. That my friends is a winning combination!

 

 

Yvonne Sotomayor - Staff Writer | Creative Writing

Yvonne Sotomayor comes to us from the Big Apple and is exposed to all kinds of talent on a daily basis. Using her education as a teacher from her studies at New Jersey City University, Yvonne is able to create Bi-Lingual Poetry that can either make you laugh or make you cry, all in the same breath.

 

Her writing talents are exceptional as is her subject material. One only needs to read, comprehend and digest her work to able to appreciate her creative genius. She cannot be compared to anyone out there right now as she is her own unique person and it shows up to near perfection in her prose.

 

 

 

 

Lori Patrick - Staff Photographer | All Around Sweetheart

Lori Patrick is a highly educated and skilled photographer having studied at The New York Institute of Photography, The Arcanum Institute of Artistic Mastery and CreativeLive in Seattle. Currently she is the owner of Lori Patrick Photography and writes education articles for Photo Communique'.

 

Her skills at concert photography, stills, portraits and events in unmatched as she strives to go above and beyond and break down barriers that stand in her way. She is passionate about her work and believe me, it shows. We are proud to have someone of her caliber and immense talent associated with the magazine!

 

 

 

Mike Daniels- Staff Writer | Actor

Mike Daniels has been an active member of the Lehigh Valley and Philadelphia music and community theater scene for almost 30 years. A Licensed Clinical Social Worker by trade, he has reviewed local high school theater extensively and is excited to be a contributor for Nor’easter.  

 

He approaches theater with confidence in objectivity, Nor'easter is sure that Mike will return to the Lehigh Valley theater scene in an active role shortly! Mike is an all around professional at everything he does/ You all stay tuned!

 

 

 

Dave Fry- Staff Writer | Owner of Godfrey Daniels | Professional Musician

Dave Fry describes himself as "A Folksinger, Adult & Children's Entertainer, Arts Educator, Entrepreneur, and Good Time Rascal....All Rolled Up Into One."  As a Multi-Award winner from GLVMA and owner/operator of Godfrey Daniels Coffeehouse, founded in 1976, in Bethlehem, PA, Dave comes to us with over 50 years of experience to base his writings on. His work with children is well known and respected throughout the region.

 

Having recorded numerous award-winning CD's and performed at many of the renowned nationwide Folk Festivals, his wealth of experience, creative talents and his timeless writing is a major asset to our publication. You will never find green grass growing under his feet as he is always on the go with one project or another. He's an Energizer Bunny!

 

 

 

Bill Warfield- Staff Writer | Jazz Musician

Bill Warfield comes to us with a stack of creds that reads like a novel. Having studied at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music where he holds an M.M. in Jazz Commercial Trumpet Performance, and performed worldwide as an accomplished Jazz Musician for over 4 decades, Bill is one of those talents that comes along once in a lifetime.

 

As an educator, Bill directs the Jazz Program at Lehigh University and is the recipient of the William H. Borden Award for outstanding accomplishment in jazz music, The Carmine Caruso Award for outstanding musicality and trumpet performance and the Maynard Ferguson Scholarship. He has collaborated with some of the finest jazz musicians and played at most of the revered venues worldwide in addition to recording many of his own LP's.