Warren welcomes breakout songwriter to arts event

Her latest recording borrows from Carole King and Cole Porter.
WARREN -- Composer Susan Werner will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Warren Community Amphitheatre, part of the Fine Arts Council of Trumbull County's summer 2005 performance series.
Raised on a farm in Iowa, Werner learned to play guitar at the age of 5. After she graduated from the University of Iowa, she moved to Philadelphia and earned a graduate degree in classical voice from Temple University.
In 1995 she began focusing on songwriting. National tours followed with Joan Armatrading and Richard Thompson building a following across the United States and Canada.
A PBS special with Peter, Paul and Mary highlighted her as one of the most promising young artists of her generation.
Record release
Spring 2004 marked the release of critically hailed "I Can't Be New" on Koch Records, a collection of 13 Werner originals in the style of the Great American Songbook.
"My aim with this record was Carole King meets Cole Porter," she said. "I wanted to borrow the sophisticated language of another era, the musical elegance, and even the sense of fun and tongue in cheek, and use it in songs that would communicate the feeling of an American woman today."
From 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. the Fine Arts Council will host family fun time at the Warren Community Amphitheatre. There will be a variety of activities for children aged 5 to 12.
Children and their parents are invited to explore Warren's historic district and solve a variety of scavenger hunt puzzles.
The series is funded by Trumbull 100, Warren Area Chamber of Commerce -- Educational, Cultural and Civic Foundation, First Place Bank, St. Joseph Health Center, First Energy Foundation, Paige & amp; Byrnes Insurance, Sky Bank and Sprint.
The Fine Arts Council of Trumbull County is a local not for profit corporation that is funded in part by the Ohio Arts Council.