Ever since second grade, Bob Pennisi knew he wanted to be a musician.

Inspired by his father, who played in a rock band, he was encouraged to play musical instruments and still have a solid career.

“My dad doesn’t want to see me broken on the streets or screwed out of a career,” said Pennisi, the percussionist and backup vocalist of Bad With Names.

After attending Eastern for a year, Pennisi decided to leave school to further his career as a musician.

“Here at EIU, I wasted too much time not practicing enough,” he said. “I sat around too much, didn’t go to classes and partied too much.”

After Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita, many musicians were left in need of help.

Bad With Names, Upon the Eighth Night and the Joe Burress Quartet performed Saturday at McAfee Gym to help raise money for the Musicans’ Village and Habitat for Humanity. SAI fraternity hosted the event.

“We don’t want jazz to leave New Orleans, that is where it was born,” said Lindsey Herza, social committee member of SAI. Jazz and blues started in New Orleans and made music what it is today, she said.

Three members of Bad With Names left Eastern and wanted to return to show friends and peers what they have been doing since they left.

“Even though we’re not getting paid, we get to show our friends what we’ve done with our time being away,” Pennisi said. “Being on stage is exhilarating. It’s the best feeling in the world.”

Bad With Names recently recorded a demo and plans to put together a promotion package around the Chicago area.

“Every major decision I’ve made has something to do with music, like college and quitting sports. If anything interfered, it was not an option,” Pennisi said. “I regret wasting chances to make music in life.”

Some musicians think music is something that can be enjoyed by everyone.

“Music is just an enormous part of college,” Pennisi said. “It breaks language barriers. People don’t need to know a certain language to appreciate it.”

Joe Burress, member of the Joe Burress Quartet and EIU jazz combo, has played the drums for 13 years.

He thinks the only drawback of music is how time-consuming it is.

“It’s a busy life; I wake up at 9 a.m. and don’t get out of (McAfee) until 12 a.m.,” he said.

Burress transferred to Eastern from Danville Community College as an English major.

“I didn’t have music classes,” he said. “Something just hit me and I got into playing a lot. There’s no better feeling than being successful in something you love.”

Many musicians think music is a good way to release stress and other emotions.

“If you’re having a bad day, you play it out,” Fulling said. “If you’re mad, you play an anger piece and it’s gone.”

Andy Masters, lead singer for Upon the Eighth Night, has been playing music for four years.

Although Masters’ biggest hobby is music, he is more interested in philosophy.

Masters’ said he enjoys music because of the emotional high of playing and listening to it.

“When you’re at the climax of a song, no matter how many instruments there are, it feels like there are 50 more playing with you,” he said.

Mindy Fulling, editor of SIA, was pleased with the turnout, about 45 attendees.

However, some of the musicians were disappointed.

“I expected more people to come,” Burress said. “It was on Facebook, and it’s a good cause. I thought more musicians would be here to support New Orleans.”

Kyle Muskopf, a freshman music education major, said he went to the event to support his classmates.

“It’s good socially, good education and good creatively,” he said. “You learn how to work with people.”

Fulling said the aim was to give people a chance to be in a laidback environment.

“We just wanted people to chill and have fun,” Fulling said. “I’ve had a great time so far, hopefully we can do it in the future and more people will come and help out.”

Nick Grill, a senior music major, plays the trumpet during the charity concert put on by Sigma Alpha Iota at McAfee Gymnasium Friday night. This charity was to benefit Habitat for Humanities Musicians’ Village. (John Bailey/The Daily Eastern News)

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