Touch of Fame

Evan Dyson / contributing photographer Bering Strait, a Grammy-nominated band from Russia, performed at Wilson Hall Saturday. The band includes Alexander Ostrovosky, Natasha Brozilova, Alexander Arzamastev, Lydia Salnikova and Sergei Olkhovsky. Vocalist Borzilova, pictured, strums her acoustic guitar to add to the band's enticing instrumentals.

"I’d rather play," said Sasha Ostrovsky — who plays dobro, lap steel, steel guitar and sings backup vocals — when told to take the microphone during downtime at the Bering Strait concert. His playing spoke more about the band than any words could — their passions lie with their music. Bering Strait was formed from one teacher’s top students at a classical music school in Russia — inspired by a bluegrass album and a banjo.

Bering Strait performed at Wilson Hall Saturday at 7:30 p.m. as part of JMU’s Masterpiece Season. "[We brought Bering Strait here as] an attempt to bring something to the community through our encore series that the community wouldn’t normally see," said Jerry Weaver, executive assistant to the dean of the College of Arts and Letters. Working with the Center for Multicultural International Student Services, they were able to make this goal a success — they attracted an audience of students, professors and members of the Harrisonburg community.

Together, the band brought a refreshing sound to the stage of Wilson Hall as they combined their talents to tell stories of life, love and heritage through their music. "I liked how they each had their time to take the spotlight and show off their talents," junior Kristin Davis said.

The band started out with bluegrass in 1988, and by 1992 had evolved into a country band. What appealed to the group most about these styles was the skill involved. "Country has good pickers — you have to have talent to play," said Lydia Salnikova, who plays keyboards and sings backup vocals. "Pickers" refers to the skill in playing guitar and other string instruments. Next to skill, the storytelling quality of the songs was another appeal of country music. Through its music, Bering Strait tells the story of its journey as musicians.

Currently, Bering Strait plays through Universal South Recording Artists, but it has had struggles with the industry. "The industry [itself] has its ups and downs, and people you shouldn’t get involved with," Ostrovsky said. "But the music is great. We play for the music."

Through beautifully harmonized vocals and enticing instrumentals, the group created a friendly and fun-filled environment in Wilson Saturday, inviting the audience to enjoy the show. The interludes of impromptu instrumentals and stories of its journey proved to be a graceful transition into the songs. Throughout the entire show, the members simply had fun on stage doing what they love.

Bering Strait had something for everyone. Ranging from old Russian drinking songs to the more modern, its selections included songs from new and old albums. Junior Laureen Klapka said she enjoyed the performance because "they had a lot of energy and they played new and old stuff." Its piece, "I Could Use a Hero," has been featured as the theme song on Animal Planet’s "Animal Cops" and Bering Strait earned its first Grammy nomination, while songs such as "Safe in My Lover’s Arms" and "Hurts Just a Little" will be featured on its upcoming album. Though a little stiff at first, the audience became more generous with their applause as the night progressed, and in the end gave the group a standing ovation.