Friends and fans of poetry! Happy to announce that our April 5 First Wednesday reading will feature Rhyme, Rhythm and Reason. Formerly the title referred to a poetry series coined and hosted by Camelia Nocella. Now it is an ensemble, representing the marriage of words and music, featuring Camelia Nocella, Joe Nocella and Michael Asbury.
Wednesday, April 5 7:00 p.m.
Community Arts Center
414 Plush Mill Road
Wallingford, PA
Light refreshments will be served, and an open mic will follow the featured reading. The accessible entrance is around to the right of the building. Questions? Contact series host Sibelan Forrester at <sforres1@swarthmore.edu> or leave voicemail at (610) 328-8162.
Michael Asbury vocalist, studied violin with Diane Coffin and has been a cantor at various local churches, most importantly, the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary where for 8 years he had been both soloist and choir member. He loves to sing jazz and is inspired by many singers such as Johnny Hartman, Al Jarreau and Kurt Elling to name a few. Michael made his jazz vocal debut with the Nocella Brothers Trio at the Blue Mary Café at the B.V.M. Church in Darby and has been a frequent performer for the Mad Poets Series Rhyme Rhythm and Reason.
Camelia Nocella, author of a poetic autobiography, “it has been a long time since”, has read for various Moonstone and Mad Poets series. She has performed on Philly Cam and at festivals of South Street, Media and the Philadelphia Fringe. A retired Philadelphia School District teacher, Camelia has served as a board member of the Philadelphia Writers Conference and the Mad Poets Society for whom she has hosted several series and was a ten-year Associate Editor of the Mad Poets Review. Her words have been published in the Schuylkill Valley Journal, The Tribune, Pegasus, Moonstone’s 2020 Anthology, The Philadelphia Art Museum/Mad Poets ekphrastic anthology “Art Through the Eyes of Mad Poets” and as lyrics in Classical and Jazz songs composed by her husband Joseph Nocella. Presently, she edited Emiliano Martin’s “Spain’s Footprints in Philadelphia”, is a coordinator for the Young Poets Competition and hosts “Beautiful Minds”, a book discussion group she established.
Joseph Nocella is a composer/pianist who studied composition with Romeo Cascarino. His music has been performed by numerous classical and jazz ensembles. He has received commissions from the Franklin Institute “The Story So Far” a piece for film and “The African Mariner” by The Independence Seaport Museum a piece for narrators and musicians with Diane Monroe on violin, both directed and produced by Dr. Roberta Cooks. Delaware County Community College hosted a Retrospective of the music of Joseph Nocella where he also received their “Teacher of Excellence” award. Also, he had the N.J.Tri-County Symphonic Band premiere his symphonic poem “Pompeii” conducted by Joseph Forziati and inspired by Camelia Nocella’s poem. His music has been broadcasted on National Public Radio and he has twice been a guest on WRTI’s “CROSSOVER” show with Jill Pasternak and Jack Berkel. Along with his wife Camelia, he was a featured guest on internationally broadcasted Radio Italia. The summer of 2022 brought a commission from Director Stephen Smith to create music to set and accompany a DCCC/Hedgerow Theater production of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” which resulted in sold-out performances. He taught music at Penn State University, Delaware County Community College and was a Music director for 20 years with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.