American Idol contestant Luke Menard and pianist Greg Jasperse will present a concert sponsored by Wabash College as part of the Experience Indiana Speakers and Artists Series at 7:30 p.m. March 26 in the auditorium of Crawfordsville High School. The concert will benefit the American Cancer Society with donations accepted at the door.
Luke will also be the guest of honor to kickoff the American Cancer Society’s Montgomery County Relay for Life the following day, March 27. The Relay for Life will be held beginning at 6 p.m. in the Knowling Fieldhouse at Wabash College.
Menard, a Crawfordsville native, is himself a cancer survivor. He was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma just weeks after he completed his stint on American Idol in the popular series’ seventh season.
Luke Menard started singing when he was a freshman at Crawfordsville high school. He always enjoyed listening to the sounds of a cappella groups such as Take 6 and Rockapella, but never imagined he would be making those sounds for a living. Prior to his appearance on American Idol, Menard toured with the popular a cappella group, Chapter 6.
Menard will be accompanied by pianist Greg Jasperse, who is a music instructor, director, and recording artist. Jasperse recently released his first commercial recording, "Tournesol." A collection of original contemporary jazz piano pieces, "Tournesol" features artists Randy Crenshaw, Grant Geissman, Gary Meek, Michael Shapiro, and Jerry watts. "Tournesol" was produced by Bill Cantos and engineered by legendary Bill Schnee.
The concert is a fund-raiser for the Montgomery County Relay for Life. On a national level, the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life brings together more than 3.5 million people each year to celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against a disease that takes too much. Wabash College has hosted the last five Relays for Life events in Montgomery County.
Menard’s concert is sponsored by the Experience Indiana program at Wabash College, which is funded through a $1 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. The Experience Indiana Speakers and Artists Series sponsors speakers and artists who represent Indiana culture and history.