Songwriter Umbach awarded PCA grant
Interested in the issues of race relations and the industrial heritage of Southwestern Pennsylvania from an early age, 19-year-old singer-songwriter Jordan Umbach of Washington, Pa., recently received a $1,365 grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) through the Community Foundation of Fayette County to compile a CD of songs that focus on these two major themes. “My grandfather was a Johnstown steelworker, so I’m interested in composing songs about our industrial heritage,” said Umbach. “Currently, I’m researching the subject and am looking for stories about the blue collar workers in the regions.”
Already written, “Burning Churches” focuses on the racially motivated act of arson directed at an all-Black church in Springfield, Mass., at the time of President Obama’s election victory last November.
The young songwriter is looking at a May release date of his CD and hopes to stage the release party at the Washington Arts and Cultural Center. Following the CD’s release, he intends to perform the compositions at different venues in the region, including Johnstown.
“Jordan is a talented young man, and we are pleased to be able to help him with this very unique project,” said Clara Pascoe, executive director of the Community Foundation of Fayette County, a PCA partner in the arts grant appropriations.
Umbach performed at the Uniontown Country Club last week for the foundation’s donor reception.