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WILKES-BARRE — Paul Rodella has been “tinkering” with instruments since he was a child.
The 32-year-old Wilkes-Barre resident said his parents had a piano in the house, and he would play with the instrument.
He started playing trumpet in fifth grade and soon after expanded his repertoire to include the trombone, guitar and even the melodica. (The melodica is a harmonica like instrument with a keyboard on top of it, in case you had to ask.)
“As you can imagine, the tinkering became more uniformed once I started taking lessons for the trumpet,” Rodella said.
Rodella currently works as the front-of-house manager at the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts, where he marries his love of music with his everyday job. He manages the bar at the center and is in charge of the staff, as well as wedding and event coordination and lobby events.
“It’s amazing,” he said.
“It’s like a big playground.”
And he takes that to heart.
As a musician, Rodella appreciates both the acts that come through the center, as well as the equipment on hand. When meeting with a Times Leader photographer, Rodella sat down at the Kirby Center’s baby grand piano in the Chandelier Lobby and began playing.
“I look (piano) lessons for one year before college,” he said.
Rodella attended West Chester University for a year after graduating from Bishop Hoban, studying music education. He said he decided college wasn’t for him and came home and immediately joined the workforce.
A decision he hasn’t regretted as he enjoys his position at the Kirby Center.
Rodella said part of what makes his job fun is the variety of the acts that come through the center, and the diverse audience that is pulled in for each.
“You get to see a lot of different people,” he said.
In his free time, Rodella hosts open mic nights at Senunas’ Bar and Grill on North Main Street in Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday nights.
“Right from the get-go we had interest and turnout,” he said.
Rodella said one of the best parts of hosting an open mic night is meeting different artists from the area.
“It’s been so wonderful getting to know different people,” he said.
He said the goal is to foster a sense of community with the artists and audience that show up for open mic nights, and being able to collaborate on different projects in the bar.
“Every week is different,” he said.
Rodella also thanked the bar’s owners, John and Rose Senunas, for giving him the opportunity to play each week and taking a chance on him to host the evenings.
“I feel really blessed to live the life I do,” he said.
