Okay, many of you may have no need to go into Holroyd Hall and therefore, probably have no idea who Dr. Dave Falcone is, except maybe by reputation.

He is the music-playing professor who works ..... somewhere. Well, it just so happens that he has been located.

Falcone has been at La Salle since 1980, and has been Chair of the Psychology Department since 1987.

In addition to his administrative duties and teaching in the Psychology Department, Falcone does research, has been a member of the Faculty Senate, and in his free time is a fingerstyle acoustic guitarist.

This again may be a source of confusion if you also have no idea what one of those is.

A fingerstyle guitarist differs from a traditional guitarist in that he plays with all of his fingers instead of a pick. The thumb plays the bass while the other fingers play the melody and the harmony.

Falcone has been playing musical instruments, primarily the guitar, since he was a junior in high school almost thirty years ago, but has only been playing professionally in clubs for the past three and a half years.

In addition to the guitar, Falcone plays the piano and the mandolin. He started playing music during the 1960’s at the height of American discontent. According to Falcone, it "created a community, and [playing music] was a way of being a part of that community."

The first type of music Falcone began to play was folk music, since it reflected the political climate.

Today, he plays music for the sheer joy of it. Music helps him get in touch with the other half of himself, the part of himself that is the artist, instead of the scientist.

The most important aspect of this musical endeavor for Falcone is to keep his perspective. He wants to do the best possible job here at La Salle, as well as with his music.

For him, music must remain fun and recreational. It therefore must not become work, and must continue to be satisfying. Part of this lies in performing.

Through playing and performing, he reaches people on another level, and this is what is the most satisfying for him. He calls it "healing without words."

He began listening to folk music for inspiration. It’s not surprising that his musical tastes fall among the same lines. Falcone’s vast musical collection ranges from Simon and Garfunkel and Gordon Lightfoot, to Crosby, Stills, and Nash and Alabama, to Cat Stevens and the Beatles. Most recently, however, he has been listening to Irish and Scottish Celtic music.

Falcone has never had any type of formal training in the musical field. He can’t read music, and therefore uses tablature to record what he writes and composes. He does this by recording how the music sounds to him. If he had time, he probably would study music formally.

But with teaching and his responsibilities as chair, not to mention putting out his own CD called "Secrets of Sherwood," he has been very busy. Falcone plays an average of five gigs a month, and plays in clubs and coffeehouses very close to La Salle.

When he plays, he tries to include a few cover songs along with instrumental music, such as "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." He also performs songs such as "Let It Be" and "Here Comes the Sun" by the Beatles.

He will be playing tomorrow at George’s 5th Street Café, with local artist Maria Wilson, at 8 p.m. George's 5th Street Café is located at 517 S. 5th Street. Call 215-925-3500 for directions.

For Falcone's upcoming performance schedule, you can find him on the web at http://www.lasalle.edu/~falcone, or e-mail him at falcone@lasalle.edu.