Down memory lane

TIFFIN — A change in venue for the Regina Sayles East Green Concert Series performance Saturday night didn't dampen the spirits of the Tiffin native or the other musicians who shared the stage. Because of all-day rain, the concert was moved from the Frost Kalnow Amphitheater at the East Green to Tiffin University's Huntington Center, where Sayles performed with several others to a packed house. During a Thursday interview, Sayles described the performance as "bittersweet." "While I'm always happy to come home to perform, this show is in tribute to my dear friend, Kyle Beidelschies, who we lost at the end of 2022," Sayles said. "Kyle was my first-ever band mate. Had Kyle not asked me to join a band with him when we were in high school, I might not be where I am today." She said she was planning the show to be a trip down memory lane for anyone who saw their first band, Reflections, perform. "This show is largely in tribute," she said. "I pulled out a lot of songs that I haven't used for 20 years for this show." The Saturday night crowd rocked with the memories – plus a few of her original songs. She said Beidelschies, who died in November 2022 at age 42, wouldn't want people to be sad. "It was really hard," she said. "But he would want us to be playing music with a beer in our hand." Sayles and Beidelchies went to elementary and high school together. "We were in marching band together at Columbian and did all the musicals," she said. "When I was 15 he asked me to be in a band with him. We kept it going through my first two years of college." Also in the band were Tiffany Courtney and Ryan Fretz, who also were on stage Saturday. After Reflections disbanded, Sayles said Beidelchies played in another band with Jake DeMonte, Jeff Schreiner and Tom Cadaret, and two of those musicians also joined Sayles on stage for the tribute. In addition, Peter Kharchenko, a professor at Tiffin University, joined the performance. "I was really excited everybody said yes," she said. While a few of the musicians still perform regularly, most have moved on to other aspects of life and are not full-time musicians. So she was happy they were willing to dust off their gear and go on stage. Full-time musician Sayles graduated from Columbian in 1999. While there, she was involved in marching band, jazz band, concert band, choir show choir, fall drama, spring musical "and I was a member of the first-ever women's softball team to win the NOL." After high school, she earned a bachelor's degree in theater from East Stroudsburg University in 2003 and a master's degree in education, specializing in instructional technology and design, in 2014. "I use both of my degrees daily and feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to go to college," she said. "It was a good fit for me. I love to learn." In addition to performing, Sayles said she gives private music lessons. And fans recently donated $30,000 through Kick Starter so she can continue her work. Sayles described her music as a mix between pop, folk rock and country. "It's kind of like whatever I feel like writing for that day," she said. She has released two albums and her newest single, "Rollin' in the Hay" – available through most streaming services – is a country tune. That and her single "Better With Your Love" have earned national attention. Sayles performs at more than 100 shows each year around the northeastern and midwestern United States. She has opened for female folk pioneer Tret Fure and folk icon Ani DiFranco, and she played as a featured artist on the 2019 Melissa Etheridge Cruise. She said Saturday's performance would not have been possible without the local sponsors and Brad Reese from Tiffin University. "I was lucky to meet Brad before I left Tiffin in 1999 and he is largely responsible for bringing me home to perform on more than one occasion," she said. "I also love coming home to work with the music students at Tiffin University. As a matter of fact, next week I will be a staff member for TU's summer music camp." When Jodie Reinbolt at Tiffin Community Foundation found out about the plans for the East Green concert, she offered to have TCF sponsor it. "What an amazing thing," Sayles said. "They were really pleased to come on board and sponsor it." Tiffin childhood Sayles grew up in a house on East Market Street, the daughter of a white mother and an Indian father. She has no family left in Tiffin, but she enjoys visiting her hometown. "I grew up in Tiffin and Tiffin's predominantly a white town, and my dad is Indian," she said. "Growing up in Tiffin didn't change any of the things I wanted to pursue after I left. "I try to stay humble about where I come from," she said. "I've had the greatest family and support system." One of those supporters is Deb Gardner, who was her kindergarten teacher at Lincoln Elementary. "(She) gets credit for putting me on the stage for the first time and has continued to be an amazing support system throughout my career," Sayles said. "She attends shows whenever I'm in Ohio and has routed road trips on more than one occasion through Pennsylvania so she and her husband, Rich, could attend a show." She also credits the late Margaret Mann with being an early positive influence. "She knew I was never going to be an opera singer, but she taught me the importance of breath support," she said. Sayles said she's thankful for all of the people who have helped her along the way, and she encourages everyone to follow their dreams. "If there are any young, or not-so-young, aspiring creative folks reading this, I would tell them you can pursue whatever you want. Just know that the path isn't always linear and you will for sure want to quit sometimes," she said. "I'm proud to be a female, bi-racial, queer person who grew up in a small town and accepted the challenge to put myself out there. It hasn't always been easy, but I'm lucky to have had an incredible support system along the way. Shout out to my parents, Sunny and Alice, and my siblings, Koil and Megan, for always believing in me. "Leaving Tiffin, my goal has always been to appreciate my journey, stay humble and be my most authentic self," she said. "Living out East, people have commented on more than one occasion about how 'nice' I am. I always say 'that's because I'm from Ohio.'"