Greg Whalen performs on stage during a Five for Fighting Concert. Courtesy | Greg Whalen

When the last strum of junior Gregory Whalen’s guitar faded into the Corning Museum of Glass auditorium, the audience briefly sat in silence.

“They would almost linger before applauding — like the silent reflection they had,” said concert attendee Amanda Kerwick. “It was truly beautiful.”

On Sep. 28, Whalen opened for rock singer Five for Fighting, the stage name of songwriter and performer John Ondrasik, in Corning, New York. Whalen performed three songs from his newly released EP: “Nineteen,” “Broken Eyes,” and “Kabul 2021.” Whalen also performed a fourth song that he has not recorded yet, called “Rambling Man.”

“I added that one because I had it memorized and knew I wouldn’t mess it up,” Whalen said. “I was able to announce it’s on a list of songs that I want to record next for another, bigger EP.”

Ondrasik invited Whalen to perform after an introduction via email from Director of the Dow Journalism Program John J. Miller, who has written about Ondrasik for National Review. Ondrasik said he was particularly moved after listening to Whalen’s “Nineteen.”

“He’s very authentic. The songs come from his heart — they have a point of view,” Ondrasik said. “He was able to stay within himself and just play his songs. And he has such a unique voice, he’s a good guitar player and his presence definitely did not feel like somebody was playing their first show, which is a great thing for him.”

Whalen said he has played in coffee shops, such as Rough Draft, before but never in a venue like that of the Corning Museum of Glass. He said the venue seats about 760 people.

“It was a pretty relaxed, comfortable atmosphere, honestly, very much a friendly audience,” Whalen said. “Ondrasik does a lot of political type music — political and military — and so the military nature of my music fit right in.”

Whalen said he had listened to Five for Fighting with his friend growing up in middle school.

“It was very weird being there, knowing that I was about to play before this guy,” Whalen said.

Whalen said he had spent the hours before the performance with Ondrasik and a string quartet touring with the singer, including concertmaster Katie Kresek, Melissa Tong, Chris Cardona, and Peter Sachon. Knowing them personally while watching their performance helped him see their performance with new eyes.

“The way that they encouraged me in going up there to play, knowing that it was my first time ever doing something like that,” Whalen said. “Just seeing them with their own skill and mastery of music.”

Ondrasik described how Whalen drove seven hours to the venue and slept in his truck the night after the concert.

“He really did the rock n’ roll lifestyle,” Ondrasik said.

Ondrasik said he enjoyed the way Whalen introduced his songs and explained the experience that inspired them.

“It’s very important for soldiers, who are artists, to express themselves,” Ondrasik said. “One thing I love as someone who’s been fortunate to do this for 30 years and realize my childhood passion is introducing new artists to audiences and supporting new artists who I think have something to say.”

Ondrasik said the Hillsdale community around Whalen should be proud of him.

“I hope he does some shows around campus and on campus, because for folks that haven’t heard him — they need to hear him, because it’s very rare to find artists who are speaking his point of view,” Ondrasik said. “I know because I’m one of them.”

Whalen said his favorite songs from Five and Fighting include “Superman,” “100 Years,” and “Chances,” all of which were played that night.

When Ondrasik walked out and introduced Whalen for the opening act, Whalen said he was surprised.

“I’ve been to a couple concerts, and the main event of the night does not show up until the main event,” Whalen said. “He introduced his own opener, which I think just shows one how seriously he takes music and that kind of music, and how just completely generous he is, both in the invitation and the introduction.”

Whalen said he met a number of veterans in the audience while greeting people at the end of the concert, including a man who had been in Afghanistan during the invasion in 2002.

“We just connected on extreme ends of the war,” Whalen said.

Kerwick said she could tell that everyone was moved by the authenticity and depth of Whalen’s songs.

“Music is a very powerful channel for us to spread awareness of any traumatic event. It made me more thankful for service members,” Kerwick said. “Using his voice, using music to raise awareness and bring attention to that unseen trauma that’s carried by those in everyday life.”

Kerwick said the way Whalen portrays the military in his songs is something many can take for granted.

“We really don’t see things about it, often going through the motions, but music is one of those things that can really make you stop and think,” Kerwick said. “I think that it is really great that he’s using that as his channel.”

Whalen said he had not expected the connection he would be able to make with the veterans to be made so clear after his concert.

“For all I know, they have done far more than I ever did, and they’re coming up to me thanking me for putting something into words that they’ve never been able to express or that they wish other people would think about more.”

Whalen said sharing his personal military experience through music has given him the opportunity to hear the experiences of others.

“Music has a unique way of reaching people, of calling things to mind, of moving the heart and soul in ways that just talking or reading don’t necessarily do,” Whalen said. “The most powerful thing is this connection across generations of military members, something that I never would have really expected.”

Ondrasik said the messages of his music are considered “anomalies” today, but they are necessary to hear.

“We need all points of view of music,” Ondrasik said. “That’s how you got to get a sense of history. In this day and age, many artists are afraid to speak their views, especially if they be conservative, or they’re talking about military issues that may criticize the administration.”

Whalen said his music career involves a lot of busy work, from shopping for equipment to setting up a business bank account, and attending Hillsdale has been a good break from that.

“I’m still starting and writing new stuff, finding time with all this to actually practice the guitar, and sing,” Whalen said. “School is really good because it forces me to have quiet moments where I’m not just doing scattered, busy work — it forces me to draw back in, sit down and read something for a couple hours.”

Whalen said his plans include going to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to perform at a 5K memorial event for a Marine who was in Afghanistan for the evacuation. The Marine committed suicide after he returned from deployment and inspired Whalen’s song, “Broken Eyes.” Whalen also wants to start playing live gigs and open mic nights in the area.

“I’ll go to Ann Arbor, maybe Lansing, some bigger areas, try to build an audience, and then just reach out to venues to start getting hired,” Whalen said. “I’m experimenting with this, ‘is this a viable option post grad?’”

Ondrasik gave a word of encouragement for the Hillsdale community to take strength in each other.

“This is America. What builds America is strong voices, strong opinions, and you guys are the hope for the future, and I don’t say that casually,” Ondrasik said. “I look forward one day to visiting, and me and Greg can do a song together.”