Rod Abernethy will make his 6 on the Sqaure debut at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 20. (Submitted photo)

OXFORD — Singer/songwriter Rod Abernethy will make his debut performance at 6 On The Square in Oxford at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 20.

Abernethy is a unique blend of an authentic Southern folk troubadour, master acoustic guitarist, and award-winning songwriter and composer for film, TV, and video games. In 2019, he was the grand prize winner of American Songwriter's Bob Dylan Song Contest, and he followed that up with the grand prize for the 2021 International Acoustic Music Awards.

His last album, “Normal Isn’t Normal Anymore,” was helmed by Grammy-nominated producer Neilson Hubbard (Mary Gauthier, Kim Richey, Glen Phillips) and received rave reviews from No Depression, American Highways, and The Wall Street Journal. It also was the No. 11 most played album of 2021 on the Folk Alliance International chart.

Abernethy’s talents go beyond being a dynamic performer, vocalist, instrumentalist, and storyteller. He’s a prolific photographer, a sculpture artist of whimsical steampunk found-object robots, and a seasoned teacher and adjunct professor at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, N.C., where he teaches how to score video games.

As composer, Abernethy has scored and produced music for countless television shows, commercials, and over 80 video games, including the Electronic Art's blockbuster hit "Dead Space" (which won a BAFTA Award in 2009 for Best Use of Audio) and J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" for Vivendi Universal (which won the Game Audio Network Guild’s Video Game Soundtrack of the Year in 2003).

Abernethy continues to perform live in acoustic venues and halls across the country, and he will be a featured artist on the popular PBS series “Songs at the Center” hosted by Eric Gnesda. Learn more online at RodAbernethyGuitar.com.

Tickets for the May 20 show are $18; purchase online at 6onthesquare.org or call 607-843-OTS6 (6876) to make a reservation. Doors open one hour before the start of the performance. The performance also will be streamed live online; more information at 6onthesquare.org.

Masks and COVID-19 vaccinations are strongly encouraged but not required for entry.

This concert is made possible in part by Patocka’s Fine Dining Restaurant in Greene and public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of Gov. Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.

The Annual Meeting of 6 On The Square Inc will be on Thursday, June 15 at 5:30 p.m. in person at the 6OTS venue. All are welcome.

6OTS will host a 16th anniversary celebration on June 17 with singer/songwriter Joe Jencks. Jencks is an internationally touring musician, award-winning songwriter, and celebrated vocalist known for his performances of musical beauty, social consciousness, and spiritual exploration. A 20-year veteran of the international folk circuit and former member of folk trio Brother Sun, he has released 15 CDs that merge his lyric baritone, conservatory training, Irish roots, and working-class upbringing for musical narratives filled with heart, soul, groove, and grit.

6 On The Square will celebrate summer with four free Sunday concerts in Oxford’s Lafayette Park, right outside 6OTS’s doors. Here is the lineup: Richie and Rosie on July 9, Damn Tall Buildings on July 16, Alice Howe with Freebo on July 23, and The Pairs on July 30.

All shows will start at 2 p.m. Bring your own chair or blanket. In case of inclement weather, the concerts will move inside 6OTS. The free concerts are sponsored by the Robert C. Smith Foundation, NBT Bank, Pete Perkins, and Patocka's Restaurant.

6 On The Square, Inc. is an intimate, not-for-profit, volunteer-based acoustic music listening room and arts venue located at 6 Lafayette Park in downtown Oxford.

-Information provided by 6 on the Square