Did you know there are librarians working behind the scenes that you might never meet when you come in to pick up a book?
Behind the Scenes with Lauren Foster, former Cataloging Librarian & Musician
When Lauren Foster was not behind the scenes at the library, she was on stage with her band.
Lauren Foster worked in the Technical Services Section at the Mays Landing Branch as a cataloging librarian. She received books, DVDs, audiobooks, music CDs, etc. and prepared them for the shelves at each branch library. Her primary job was to add and edit records in the catalog that helped patrons find items they are looking for. She also kept statistics, ran reports, and answered questions when branches called the help desk.
Tell us about your band?
We’re called the Filibusters and we are a cover band working hard to compose some original songs. Besides myself, there are four members: John, Ivan , Chris and my boyfriend, Marc. Chris always plays the drums, but the rest of us rotate around the guitar, bass, keyboard, and whatever other instruments we come across, (we just heard we might have access to an accordion soon!).
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What type of music do you play? We play mostly alternative rock, but we strive to do songs in all different genres. We have a few folk rock songs, a song we sing a capella, a rap song, a jazz inspired song, and a dance/disco song. Sometimes we even play a Cuban song sung entirely in Spanish. |
What instruments do you play? Which is your favorite?
I usually play the trumpet, keyboard, bass, and a little guitar. My favorite is probably the keyboard, but I love singing too.
How long have you been performing together?
Chris, Marc, John and I started practicing together in the Spring of 2009. Our first performance was September 2009 in the woods behind John’s parents’ house. A few of our friends’ bands played too (including Ivan’s band). It was a private party, but a lot of people still came and got to see us play. We asked Ivan to join us shortly after that and became the Filibusters for our first public performance at Fuel House Coffee.
What do you think has been your “biggest break” or “greatest opportunity” so far?
We played a pretty big show on New Year’s Eve at the Cherrywood Bar and Grill in Clementon, NJ along with our friend’s band, Bohemian Sunrise. It was about twice as long as we usually get to play, so we had a lot of time to relax and have fun.
Where are we most likely to see you play?
We’ve played at a few bars in South Jersey and at Bain’s Deli/Fuel House Coffee in Vineland, NJ. We also play randomly and informally at parties when there are instruments available and we are all together. We will announce any dates in the future on our Facebook page.
What or who are your inspirations?
My inspirations come from all over the place: art, books, nature, traveling and blogs. Talking about music/getting recommendations from friends is always helpful. I also love listening to new music on my iPod while running. It’s impossible to name a favorite band, but over the last year, my favorite albums were Local Natives – Gorilla Manor and Yeasayer – Odd Blood.
Thank you Lauren!
