The Rhythms of Reagan Kent

by Tracey F. Johns

Academy of Country Music Awards, watch out. North Caroline High School senior and singer/ songwriter Reagan Kent of Denton, Md., has his eye on Nashville and is cultivating a thriving music career right here on the Delmarva Peninsula.

Kent’s soulful voice already transcends genres and generations, as evidenced by the attentive diners and bar patrons tapping their feet or fingers during his recent performance at Boxcar on Main in Berlin,

Md. His face lights up when a couple rises to dance to one of his songs.

“I like connecting with audiences,” says Kent. “When people are actively listening, or dancing and singing along, that’s when I’m in my sweet spot.”

Boxcar on Main is one of several return gigs on this 16-year-old’s performance schedule, which peaks this summer with two to three weekly appearances scheduled through September.

“Often, people worry about book- ing a kid,” says Reagan’s dad, Andy Kent, who helps Reagan manage the business side of music and is fre - quently in the audience. “But once they hear him perform and see how the audience responds, they always book him back.”

Standing with his Martin guitar, Kent is dressed in a T-shirt and baseball cap as he steps up to the mic, performing a mix of his own songs and covers from favorites like Chris Stapleton, Zach Bryan and Bailey Zimmerman. Kent’s trained tenor voice easily transitions between two octaves as he moves through a setlist that covers his first love—country—along with classic and modern rock.

“Chris Stapleton is my all-time favorite because I really like his bluesy music,” says Kent, who attended a Stapleton concert with his family when he was 13 years old.

Now, he covers Stapleton hits like Broken Halos and Death Row. Other favorites to perform include Bryan’s Something in the Orange, Condemned, Fifth of May and Heading South, and Zimmerman’s Fall in Love, Where It Ends and Never Coming Home.

Kent’s natural talents have been cultivated alongside a love for the outdoors and nature since he was a young boy. Born in Lewes, Del., he began singing at the age of three while listening to the radio, often during family road trips.

Kent’s parents are big classic rock fans and remain huge supporters of his musical talents. Kent began taking singing lessons at the age of eight with Ashley Mitchell and guitar lessons with Donny Marvel when he was 12 years old. He says the travel to Camden, Del., for these eight- and four-year commitments has been easy because the two instructors are married.

Much of his musical inspiration, however, comes from his blues-loving, harmonica- and guitar-playing grandfather, David Ebersole.

Kent’s grandfather—or Poppy, as he calls him—now lives in West Virginia and has helped instill a love of music in Kent with some of his rock and roll and blues favorites. Kent says songs like Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Sweet Home Alabama, The Joker by Steve Miller Band and Dixie Chicken by Little Feat were regulars among his grandfather’s repertoires.

“Poppy always encouraged me to sing and play instruments,” says Kent, who wrote his first song at the age of 14 to honor his grandfather’s name and legacy.

The song is an ode to his inspir - ing Kent’s love of music, with lyrics that include, “Poppy, teach me how to sing the blues. I wanna know how to get your soul and maybe some of that rock and roll.”

Kent is now developing his own soulful blues and rock and roll by writing music. He says he sets aside an hour or two each day for songwriting and practicing guitar and singing. “It usually takes me about one to three sessions to complete a song,” he says.

“I often find myself playing what has been developed so far and singing through it to create the verses and song,” said Kent. “Sometimes when I’m thinking about the music, the lyrics will come to me randomly. Otherwise, I’m dedicating time to work on a song.”

Rhythms

“I have some ties with a few of the school’s alumni that will also help support my career,” he says.

During the upcoming school year, Kent plans to be dual-enrolled at Chesapeake College and continue as a member of North Caroline High School’s vocal group Rhythm of the Ridge, with concerts open to the public each May and December. He says the group’s performances vary and usually include a holiday theme or Motown and gospel influences.

So far, his songwriting includes songs like Let the Good Times Roll, about having a good time and fi shing with your friends, and It Was You, about a man’s revelations regarding the reasons behind a split relationship.

After years of ongoing vocal lessons, Kent also understands the importance of warming up with vocal exercises, which for him often includes singing Paint Me a Birmingham by Tracy Lawrence in preparation for a gig.

“I’m in this for the long haul, whether it’s a career in music or a career supporting music,” he says.

Kent’s career is already taking off. He recently saved enough money from his performance gigs and tips to purchase a pickup truck and has his eye on attending Middle Tennessee State University near Nashville.

Meanwhile, over the summer months, you can fi nd Kent making his Poppy proud. He’ll be performing at private parties and public gigs from Kent Island to Ocean City, Md., and from Chincoteague, Va., to Lewes, Del. Open mics and scheduled gigs include venues like Carpenter Street Saloon in St. Michaels, Md., and the Market Street Public House in Denton. More about Reagan Kent can be found on the “Reagan Kent Vocalist” Facebook page or on Instagram at @ reagankent.vocalist.

Tracey Johns has worked in communications, marketing and business management for more than 30 years, including non-profit leadership. Tracey’s work is focused on public and constituent relations, along with communication strategies, positioning and brand development and project management.