Rock Falls musician creates art in a moment

ROCK FALLS — Todd Lorenc has come a long way from a whiffle ball bat and Elvis Presley.

But not so far that he’s forgotten what makes them both special.

Growing up in Joliet, young Todd heard music all around him. His father Stanley played the saxophone in a local band, but it wasn’t the brass that his son fell in love with — it was the guitars that a couple of his dad’s bandmates played that instilled a passion for music and a desire to sing.

Now in his 50s and living in Rock Falls, Lorenc’s instrument of choice has evolved through the years, though he’s partial to the axes that were once the cutting edge in rock and roll’s earlier days. He’s let his fingers do the walking across the strings of an electric guitar, then bass, then the ukulele — and now he’s come full circle, returning to the electric guitar, an Ephiphone Casino that he calls his “dream guitar.” He’s played in several local bands for nearly 20 years, and is currently showing his skills on a solo basis at bars, stores, community events and retirement communities.

Lorenc puts his own touch on classic hits from the 1950s to the 1970s, ranging from artists such as Elvis Presley to The Eagles, performing songs that not only entertain, but can take audiences on an emotional journey. Though it’s been said in song that “none of life’s strings can last,” the memories that strings pull from the corners of our mind never fade — a few chords on a guitar, a riff that we remember … they take us back through the years to a time when we first heard that certain song that still brings a smile to our face or a wistful memory to mind.

Music does the same for Lorenc, too.

Just like Elvis Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel” sparked a love of rock music in a young John Lennon, the King of Rock’s “Hound Dog” did the same for a young Lorenc.

“I was singing and playing guitar with a whiffle ball bat when I was five years old,” Lorenc said. “I liked singing ‘Hound Dog’ by Elvis. One guy in my dad’s band had an electric guitar and I was emulating what he was doing, and another guy was playing the guitar and singing. I thought, ‘That’s so cool. I [have] got to play the guitar.‘”

Though he sprinkles in an original composition during performances from time to time, most of what Lorenc performs are covers, some of which he played a time or two with his father. The songs can be bittersweet memories — Stanley died seven years ago — but cherished ones nonetheless. Dealing with his dad’s loss helped Lorenc delve even deeper into his love for music, he said, and if you were to ask him to answer the brothers Gibb question: “How can you mend a broken heart?” he’d tell you the answer lies in song.

“Him and I had such a connection, not just as family, but as musicians because we used to play together all of the time. I just got into it even more. The way I deal with stuff, such as loss, is through music. It’s so therapeutic. That’s what Barry Gibb said when he lost Robin and Maurice from The Bee Gees; he never knew anything else but just kept going forward and doing it. I totally got what he meant after I lost my mom and dad, I just got to keep doing it.”

It’s not just his own memories that his music evokes. He likes to gauge his audience — which can be anywhere from a few people to a few thousand — to find songs that connect with people, to get toes tapping and faces smiling. He likes to introduce each song by name and artist, letting listeners get a jump start on those memories. Lorenc welcomes a tip of the hat from audiences, too, some change or dollars dropped in a hat for the poet and his one-man band.

When Lorenc performs at retirement homes, many times he picks songs from the ‘50s and ‘60s, which tap deep into residents’ memories and recall happy times, he said. Lorenc takes time to interact with the crowd between songs, and that’s when he gets to hear from people in the audience about the profound memories associated with a certain song.

“I see them smiling when they get into it. I love bringing memories back,” Lorenc said. “That’s the joy for me. I’ll do a lot of Frank Sinatra and Elvis stuff and it can bring those memories back. When I see them singing along, or kind of look up and listen, that makes my heart happy. I’ve had people come up to me and say, ‘That song, I danced with my girlfriend for our first dance to that song.’ It’s nice to get paid and get tips for doing a gig, but hearing all of that is worth it for me.”

Lorenc’s musical interests evolved as he grew up, including a fondness for music royalty, going from the King of Rock, Elvis, to the Kings of EMI, The Beatles, rich catalogs that gave him no shortage of songs to learn. Even with his deep dive into the musical mastery of John, Paul, George and Ringo, he continues to enjoy playing Elvis, and sometimes goes into full-on impersonation mode. In 1989, Lorenc visited Graceland, Elvis’ famous residence, and Sun Records, where Presley recorded his first hits.

If he had to pick a No. 1, though, it’s The Beatles.

“They were it for me, I still think they’re the greatest band,” Lorenc said of the Fab Four. “Elvis influenced me to sing and perform when I was a little kid, but when I got into the Beatles, that’s when I started learning the guitar and the bass and harmonizing stuff. They were almost kind of like my teachers, and they launched so many bands.”

Lorenc moved to the Sauk Valley to live with his wife at the time, and the artistry evolved even further to where he took an interest in painting and drawing. He taught classes at The Next Picture Show art gallery in Dixon for a time, and one of his most visible works of art — paintings of faces of people around town — can be seen on the walls of The Precinct bar and grill in Sterling.

These days though, he prefers to paint pictures with his music. He said he doesn’t touch the pencils and paints these days. “When you’re an artist, you start on a canvas or a drawing from Point A to Point B and it’s a long process,” he said. “With music, you’re creating art in a moment.”

Lorenc’s knack for necks has changed through the years. After his earliest days with the electric guitar, the bass became his next instrument of choice for 20 years. Around the mid-2010s, Lorenc was playing in four different bands at the same time — and that’s all on top of his day job at Crest Foods in Ashton, where he continues to work.

It was during his time with one of his bands when he learned about the interesting sounds of the ukulele, which became his main focus for eight years. Though you don’t tend to see a lot of ukulele players making the rounds, the instrument has a devoted following, including the late George Harrison. One of the largest yearly stops on Lorenc’s schedule, on top of many local ones, was the Aurora Ukulele Festival, where he played for six years.

Lorenc’s interest in theukulele came at a time when he was considering going solo, and the jolly little instrument helped him seal the deal.

“I wanted to do a solo act, and I was thinking about getting a guitar and start doing that again, but everybody else does that and then I wanted to do something different,” Lorenc said. “I was in a band where a guy had a ukulele, and I said to him, ‘Show me a couple of chords on that thing.’ He did, and I just fell in love with it.”

But even as he took up the ukulele, he still had his eye on bigger things: getting his hands on an Epiphone Casino. After 35 years of trying, he said, he saved enough money to finally buy the thinline hollow-bodied guitar in October, and he’s exploring a plethora of musical interests with it. The same kind of guitar is one that John Lennon played on many songs from The Beatles’ “Rubber Soul” in 1965 to the “Let It Be” sessions before he left the band in 1969. Fellow Beatle Paul McCartney acquired one around the same time, and still uses it today, saying it’s one of his favorite guitars.

Trading the ukulele for the Casino also led to more gigs, including a few this past fall in the Rockford area.

“Once I got that, it just lit the fire in me,” Lorenc said. “It brought me back to the first love,” Lorenc said. “There’s so much more you can do on guitar. I’ve heard from people who have heard me play the ukulele for a number of years who have said, ‘I like you much better on guitar, and it’s more enjoyable.’ After a while, it came full circle.”

Lorenc’s most recent upcoming tour dates include March 20 at The Rusty Fox in Sterling, March 21 at the Lost Nation Golf Course clubhouse in rural Dixon, and May 10 at The Mercantile in Sterling.

Can’t make it to one of his shows? Lorenc will try to record them and share on his Instagram page (@toddlorencmusic) or YouTube channel, and he also has some instrumental compositions available to listen to on both platforms, including a couple of tunes on a Martin Backpacker, a smaller travel guitar with its own unique sound.

“I’ve met a lot of good people and have played at a lot of good venues, and made friendships,” Lorenc said. “I like the hometown thing, because I’m from a bigger city in Joliet and I’ve come to like the slower pace over here.” — and is audiences have come to like what Lorenc brings to the stage.

“Being influenced by all of these artists, I want to keep it alive,” Lorenc said. “My biggest thing is that if I can bring a memory back, or a smile on them, I’ve done my job.”

Find Todd Lorenc on Facebook and Todd Lorenc Music on YouTube and Instagram (@toddlorencmusic) to hear clips of his music and for more information on upcoming appearances.