Accordion player Cody McSherry won the first Lancaster’s Got Talent competition, held in August 2016 at LNP Studio, 8 W. King St. in Lancaster, PA. He received a $750 award.

Judges were impressed with 13-year-old McSherry’s stage presence, and his ability to play such a complex instrument, especially one which is not well known among his peer group.

On the piano accordion, McSherry played a lively composition called “Dance of the Comedians,” from the 19th century comic opera “The Bartered Bride,” by Czech composer Bedrich Smetana.
The videos were available online for public voting. Ten finalists were chosen with over 4000 votes cast. Cody was the only accordionist. The other nine finalists were vocalists. All performed for three judges and a live audience. It was also shown via online streaming.

Cody McSherry is twelve years old and a seventh grade student at Resurrection Catholic School in Lancaster, PA. He began his musical studies with piano at age four and accordion at age 6. Cody also studies button accordion, pipe organ, theater organ, saxophone, viola, and voice. He is currently studying accordion with Mary Tokarski.

Cody enjoys performing regularly throughout the Lancaster area as a soloist and also with his band, Polterabend. He has performed onstage with the Alex Meixner Band and the Walt Groller Orchestra, and is the youngest member of the Accordion Pops Orchestra in New Jersey under the direction of Al Terzo.

Very active in his church, Historic St. Mary’s in Lancaster, Cody is an altar server, sacristan, plays in the instrumental ensemble and sings in the adult choir.

Last year, Cody played the role of Gavroche in Les Miserables and Flick in A Christmas Story, the musical, both at Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre in Lancaster. He was cast in Servant Stage’s Old Time Gospel Radio Hour, where he sang and played the accordion.

Cody and his band will perform at the 2016 Reading Liederkranz Button Box Festival in Reading, Pennsylvania on September 17, 2016.

For further information on Cody: pat@lmsetch.com