Posted: 3/14/07 Section: Diversions

Media Credit: Thomas Root Greg Spero, pianist and lead member of the Greg Spero Trio, writes out song ideas for the band before rehearsal on Saturday.

Many second-semester seniors are at a loss of what to do with themselves. Some are trying to make their last few weeks of college last by celebrating. Others are trying to organize their futures once they step off the University campus. No matter what seniors are doing, it is clear that the real world is looming and getting closer with each coming day.

For Greg Spero, senior in FAA, the real world includes a world tour with a best-selling jazz band, the Frank Catalano Quintet.



"We are touring Japan in April, France in May, and Italy in June," Spero said. "I just want to play all over, meet new people, and explore the world."

For a 22-year-old, he is doing a good job taking on the world. He has played on a best-selling jazz album, which debuted at No. 11, spent 22 weeks on the Jazz Billboard Music charts, and has sold more than 100,000 copies worldwide. Spero also headlines his own band, The Greg Spero Trio.

Jon Levy, freshman in LAS and friend of Spero, jokes about him and his accomplishments.

"He is a Jewish Casanova," Levy laughs. "No, really, he is a nice guy, and he deserves everything he gets. He works hard for it."

Aside from the bands he plays in, Spero also does Web design, photography and composes film scores for plays in Chicago to make a living. He said he does all of this in order to attain his dreams.

"The dream is basically to play and explore music and to channel my passions into art that I want to create," Spero said. "Also, I try not to starve while doing it. Right now, I am happy with what I'm doing."

That is the dream of every person, to find a way to use their passions in all their future plans, and for Spero, he finds ways to unite his passions.

"I find that things are interconnected," he said. "My three main passions are the visual, musical, and technological arts. You combine the three by adding the visual arts to audio, and vice versa. The thing that connects them both is technology. One of the main purposes of art is exploration, and I want to be exploratory in all my endeavors."

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