People consistently gripe about the lack of a music scene in Charleston, but at least one student has tried to bring some live entertainment to the area.

Ryan Groff, a senior music composition major, has been writing and performing his own tunes for four-and-a-half years. The Charleston native has been instrumental in organizing musical events on- and off-campus, and he aspires to one day record his music with a band.

“I’m 22, and I think I found what I want to do,” Groff said.

Groff began cultivating his musical roots his senior year at Charleston High School. He joined the choir, he said, because his friends were in it and eventually discovered singing to be fun.

After landing a part in the school musical, taking voice lessons and studying music theory in a class, Groff considered majoring in music.

“It made sense in my head, and I thought, ‘This is probably what I’m supposed to be doing,'” he said. “So I auditioned, and I was accepted into the music program at Eastern.”

By October of 1999, Groff had joined a band with fellow local talents Matt Rennels, Shane Reichart and Steve Vanderveer, calling themselves The Last Resorts. Soon Groff was singing lead vocals, and the band recorded an LP titled “Opening Act,” which sold 400 copies.

“We played a lot of gigs in Champaign and Charleston — we were a big band around campus for awhile,” Groff said.

The band landed the ultimate gig when the four guys formed the Chuckstock music festival in 2000. Chuckstock, originally called Garfieldfest, was started in 1995 by Reichart and Rennels as a joke for friends.

When Chuckstock got big, Charleston’s Parks and Recreation Department joined forces with The Last Resorts to co-organize the event, helping with funding and advertising.

“There’s nothing like Chuckstock in Charleston,” Groff said. “There are a lot of people who want to see something, anything, musical on campus and in town, and there are definitely people who want to play. They just need to get organized.”

Shortly after Chuckstock 2001, the band got together for what turned out to be their last practice.

“Matt and Steve said they thought we should break up, and Shane and I … well, our jaws dropped,” Groff said. “We were mad about it for about a week. It was like a boyfriend and girlfriend breaking up.”

But Groff bounced back from the blow and began playing shows by himself. His first solo gig was opening for a band at Marty’s, which The Last Resorts was scheduled to play before the band’s demise.

“I decided to springboard off the break up instead of letting it kick me down,” he said.

Groff took his acoustic solo act to area venues and later released an album titled “Songs From a Small College Town.”

With the help of family friend and bar owner Kevin McGugan, Groff also helped organize an acoustic night of music at The Uptowner. Groff and other local musical acts rotate shows on Sundays, and the night has been a success for the establishment over the last year.

“There’s a faithful group who come there to hear live music, and it’s the busiest night of the week now,” he said. “Every Sunday, people get to ask, “Who’s playing?” as opposed to, “Is there going to be music at all?”

McGugan described Groff as an excellent young man with an exceptional voice who’s trademark is an unyielding smile.

“He approaches music with the utmost respect, and he’s a local talent who, I think, will eventually hit the big time someday,” McGugan said. “He runs the Sunday acoustic night, and it’s been fun for everybody.”

Groff’s solo gigs are becoming few and far between these days with the inception of his new band, Green Jenkins. The band formed when Groff hit it off with drummer Jim Standerfer, and the lineup now includes bass player Dave Christensen and saxophonist/guitarist Waylon Schroeder.

In just three months, Green Jenkins has played Greenfest, a breast cancer benefit

and at local bars. Two weeks ago, the band played its first real gig at the Canopy Club in Champaign and the crowd, many of which made the trip from Charleston, was really supportive, Groff said.

“I’m really happy to share the stage with these guys,” he said of the band.

As a performance music major, Groff is not scared to be behind a microphone in a crowd of people.

“People can take that the wrong way and think that I’m full of myself, but I have to take criticism,” Groff said. “I have to listen to that guy at the end of the bar yell.”

Groff said he’d love to perform with Green Jenkins, record a demo and maybe even get a record contract, ideally with a smaller independent label.

“Big record companies are really scary,” he said. “They give you a huge sum of money, tell you to make a record, and if it doesn’t sell, you owe them back.”

In order to have more creative control over his music, Groff would like to start his own record label and name it No-Butt Music, after his “physical lack of a butt.” He also believes he could score films someday because of his background and passion for music.

Until then, Groff plans to continue playing with Green Jenkins and promoting the band with gigs and an upcoming Web site.

“It’s feasible I’ll be recording and writing music either as a solo artist or with a band forever,” Groff said. “Hopefully with a band — I definitely see it going somewhere.”