Billy McLaughlin to Perform at Fundraising Concert in Lake Elmo

Award-winning composer and guitarist Billy McLaughlin will be featured at a 3:30 p.m. concert Sunday, Oct. 27 at Christ Lutheran Church, 11194 36th St. N., Lake Elmo.  A free will offering will be collected, with proceeds going to Valley Outreach, which provides emergency food, clothing and other support to people in need, as well as to Christ Lutheran's community ministries.  Donations of nonperishable items for the Valley Outreach food shelf also will be accepted.

McLaughlin had already been a professional musician for 20 years before a debilitating neuromuscular disorder, focal dystonia, affected fingers in his left hand, making it impossible to play the songs he had written.  There is no known cure, and driven by his need to continue using his musical gifts, McLaughlin eventually and painstakingly reinvented his playing style and now uses a blend of several styles of guitar technique to produce beautiful, complex music.  He is a 5-time Minnesota Music Award winner with 14 CD releases, and was awarded an Emmy in the Music Composition/Arrangement division for his "Starry Night" performance with Orchestra Nova.  He is also a recipient of the American Academy of Neurology's Public Leadership Award for his work as an author and speaker.  For more information about McLaughlin's inspirational music and story, see his website at www.BillyMcLaughlin.com.