Performing at Singer Spotlight Unplugged at Uncommon Ground on Wednesday, July 2.

Becca Kaufman
Becca Kaufman, a native New Yorker, moved to Chicago to attend Northwestern University. For the last five years she co-hosted the radio show "I Do, I Do," a wedding/relationship program broadcast on 105.9FM, WCKG. Considered a "wedding expert" she has been on TV locally (NBC, FOX, CLTV and WGN) and around the country giving advice to brides and grooms. An accomplished studio singer and voice-over talent, you've heard Becca proclaiming the delights of Coke, Diet Coke, Bally's, Buick and many others. Her character voices can be heard on many games and toys, including the smash CD-ROM series 'You Don't Know Jack'. In fact, she was just featured on WGN-TV as "Chicago's Very Own" because of her vocal gymnastics. No stranger to legitimate stages, Becca has been privileged to perform alongside the likes of Lily Tomlin, Brooke Shields, Phoebe Snow, Tony Roberts and Ellen Burstyn as well as appearing in the long-running hit School House Rock Live! Some of her favorite gigs have been singing the National Anthem for the world champion Chicago Bulls and her forever-losing New York Knicks. Becca was the Producer of Music for the Heart, a collection of 23 original children's songs, benefiting The Children's Heart Foundation, released throughout the Midwest in 2002. Music for the Heart made it to the Grammy's semi-final round for The Best Children's Album. Her newest venture, weddingquestions.com, launched in May 2003.

Tom Broughton
From the moment I started playing guitar, the songs started to flow. Yet for many years, the songs I'd written simply collected in a spiral notebook. I was out doing what I thought I was supposed to be doing ... making a living in the corporate world. In time the process of making a living led to the feeling that part of me was actually dying. I couldn't deny the music. I started performing my songs around Chicago at various venues including The Old Town School, FitzGerald's and Uncommon Ground. The response was overwhelmingly positive. I also began moonlighting in the business office of a Chicago recording studio. There I met producers who gave me access to the studio, and guided me through the process of making a recording. The result is my first CD, Breaking through. The CD features four songs. The first cut, No Place Like Home was inspired by my father's childhood experiences in a small town outside of Boston. IntoThe Arms Of Love and Close To My Heart reflect the universal need to find ourselves and someone to love. The final cut, Inside Of My Heart is about holding on to that love. Music to me is a healing art. Every song that I write nourishes and connects me with the best parts of myself. My hope is that the music that comes through me will do the same for others.

Second Hand Poets
A Chicago-based rock & roll band who love to write and perform soulfully influenced original compositions. They combine traditional American rock influences with their own personally developed styles and musical preferences. It is this combination that lets them write fresh and creative music that grooves smoothly. Find out more at www.secondhandpoets.com

Dawn McGovern
Dawn McGovern began singing with her Church Choir and publicly debuted her singing talent at the age of 7, during a cable broadcast of a service. She has always possessed a love for music and has continued to perfect her range, studying with a personal coach at The Fine Arts Building in Chicago. While living in Florida, Dawn joined many bands, on stage, to perform crowd-pleasing R&B hits. She also performed in talent contests and at wedding receptions. After moving back to Chicago, she began studying under a professional coach and working with a local band. Participating in Talent Showcases and being involved with the arrangement of original music, has added depth and breadth to her repertoire. Recently, she has begun working in the studio to record several original tracks. A devoted mother of Colin and Taylor and wife to Brian, Dawn has managed to keep her dream alive while continuing to support her family's needs.