River City Beats: Joe Senger’s Sounds of Centre

Local songwriter Joe Senger of Amelia Island has finally brought a longtime dream to life with the release of a Christmas song he wrote nearly 20 years ago. After years of hoping a national artist would record it, he decided this was the year to make it a hometown project, moved by the recent loss of several musicians and supporters in the Fernandina music community. Senger teamed up with Je Spence at North Florida Recordings and assembled 19 Fernandina-area artists to record the track under the banner Joe Senger’s “Sounds of Centre.”The project also doubles as a fundraiser for local causes. This year, proceeds support the Salvation Army’s Hope House in Fernandina, with plans next year to press a vinyl release and expand it into a compilation featuring additional original music to benefit Joy to the Children, a nonprofit that helps provide local kids with a meaningful Christmas.Listeners can download the song and donate at www.fcfoffunk.com/sounds-of-centre, with a suggested minimum donation of $2.99, though supporters are encouraged to give what they can. The track is also available on major streaming platforms, but downloads through the website provide the most direct support for the charities tied to the project.