Eric Troop, a May 1999 Millersville graduate, says he misses school and has wanted to return. He will get his wish this month when he returns, not as a student, but as the lead singer of the band The 3rd Skill. The band will play at the Club DeVille on October 14.

The group originally formed at Muhlenburg High School, where Troop met fellow bandmates Ð lead guitarist Todd Schwambach and drummer/percussionist Justin Dautrich. Bassist Scott Angstadt later joined the group. The original group, which went by the name, "The Stones," disbanded when the members went to different colleges around the country. Now that some of them have graduated, they've reformed as The 3rd Skill.

"Put Me Down" and "Why Don't You Laugh," songs from the band's first CD, Everyone to Blame, have received airplay on local college radio stations, including stations at Millersville University, Kutztown University and Albright College. The band recently recorded a second CD titled Confessional, which it expects will be released in October. WZZO, Allentown, has already asked permission to play a single, "Just Be," from the disc.

Troop explains that The 3rd Skill is influenced by a wide range of bands, including The Who, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Kiss, Rush, and Live. Such diverse influences have led the band to play cover songs ranging from Led Zeppelin titles to a hard version of Simon and Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson."