Suzzy Roche Leads The Group Sing in a Free Sing-Along

57-year-old singer/actress/novelist
SUZZY ROCHE LEADS THE GROUP SING IN A FREE SING-ALONG 
NORTHAMPTON SENIOR CENTER,WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 7:00-9:00PM

The Roches are three sisters who from the 1970's have been known around the world for their rich, unusual harmonies, quirky lyrics and casual, comedic stage performances.  Accompanying herself on the guitar, Suzzy Roche will lead the audience in singing folk standards and popular songs along with her.  She has performed many times in Western Massachusetts, most recently with her sisters The Roches at the Iron Horse and this winter with her daughter Lucy Wainwright Roche at the new Parlor Room in Northampton.  Lucy and Rufus Wainwright (Loudon Wainwright III's children) are the "second generation" of the famous musical families.
Suzzy Roche's performance is part of the on-going Group Sing at the Senior Center, a monthly sing-along that has been going regularly for over 2 years.  The Group Sing is free and open to the public.  For singers and non-singers alike, the Group Sing is designed for the "over 50" crowd, but all ages are welcome.

It’s 2 hours of singing, just for the enjoyment of singing with others.  The Northampton Senior Center is located at 67 Conz Street in Northampton, MA.  Feel free to forward this email to anyone who you think might be interested in attending.  See youWednesday!

Group Sing is funded by the Northampton Arts Council and the Northampton Senior Center.

Happy Valley Guitar Orchestra Celebrates New Work in Spring Concert at Sweeney Hall

Happy Valley Guitar Orchestra Celebrates New Work in Spring Concert at Sweeney Hall

Northampton, MA—The Center for the Arts is pleased to present composer, performer and guitar innovator Peter Blanchette directing his critically acclaimed Happy Valley Guitar Orchestra (HVGO) at Sweeney Hall, Smith College Northampton on Friday, May 9 at 7:30 pm. HVGO’s annual spring concert features an expectedly unexpected program of music from minimalist composers Philip Glass and Arvo Pärt, 18^th century Scottish dance music of Nathanial Gow, music of critically-acclaimed midwest rockers Wilco, and instrumental music of the post-punk rockers The Smiths.

Now in its fifth season, HVGO pushes the music of Philip Glass further with arrangements of Metamorphoses I & III for piano. Blanchette on HVGO’s embrace of Glass: “He came of age as an artist in the 60s in America, so perhaps it is no coincidence that the patterns in Glass’ music are very similar to riffs in guitar-driven rock music. The meditative state one arrives at, if one plays Glass properly, gives his music a naturalistic quality that belies the almost manic, mechanical structure of his pieces.”

HVGO (www.hvgo.org) is an avant-garde music ensemble, founded by Peter Blanchette in 2009 and comprised of more than 20 talented acoustic and electric guitarists from widely varied traditions. HVGO is a resident company of the Northampton Center for the Arts, and is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and the Frank Lucchesi Trust.

Though known as a Bach specialist, Blanchette (www.archguitar.com) has a repertoire of unusual and celebrated musical arrangements that run from medieval to contemporary to ethnic styles.  Blanchette is the recipient of WFCR Foundation’s 2011 Arts & Humanities Award for Outstanding Individual, and is a veteran performer of such venues as Spain’s Cordoba Festival of the Guitar, Boston’s Symphony Hall, NPR’s “A Prairie Home Companion,” The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, The Town Hall, New York City, and WGBH Boston’s live radio broadcasts.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for students and children. They are available in advance at www.nohoarts.org and at the door from 6 pm on the evening of the performance. Door sales are cash or check only. This performance is made possible by generous support from PeoplesBank.

Higher States New Work By: Michael Crigler

GALLERY OPENING // STICKS & BRICKS PRESENTS:

HIGHER STATES NEW WORK BY: MICHAEL CRIGLER

OPENING RECEPTION: Friday, MAY 9th 2014 / 5 - 8pm

WHERE: STICKS & BRICKS -9 MARKET STREET, NORTHAMPTON, MA SHOW RUNS: MAY 7th - MAY 28th, 2014

In conjunction with Northampton’s Arts Night Out, on Friday May 9th, 2014 Sticks & Bricks will host a gallery reception for local artist, Michael Crigler from 5-8pm. Refreshments will be served, and music will be heard. Crigler’s work will be on display and for sale until May 28th.

About HIGHER STATES
Higher States is like an explosive dream, or a weirdly detailed, ever-so-slightly timeworn memory thereof. Each image seems hauntingly familiar, yet hypnotically exotic, evoking some internal emotion connecting the viewer to the cosmic void, vibrant star nebulas, birth and earthy formations. In this new body of work Crigler is exploring the cosmic evolution that is unfolding in the universe. This visual journey dives into realms of new physics, energy and the interconnectedness of all things.
"My hope is not to only engage people with pretty paintings, but to create work that speaks to them on a soul level. I create work for the
Agate Study (1) by Michael Crigler inner light of all, making images that can work as 16 x 16, Mixed Media on Paperportals to remind us of our true nature."

 More Info: sticksandbricksshop.com & michaelcrigler.com

About the Artist

Michael Crigler is a wild-creative. When he is not out roaming the forests wildcrafting plants for medicine for his work as an herb­alist, he is in his studio working as an artist, poet and designer. His work is heavily influ­enced by cosmic energy, healing, connection of all things and his Cherokee and early Pow­hatan roots which trace back to Chief Pow­hatan and his daughter Pocahontas.

His work has been exhibited in North America, Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

He currently lives with his wife Lauren in Western Massachusetts.

“A man who is 100% sane is dead.” - Osho

YOUNG@HEART 2nd Annual Intergenerational MASH-UP

TICKETS ON SALE NOW! Friday April 25 @ 7PM Y@H Intergenerational Mash-Up Concert John M Greene Hall 70 Elm St, Northampton Buy tickets online  or  call the box office 413-584-9032 x105  or visit Big Y, River Valley Market, and Serio's Market in Northampton Big Y and Food for Thought Books in Amherst. Here's a sneak peak of Y@H rehearsing with Springfield's SciTech Band. For all of our wonderful fans from around the world who cannot make the trip to Northampton, we are filming the concert and will be posting music videos in the coming weeks. Thanks for all your support!

Lisa Leizman Dance Co. Welcomes Spring with Birds, Blues, Bamboo and Bags

Northampton, MA—There will be birds… there will be blues… there will be bamboo and bags… and, best of all, there will be spring!

TheNorthampton Center for the Arts presents the Lisa Leizman Dance Company’s celebratory spring concert on Saturday, May 10 at 7:30 pm. The performance takes place on the lower level of the new Northampton Community Arts Trust Building at 33 Hawley Street.

A resident company of the Center for the Arts, the group has chosen a program featuring works old and new, audience favorites “All Blues,” set to music by Miles Davis and “the secret that bamboo guards” with music by company composer in residence Andrea Kwapien. The performance will also include a new work, “some bird, perhaps,” with music by Arvo Part.

The performance is followed by a festive reception featuring home cooking by members of the company.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children under 10 and are sold exclusively at the door. Guests are asked to use the lower level entrance adjacent to the parking lot. Proceeds benefit the Northampton Community Arts Trust.

Florence Night Out Thursday May 1st

WorkBench Dance: A Monthly Showing of Choreographies in Progress

                                                                                                           Contact:        Katie Aylward  (413) 579-2720

                                                                                                                                                Olana Flynn   (917) 370-4504

workbenchdance.wordpress.com    

workbenchdance@gmail.com

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Workbench Dance presents works in progress by local choreographers.

Saturday April 19^th, 2014 8PM

Wild Life Sanctuary Studio

Arts and Industry Building

221 Pine St. #349

Florence, MA

 Suggested donation $5-$15.

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Workbench is a choreographic works-in-progress series in Northampton, Massachusetts. Each month the work of 3-5 emerging to professional choreographers will be showcased. The performances will be followed by a Q&A lead by local artists, and scholars. Our April 19^th showcase will feature work by Emelia Brumbaugh and Madison Palffy, Katie Aylward, Julia Gladstone, Yaël Krinsky, and Christopher-Rasheem Mcmillan/Strategic Rebellions. Performances will be followed by an open discussion led by Sara Smith.

For more information and to submit work for upcoming Workbench events please visit workbenchdance.wordpress.com.

Workbench is supported in part by a grant from the Northampton Arts Council, a local agency that is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.