helping traditional skills flourish in our modern world

Tag: music (Page 1 of 2)

October 18, 2025: Mari Black Trio

Mari Black Trio Concert

7:00-9:00PM

Mari Black and Troy MacGillivray played a lively Cape Breton Fiddle concert in 2024 to a sold-out Buckland Public Hall audience and we are excited to welcome Mari back to Buckland with her trio. If you missed last year’s fiddle concert, we hope you will be able to join us this year! And, if you did attend last year, you know what an outstanding musician Mari Black is and just how engaging her style is. This concert is appropriate for all ages and is sure to have you out of your seat and dancing along.

 

Pre-concert Workshop

3:00-4:15PM

Prior to the concert, the Mari Black Trio will lead simultaneous workshops for both melody and accompaniment players. Participants will learn a set of tunes and then join forces to put the whole ensemble together in a group arrangement.

 

About Mari Black

Called “one of the brightest fiddlers around today” (Brian O’Donovan, WGBH radio), multistyle violinist and champion fiddler MARI BLACK delights audiences around the world with her energetic playing, sparkling stage presence, and dazzlingly virtuosic fiddling. Raised on a rich blend of traditional musical styles, Mari burst onto the international stage when she became Scotland’s Glenfiddich Fiddle Champion, 2-time U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion, and 2-time Canadian Maritime Fiddle Champion, all within a three-year period. Ever since then, she has been spreading her love for dance-based music, performing as a featured artist at performing arts centers, Celtic festivals, Scottish Highland Games, celebrated folk venues, world music concert series, and acclaimed classical venues including Carnegie Hall. She can even be heard (and seen!) in the award-winning video game BioShock: Burial at Sea. Mari has appeared with such diverse artists as Irish fiddle master Liz Carroll, Americana master Mark O’Connor, and jazzman Willie Ruff, and been featured on the BBC Radio Scotland, Fox and CBS morning news, and NPR’s “Here and Now.” She has played concerts in Brazil, Scotland, Canada, China, Korea, Zimbabwe, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Italy, and France…and she can’t wait for the next stop! Currently touring nationally with her trio, Mari’s favorite thing to do is sweep audiences away on a spirited musical adventure featuring dance music from around the globe: Celtic, American, and Canadian fiddling, jazz, tango, klezmer, folk, original works, and more!

Mari’s passion for dance-driven music extends far beyond the concert stage, as reflected in her work as a teacher, composer, dancer, competition judge, and musical ambassador committed to connecting people through music. Having earned her Doctorate in Education from Columbia University, Mari is a master teacher who is dedicated to helping students of all ages and levels explore the joy of making music. She teaches regularly at prestigious camps and workshops around the country, including appearances at the Swannanoa Gathering, the Acadia Trad School, the Jink & Diddle School of Scottish Fiddling, the Mark O’Connor fiddle camp, the Tanglewood Festival, the Yale School of Music, and more. Several of her students are now becoming champion fiddlers in their own right, winning top awards at the U.S. Scottish Nationals and other competitions. Mari’s ear-catching compositions draw on a broad range of stylistic influences, and have won several awards, including a Gold Medal from the MASC International Songwriting Competition and the composition prize at the prestigious Dan R. MacDonald fiddle competition. Some of her personal favorite compositions are featured on her debut album FLIGHT, and on her new album UNSCRIPTED, a collaboration with 3-time world accordion champion Cory Pesaturo. To learn more about Mari and follow her musical adventures, visit her website.

 

Workshop registration and tickets available soon!

September 13, 2025: Eddie Forman Orchestra

People of all ages are invited to join the Eddie Forman Orchestra to dance and enjoy a fun-filled evening of good music at the Buckland Public Hall on September 13, 2025.

4:00PM: Workshop for musicians.

5:30PM: Dance workshop, followed by a lively concert and dance music played by the Eddie Forman Orchestra – complete with polish food.

The Eddie Forman Orchestra, also known as “E.F.O.”, is a western Massachusetts polka band that has been performing before audiences since 1968. Eddie Forman started the band while he was still in high school, and has been creating and recreating music ever since. The Eddie Forman Orchestra has one of the largest followings in the New England area. Eddie has been quoted saying: “It is people like you that have kept us playing for all these years, and as long as you are here, so is E.F.O.” E.F.O. is known for their standard Polkas with Polish lyrics. They are without a doubt one of the hardest working bands giving the fans an abundance of music.

The Eddie Forman Orchestra has received numerous awards in recognition of promoting polka music and culture. Eddie had the honor of being inducted in the International Polka Music Hall of Fame on August 5th, 2006.

The E.F.O. has made eighteen recordings; “The Rest of My Years” “Accordion to Eddie” is their most recent. This recording features a different style of polkas. The band is composed of a very diverse group of musicians. They have an expanded repertoire of music and have performed over the years at many venues throughout New England, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Michigan, California and Florida. The E.F.O. has also been featured on several cruises to the Caribbean Islands and Bermuda. Eddie along with his wife Carol organizes bus tours taking their large following of dedicated fans to various festivals and polka weekends.

The Eddie Forman Orchestra is in high demand and has performed throughout the United States. The band’s enthusiasm and love for the music they perform, their versatility and ability to embrace a wide range of styles and their dedication to strong, lively performances make the E.F.O. an enduring success.

Learn more about the Eddie Forman Orchestra

 

Workshop registration & tickets on sale soon!

July 26, 2025: Larry & Joe Concert & Workshop

Larry & Joe Concert

7-9PM

Join Larry & Joe at the Buckland Public Hall for an evening of music without borders. Reimagining their two musical traditions, Llanera superstar Larry Bellorín (Venezuela) and Latingrass GRAMMY-nominee Joe Troop (North Carolina) play harp, banjo, fiddle, cuatro, maracas, guitar, upright bass, and sing to inspire joy and unity.

Larry & Joe is the duo of Joropo maestro Larry Bellorín (Monagas, Venezuela) and GRAMMY-nominated bluegrass and oldtime star Joe Troop (Winston-Salem, North Carolina). These two virtuosic multi-instrumentalists fuse their respective Venezuelan and Appalachian folk traditions on the harp, banjo, cuatro, fiddle, upright bass, guitar, and maracas to prove that music has no borders. Their engaging bilingual (esp / eng) program includes storytelling, humor, singalongs, and dancing.

 

Pre-concert Workshop

Gabán / Latin Strings / Venezuelan Strings

During this afternoon workshop, Larry & Joe will teach attendees a two-chord gabán, a fundamental rhythmic and harmonic structure of the musical style, la música llanera. Participants will learn how strings are used percussively through muting and golpes to create the iconic joropo feel. Though Larry & Joe will use the cuatro (an instrument intrinsically bound to the Venezuelan identity) as a teaching tool, this language is translatable to other string instruments like the banjo.

Instruments welcome and encouraged but not required.

 

Learn more about Larry & Joe

 

Tickets and workshop registration available soon

July 5, 2025: Transcarpathian Orchestra Play-Along

Play along with Ralph & Friends – Transcarpathian Orchestra

Join Ralph Iverson and friends for a day of Transcarpathian and Romanian dance music! In the afternoon, intermediate to advanced musicians are invited to join in two sessions where Ralph will teach an assortment of music. Sheet music will be provided.

After the workshops, we will share a sit-down dinner, followed by a dance party until late in the evening.

 

Schedule:

2:00-3:30PM: Session I

3:45-5:15PM: Session II

5:45PM: Dinner

After Dinner: Dance Party!

 

Registration opens soon!

May 17th, 2025: Fireside Orchestra Contra Dance

Join us for an evening of Contra Dancing, featuring musicians: Eveline MacDougall, George Wilson, Becky Ashenden, Addie Rose Holland, and the Fabric of Life Fireside Orchestra. Cammy Kaynor will be calling and music will include tunes from Quebec, Scandinavia, the Balkans and more.

Dance takes place at the Buckland Public Hall, 17 Upper St, Buckland, MA on May 17th from 7-9pm!

Dance music has an important role in our communities. It brings joy not only to those who play, but also to those who listen or dance. Being a part of this process on any level helps our world become a better place.

Sliding scale admission $5-20

Pre-register or pay at the door.

 

More Info

March 23, 2025: Fireside Orchestra Session II

Dance music has an important role in our communities. It brings joy not only to those who play, but also to those who listen or dance. Being a part of this process on any level helps our world become a better place.

Join us for two fun eclectic dance music sessions in our Farmhouse living room on February 23rd and March 23rd as we begin to build our Fabric of Life Fireside Orchestra. The third session on May 15th will be review for our May 17th Contra Dance at the Buckland Public Hall. Those who wish are invited to join the band on the tunes learned at the Farmhouse sessions.

REGISTER

February 23, 2025: Fireside Orchestra Session I

Dance music has an important role in our communities. It brings joy not only to those who play, but also to those who listen or dance. Being a part of this process on any level helps our world become a better place.

Join us for two fun eclectic dance music sessions in our Farmhouse living room on February 23rd and March 23rd as we begin to build our Fabric of Life Fireside Orchestra. The third session on May 15th will be review for our May 17th Contra Dance at the Buckland Public Hall. Those who wish are invited to join the band on the tunes learned at the Farmhouse sessions.

REGISTER

Singing Ukulele Retreat

Singing Ukulele Retreat
featuring Jim Beloff and Kate O’Connor

Last year Fabric of Life offered a new musical program as part of its ongoing efforts to preserve and promote traditional skills which enrich our daily lives: the Singing Ukulele Retreat. Its success has inspired us to bring the program back this summer with two superb musicians.


The workshop will feature two great musicians:

Jim Beloff has been a tireless evangelist for the ukulele for over 20 years. He has written many instruction books as part of his “Jumpin Jim’s” series as well as compiling the beloved “Daily Ukulele” songbooks. Over the years he had done hundreds of workshops, introducing beginners to the ukulele and helping thousands to improve their playing. He has also written a concerto for solo ukulele and symphony orchestra—“Uke Can’t Be Serious”—and over 30 songs performed on his CDs. Jim’s 2010 workshop in Northampton sponsored by Downtown Sounds and the Northampton Community Music Center led to the creation of AEIOUkes, Northampton’s ukulele club, which still meets weekly at Forbes Library. He and his wife Liz were also featured performers in the Northampton Arts Council’s Four Sundays in February show “Ukes and Yo-yos”.

Kate O’Connor is a longtime career musician and band leader who has entertained audiences throughout New England, Bermuda and Florida with her stellar vocals, keyboards, steel drum, and guitar playing, and her original R & B, Jazz, Pop, and World Beat compositions. Kate is a best vocalist award winner from newspaper polls in the Western Massachusetts region, and was a longtime studio session vocalist for #1 hit songwriter Tony Romeo (I Think I love You). She performs with A Beautiful Future Band, (Caribbean, Irish, and multicultural original music), Blue Rendezvous, (Retro Soul and Swing), and Catalytics Swing Band, and teaches music lessons at the Northampton Community Music Center, Smith College, and Downtown Sounds.


The retreat will feature three sessions: there will be an introductory session for everyone led by Jim that will combine some warm-up playing and singing to get us all in the mood. At this session Jim will also talk about how he approaches arranging and performing a new song, which is often a challenge for beginning and intermediate players who want to learn new material.

Then half of the group will have a 90 minute session with Jim and the other half with Kate.; these sessions will focus on improving technique in playing and singing respectively. After that the groups will switch teachers for another 90 minute session. Following this there will be a community supper where we’ll have a chance to relax and socialize. The retreat will end with a short concert where our teachers will get a chance to perform for participants, and then the group will get together and show off what they have learned during the day.

 

REGISTER

Fireside Orchestra Concert & Contra Dance

Dance music has an important role in our communities. It brings joy not only to those who play, but also to those who listen or dance. Being a part of this process on any level helps our world become a better place.

Join the Fabric of Life Fireside Orchestra for an evening of Contra Dancing at the Buckland Public Hall on April 28th from 7-9pm! The band will be joined by George Wilson and Rebecca Weiss.

Steve Howland will be calling and music will include tunes from Cape Breton, Scandinavia and the Balkans.

 

Pre-Register

Fireside Orchestra

Dance music has an important role in our communities. It brings joy not only to those who play, but also to those who listen or dance. Being a part of this process on any level helps our world become a better place.

Join us for two fun eclectic dance music sessions in our Farmhouse living room on February 25th and March 24th as we begin to build our Fabric of Life Fireside Orchestra. The third session will be a dance evening in Buckland on April 28th where participants are invited to join the band on the tunes learned during the Farmhouse sessions.

Sign Up

« Older posts

© 2025 Fabric of Life

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑