The Mutual Mentorship for Musicians, or M³, mentorship initiative has announced its third annual two-day cumulative festival on October 25 and 26 in Brooklyn.
About M³
Founded in March of 2020 in the midst of lockdowns being put in place, co-founders Jen Shyu and Sara Sherpa created Mutual Mentorship for Musicians out of a shared recognition that music and performing arts as a whole are shaped within the context of male power, creating unequal environments and increased challenges for musicians of underrepresented groups- the exact issue M³ seeks to rectify. Through commissioning women, nonbinary, and BIPOC musicians for new music/video compositions, M³ creates the space for marginalized artists to flourish and share both their works and their stories with the world.
Additionally, dedicated to display a variety of composer-performers from a range of backgrounds and genres, the M³ Festival is a celebration of the founding principal of the program, the traditions and histories of the members, and the skills honed in each individual performing.
Program Layout
Over the course of two days, the program will feature headlining duo Linda May Han Oh with Fabian Alzaman and solo headliner Craig Taborn. Composers and musicians who have collaborated remotely, mostly those of M³’s fifth cohort, will meet in person for the first time to celebrate and share their work as well.
The first day will feature projects “Selat Segara” (“separated by the ocean”) by Sattvitri and CC Sunchild, a project interpreting the majesty of the ocean, “All Roads Lead to Home” by The Kativa Shah Quintet, a vignette of works from their upcoming album of the same name, an improvisational exploration meshed with song-form that reflects the innermost questions of creators Tara Kannangara and Krissy Bergmark, the compositions of Jessica Jones and her fellow tenor saxist husband Tony Jones, and Craig Taborn’s working piece “Shadow Plays Solo”, a performance tailored to the concert space and audience for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
On day two, Dafna Naphtali and Gwen Laster will open with their newly reimagined M³ commissioned piece “Wake Me When It’s Green.” Now tailored to the live experience alongside musicians Ras Moshe and Alex Waterman, followed by a soundscape of Rani Jambak’s on her cultural identity journey as Minangkabau, a solo concert of Aline Franzão’s own compositions largely in portuguese with a blend of African, Brazilian, and Jazz influences, and the final performance of the evening- the ever-respected musical duo Linda May Han Oh and Fabian Almazan who will perform original works alongside improvisation, soundscapes, and both acoustic and electric elements.
Tickets are on sale now for the M³ Festival at $25 per day on October 25 and 26 at the Roulette Intermedium in Brooklyn. For further information and ticket sales, please visit here.
The Seagle Festival opera and musical theater production company of the Adirondacks has announced “The Musical World of Disney.” The musical revue will see performances from 100 years of Disney movies and musicals and will tour the area throughout September and October.
About Seagle Festivals
Established in 1915, Seagle Festival is the oldest summer singer training program in the country. Founded by world renowned baritone Oscar Seagle, the Festival has brought history to the Adirondacks since its inception. Moreover. their singers were one of the first groups to perform in front of television cameras. Additionally, Seagle Festival was named “Best Summer Vocal Training Program in the United States” by Classical Singer Magazine in 2000. As a result, the program has grown into a competitive six-production and thirty-five plus performance season every year.
In addition to performance experience, Seagle Festival provides weekly music coachings, private voice lessons, career development classes, acting and dance lessons, as well as master classes for famous singers and artist managers to each of its students.
Not only is Seagle Festival putting on mainstage performances of Brigadoon, Don Giovanni, Cold Mountain, and Sweeney Todd, they have announced an exciting series of performances celebrating 100 years of all things Disney movies and musicals. Perfect for audiences of every age, the revue will feature songs from Cinderella, Mary Poppins, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Moana, Frozen, and much more.
The featured Fall 2024 Artists for “The Musical World of Disney” are Nicholas Farenkrug, baritone; Emily O’Connor, soprano; Collin LaHood, tenor; and Hannah Reich, mezzo-soprano.
For further information and tickets, please refer to the full list of dates and their respective websites below.
FULL LIST OF PERFORMANCES
September 7: Oscar Seagle Memorial Theatre, Schroon Lake- visit here.
September 8: VIEW Arts Center, Old Forge- visit here.
September 13: Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts, Blue Mountain Lake- visit here.
September 14: Charles R. Wood Theater, Glens Falls- visit here.
October 4: Tannery Pond Community Center, North Creek- visit here.
The fivebyfive chamber ensemble announces its 2024-2025 season with the “Our Stories” concert series in Syracuse and Rochester, featuring “Fantastical Stories (Historias Fantásticas)” in the fall, “Enduring Stories” in the spring, and the release of their fourth album, Eclipse, to bridge the two programs.
fivebyfive is a Rochester based chamber ensemble of five professional musicians and one video and audio artist dedicated to cross-genre programming and commissioning new works from artists who are underrepresented in their field. Standard programs are composed of music written for flute, clarinet, electric guitar, piano, and bass- however, as is the norm with fivebyfive, this season is to be anything but standard. This year, new pieces will include banjo, fiddle, and voice.
The evolutions in this year’s programming does not stop there. In addition, the ensemble will be performing folk songs, ghost stories, ballads, and original poetry, as well as newly commissioned works by renowned composers Roberto Sierra and Emily Pinkerton.
For the fall concert series on October 5 and 6, fivebyfive will perform “Fantastical Stories (Historias Fantásticas)”, featuring a newly commissioned piece from Ithaca-based Grammy-nominated composer Roberto Sierra, Sonidos Del Tiön. Sierra utilized the Argentine poet Jorge Borges’ story to weave a composition of both fantasy and reality. In addition to Sierra, the concert will highlight other Latin American composers including Clarice Assad and Miguel del Aguila. Musicians from Society of New Music will perform select pieces as well.
In the Spring program on March 29 and 30, a mix of chamber and folk music will be performed in “Enduring Stories”, a collaboration between fivebyfive and songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Emily Pinkerton of Albany. Throughout her new work “Ephemera Ballads” Pinkerton will play the banjo and fiddle alongside the ensemble, adding her voice to the mix as well. The ballads represent the lost voices of the Appalaichan and Catskills women of over two hundred years ago, whose stories of struggles with class, gender, and bodily autonomy still resonate to this day.
In addition to these two exciting programs, the ensemble will be releasing its fourth album Eclipse on November 8. Distributed by Grammy-nominated label Bright Shiny Things, Eclipse features four pieces commissioned by fivebyfive for last April’s North American Total Solar Eclipse.
Earlier this year, the ensemble held three sold-out shows at Rochester’s Strasenburgh Planetarium performing the tracks alongside an immersive video created by fivebyfive’s executive director Marc Webster. The composers include Jessica Meyer (“In the Path of Totality”), Marc Mellits (“Eclipse”), Kamala Sankaram (“Under the Shadow”), and Genesee Valley native Glenn McClure (“Totality”).
Performances for “Fantastical Stories (Historias Fantásticas)” will be at the Onondaga Community College in Syracuse on October 5 and the Hochstein Performance Hall in Rochester on October 6. For more details and tickets, please visit here.
Performances for “Enduring Stories” will be at the May Memorial Unitarian in Syracuse on March 29 and the Rochester Academy of Medicine on March 30. For more details and tickets, please visit here.
To learn more about fivebyfive, Eclipse, and other events, please visit their website here.
JOE GENI reveals his newest single ‘City of Light’ ahead of the October 4 release of his album ‘Cities Built Upon Cities’.
Born in Illinois but living most of his adult life in New York City, Joe Geni has been releasing reflective indie-pop tracks since 2019 with his debut album ‘After Wandering Empire’, followed by the release of ‘Doggerland’ in 2021. Narratives of international affairs, climate change, urban infrastructure, and transportation all connect with the depths of the emotional human experience throughout his discography, a careful weaving that continues through his most recent releases.
About The New Single
“City of Light” joins two other pre-release singles for Geni’s newest album, “City of Energy” and “City Where The Sky Subsides,” creating a culminating piece that traces the transformation of Long Island City from its industrial past to the booming skyscrapers of today, all while reflecting on change, impermanence, the parting of friends, and feeling lost in the experience that is the city’s constant evolution.
“City of Light” in particular highlights the power of human connection and resilience in the face of lockdowns. While highlighting the friendship and community that can come from such dire situations- a testament to human connection and hope that emerged while the earth heals.
“And as the pandemic abated and something vaguely resembling normal life began to re-emerge, I, like one of our tiny mammalian ancestors crawling out of its burrow after the meteor that wiped out the non-avian dinosaurs, felt a burst of energy, and a feeling that that really in spite of everything we will be OK. Maybe.”
– JOE GENI
The upcoming album, as with Geni’s previous works, is produced, mixed, and mastered by Charlie Nieland, who has previously worked with the likes of Debbie Harry, Rufus Wainwright, and Blondie.
To learn more about “City of Light,” his upcoming album, and his story, visit JOE GENI’s website here.
Mary Gauthier is bringing her most recent tour alongside fellow singer-songwriter Robbie Fulks to Phoenicia, Saratoga Springs, and Spencertown later this month.
Grammy nominated folk singer-songwriter and author Mary Gauthier has a long legacy of translating the human experience into sound. Her lyrics cut, her instrumentals hit deep, and her work has resonated with the public since the very beginning of her highly awarded 11 album, 28 year career.
Her first album, Dixie Kitchen, shares the name of the Cajun restaurant she opened prior to her musical career. This release gifted her the first of many award nominations to come for Best New Contemporary Folk Artist at the 1998 Boston Music Awards. Selling her share of the restaurant to finance her next album, Gauthier released Drag Queens in Limousines that same year, rocketing her into the spotlight for its unapologetically real, raw, and queer narratives.
Since then, Gauthier has released nine albums, including Mercy Now whose titular track earned the title of one of the “Saddest 40 Country Songs of All Time” by Rolling Stone Magazine, and Rifles & Rosary Beads, a collaborative project with U.S. veterans and their families, which not only resulted in various awards and Gauthier’s first Grammy nomination, but also presented the public with a difficult conversation in a groundbreakingly beautiful way.
Robbie Fulks, Gauthier’s co-headliner for the tour, shares her lyrical honesty and folksy charm, taking on a more bluegrass and country twang. While born in Pennsylvania and raised in Virginia, Fulks moved to New York City as a young adult and found a love for the Greenwich Village songwriting scene, there honing his skills that would carry his career to recognition from publications like NPR and Rolling Stone and two Grammy nominations.
Gauthier and Fulks will begin their tour in a matter of days, performing at the United Methodist Church in Phoenicia, New York on September 14, both an afternoon and an evening performance at Caffé Lena in Saratoga Springs on September 15, and the Spencertown Academy Arts Center on September 26.
For more information and tickets, please visit here. A full list of tour dates is below.
TOUR DATES
September 11 – Vienna, VA – Jammin Java
September 12 – Sellersville, PA – Sellersville Theater
September 13 – Northampton, MA – Iron Horse Music Hall
September 14 – Phoenicia, NY – United Methodist Church
September 15 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Caffé Lena (4:30 PM)
September 15 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Caffé Lena (7:30 PM)
September 17 – Nashville, TN – All Star Tribute and Drag Queens Album Performance
September 21 – Palm Coast, FL – Flagler Oars Recovery Festival 2024
September 26 – Spencertown, NY – Spencertown Academy Arts Center
September 27 – Manchester, NH – The Rex Theatre
September 28 – Town of Rockingham, VT – An Evening with Mary Gauthier & Ray Wylie Hubbard
October 3 – Harvard, MA – The Fruitlands Museum
October 12 – Nashville, TN – The Ryman Auditorium
October 17 – San Antonio, TX – An Evening with Three Women and The Truth
October 18 – Houston, TX – An Evening with Three Women and The Truth
October 19 – Austin, TX – An Evening with Three Women and The Truth
October 20 – Dallas, TX – An Evening with Three Women and The Truth
Returning for his third single of the year, singer-songwriter Mihali has partnered up with fellow musician Andy Frasco and producer Spencer Thomson to offer listeners a peek into the traveling musician’s “Circus Life” in the midst of their respective tours.
Former frontman of rock band Twiddle and a rising reggae star in his own right, Mihali Savoulidis is no new face to the music industry. His solo career formally began in 2020 with the release of “Breathe and Let Go”, with several singles following throughout during the Covid-19 pandemic. This year marks an exciting series of singles following the 2022 release of his last album, Effection, the most recent being his collaboration with fellow musician and songwriter Andy Frasco, “Circus Life”.
Both seasoned in the touring artist lifestyle and currently on the road for their respective acts, “Circus Life” is the product of Mihali and Frasco’s reflections upon the ups and downs of life, specifically as it pertains to musicians whose day to day lives become a cycle of performance and travel- possibly for months at a time.
With a slightly more acoustic americana sound than some of Mihali’s recent works, “Circus Life” meshes a rolling beat with calming piano chords and lyrics that come from the heart to express both the unspoken struggles of touring life and the beauty of it- the sacrifice that must be made to bring love to the fans, the friends, and the family he holds dear.
“Mihali and I were talking about living on the road one day after a gig, depleted but happy, and he said “Yeah, it’s like we’re in the circus.” We both looked at each other and didn’t say a word, but knew that exact feeling. Two months later, he sent me a demo called “Circus Life,”and I asked if I could add a bridge…I love when songs come out like that.”
– Andy Frasco
Both Mihali and Frasco are currently touring with a handful of dates in New York between the two acts.
Mihali will be at Wonderland Forest in Lafayette on September 21 and The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester on October 25- tickets are available here.
Frasco and the rest of his band, Andy Frasco & The U.N., will be performing at this year’s River Jam in Buffalo on October 13. Tickets are available here.
To learn more about Mihali’s work, ongoing tour, and story, visit his website here.
The Queens United International Party (QUIP) presents the seventh annual World Music Festival, taking place in Sunnyside Gardens Park on Saturday, September 21.
An annual celebration of all 120 countries and 135 languages represented in Queens, the QUIP World Music Festival brings the entire borough and beyond together to enjoy the music, art, culture, and food of the community, for the community, by the community.
This yearâs QUIP offers a full roster of events for all ages- music, arts and crafts, dance contests, a wide array of food vendors spanning from arepas to momos, and all that the historical community park has to offer.
Musical performances will occur on two alternating stages from 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM with a lineup that is sure to stun, including but not limited to the renowned kora player Yacouba Sissoko, dancer and educator Malini Srinivasan, all-women, trans, and nonbinary Brazilian Samba Reggae drum line Fogo Azul, and the ever-entertaining Pinkie Special.
Tickets are $15 at the door, and kids under 12 years old are free. For further information, please visit here.
While not in New York proper, the Berkshires are an essential part of live music for those in Eastern New York and beyond. Intersecting multiple state lines, these highlands boast a vibrant community of artists and art alike- drawing both locals and those from beyond the mountains into its captivating live performance scene. From grandiose theaters to intimate speakeasies, the Berkshires offer a venue fit for every event and occasion.
Formed by the merging of the Berkshire Theatre Festival and The Colonial Theatre, two of the county’s oldest cultural organizations, the Berkshire Theatre Group has a long history of bringing live performance to its community. Boasting a catalog of performances dating back to 1928 and an ever-expanding repertoire of both time-honored classics and works from new and emerging artists, the performances of the Berkshire Theatre Group span four stages- The Colonial Theatre, The Unicorn Theatre, The Fitzpatrick Main Stage, and The Garage, each with their own unique personality and purpose.
Address: 6 East St, Stockbridge, MA 01262 (The Unicorn Theatre, The Fitzpatrick Main Stage)
Address: 111 South St, Pittsfield, MA 01201 (The Colonial Theatre, The Garage)
Known for their contemporary productions, Chester Theatre Company hosts a series of shows made and performed by those in the community every summer. In addition to their own works, the Company hosts talkbacks, cast conversations, and panel discussions.
Built completely upon and around the talents and works of those local to the Berkshires and beyond, The Great Barrington Public Theater performs in the Daniel Arts Center of Bard College at Simon’s Rock, either on the 300 seat mainstage McConnell Theater with orchestral and balcony seating or the 100 seat Liebowitz Black Box Theater.
Address: 84 Alford Road, Great Barrington, MA 01230
The Mac-Haydn Theatre has been producing musical theater performances for the area for over fifty years now- bringing the founding wish to spread professional musical theater beyond Broadway to fruition. Each performance comes to life on their 350 seat theatre-in-the-round stage, creating an engaging and intimate audience experience. Shows run each season between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day Weekend.
Constructed in 1904 and opened in 1905, the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center has acted as a community cornerstone for live performance, film, and cultural events since its inception. Boasting theater seats just under 700, year-round arts programming, and a range of events from entertainment to education, the Mahaiwe is the centerpiece to the town’s vibrant art scene.
Address: 14 Castle Street, Great Barrington, MA 01230
An abbreviation for Performance Space 21, this black box theater sits atop a mountain. PS21 is home to contemporary dance, theatre, and music that hosts cutting edge artists from across the globe. Like many performances at this venue that invite the audience to interact- oftentimes more workshop than production- visitors can explore the fields and view of the Hudson below.
Founded in 1978, Shakespeare & Company boasts a wide range of theaters to fit each production’s needs. With tried and true Shakespearean classics, reimagined pieces, and newly debuted shows, Shakespeare & Company utilizes every seat of their 540-seat open air Arthur S. Waldstein Amphitheatre, 400-seat scaffold-and-canvas inspired Tina Packer Playhouse, intimate five row Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre, Elizabethan inspired 280-seat outdoor Roman Garden Theatre, and the 250-seat Rose Footprint Theatre, a reconstruction of the first level of Shakespeare’s first London theater.
With a rich history of live music and musical education, an open-air venue with both indoor seating and an outer lawn that provides a variety of listening experiences, and a star studded performance archive that ranges from Ella Fitzgerald to Dolly Parton, it’s no wonder Tanglewood has been consistently voted a fan favorite concert venue. In addition to individual performances, Tanglewood houses the Popular Artists Series festival, the Boston Pops, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s training academy.
An informal, cozy venue nestled in an old barn at the Egremont Village Inn, The Egremont Barn offers a more casual audience experience complete with pub style comfort foods and a stage boasting little more than a piano. The venue’s charm shines through in its community built around the year-round program of singer-songwriters, theater companies, open mics, and musical acts across genres.
A small speakeasy style venue tucked beneath the Red Lion Inn, The Lion’s Den offers an intimate musical experience with a timeless atmosphere. Thursday through Saturday evenings feature folk, rock, and blues acts from their Den Sessions, and Sunday evenings are the host to their Jazz series.
Address: The Red Lion Inn, 30 Main St, Stockbridge MA 01262
A Tony Award-winning theater, The Williamstown Theatre Festival is a resident summer theatre on Williams College’s campus that hosts a yearly season of shows and community immersive theatre programs year-round.
A Day To Remember is bringing their Fall 2024 Couple More Shows headline tour to the Upstate Medical Arena at The Oncenter War Memorial in Syracuse on November 4. Special guests August Burns Red and Stand Atlantic will accompany the act.
Composed of vocalist Jeremy McKinnon, rhythm guitarist Neil Westfall, percussionist and drummer Alex Shelnutt, and lead guitarist Kevin Skaff, A Day To Remember has been delivering punk hits since their conception in 2003 and first official release with And Their Name Was Treason in 2005.
Over the past 19 years, the band has released a total of seven studio albums, embarked on several tours in the United States and beyond, and sold over three million units. Now, just after their biggest North American headline run to date, The Least Anticipated Album Tour, A Day To Remember returns to New York for another powerful performance.
With gritty instrumentals and electrifying choruses that meld the edge of rock and punk with the catchiness of pop, A Day To Remember has always bent the conventions of sound and genre to their will. Audience members at the Upstate Medical Arena will be able to experience a once-in-a-lifetime performance filled with sounds that are uniquely ‘A Day To Remember’.
Supporting bands August Burns Red and Stand Atlantic will also be performing the evening of November 4.
August Burns Red shares history with A Day To Remember, also debuting their metal sound in 2003. Two-time Grammy nominees, their most recent release Death Below marks their tenth studio album.
Pop punk band Stand Atlantic originates in Sydney, Australia. With four studio albums, three EPs, and a myriad of singles, Stand Atlantic will be adding this tour to their impressive repertoire of tours they have opened in addition to their own shows, presenting audiences with their contemporary twist to the traditional pop punk sound.
Couple More Shows in Syracuse will begin at 7:00PM, November 4 at the Upstate Medical University Arena at the Oncenter War Memorial.
The full list of tour dates are listed below. Ticket sales are live now.
TOUR DATES:
10/17 – Las Vegas, NV – Fountainebleau Las Vegas 10/19 – Las Vegas, NV – When We Were Young Festival 10/20 – Las Vegas, NV – When We Were Young Festival 10/23 – Wichita, KS – Wave ICT 10/25 – Cincinnati, OH – Andrew J Brady Music Center 10/26 – Moline, IL – Vibrant Arena at The MARK 10/27 – Peoria, IL – Peoria Civic Center 10/29 – Huntington, WV – Marshall Health Network Arena 10/30 – State College, PA – Bryce Jordan Center 11/1 – Portland, ME – Cross Insurance Arena 11/3 – London, ON – Budweiser Gardens 11/4 – Syracuse, NY – Upstate Medical Arena at The Oncenter War Memorial 11/6 – Norfolk, VA – Chartway Arena 11/7 – Savannah, GA – Enmarket Arena 11/9 – Jacksonville, FL – Daily’s Place
Jon Wagar will open for SIRSY in the 2024 ROCK the LOCK music series’ concluding performance on Saturday, August 31 at the historic Schoharie Crossing.
Schoharie Crossing is a historic site dedicated to preserving and educating the public on the Erie Canal and its story. The site contains various structures dating across the three phases of the canal’s development, the most notable being the remains of the Schoharie Aqueduct, which was responsible for the transportation of the Enlarged Erie Canal’s water over the Schoharie Creek.
In addition to events like ROCK the LOCK, the Historic Site offers educational outreach programs, field trips, on-site tours, and recreational programs.
Sirsy is a singer-songwriter pop rock duo with folk influences from Upstate NY. Fronted by singer-songwriter and drummer Melanie Krahmer alongside her husband, co-writer, and guitarist Rich Libutti, the duo has shared the stage with the likes of Maroon 5, Train, Brandi Carlile, Grace Potter and more, averaging 250 shows a year over their 15 year touring career. Jon Wagar is a folk singer-songwriter from Mayfield, NY.
This event is free to the public- visitors are advised to bring a lawn chair and dress for the weather.
