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The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series Presents Dominican Jazz Guitarist Yasser Tejeda, on May 25

by hahrenholz | Music

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents Dominican jazz guitarist Yasser Tejeda, on Saturday, May 25 at 6:00 pm at Cooper Field, 41 Sand Hill Road, in Putney.

“This Bandwagon Series, we’re excited to have a lot more Latin-influenced artists like Yasser Tajeda,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “Yasser was one of the headliners at this years’ GlobalFest at Lincoln Center, and when I saw his virtuosity on the guitar, his expression, and the joy he brought to the music of the Dominican Republic, I knew he’d be a great fit for our programming.”

Yasser Tejeda is an award-winning Dominican composer, guitarist, vocalist, and producer. According to Billboard, Yasser is giving traditional folkloric music a new spin with jazz, rock, and Caribbean rhythms in “a frenzied celebration of ancestral union.” At the same time, Juan Luis Guerra, the most influential Dominican artist in the world, praised his mission, calling it a “marvelous example of what’s happening with Dominican music.” Yasser hopes to incite an awakening while inspiring new generations to explore, promote and uplift their roots.

Tejeda has released three commercial albums, La Madrugá (2023), Kijombo (2019), and Mezclansa (2009), with his group Palotré, while also surprising his followers with an acoustic EP called Interior in 2021. Mezclansa was dubbed one of the “100 essential recordings of Dominican music” by the Dominican National Association of Art Writers (Acroarte). His second album Kijombo received six awards from Dominican Republic’s Premios Indie, including Best Album. La Madrugá, which is Tejeda’s latest offering, features his latest collaboration with Vicente García, “En El Naranjo”, as well as the singles “Tu Ere’ Bonita” and “Todo Va a Marchar”.

A Bit More About the Next Guilford Play

by DonInGuilford | Arts

People have been asking Guilford Center Stage about our upcoming play, as both the playwright and the play will be new to our audience.

We were chatting with a high school teacher, Marc Considine, way up in Hardwick, Vermont, about Charles Henry, who painted the four theater curtains at Broad Brook Community Center, and also some at Hardwick Town House. He coaches a very ambitious after-school drama club at Hazen Union High School, and had produced the Charles Henry play, “A Battle of Wits”, which we also staged in 2016.

He mentioned that he had written scripts for his students, and we asked him to send us one his kids had performed at a regional high school drama festival, and that’s the play we’re performing.

“Love Lost Diaries” will have three performances at Broad Brook Community Center: Friday and Saturday, May 3 and 4 at 7:30 pm, and Sunday May 5 at 2:00 pm. One of the lead actors in that 2016 play, who has appeared in almost all our productions, Julie Holland, is directing this show.

Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series Opens May 18th with Mehrnam Rastegari & Habbina Habbina

by hahrenholz | Music

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series opens its season with Persian musician Mehrnam Rastegari and Mediterranean surf trio Habbina Habbina, on Saturday, May 18 at 6:00 pm at The Putney Inn, 57 Putney Landing Road, in Putney.

“When we kick off the Bandwagon Series, we are looking for an artist that delivers on our Bandwagon promise of diversity, virtuosity, and creativity,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “Mehrnam is a rising star in the New York City World Music scene. The pairing of Mehrnam and Habbina Habbina brings joy, dancing, and a unique sonic experience. People should come prepared to dance!”

WSESD Board Meeting Minutes – April 9, 2024

by Not Signed In | Education

Summary

● Motion was made to find local venues that are cost effective for the Board & Admin Retreat in June in advance of the new school year.

● Four new hires for FY25 were approved.

● Two resignations were accepted.

● The Board approved the Warrants and Payroll presented.

● Policies F22, G1 AND H2 were re-adopted.

● The Board entered Executive Session involving the discipline of students.

Windham Southeast School District (WSESD) Policy and Amendment Committee Meeting Minutes – April 10, 2024

by Not Signed In | Education

Two 6th grade students from Academy School, Luca Mnookin and Elsa Anders, presented their research project looking at the lack of access to gender-neutral bathrooms at school. Academy School has only one gender-neutral bathroom that is accessible to anyone, and it is in the upper-grade wing, so not available to K-2 students. Some—but not all—classrooms have their own gender-neutral bathroom. The students presented an assessment of why it matters, including transgender students’ fear of harassment in gendered bathrooms. Their research involved surveys at Academy School and Putney Central School, and with their results, they advocated for private, all-gender bathrooms throughout the district.

Anna Patton on “Here We Are”

by Wendy O'Connell | Arts

An accomplished musician, Anna Patton loves to improvise and experiment in composing, performance, and teaching. She explores sound and harmony in creative, innovative ways. Anna shares stories of a life filled with music, and her performances and connections with the Vermont Jazz Center, the Julian Gerstin Sextet, the Soubrettes, Elixir, and contradancing.

Hanneke Cassel Band featuring Keith Murphy and Jenna Moynihan, plus Yann Falquet to Perform at Next Stage in May

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts and Twilight Music present Hanneke Cassel Band featuring Keith Murphy and Jenna Moynihan, plus Yann Falquet, at Next Stage on Thursday, May 16 at 7:00 pm.

Effervescent and engaging, Boston-based fiddler Hanneke Cassel’s fiddle music fuses influences from the Isle of Skye and Cape Breton with Americana grooves and musical innovations. She has performed and traveled across North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. Hanneke’s music is a blend of the contemporary and traditional, described by the Boston Globe as “exuberant and rhythmic, somehow wild and innocent, delivered with captivating melodic clarity and an irresistible playfulness.”

The Hanneke Cassel Band features Jenna Moynihan on 5-string fiddle/vocals and Keith Murphy on guitar/vocals. Jenna Moynihan is regarded as one of the best in the new generation of fiddle players. Versatile and inventive, her fiddling style draws strongly from the Scottish tradition, but is in no way bound by it. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Jenna performs as part of a duo with cutting edge harpist Mairi Chaimbeul and is the regular fiddler for the Seamus Egan Project. Newfoundland-born guitarist Keith Murphy began absorbing his native musical languages – folk songs, ballads and dance music – from an early age. A proficient multi-instrumentalist, he has long applied considerable energy to the rhythmic side of music, becoming a valued band member and highly sought-after sideman on guitar, mandolin and foot percussion.

Singer/Songwriter Carsie Blanton Returns to Next Stage Arts in May

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts and Twilight Music present singer/songwriter Carsie Blanton, at Next Stage on Thursday, May 9 at 7:00 pm.

Carsie Blanton is a songwriter with hooks, chutzpah, and revolutionary optimism. Inspired by artist-activists including Nina Simone and Woody Guthrie, her catalog careens through American popular song from folk and swing to pop-punk protest anthems.

Windham Southeast School District Board Meeting Minutes March 26, 2024

by Not Signed In | Education

Summary
● Board Officers were nominated and elected.
● Voting Members of the WSESU Board were nominated and elected.
● Board Meeting days/times were determined.
● The Board will follow the “Robert’s Rules of Order” for Small Boards adding back in seconding a motion.
● Leadership Council assignments were established
● The Board voted to change the Board Meeting scheduled for April 23 rd to April 30 th to avoid meeting during Spring Break.
● Six new employees were presented and approved for the FY25 school year.
● Board approved the submission of Head Start/Early Head refunding application. Application due April 1.
● Board approved the new members of the Guilford and Academy Leadership Councils.

Canadian Polish Folk Music Ensemble Polky at Next Stage Arts

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts presents Polish folk music made in Canada with Toronto’s Polky, at Next Stage on Saturday, May 4 at 7:30 pm.

Toronto’s Polky, led by multi-talented immigrant female musicians, delights audiences with traditional vocals, unusual instruments, and energizing performances. Drawing deep inspiration from Poland’s rich cultural tapestry, they push musical boundaries by fearlessly blending Polish traditional music with sounds and rhythms from across the globe.

FIDE Candidates Chess Tournament

by hajm | Culture

The FIDE Candidates tournament begins today and ends on the 22nd.  The winner becomes the Challenger will face the reigning World Chess Champion, Ding Liren, most likely at the end of this year in a location yet to be determined.

The field features two Americans–Nakamura, who I’ll be rooting for, as well as Caruana–and three players from India.   Eight of the world’s top players going at each other twice results a small trove of well-played games.

Duo Andalus featuring LALA Tamar at Next Stage Arts

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts presents an intimate encounter of voice and strings, sounds and cultures, with Duo Andalus, featuring LALA Tamar, at Next Stage on Sunday, April 28 at 7:00 pm.

“Take a trip through the Mediterranean – Flamenco, Ladino, Moroccan, Jewish, Arabic – merging together with Duo Andalus. Lala Tamar’s vocal virtuosity blends with Ofer Ronen’s flamenco guitar style and oud,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “We love the journey music brings us on, and for this show, we may ask audiences to bring a passport.”

Sara Juli’s “Naughty Bits” at Next Stage Arts

by hahrenholz | Entertainment

Next Stage Arts presents Sara Juli’s Naughty Bits, a dance-play set inside Juli’s memories that examines trauma while finding levity within the tragic. Through movement, text, song, projections and humor, Naughty Bits finds the forgotten bits, funny bits (and wobbly bits) of putting one’s mind and body back together. Performances are at Next Stage on Friday, April 26 and Saturday, April 27 at 7:30 pm.

“What fascinates me most of all about Sara Juli’s work is that she frames these immersive, theater-inspired one woman shows as choreographed pieces. She pulls from so many various places to produce these personal narratives that seem to hit directly into the audience’s personal experiences,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “Her professional career in New York gave her the chops and vision to craft world-class theater, and now New England benefits from her relocation.This will be a presentation for community members seeking something new in their theater experiences.”