Soundry Music Studio Songwriting Workshop
South Egremont— Brian Kantor, with Billy Keane and Miles Lally present a 5-week deep dive into the art of songwriting beginning on November 8, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Dewey Hall in Sheffield. Over four Tuesdays in November, the 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th, and a Wednesday in December, attendees will learn to write an original new song. The series culminates in each attendee performing their song live with a band at The Egremont Barn.
Brian Kantor lives in Sheffield, is a Dewey Hall board member, and has worked as a professional drummer for decades. The Soundry Music Studio in South Egremont just celebrated their first year in business as a music school this past month.
The workshop costs $450. Register here.
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Squirrel Nut Zippers & The Dirty Dozen Brass Band Perform a Blend of Music Genres
Great Barrington— On November 4 at 8 p.m. New Orleans’ most celebrated modern brass band, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, pairs up with the Squirrel Nut Zippers and their multi-platinum blend of 1930s era jazz, swing and folk at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center.
The Squirrel Nut Zippers’ musical journey began in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, in the mid 1990’s, as a musician’s escape from the cookie-cutter world of modern rock radio. The current all-star cast of New Orleans musicians have breathed new life into the old material.
Formed in 1977, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band are the pioneers of the modern New Orleans brass band movement, recognized worldwide as an unstoppable musical machine whose name is synonymous with genre bending romps and high octane performances.
Tickets range from $51 to $81, available here. Face masks are required.
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Local Author Ellyn Gaydos Book Signing and Reading
Great Barrington— In partnership with Berkshire Grown, Scout House invites the public to attend a book signing and reading with local author Ellyn Gaydos, reading from her New York Times acclaimed best seller Pig Years, on Friday, November 4, 6-8 p.m. A former team member at Abode Farm in New Lebanon, NY as well as many other farms in the area, Gaydos reflects on the wisdom she gained while working the soils and tending to animals in the Berkshires.
Ellyn will read from Pig Years, and answer questions in a Q&A moderated by Berkshire Grown Executive Director, Margaret Moulton. Wine will be provided by the Egremont Wine Shoppe.
This event is free and open to the public, co-hosted by Scout House and Berkshire Grown. Scout House is located at 21 Elm Street in Great Barrington. For more information visit: https://berkshiregrown.org/book-signing-for-pig-years-on-november-4-with-reading-by-local-farmer-and-author-ellyn-gaydos/
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Bard College “Medieval Song” Talk and Performance
Annandale-on-Hudson— On Thursday, November 3, from 5 to 7 p.m. the Bard College Programs of Medieval Studies, Music, Literature, and French Studies present “Medieval Song,” a talk and performance on songs by the troubadours and trouvères from the twelfth to fourteenth centuries. This collaborative event—part lecture, part concert—by medieval literary scholar Sarah Kay and early music ensemble Concordian Dawn, under artistic director Christopher Preston Thompson, draws on Kay’s experimental book Medieval Song from Aristotle to Opera (Cornell University Press) and Thompson’s companion website of recordings. Together, Kay and Thompson find the sounds of medieval song in the least expected places: stars, the dawn light, the touch of a hand, beasts’ breath, and wild imaginings. The songs on their program range from the earliest alba to Guillaume de Machaut, but their voices sound from the outer spheres to the inner senses.
This event is free and open to the public. “Medieval Song” will be held on Thursday, November 3 at 5 pm in Bard Hall, on Bard’s Annandale-on-Hudson campus. For more information, please contact Karen Sullivan at sullivan@bard.edu.
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First Fridays Artswalk in Pittsfield hosts dozens of artists
Pittsfield— Enjoy a dozen art shows and exhibits during the First Fridays Artswalk on Friday, November 4, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Explore art and meet artists during opening receptions on the first Friday of the month from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., with most art on display all month long. Download the Downtown Pittsfield app in the App Store or on Google Play to follow a virtual walking tour of art on your cell phone.
Events include:
- Berkshire Art Center (BAC), at their new Pittsfield location at 141 North Street, will have creative family fun.
- TKG Real Estate, 137 North Street, will host the exhibit “Summer Turns to Fall.” There will be a reception as part of First Fridays Artswalk on Friday, November 5 to 8 p.m.
- The Artists at the historic Clock Tower will host an open studios event on Friday, November 4, 5 to 8 p.m., on the third floor of the Clock Tower at 75 South Church Street.
- The Beacon Cinema, 57 North Street, will feature “The Instagram Image Out Of Context” curated by Richard Britell.
- The Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, 28 Renne Avenue, and the Berkshire Art Association will present RE*Fresh, a Juried Biennial Show.
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Register for Housatonic Youth Basketball Now!
Housatonic— The Golden Knights Girls Basketball Program and The Housatonic Boys Basketball Program announce their merger, with the organization henceforth will be known as Housatonic Youth Basketball. This program serves grades K-8. K-2 is an instructional program held on Saturday mornings. The Junior Program is grades 3, 4, & 5, and the Senior Program is grades 6, 7, & 8. The Junior and Senior programs will be co-ed house league teams. Along with the House League Program, there will be 3/4, 5/6, and 7/8 Travel Teams. The Travel Teams will be gender specific.
The Board of Directors is very enthusiastic about this merger and feel it’s a win-win for both organizations and look forward to a fantastic basketball season.
To Register online, visit: http://housyhoops.com/ Registration closes November 10.
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Thanksgiving Food Drive to Support Food Pantries
Pittsfield— Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. (DPI) in collaboration with the Berkshire Running Center and MountainOne is hosting a Thankful Food Drive now through November 23. Donations will benefit the South Congregational Church and St. Joseph’s Church Food Pantries. The drive is accepting non-perishable items such as canned vegetables, canned or dry beans, canned fruit in juice, low-sodium soups, canned tuna in water, canned chicken, canned stews, brown rice, unsalted nuts, shelf stable milk and milk substitutes, whole grain pasta, pasta sauce, canned tomatoes, unsweetened apple sauce, peanut butter, and whole grain cold cereals. Please do NOT donate open packages or expired or perishable foods.
Drop off by members of the public is welcomed at the following Pittsfield locations:
- 413Shirts (1595 East Street)
- Adelson & Company PC (100 North Street)
- Berkshire Art Center (141 North Street)
- Berkshire Athenaeum (1 Wendell Avenue)
- Berkshire County Arc Main Office (395 South Street)
- Berkshire Family YMCA (292 North Street)
- Berkshire Fitness and Wellness Center (137 North Street)
- Berkshire Museum (39 South Street)
- Berkshire Roots (501A Dalton Avenue)
- Berkshire Running Center (5 Cheshire Road Suite 119)
- Berkshire Theatre Group (111 South Street)
- Berkshire United Way (200 South Street)
- BFAIR (39 Willis Street)
- Carr Hardware (547 North Street)
- City Hall (70 Allen Street)
- Clock Tower (Berkshire Eagle Building)
- Cooper Center/Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (1 Fenn Street)
- Elegant Stitches (237 First Street)
- Guidewire, Inc. Office (34 Depot Street)
- Hill-Engineers, Architects, Planners, Inc. (50 Depot Street in Dalton)
- Holiday Inn & Suites (1 West Street)
- Lee Bank Pittsfield Branch (75 North Street)
- Mana Crypt Gaming Center (139 West Housatonic Street)
- MountainOne (South Street and Silver Lake offices)
- Otto’s Kitchen & Comfort (95 East Street)
- Paul Rich & Sons (242 North Street)
- RSVP (16 Bartlett Avenue)
- ServiceNet (141 North Street, lower level)
- Solutions Community Connections Program (1450 West Housatonic Street)
- Soma’s Aromas (81 East Street)
- This & That Sports (128 Fenn Street)
- Wayfair (75 South Church Street)
- Witch Slapped (78 North Street)
- Wolfson Center/Barrington Stage Company (122 North Street)
