The mission of the Northampton Community Music Center is to foster the love and pursuit of music through quality education, performances and activities that are accessible to all. Our podcast episodes are focused on the COMMUNITY aspect of all kinds of music, both local and not so local!
In this interview, long-time NCMC cello teacher Anne Werry talks about chamber music, its importance in learning musicianship and enjoying playing music, and her role in managing NCMC's chamber program over the last five years. And you'll hear her lovely rendition of the beginning of Bach's most famous cello suite.
In this interview, NCMC Ku'umba Women's Choir founder Evelyn Harris talks about her career as a singer, leading the choir, her work with "Sweet Honey in the Rock", and how she picks the songs she sings. As a special treat, you'll get to her sing on the intro and at the end of the interview.
In this interview Joe Blumenthal talks with Jordi Herold, who founded Northampton's iconic Iron Horse Music Hall in 1979 about the early days of the club, and how it happened to evolve from a personal dream about a perfect place to hang out in a center of cultural life to the center of Northampton's dynamic music scene.
In this interview Matt Stamell, owner of Stamell Stringed Instruments in Amherst. talks in depth about the violin and unravels some of its mysteries. You'll learn a lot about what separates good violins from mediocre ones, how they're designed, the nature of their strings, the importance of the bow, some violin history, and what to look for if you're interested in buying one.
Long-time NCMC bass instructor Lynn Lovell talks about her career in music: how she got started, students good and bad, playing at Carnegie Hall and a Presidential inauguration, and the constant juggling act that is the life of a working musician.
In this episode, George Owens describes an innovative project in which musicians go into nursing homes and play for Alzheimers patients. He talks about the creation of the program by director Jason Trotta and pianist Beverly Pickering, how it has evolved over time, what the sessions are like, and how it benefits the patients.
Joe Belmont has been leading NCMC's jazz ensembles for youth and adults for twenty years. In this interview he talks with Joe Blumenthal about jazz, improvisation, and the jazz program at the Music Center.
For this session Joe Blumenthal interviews long-time NCMC piano teacher Meg Kelsey-Wright. The interview features an in-depth discussion of the innovative "Piano Connection" program she founded at the Music Center.
In this episode, board member Joe Blumenthal reminisces with founder Bill Feinstein about the earliest days of the Northampton Community Music Center; how it came into being and how it moved from its first instruction in his living room to bringing it to its current home on South St.
Violin teacher Emily Greene talks about the Suzuki method of learning music and the advantage, particularly for young children, of thinking of music as another language. She also talks about Dr. Suzuki's book "Nurtured by Love" and his mission of making the world a better place through music. In addition, she discusses how she and the Music Center have adapted to the pandemic.
