Economic Development

    Business Training Workshops
    Individual Business Counseling
    Hilltown Business Directory
Housing Programs

   Homebuyer Counseling
   Housing Rehabilitation
   Housing Development
   Community Planning Assistance
Social Services

   Hilltown Elder Network (HEN)
   Health Outreach Program for
          Elders (HOPE)
   Hilltown Food Pantry
   Families Together
Community Facilities

 

 

 

 		              
About Hilltown CDC HCDC Membership Links Contact Us

2012 Hilltown Spring Festival

Festival combines music, food, learning and fun

The Hilltown Spring Festival on May 12 at the Cummington Fairgrounds will be a combined music festival, food festival, children's festival, craft festival, and alternative energy exposition, with the addition of a festival-ending contra-dance. Gates will open at 10 AM; the music begins at 11. Admission is $8; children 12 and under are free. Free parking is available on the fairgrounds.

Musical performers include Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem, Tony Vacca, The Primate Fiasco, Misty Blues, The Boxcar Lilies, Lui Collins, Who'da Funkit and AstroBeast. Student musicians will include the Hilltown Charter School Choir, the Hampshire Regional Chamber Singers, and the Hilltown String Band. Musical workshops for all ages will be led by percussionists Aimee Gelinas, Tony Vacca and Scott Kessel, plus Ashfield folksinger Lui Collins. The complete music schedule is at www.hilltowncdc.org.

There will be children's activities all day long, dancing around the Maypole at noon, children selling their hand-made crafts, eight foot tall puppets, Morris dancers, and a family contra-dance at 5 PM.

The Festival also features many vendors of solar energy products and services, farmers selling starter plants, local craft vendors, professional horse-training demonstrations, spinal screenings by a licensed chiropractor, and much more. Festival-goers will feast on wood-fired pizza, ice cream, burritos and bratwurst, along with hamburgers and hotdogs.

The Hilltown Spring Festival is produced by Hilltown CDC. Proceeds go to support CDC programs that support low and moderate income hilltown residents. These programs include small business support, housing rehabilitation, first-time home buyer training, child care subsidies and social services for families and the elderly.

Back to the top of the page

Musical performers

Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem will play from their award-winning family CD, Ranky Tanky! The Boston Herald hails them as "One of America's most inventive string bands," and they deliver here with a rollicking ride through American musical history, from 200-year-old Georgia Sea Island tunes to Texas swing, Nat King Cole, Louis Jordan, and the Funky Meters. Armed with voices, hands, boxes and tin cans, Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem prove that people have never needed fancy instruments to make music — and that when we do it all together, it's magic. With bass, fiddle, guitar, ukulele, banjo and the 100% recycled "Drumship Enterprise," this fun-loving band will have you & your kids dancing, shaking, clapping — and making more music than you knew was in your bones! Ranky Tanky won a Parents' Choice Award in 2010. The citation said, "Forget the kids, you'll want this album for yourself. The fact that your children will absolutely love it will be the icing on an already delicious cake."

Tony Vacca is an innovative American percussionist. Over the course of his career, he has made a habit of pushing the already adventurous conventions of World Music into new territory, both as a soloist and as the leader of his World Rhythms Ensemble. His solo performances are a nearly non-stop athletic spectacle of percussion music and spoken word, incorporating a world of percussion traditions that includes African, Caribbean, Asian and Middle-Eastern influences. He has recorded and/or performed with a wide range of musicians. These include pop icon Sting, Senegalese Afro-pop star Baaba Maal, jazz trumpeter and World Music legend Don Cherry, poet Abiodun Oyewole of The Last Poets, Senegalese hip-hop stars Gokh-bi System, and Massamba Diop, Senegalese master of the tama or talking drum.

Since they formed in 2009, The Boxcar Lilies have been wowing audiences with their standout marriage of superb songwriting and spine‐tingling, innovative harmonies. In a short time, they've garnered an exceptional amount of attention for their music and energetic stage presence, finding themselves playing renowned venues like The Iron Horse Music Hall and Philadelphia's Tin Angel, or opening for legendary songwriters like Bill Staines and Lucy Kaplansky. Sheryl Hunter of The Recorder wrote, in 2011, "There is nothing like great three part harmonies to send a shiver up your spine and create goose bumps on your skin. It is one of the loveliest musical sounds you can hear. The Boxcar Lilies has an appealing, rootsy take on music. But even more than their musicianship or strong songwriting, it's the band's stunning harmonies that are at the heart of its appeal."

Folksinger/songwriter Lui Collins has been performing, writing and recording since the 1970's, earning international recognition for her music and releasing several highly-acclaimed recordings on Philo, Green Linnet, her own Molly Gamblin Music, and Waterbug. After touring nationally for several decades, she founded the educational branch of her work, now called Lui Collins' Upside-Up Music, in 2003. Collins now divides her time between concerts, teaching, and early elementary music curriculum development. The Boston Globe has described Lui as "one of New England's first and brightest stars," and Sing Out! Magazine calls her "incomparable." Renowned guitarist Dave van Ronk called her "one of the best guitarist-arrangers I have heard in years." Michael Devlin of Music Matters Review wrote: "...there are relatively few artists who are bringing a traditional sensibility to modern songwriting, and in the process creating new traditional music. Lui Collins is among the barefoot royalty of this group..."

By day, Gina Coleman works in the admissions office and as the coach of the women's rugby team at Williams College. But at night, she goes into a phone booth, changes her outfit, and comes out as a blues singer in the tradition of classic blues divas like Big Mama Thornton, Dinah Washington, and Georgia White. For the last three years, Coleman has been the lead singer of Misty Blues. Coleman is an expressive vocalist with a big low end and colorful upper register. Working with Coleman are some of the Berkshires' finest musicians, including guitarist/vocalist Jason Webster, bassist/vocalist Bill Patriquin, drummer Mike Basiliere, harmonica player Matthew Swanson and guitarist Jeff Dudziak.

The Primate Fiasco uses the instrumentation of a New Orleans street band (sousaphone, banjo, brass, woodwinds, drums) but plays music that you wouldn't expect. They can keep a dance party pumpin' on a sidewalk or from a stage. From their Grammy nominated kids album to their cult following of hippies and hipsters to their indie and folk following, the Fiasco scene is open to all demographics. You may see them on stage or you may see them parading through a festival campground. Either way, you'll be smiling and moving your feet. Jeff Giles of Dadnabit writes, "Trust me: you're a Primate Fiasco fan. You just don't know it yet."

Mister G is Ben Gundersheimer, who was awarded the first songwriting scholarship in the history of Berklee College of Music. Mister G has performed concerts and led workshops throughout the U.S., Euroope and Latin America. Thanks to his infectious songs and a dynamic live show, Mister G is one of the rising stars of the kids' music world. Bill Childs of WRSI says, "Mister G's music is insanely catchy, totally engaging, and a lot of fun for parents. He's got that rare quality where kids are simply and fully connected." Mister G's most recent CD, Bugs, was chosen by Parents' Magazine as one of the top CDs of 2011. People Magazine called it "irresistible" and selected it as one of the "hottest and coolest" albums for children.

Other musical acts include the Northampton-based band AstroBeast and the Amherst-based band Who'da Funkit.

Back to the top of the page

Music Schedule

Back to the top of the page

Music workshops for All Ages

In addition to performances by professional and student musicians, there will be four interactive music workshops for all ages.

  • At 1 PM, Aimee Gelinas of Gaia Roots will lead an intergenerational, interactive Afro-Caribbean song and drum workshop featuring music from Cuba, Haiti and Puerto Rico.

  • At 2 PM, percussionist Tony Vacca will lead a hands-on session. Learn to play a "World Music" percussion composition by listening and playing back what you hear. All ages and skill levels are welcome. The instruments usually include djembe drum, balafon, tuned bells, shekere, talking drum, gongs and drum set. Instruments will be provided, and you are welcome to bring your own as well. Whether you're a professional drummer or a first time player, there's a part for you to play in the ensemble.

  • At 3 PM, singer and teacher Lui Collins will lead a Family Music Jam! We'll sing together, play instruments, do a bit of movement, maybe even dance! We'll sing traditional and original songs, accompanied by guitar and banjo. All ages are welcome, from grownups down to babes in arms.

  • At 4 PM, in a hands-on workshop, we'll make a wooden "harmonica" and a wacky, found-object drum set with percussionist Scott Kessel from the band Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem. Along with cans, bottles, cardboard boxes, pencils, and rubber bands, we'll recycle rhythms from around the world into beats of our own — and then we'll strike up the whole, recycled band!

Back to the top of the page

Student musicians

At the Hilltown Spring Festival on May 12 at the Cummington Fairgrounds, student musicians will perform alongside professional acts. The students are from the Hilltown Cooperative Charter Public School and Hampshire Regional High School.

The Hilltown String Band, performing at 1 PM, is a group of fifteen young musicians from the Hilltown Charter School who get together before school once a week under the direction of violinist Lynn Newdome. Originally a "string orchestra" (violins, cellos and string bass), the group has expanded into a "string band," adding pianos, guitars and drums. The String Band players are boys and girls from grades 2 to 6, ranging in age from 8 to 12. Most of the student players started Class Violin Lessons in first grade. Some continue to play violin, while others have switched to guitar, cello, string bass, piano or drums. A parent of two daughters in the Hilltown String Band says, "From my perspective, it's a home run…This separate time (playing music) with their classmates puts an aspect of pure fun into their learning. There is room for silliness and impromptu growth, all the while learning the intricacies of playing with a group. They are exposed to different musical genres, Lynn's fantastic teaching style, and the concept of the sum of the group adding up to much more than the separate parts. They both walk away from performances with a little spring in their step that confirms for me that the experience is awesome."

Also performing, at 11 AM, will be the Hilltown Charter School Chorus and Chamber Singers. The chorus is a non-auditioned group of 36 students from 3d- 8th grades which sings music from community singing traditions from around the world. The Chamber Singers are the 7th and 8th graders from the chorus; several teachers have joined the Chamber Singers this year.

The Hilltown Cooperative Charter Public School was founded in 1995 with a mission of engaging students in hands-on interdisciplinary learning and the arts, creating an intimate community of students, faculty and families, and cultivating children's individual voices and respect for their world. Everyone in the school sings! The school is currently located in Haydenville.

From Hampshire Regional High School, the Hampshire Regional Chamber Singers and Insingeraiders will perform, also at 11 AM. The Chamber Singers is the auditioned chorus of Hampshire Regional High School; they sing all styles of music from Bach to Broadway. The Insingeraiders are a student led a cappella pop group.

Back to the top of the page

Festival artist

For the Hilltown Spring Festival, on May 12 at the Cummington Fairgrounds, Cummington artist and cardmaker Annette Rubino-Buckley has created a wonderful illustration reflecting the joys of music, dance and springtime. The illustration will appear on the Festival poster and postcard.

Annette says, "How I see life is expressed in my paintings. All the joy of colors, the details of the little story each one has to tell.

"Four mornings a week I walk to work, which gives me time to think about new designs. A card maker is always thinking ahead to the next holiday or change of seasons. While golden leaves fall around me, I'm thinking of winter. Thoughts of love and Valentine's Day warm my heart regardless of the bitter cold. In my imagination, flowers bloom even though the earth still shivers. I always have a new painting to look forward to."

The Hilltown Spring Festival, produced by Hilltown CDC, is a simultaneous music festival, food festival, children's festival, art and craft festival, sustainability festival, and more. It brings together 2,000 local residents to share and enjoy each other's work.

Back to the top of the page

Pachamama Puppets

At noon, the Great PachaMama and her troupe will perform "The Waltz of the Polar Bear," leading into the Maypole dance. Later, children will have the chance to make their own puppets.

Beth Fairservis, PachaMama's director, loves to make puppets, both big and small. She says, "As I start working on a puppet, a personality begins to emerge, and it leads me to finish the puppet as if it knows who it wants to be!

"When I make a giant puppet, I work with lots of clay. Clay moves so easily in my hands and lends itself to making very expressive faces. Over the clay face, I layer paper mache. When it's dry, I remove the paper from the clay, paint and mount the paper mask on a puppet body, and voila...a new being is ready to perform. Working with natural materials is an essential part of my work as an artist.

"PachaMama means "Mother Earth" and is spoken with great reverence by the indigenous peoples of Bolivia and elsewhere in South America. My puppet plays and my puppetry camps for children emphasize reverence for our mother planet and learning to listen deeply to her through all of our senses, especially our hearts!"

Back to the top of the page

RJ Sadowski horse trainer

Watch professional Horseman RJ Sadowski demonstrate a gentle approach to building a trusting relationship with any horse.

  • At 10:30, RJ will demonstrate what a safe, schooled horse is like on the ground as well as under saddle. He will explain how to understand your horse's mind so the horse will choose you as his leader.

  • At 1:00, RJ will demonstrate proper handling of a green horse on the ground in preparation to be safe under saddle.

RJ has worked with wild Mustangs as well as thousands of other horses and their humans to build and rebuild trusting relationships, and create safe riding for both horse and human.

Back to the top of the page

Pilates on Your Feet with Anneliese Mordhorst, Pilates Instructor & Movement Educator

Pilates Instructor Anneliese Mordhorst will offer a taste of Pilates stretch and strength exercises at 1:30 PM on the fairgrounds lawn ( under cover in case of rain). Festival-goers can take a few minutes to stretch; take a deep, recovery breath; and get ready for the next activity. Anneliese will provide simple instruction using Pilates principles of breath-movement connection and alignment in Pilates standing exercises. Relax your tight muscles, clear your head, lengthen your spine and engage your core support to feel at ease and ready for the rest of the day's activities.

Standing Pilates exercises are simple to learn for beginners and satisfying for experienced students.

Back to the top of the page

Westfield River Wild & Scenic

The Westfield River Wild & Scenic Committee will provide important information to hilltown residents and visitors. The Committee will show residents how their communities can apply for grants to protect portions of the River and its tributaries. Residents are also invited to sign up as Stream Team volunteers for wild and scenic portions of the river. And the Committee is seeking people to share their stories and photos about experiences along the river during Hurricane Irene, so that the community can be better prepared for the next hurricane.

Young visitors to the Festival will learn about conservation by creating a simulated flow of water, sediment, and pollution in a table-top model of a watershed. Come to learn more about how you can help protect the Westfield River watershed, this treasure in our midst in the Hilltowns.

Back to the top of the page