Cultural Chaos on hiatus in 2026, new programs to fill gap
Cultural Chaos, a beloved community event, will not happen in 2026 after Easthampton City Arts announced they will take a step back to better identify arts and cultural programming for community members, local arts and local businesses.
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NORTHAMPTON
Submissions open for Youth Cinema Festival
Calling all young filmmakers aged 21 and younger, the Northampton Youth Cinemas Festival is returning this April and is now accepting submissions for the upcoming 2026 showcase.
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Council approved $290K schools approriation
The City Council voted to approve a $290,317 mid-year appropriation to Northampton Public Schools during its Feb. 5 meeting.
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HAMPSHIRE COUNTY
We the People team wins ninth straight state title
By Trent Levakis tlevakis@thereminder.com
EASTHAMPTON — The dynasty keeps rolling on as Easthampton High School’s We the People Team has won its ninth straight state title and ais now once again seeking donations from the community to help fund their trip to the national tournament in Washington D.C. this April.
Reminder Publishing visited the class on Feb. 10 to catch up with students and teachers Kelley Brown and Taylor Dadmun as they prep for the national tournament. During the visit, the team was presented with the plaque for their most recent state victory before speaking about the program’s continued success and leadership under Brown.
“Here you are, 17, 18, and your understanding about your government is probably greater than 98, 99% of the American people. Think about that. At your age, you understand what our government was meant to be by our founders and framers of our government. That’s a pretty huge statement to make. A pretty somber statement to make. And yet, you’re able to do that, and now, you’re going to continue to try and do that at the national level.
I think that’s a pretty incredible opportunity for you,” said Roger Desrosiers, president of the Mass. Center for Civic Education. “I am so happy for you. Just remember, you’re building for the rest of your life. And that’s the most important gift of all.”
We the People is a curriculum and program that is offered by the Massachusetts Center for Civic Education, a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that promotes civic education in public and private schools and communities.
Almost all of the 37 We the People students in the program are already familiar with the team, having seen its continued success while growing up in the community over the better part of the last decade.
“For me, the most exciting part is, every year, getting a new group of students who know very little about the U.S. constitution and how our government works, and watching them on that final day when they present, the joy they have in talking about what they’ve learned and why it’s important, and connecting it to things that matter to them is really special as a teacher,” Brown told Reminder Publishing Open to juniors and seniors, the course focuses on learning about the U.S. Constitution and governance from its philosoph-
ical origins to modern application. The course is divided into six units, where students learn about different aspects of the constitution and government studied throughout the semester. At the end of each unit, classes go through an authentic type of assessment, where they participate in a mock congressional hearing.
This is ultimately what the competition is. Easthampton High School competes against other schools in the state tournament, where they have now captured nine straight championships, 10 in 13 years. They also ahve one national title in 2020.
Many of the We the People teammates shared similar sentiments, that the course not only has helped them become more mindful of government and politics, but it has also has helped
improve other transferable skills, like public speaking or preparation for their work.
“I was really nervous because I don’t like public speaking, and I was like, ‘oh my God, how am I going to remember all this stuff. But once we got our unit groups, I got a lot more confidence because we practice it so much, and by the time states happened, I felt a lot more confident in my public speaking,” shared student Lily O’Connell. “I feel like Ms. Brown has done it for a super long time, so I feel like she already knows what to do. We do a lot of practice hearings, and it’s also just kind of throwing you in there without a lot of information, but once you do it, you get feedback and learn more.”
Easthampton High School’s We the People team poses after capturing its ninth straight state title.
Photo credit: We the People, Easthampton.
See PEOPLE on page 2
STRM: Whitfield talks tenure as City Council president
By Dennis Hackett dhackett@thereminder.com
SPRINGFIELD — On the latest episode of “So That Reminds Me,” hosts Ryan Feyre and Tyler Garnet sat down with Springfield City Council President Tracye Whitfield to talk about her tenure as City Council president.
Whitfield discussed what a City Council president does, which includes presiding over the meetings, coming up with the agenda for the meetings and deciding subcommittee assignments for the city councilors. She also said that there are new challenges as the president.
“I’m still learning the role and it’s interesting, I get a lot more calls, a lot more invites to events — I do try to attend as many as I can, but I also work with the other city councilors and try to get them the same exposure, I like to share everything, but it’s definitely challenging,” Whitfield said. She also discussed a recent conflict of interest violation from the Feb. 2 council meeting after she did not recuse from presiding over a public hearing involving a property on Wallace Street her son Jelani Bland had requested be discontinued. His company, which Whitfield is a part of, is interested in building on the land on the abutting property. For fuller coverage of this issue, head to thereminder.com or pick up the Feb. 19 edition of the Springfield Reminder.
Alongside the violation, Whitfield explained that one of the things she is doing as council president is creating a training framework to help new councilors.
“I was really interested in doing that because when I joined the council in 2018, there was
Students also expressed much gratitude for Brown and Dadmun
like literally no training. You just sit down, you take conflict of interest training on your own; no one to explain anything, there’s just like no training at all, and I want to be a different president,” she said.
Whitfield also said that she is planning on holding office hours as well.
“I just want the public to know that I am here and I’m obtainable, I am available and I hope that the community takes advantage of that,” she said.
She also discussed what it meant to her to be the first woman of color to be the Springfield City Council president and said that she never thought about being in politics when she was growing up.
“I mean it means everything to me, because now I am a role model. So even when I make mistakes, I have to own them and take accountability for the things that I do, and I’m always gonna do that because no one knows everything,” she said. “Just being a role model to other young people so they know that your path might take you in different directions then you planned, but everything you learn along the way is helping to build your skillset to go in different paths than you initially planned.”
Whitfield also reflected on how long it took for a woman of color to be the president of the council.
“It just means a great deal to just show, especially young girls, that they can be anything they want to be, because this is 250 years in the making. I hope breaking this barrier it’ll open other doors where a woman of color hasn’t been in a posi-
for their teaching and support.
Student Olivia Guertin said that the class definitely had its challenges, but under the leadership of Brown, it made her want to
tion,” she said.
Looking at the makeup of the council she is presiding over, she said it’s a good balance of people.
“I think there is a good balance on the council as far as race and ethnicity — well, we could use a couple more females — but we’re getting there, even the age differences within the council, I think it’s a good balance,” she said.
Whitfield said another area she wants to improve on is creating more “robust” small business support in the city.
“We have a lot of people leaving because there’s not a lot of resources for small businesses. I also run a statewide coalition, and so when I go throughout the state, I see other initiatives that I’m like ‘oh, we can do that in Springfield,’ but it’s not as easy to implement change in Springfield, so I think that is very much needed,” she said. “We have to get small busi-
give her best effort.
The team’s connectivity is apparent and fostered with the help of past winners. Senior Aiden Favorite was on the team last
ness technical assistance going for our small businesses to make sure that they have their back-office supports services together, like their accounting, marketing, business plan, their legal, all that in place, so when it’s time to get loans and grants and things like that, they’re ready.”
One area Whitfield said Springfield could use some improvement in is with educating residents about clean energy practices.
“I do think we still have a lot more work to do as far as educating our residents on conversions, like maybe to fuel pumps and other clean energy types … the rebates and what it means to have a clean environment,” she said. “We have work to do, but I still think that it can be done.” Whitfield added that she was looking at getting a fuel pump because she currently uses oil.
year and has spent this year as a volunteer to assist the new We the People members in training throughout the year, continuing a pay-it-forward mentality the program sees from various former students.
“It’s a whole different experience having to teach them, but it’s really great watching them grow,” said Favorite. “It’s less work in a way because they’re doing all the studying and memorizing, but it’s also kind of more stressful because you know how much they can do and are doing.”
Fellow mentor Leia Halfacre added it was a great experience coming back in the role and seeing students make the same growth she saw the year prior.
“The practice of speaking and trying to know what to say
During the sit-down, Whitfield talked about challenges with creating affordable housing, working on the city’s budget, economic development and much more. Whitfield added that she wanted to change the narrative around the city.
“We have a lot of great assets, we are the City of Firsts. [I] just want to change the narrative to a more positive narrative than what some of the surrounding communities may hear, think or speak, because it’s just really not true. Usually people that are involved in the violence live that life, it’s not happening randomly,” she said. “I just want to change the narrative on how people think and talk about Springfield, as well.”
To hear the full episode, visit thereminder.com/our-podcast or search “So That Reminds Me” on your favorite podcasting platform.
when you’re not expecting what questions you’re going to get, it’s more like life skills, and also just knowing about your country is an important thing. Now when I see certain things in the news, I know what it means, and it says a lot that most people don’t,” said Halfacre. “It’s a different feeling as a mentor too. I guess I never felt proud of somebody like this before, being young. Like people feel proud of their children, but I was just proud of how they did it. It was a cool feeling.”
The program’s growth in popularity has reached a point where practicing lawyers and scholars visit the school to prepare for the competition with the students. Students have said the class also
See PEOPLE on page 3
Springfield City Council President Tracye Whitfield (center) sits down with “So That Reminds Me” hosts Ryan Feyre and Tyler Garnet.
Reminder Publishing photo by Chris Maza
helps them expand their own voice in discussing politics and government in the world.
“Before this, I didn’t follow politics very much, but afterwards, learning all this stuff makes me want to follow up more. I talk to my parents more, before I would never talk to them about politics. But after learning about it and learning what impact it has on me, it’s made me more intrigued,” said student Jake McGee.
With another trip to D.C. on the horizon, Brown said she continues to love the annual sight of seeing the growth of her students’ passion for learning about the constitution and U.S. history.
“You can tell they want to keep doing it, and to me, that provides for them a window into how they can do that for the rest of their lives,” said Brown.
Brown noted that the country’s 250th anniversary serves as an easy reflection point for a lot about what students are learning.
“I feel like it’s definitely really interesting to learn about things that people were saying hundreds of years ago and how they still apply today,” said Geurtin. “I also just think it kind of puts it into perspective. It’s 250 years of America, but that’s kind of young compared to us talking about ancient Greece or Rome, which is way before that, so I think that’s interesting.”
Brown credited her fellow teacher in the program, Dadmun, who was a student for Brown and partook in the We the People program at Easthampton High School.
Dadmun said the experience is always gratifying, and she is happy to be involved in the powerhouse that the program has become over the years.
“One of our mentors was asked [by a current WTP student], ‘how do you think we’re going to do?’ and he said, ‘as long as you guys do better than what we did last year, that’s what I want,’ and I
think that is such an amazing thing that has been created here,” said Dadmun. “The students from last year not only are helping students learn these skills, but also, they’re learning how to teach, like they’re learning how also deliver information, find information, give feedback. It’s a really cool thing that not only do we have students learning some of these skills, but then the next year, if they decide to come back, they themselves are still gaining so much from this program.”
Looking forward to another appearance in the national championship, Brown said students have a strong foundation heading in, but they will only go as far as their hard work and determination will take them.
“Obviously, when you get to nationals, there’s a lot of very steep competition, but I always say to them, there are just 16, 17, 18 year olds somewhere else in the country, and right now, they could be working harder than you, so work harder. that’s kind of our approach,” said Brown. “I always say to them, I will work as hard as you. I will learn with you, give you feedback, but if you’re going to ask your community to generate $70,000, you’re going to work hard and represent this community and the commonwealth with pride, and hard work and industry and all those words we use and practice. I’m excited and they’re excited too.”
As the team is set to return to Washington D.C., on April 16-20, they are seeking donations to its fundraiser to cover travel costs. At press time, it reached 15% of its $60,000 goal. To learn more about the team or to donate, visit sites.google.com/epsd.us/2024easthampton-wtp/home and donate using the EHS MySchoolBucks link or QR code listed.
Brown said that if people want to send a direct donation, they can send cash or a check made out to “Easthampton High School” and mail it to: Easthampton High School in care of Kelley Brown, 70 Williston Avenue, Easthampton, MA 01027.
Cultural Chaos on hiatus in 2026, new programs to fill gap
By Trent Levakis tlevakis@thereminder.com
EASTHAMPTON — Cultural Chaos, a beloved community event, will not happen in 2026 after Easthampton City Arts announced they will take a step back to better identify arts and cultural programming for community members, local arts and local businesses.
The announcement came through a letter penned by Arts and Culture Program Director Pasqualina Azzarello, who explained the difficult decision to take a year break from the touchstone community event. She said it was “a decision that feels necessary.”
“To be clear, we are taking a year off to explore other arts and cultural programming in the Cultural District, but this is not an elimination of the event altogether. This decision is the result of months of discussions with stakeholders across the arts, businesses and local government,” said Azzarello in the statement.
Azzarello explained that logistics and infrastructure costs for the Cultural Chaos have continued to increase each year. She said the ECA wanted to reflect on its mission and consider ways to better align the use of resources with that mission.
“We believe we have an opportunity to have an even greater and more meaningful impact — for our community members, our local artists and our local businesses, by activating Cottage Street with thoughtfully curated arts and cultural programs and events that will be offered on a regular basis throughout the entire upcoming year,” said Azzarello in the statement.
Azzarello told Reminder Publishing that the hiatus will allow ECA to explore new integrated long-term sustainable approaches to programming and how they can activate the city’s existing
infrastructure through various events, as opposed to one big one that closes the streets.
The plan for 2026, while Cultural Chaos takes its hiatus, is for ECA to put together more than 20 events in the Cottage Street Cultural District between April and December. Azzarello said these soon-to-be finalized events will cost the same amount to put on as Cultural Chaos itself and allow for 100% of funds spent by the group to go directly to artists.
“I am personally committed to exploring other models of running a street festival that does involve closing the streets, but in a way that will ultimately be much more sustainable and supported for everyone involved,” Azzarello said.
Some of the new programming in 2026 will include music and performances using the Nashawannuck Pond Promenade and city sidewalks or parking lots to host these performers. Other programming will feature collaborations with the Cottage Street Merchants Association and brand new ECA signature community events for people of all ages to enjoy in the Cottage Street Cultural District and beyond.
Azzarello said much of the upcoming programming will feature familiar faces from past Cultural Chaos events.
“I have been having some really beautiful conversations in recent days with a number of our program collaborators for Cultural Chaos, and we’re talking about new ways that we can work together, not just for one day of the year, but for multiple times throughout the year,” said Azzarello. “It’s been very encouraging to be working with everyone, and to be in a position where we can do some dreaming about new ways of doing things while still supporting the arts and culture we value so much in Easthampton.”
Cultural Chaos took a pause
during the COVID-19 pandemic, and ECA offered two years of dynamic community programming in its absence. Now approaching the upcoming year with a similar sentiment, ECA plans to reassess its findings at the end of the year, with ample opportunity for community input.
“As future funding for arts and cultural programming becomes more and more uncertain, we believe that taking a year to explore and experiment with more longterm, sustainable programming is a responsible thing to do given the current climate, including changes in funding as well as new shifts in the state’s priorities for the creative economy,” said Azzarello. “Having some new ways of doing things as a possible approach, I believe it is the responsible thing to do.”
The ECA has already begun seeking input from the public, most recently through a Cottage Street Cultural District subcommittee meeting, which took place on Feb. 11 at City Hall. Azzarel-
lo said she was happy to share that 15 community members were in attendance, including a mix of business owners, community members and artists who learned more about the decision and how they can get involved moving forward.
“People definitely came to express their support and offer their understanding, but mostly people came with questions and concerns, and wanted to learn more about the reasons behind how our decision came to be, the process by which our decisions came to be, and to learn more about the programming we have planned. It was honestly such an incredible demonstration of community care. There was a lot of empathy and understanding for the difficult choices that had to be made, the timeline upon, they had to be made and the planning that’s going into new ways of doing things,” said Azzarello.
She added that three of the attendees who expressed concerns eventually joined the Cottage Street Cultural District subcommittee by the meeting’s end. The Cottage Street Cultural District Subcommittee meets on the second Wednesday of every month at 9 a.m. inside the basement conference room at City Hall.
Azzarello said the ECA will announce the upcoming year of arts and cultural programming once it is finalized in the coming weeks.
Azzarello said when it comes to Cultural Chaos, the main goal of the festival is to always create a sense of belonging and opportunity for community engagement. The platform allows for support of local artists, and it brings peo-
ple into the city’s business and cultural districts. These goals, Azzarello says, continue to be front and center when planning this year’s events and for the future of ECA programming.
“One of the things that makes Easthampton so special is just how integrated arts and culture is with our business community. We have art, not only in our galleries, but hanging on the walls of our ice cream parlor, our hair salons. We have partnerships with so many of our local businesses that open their doors and offer their space to artists and cultural programming in so many different ways, and it’s very special,” said Azzarello. “One thing that has really helped to establish the Easthampton we know and love today has been arts and culture. Easthampton City Arts is a municipal organization. We just celebrated our 20th anniversary in 2025, and there is no doubt that arts and culture have helped to grow our city’s economy over the years and continue to do so.”
She added, “The programming this year will certainly be different. None of us think that it’s the same as Cultural Chaos. Cultural Chaos was unique, special, it’s important, and we’re taking the year to try something new to learn from what we do. There will be ample opportunity for community input as we reflect on the year and make new choices moving forward. How can we create a more consistent presence and vibrance and vitality in the cultural district in an ongoing way throughout the course of the year, throughout all the seasons, and we have an opportunity to try that.”
NORTHAMPTON
Submissions open for Youth Cinema Festival
By Trent Levakis tlevakis@thereminder.com
NORTHAMPTON — Calling all young filmmakers aged 21 and younger, the Northampton Youth Cinema Festival is returning this April and is now accepting submissions for the upcoming 2026 showcase.
Now in its third year since a successful student-led relaunch, the festival continues a nearly two-decade legacy of spotlighting young cinematic talent in the Pioneer Valley.
“The festival was started to provide a platform for the incredible young creative talent in our region. While there are many outlets for youth sports and traditional arts, film is a unique medium that combines technology, storytelling and performance,” explained Northampton Director of Arts and Culture Brian Foote. “Creating a festival specifically for youth ensures that their unique perspectives are centered and cel-
By Trent Levakis tlevakis@thereminder.com
NORTHAMPTON — The City Council voted to approve a $290,317 mid-year appropriation to Northampton Public Schools during its Feb. 5 meeting.
The approved request came in just under $500,000 less than the original request that was voted on and approved by the School Committee during its Jan. 22 special meeting. At that meeting, the committee unanimously approved a mid-year appropriation request for $790,175 that was presented by member Tiffany Jewell.
In preparation for the special meeting, Superintendent Portia Bonner was asked by the committee to come to the meeting with specific recommendations based on current requests from the schools. After speaking with school principals and the administrative leadership team, Bonner brought forth items that were directly expressed to her as prioritized needs, and presented a list created from the schools’ current needs. She said that list yielded a $586,992 appropriation proposal.
School Committee members Anat Weisenfreund from Ward 2 and Ward 3 member Renika Montgomery-Tamakloe also presented a mid-year appropriation request during the special meeting of $925,000. Eventually, the committee voted for the request made by Jewell for $790,175.
The School Committee’s approved $790,175 mid-year appropriation request was to give funding to two critical functions: proof of essential service levels and immediate stabilization. The
ebrated, fostering a sense of community among young creators who might otherwise be working in isolation.”
Established as a 17-year tradition before a hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival was revitalized by student filmmakers from Northampton High School. The event is produced in collaboration with the Northampton Arts Council and Northampton Open Media, with generous sponsorship from Lathrop Communities.
“The festival is more than just a screening; it’s a platform for the next generation of visual storytellers to see their work on the big screen,” said Foote. “By partnering with local students, we are ensuring that the city’s rich history of independent cinema continues to evolve with new, diverse voices.”
The 2026 festival will be on Sunday, April 26 at 6 p.m. in the Flex Room at 33 Hawley St.
Filmmakers are encouraged to submit original works across all genres, including narrative, documentary, animation and experimental film. Submissions are managed via FilmFreeway at filmfreeway.com/NYCF.
Foote added that the annual festival serves as a great opportunity for young filmmakers to get their work on an actual big screen.
“There is a transformative ‘magic’ in seeing your work projected on a big screen in a dark venue with a live audience. It validates the hard work these filmmakers put in and elevates their projects from ‘something I made on my computer,’ to a cinematic experience,” added Foote. “That level of professional exposure often gives them the confidence to pursue film more seriously, whether in higher education or as a career.”
To qualify, the principal creator — director, cinematographer or editor — must be 21 years of
age or younger. Films must be under 30 minutes in length, though works under 20 minutes are highly encouraged due to programming constraints. Projects created for educational assignments are fully eligible for submission.
The early bird deadline for submissions is March 1, and the regular deadline is April 1. The festival’s final deadline is on April 21, and the notification date is April 24. To learn more about this year’s Youth Cinema Festival or to submit an entry, visit filmfreeway.com/NYCF.
“The event has become a staple because it’s genuinely inspiring to see the world through the eyes of the next generation,” said Foote. “My pitch to anyone on the fence: don’t worry about having the most expensive gear. We look for vision and voice. If you have a story to tell, get it on screen and share it with your community — there’s nothing quite like that feeling.”
items on this request, as well as the items remaining in the approved request by the council, are linked within the council’s agenda for the Feb. 5 meeting.
When the discussion opened during the Feb. 5 council meeting, Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra explained the discrepancy between what the School Committee voted on and what ultimately made its way to the council.
The voted upon list from the School Committee included $123,000 from student services that Sciarra explained the district is already anticipating will be covered by the Commonwealth Special Education Reimbursement Program, or Circuit Breaker funds, and were therefore not included in the request presented to the council. The original list of items also included items that are already accounted for through the city’s Capital Improvement Plan, totaling $91,050. That money was also removed from the initial request.
“The financial order you have before you includes the items that were listed, that were voted on by the School Committee, and our current request: to fund these one-time requests for the remainder of the FY25-26 school year with free cash,” explained Sciarra. “So, this order is for $290,317 from free cash, then with the $123,000 that will be covered by circuit breaker, and the $91,050 that will be covered by capital, the total $504,367 is being covered.”
Sciarra said that the items from the School Committee’s list were not on the superintendent’s list in the final order.
With the changes made, the
new $290,317 midyear appropriation request for the school district that was passed through a 9-1 council vote will be funded with one-time free cash for the remainder of the school year.
“That is how I came up with this list. Mid-year appropriations are really not how budgeting should work. A mid-year appropriation should be a process — if it’s used at all — for addressing unexpected needs or costs that arise, not for regular budgeting,” said Sciarra. “We are in the process of preparing for the FY27 budget as we’ve all talked about already. I know the schools are. If there are new programs or initiatives that are being proposed, they should be discussed as part of the budget discussion for the next year, including how their funding will be sustained and not with one-time funds. Free cash are one-time funds.”
The meeting began with a bulk of public commenters, including School Committee members Montgomery-Tamakloe and Michael Stein, who expressed displeasure for the difference
between the requests made by the School Committee and what made it to the council. At Large Councilor Meg Robbins voted to approve the request but added that she wished the School Committee was made more aware of the changes that were being made, and why they were made prior to the meeting.
Ward 6 Councilor Chris Stratton was the lone no vote on the mid-year appropriation because he felt this number was too low based on the initial request it stemmed from.
“I sort of believe that the differing explanations for it have been part of the excuse for reducing it,” said Stratton. He added he felt there was a lack of communication between Sciarra, the School Committee and Bonner, between the committee’s special meeting and the Feb. 5 council meeting.
Councilor Aline Davis said she thought it was important the midyear appropriation include items that reflect what adminis
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HAMPSHIRE REGIONAL VS BELCHERTOWN
BASKETBALL
The Hampshire Regional girls basketball team narrowly defeated Belchertown by a score of 66-63 on Feb 8.
Alexandra Henrichon passes the ball to her teammate for a three pointer.
Addison Miklasiewicz goes up on one leg to shoot the ball.
After being fouled, Aubrey Parent takes the first shot.
Makayla Labrie grabs the ball under the hoop.
Samantha Moreau takes a wide open three pointer with no defender in sight.
Brooke Labrie grabs the easy offensive rebound with no contention.
Aubrey Parent grabs the offensive rebound.
Alexandra Henrichon battles the defender for the rebound.
Addison Miklasiewicz goes for the right-handed layup.
NORTHAMPTON — The Bombyx Brass Collective is gearing up for its next show, a pre-spring concert called “Musical Flurries,” on Sunday, March 1 at 3 p.m. at the Bombyx Center in Florence.
The 35-member, semi-professional brass ensemble led by Music Director Juli Sansoucy was founded in January 2022 and plays a mix of musical genres from classical to jazz to pop.
Members include active and retired music teachers, working professional musicians and talented amateur musicians.
The pre-spring “Musical Flurries” show is just one of the group’s regularly scheduled programs. They aim to put on three per year at a minimum.
“Basically, it’s kind of a potpourri of different styles of music, different types of music, basically all 20th-century music, but definitely different genres,” said Ira Brezinsky, an organizer and member of the collective.
A donation of $25 is suggested for the concert, but admission to all Bombyx Brass performances is free of charge, and donations are always accepted. To learn more about this upcoming event, as well as all the other programming at the Bombyx Center, visit www.bombyx.live.
The diverse, family-friendly program features two original works for brass choir: the iconic
Council
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trators expressed to Bonner.
“If we all profess, and I think that we do, love and respect to our schools, and our teachers, our children and the principals, and the secretaries, the everything, then we would care what they say they need in their build-
“Symphony for Brass and Percussion” by Alfred Reed and “Overture in F Minor” by Jean Sibelius. The concert will also include well-known music from John Williams and Hans Zimmer, and standards from the rock group Chicago.
Brezinsky said the show’s first section of performances is very well known among brass players and brass music fans.
“It will be an exciting piece. The middle movement is really beautiful. The first and the third movements are just super exciting, a lot of percussion. Just big, big sound,” said Brezinsky. “‘The Overture in F Minor’ is also an original piece for brass, which is kind of cool because oftentimes, we’re playing transcriptions and arrangements for brass that are normally played on different instruments. It’s also something that really demonstrates really solid, nice brass writing and playing.”
Brezinsky added that the process of transcription pieces of music to fit the brass collective’s form can be challenging, but often leads to interesting adaptations of beloved work for audiences.
“Trying to get the right kind of sound, sometimes just the technique is different. It can be challenging, but it’s also interesting. Sometimes, if we’re playing something that’s super well known, like the Chicago tunes — those were obviously originally written and played for a rock band with horns, but also a vo-
ing. The itemization helps us see,” said Davis.
At Large Councilor Garrick Perry said while he wasn’t placing blame on anyone specifically, when the city does rushed work, they don’t do effective work.
“I think some things could have been explained with clear explanations, like seeing the difference between what was requested. The mayor here today has explained
calist and that sort of thing. So, the arrangements we’re playing have to be switched up to accommodate our instrumentation. It’s just a different take, oftentimes, on music that people are familiar with and hearing it a different way,” explained Brezinsky.
Brezinsky said the show’s second half is the lighter side. Performances will feature wellknown movie themes and more Brass Collective adapted performances of music from the rock band, Chicago, with percussion accompaniment.
“I suppose the reason for making it such a diverse program is because we’re doing it on a Sunday afternoon. Hopefully making it really attractive for families and young kids who will be interested in different types of music and keep their attention,” added Brezinsky.
Brezinsky said he hopes to see another great turnout for the Brass Collective’s March 1 “Musical Flurries” show, and expressed gratitude for the Bombyx Center for their partnership in helping them bring these performances to the community.
“We love to play for an audience. More often than not, the audience we get at the Bombyx Center is pretty good. A couple of hundred people might typically show up for one of our shows and having a pretty full house to play for is very gratifying. Most of our concerts that we do, we don’t get paid for. Whatever we collect at
it to us, but I think part of what we do is talk to the public and try and disseminate this information,” said Perry. “Just having the knowledge to tell people that some of these things are covered by capital project, some of these things are dealt with through circuit breaker, goes a long way.”
Perry also asked for clarity on how much of last March’s midyear appropriation was utilized.
the door or in advance in terms of donations, [it] all just goes back into the pot to purchase music or equipment, advertising, that sort of thing,” said Brezinsky. “We haven’t been around all that long, but we’ve developed a little bit of a following. We always see new faces, but we also see a lot of faces returning time after time, people that just appreciate and enjoy the kind of music and the kind of sound that we have.”
Other Bombyx Brass Collective happenings
The Bombyx Brass Collective will also feature as performers on a parade float during this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Holyoke. About eight to 10 members will perform class horn band music on one of the floats throughout the parade route.
Aside from the show and parade, Brezinsky also emphasized the group’s established special
The School Committee and City Council compromised on the committee’s $600,000 request then and approved $294,883.02 to cover lost positions from the previous summer’s cuts. Bonner told Perry they spent $128,427.45 of that allocated funding. Bonner confirmed that her list was developed based on the discussions she had with administrators about the needs of individual
program, where they visit public schools throughout the region to share their talents and enthusiasm for music with students of all ages. The one-day program provides guidance to students during the school day and gives public performances in those communities the same evening.
Since 2023, the collective has visited music students in Holyoke, Monson, South Hadley, Sturbridge, Westfield and Wilbraham. Coming up on April 2, the Bombyx Brass Collective will partner with Enfield Public Schools to visit with middle and high school music students during the day before putting on a community show that evening.
For more information and to inquire about having the Bombyx Brass Collective come to your community, school or organization, email bombyxbrass@gmail.com.
buildings and departments. She said that she tried to reiterate to principals that this would be a one-time request, and these should be items that they do not expect will follow into the next fiscal year.
To review the full Feb. 5 City Council meeting and discussion, visit the Northampton Government Video Archive YouTube channel.
The Bombyx Brass Collective. Reminder Publishing file photo
George M. Ribeiro to George M. Ribeiro and Susana Lemieux, 159 West St. $100 EASTHAMPTON
Hans Werner Dalhaus and Sarah James Dalhaus to Joyce C. Vande Kieft and Peter A. Joppe, 52-54 Everett St.
