DANCE - FINE ARTS - MUSIC - THEATER - WRITING

ARTBITS by Richard B. Harper


VOLUME 16 * * All Arts News On the Web * * March 8, 2012

STUFF YOU SHOULDN'T MISS

      ArtBits always features a calendar of the goings on of Franklin County artists. Check out these events around Franklin County. Each issue includes the entire text of our weekly newspaper column.


      Stop in for live music and more at the Fairfax Music Sessions at the Foothills Bakery in Fairfax most Saturday afternoons at 1 p.m., at various restaurants around Franklin County throughout the week, at the Bayside in St Albans Town most Sunday afternoons, and the Cambridge CoffeeHouses at 7 p.m. on the first and third Wednesday of every month.
     These gatherings bring new opportunities, gossip, "show-and-tell" and occasional workshops. The booked performances and acoustic Open Mike Nights feature music, readings, and more from the best new artists in Vermont.

      Find links to these events and more in our Spotlight!

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PUT ON SOME POUNDS

      And maybe take home a pup. The Franklin County Humane Society presents the sixth Annual Chocolate by the Pound (and Jewelry Silent Auction) extravaganza and fundraiser at St. Albans Historical Museum on Saturday from 2 - 5 p.m.
      Martha Seyler of the Vermont Ukelele Society and Robert Resnik who plays most stringed and wind instruments and claims to be chronically addicted to the button accordion will perform throughout the afternoon.
      Admission is $15 in advance or $20 at the door all the chocolate you can eat. Call Rusty Posner (802.524.9650), click here, or visit the Franklin County Humane Society shelter for advance tickets and more info.


ON STAGE LIVE

EAST BERKSHIRE--JD’s Pub on Route 105 hosts a Bluegrass night with the Missisquoi River Band this evening at 6 p.m. The band features Cindy and Jim Weed and Pat Murphy.
      Call 802.933.2545 or email for more info.


GROTON--Brown's Market Bistro offers Carol Ann Jones this evening at 7 p.m.
      Call 802.584.4124 or click here for more info.


ST. ALBANS--The Cosmic Bakery also hosts the bluegrass of the Missisquoi River Band on Friday evening at 7 p.m.
      "Come on down for a drink and some goodies," Ms. Weed said.


FAIRFIELD-- The Sap Run Boogie will be Supercharged! as Branon's Sugarhouse presents Carol Ann Jones and the Superchargers on Saturday at 7 p.m.
      The Superchargers have a fresh take on rockabilly, country, rock & roll, bluegrass and contemporary music. The regional band has national performers with Andre Maquera on lead-guitar and backing vocals; Gary "Spud" Spaulding on drums and percussion; Thom Carvey on bass and sax; Will Patton on bass, steel guitar and mandolin and Carol Ann Jones on lead vocal and acoustic guitar. Ms. Jones' second indie album, Hope, is available now.


COLCHESTER--Vermont Youth Orchestra week continues with VYOA Horn Day on Saturday and Open House on Sunday.
      VYOA Horn Day features Jennifer Montone at the Elley-Long Music Center at Saint Michael's College on Saturday at 1 - 4:30 p.m. Ms. Montone is Philadelphia Orchestra's Principal Horn and is on the Juilliard School faculty. The VYO invites brass players, teachers, and community members to the free event. They suggest a bag lunch or snack.
      Ms. Montone will also perform the Strauss Horn Concerto No. 1 as part of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra Masterworks Concerts at the Flynn on Saturday evening at 8 p.m. Click here for tickets and more info.
      The VYOA Open House takes place at the Elley-Long on Sunday from 3 - 5:30 p.m. The Open House is an afternoon for instructors, parents, community members, and students interested in playing an orchestral instrument, already learning an instrument, or simply want a "behind-the-scenes" look at what goes on during weekend rehearsals. VYO musicians and Music Director Jeff Domoto will demonstrate and chat. There will be tours of the Elley-Long Music Center. Light refreshments will be served.
      The Open House is free and all are welcome.
      Call 802.655.5030 or email for more info.


BURLINGTON--Young Tradition Vermont presents Tony DeMarco in the ongoing Burlington Irish Festival at Burlington Violin Shop on Saturday at 6 p.m.
      Mr. DeMarco is a virtuoso of the New York/Sligo fiddle style. His album The Sligo Indians, on the Smithsonian Folkways label, pays tribute to the earlier musicians and the style. He has performed and taught Irish fiddle music for more than 30 years.
      Email for reservations.


ST. ALBANS--The first Chow Open Mic Night kicked off March last night. That regular feature will repeat on the first Wednesday of every month at Chow Bella. Their Open Comedy Night for comics 18 and older will be held on the third Tuesday of every month, beginning March 21. The restaurant also offers Music to Dine By with relaxed music and the arts. They may have live piano, violin, or light guitar any day of the week. The Chow! Cabaret offers live performances by musicians, visual artists, poets, and more.
      Call 802.524.1405, email, or click here for more info or booking requests.


BURLINGTON--The UVM Old Time Music Club hosts a Shape Note Sing in Ira Allen Chapel at UVM every Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Mason Gohl holds pitching/leading/sight-reading lessons before the Sing at 6 p.m. Check for occasional changes in time, date and location. Email for more info.


MORRISVILLE--River Arts holds a Farmers and Artisans Market at the River Arts Center every Wednesday from 3 - 7 p.m. click here for more info.


ST. ALBANS--J & L Guitars hosts Singer/Songwriter Night every Thursday evening.
      Call 527.9951 for more info.


CLICK HERE: ART SITES OF THE WEEK

     The St. Albans Messenger isn't exactly an art site but it does have two interesting online features. There is always an exceptional photo and they have ported their Facebook feed over to the "front page."
      Coincidentally, this week's email brought a sales pitch from As the Crow Flies in downtown St. Albans. "Like us on Facebook and get $5 off your next purchase."
      Both ideas are good and both work for anyone in the arts. The Facebook feed drives customers to the "main" site and vice versa and all of them drive those customers in the door. "Liking" in Facebook parlance assures that the likee's posts appear in your news stream.
As the Crow Flies on Facebook
St. Albans Messenger on Facebook
      There are 800 million active Facebook users in all age groups. More than three of them live in Franklin County. Heck, more than three of them have friended the All Arts Council's page there. A Facebook Business Page is public, so it can link it to and from your web site and it appears in Google Search. It opens another communication channel with existing customers and prospects, most of whom are already using the site. All in all, it's another free tool that costs only the effort to maintain it.
      I liked the open feature of traditional websites and Myspace because neither requires customers to "friend" you to see your ads. Facebook Business pages like As the Crow Flies have now removed that bar to entry.


FRANKLIN COUNTY BOOKSHELF

      ArtBits features a quick weekly peek at the bookshelf or night stand of the folks you know in and around Franklin County. That popular feature has a page of its own at the Franklin County Bookshelf here on the AAC site.


SUPPORT LIVE ARTS IN YOUR TOWN!


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      This article was originally published in the St Albans Messenger and other traditional print media. It is Copyright © 2012 by Richard B. Harper. All rights reserved. Archival material is provided as-is. Links are not necessarily maintained (if a link in this article fails, try Google.com or your favorite search engine).
      Thanks to recent misuse of copyright material on the Internet by individuals and archival firms alike, we emphasize that your rights to this article are limited to viewing it and printing it for personal use only. You must receive explicit permission from the All Arts Council and the author before reprinting or redistributing this article in any medium.