The Fabulous 413

Today is fluffy and textured and a little afraid of us because sheep scare easily. We’re in Buckland to talk with folx at Walking Cloud Farm about the upcoming MA Sheep and Woolcraft Festival. What started as a 4H event to encourage youth in sheep raising has grown over the past almost 50 years to encompass that and much more. From spinning, to shearing to herding, we chat with farm owner Marty Ferguson, and festival organizers Barbara Goodchild and Lonnie York about the legacy and importance of Sheep as an agricultural crop, and the festival in helping to maintain that. And from across the border JayWood stops by the studio before the sold out tUnE-yArDs show at the Iron horse he’s opening for this evening. We’ve been excited about getting his band into our space since our chat with him a few weeks ago and are eager to share a glimpse of his sound with those who were not quite quick enough to snag a ticket. Plus did you know that Springfield was one of the sparks that ignited the witch trials across the Massachusetts Bay Colonies long before Salem picked up their torches? We head to Springfield Museums to get a sneak peak of their brand new exhibit highlighting the incident with curator of history Elizabeth Kapp: "Witch Panic!".

Space is the place, but first we’re headed to the ring to find the local wrestling scene, because, oh yes, western Mass. has a wrestling scene. Perry Von Vicious, a.k.a The Human Monster Truck, joins us in the studio to give insight beyond kayfabe, a lay of the local wrestling landscape, his start in the industry and what you can expect at the match up on Memorial Day Weekend to defend his title. Then, we head to space as we hear that it is not only the place, but the homeland of Sun Ra Arkestra. The collective has been innovating in jazz, funk and beyond for over 7 decades and are stopping in Northampton on May 18. We check in with the team bringing the legends to the valley, Ruth Griggs of Northampton Jazz Festival and Jim Olsen of Signature Sounds about collaborating for this show, and about the sonic legacy Sun Ra engenders. While we’re off in space, we talk to Mr. Universe, Salman Hameed of Kainaat Studios and Hampshire College, applies the scientific method to more terrestrial issues and shows us how you too can do the same.

Music is the food of active minds, and that’s just science. Plus, Fridays are typically the time that The Fabulous 413 gets its music on, so we’re excited to meet those for whom a musical journey is just beginning. We head to STEM Middle Academy with Rachel Rivard and Carolyn Dufresne of the Community Music School of Springfield (CMSS) to check out the 6th grade woodwind band, one of the classes that participate in the Sonido Musica program and benefit from the Play It Forward Drive. We hear from the students and teachers on the greatly positive impacts of having music in the curriculum.Then, for Live Music Friday, a western Mass. fixture makes a pivot in sound and a change in lineup to reinvent itself for a wider sonic perspective. Splendid Torch has risen from the bones of Mamma’s Marmalade with their latest album, “Icon,” for which you can join their release celebration tonight at The Drake in Amherst. Plus, if you were also heartbroken at the departure of our Hampden County wine friend Michael Quinlan, you’re in for a treat with the cameo in today’s wine Thunderdome at State Street Fruit Store.

There are a lot of old mill buildings in western Mass., and a lot of those old factories are finding new lives and new industries to fill their halls.Frankly, there’s so much to find in these spaces that we spend our whole day in one in North Adams,, Greylock WORKS. We chat with designer and architect Salvatore Perry about his and co-founder Karla Rothstein's vision to bring function, community and utility together in the many-purposed space, while exploring some of those spaces ourselves.We talk with one of the artist creating in the space, Julia Dixon, walk through the barrels of the Berkshire Cider Project with Kat Hand and Matt Brogan and stretch out in the newly expanded studios of Greylock Yoga with owner Nicole Rizzo. Plus we gush about the goodness and connections food brings with chef, artist and farmer Tu Le at his restaurant State.

We are taking the good with the worstest and sometimes blending the two! Author Heidi Stemple’s latest work is a complete amalgam of poetry and narrative fiction. "The Poetry of Car Mechanics" measures family trauma against self-discovery and nature in a way that try really hard not to spoil when she visits the studio to talk with us. We find out about her process of weaving plot through this mixed format.We also head to Amherst Nurseries, where trees are the lay of their agricultural land and have been for decades going. Owner John Kinchla walks us and the new head of CISA, Jennifer Core, through the rain-soaked acres to see their innovative growing methods. Plus, he provides insight to the real extent of some of the federal cuts to agriculture from a landscaping perspective. Then word nerd Emily Brewster, senior editor at Merriam-Webster, drudges up some better words for us to use for things that are terrible, so that even at our lowest, we can still use fun language to describe our catastrophic and awful circumstances.

Today has a proper patch of aligned alliteration.First, fandom, which is what we have for Randall Poster, who has been the music supervisor for over 200 films and TV shows. Starting this weekend, The Triplex Cinema will host him for conversation with a program to highlight his work and the films that inspire him. We bring the hidden aural gem onto our show to talk about soundtracks v.s. scoring, the nature of curation and more. Now onto farms, so we head into the north Berkshires. Against the backdrop of a massive limestone quarry, the woman and queer-led Full Well Farms has been thriving for 8 years, shifting focus from dairy to sustainable practices. Owner Meg Bantle, whose family has been working the land for over a century, takes us on a tour of the regenerative farm, explains the goal to address local food inequities and how flowers help succeed the farm’s mission.And lastly, funding cuts, which are on all of our minds as of late. State budget cuts are affecting Cutchins Programs for Children and Families. Established in the 1980s as an alternative to the state hospitals, the organization provides programming to help children with school, medical treatment and much more. Director Tina Champagne joins us to talk about their work and the challenges these cuts present.

Today our size is shifting to get larger and smaller simultaneously. We talk with Mr. Universe, Salman Hameed of Kainaat Studios and Hampshire College, who explains the proposed cuts to NASA and the NSF and the potential impact on both academic institutions (like the five colleges) and American astronomical research as a whole. Then, just to narrow our aperture a bit, we explore books all over the four counties! All week, Mass Kids Lit Festival will host events for kids of all ages and their grown ups all over western Massachusetts. It’s their first year expanding into the Berkshires, and we chat with organizer Courtney Andree about bringing Children’s Book Week to the Bay State and the many authors your little one can meet and collaborate with in the coming days.Speaking of narrowing, a much beloved event with a long running history at the Shea Theater in Turner’s Falls has had to put a pause on this year’s occasion. The Immigrant Voices performance has gathered many students, clients and alumni of the Center for New Americans to share talent and culture with the community. Director Laurie Millman joins us to talk about the hard decision to put the series on hiatus and the shift in circumstances her organization is seeing.

Today we've got copious amounts of music, some joy of saving the planet and two sterling examples of resisting labels within one’s artwork. One of our neighbors to the north is about to make a visit to the area, Canadian independent artist JayWood. We chat with him about his day job as a postal worker, the impact that grief has had on some of his most poignant works and the clandestine meeting that lead to his collaboration and tour with tUnE-yArDs. And, right here at home, singer-songwriter Kris Delmhorst just released a whole new album in March and will celebrate the accomplishment at the Iron Horse next week. After two years of begging and pleading, we finally get her into the studio to talk about the wealth of musical talent within her family, the wide variety of sounds that find her fretboard and what spurred her to collaborate with so many folx on this batch of songs. Plus, in Lenox, although we are in troubling times, not all news is bad news. At Dare Bottleshop with Ben and Mary Daire, we taste through some vineyards that are engaged with more sustainable growing practices and learn about their event with climate optimist and local author Anne-Therese Gennari next Tuesday.

We’re looking at the center of a couple of venn diagrams and the overlapping circles that bring those centers together. For instance, the artistic circles often overlap through the fantastic venues we have in the area. At the Shea theater, Nero Orchestra will conclude its season tomorrow night, and on that same stage the next night, Eggtooth Productions will bring in partners in unconventional theater, Karen Montanaro and Jack Golden. Additionally, Eggtooth will soon host a production of Sarah Ruhl’s “Orlando” at the Academy of Music. So we chat with Cailin Marcel Manson of Nero Orchestra, Linda Tardif of the Shea Theater and Linda McInerney of Eggtoth Productions about the performances and art spaces that have crossed their respective streams. And in Amherst, some intrepid art students are taking on a daunting task of making picture books about slavery. We head to UMass Amherst to meet a handful of students with books that are a part of the exhibit, “Sowing History, Reaping Justice,” to hear about their experiences in creating these works. Plus, we gain insight from some of the academic stewards in the topic of slavery in children’s books, Clark University professor Raphael Rogers, and the history of enslavement Canada and the U.S. north, UMass professor and Slavery North Initiative Director Charmaine Nelson.

Today we're spending all our time in higher education. Merriam-Webster Senior Editor and UMass Amherst alumna Emily Brewster joins us on the upper floors of the W.E.B. Du Bois Library to meet with digital content editor Lauren Hubbard. She introduces us to the library’s most notorious residents, the peregrine falcons, with names that should be of particular interest to our Word Nerd. The birds making their roost and catching attention with eggs close to hatching. And, just down the street at Amherst College, there is a revered literary publication called “The Common” that is celebrating its 25th year of publication. And on the last day of National Poetry Month, we talk with Editor-in-Chief Jennifer Acker and student interns Kei Lim and Aidan Cooper about the place of poetry and prose in a nation that continues to chip away at the arts.

We’re bringing up the lights on cool community action. Starting May 1, the fourth annual Easthampton Film Festival will kick off, with 4 days of panels, workshops, concerts and more than 30 films in a wide range of genres. We hear from organizer Chris Ferry about putting this event together, and creating community among the filmmakers in the areaWe also get to talk with folx involved in a western Mass.-focused feature film that is premiering at the festival, “Tallywacker” directed by Brendan Boogie. To hear about the filmmaking process and the vital role of music, we speak with the film’s inspiration and lead, Jeremy Macomber-Dubs, co-star Chris Goodwin and assistant producer and actor Rebecca Macomber. And, we discover a new farm that is hoping to bring fresh produce and food equity to its neighborhood. Nordica Community Farm sits on a nicely hidden 11-acre plot in Springfield that nearly was razed and developed, but through community action and community partners, this small CSA allows you to pick your own herbs among a burgeoning orchard. We speak with owners Anne Richmond and Todd Crosset with CSA Member Ariana Williams about the triumphs and trials of city growing.

Today is all rainbows, double rainbows in fact!We start with Hampshire Pride, marching in Northampton this Saturday, May 3. They’re the first and longest running pride event in the area, which means its events and leadership have seen a lot of evolution. We chat with organizers Clay Pearson and River Matos about what’s in store for the community this year and what they’ve learned in their three years at the helm.And, the valley-based Rainbow Players are celebrating 25 years of creating devised improvisational works firmly grounded in social justice and disability advocacy. We talk with the program’s artistic director and founder, Ezzell Floraniña, and company members Wole Abiodun and Jay Lithgow about their work, the development of related non-profit ETTA International, the upcoming gala, fashion show and other events to benefit their work.Plus Mr. Universe, Salman Hameed of Kainaat Studios and Hampshire College, discusses a possible sign of life on a planet 120 light years away and the pitfalls of assumptions made when such discoveries become public.

What do you get when you mix a novel approach to foster care, devised theater, and youth leadership all in one place?The answer is Truth Tellers Theater, an inter-generational theater group where cast members use the healing powers of storytelling, community and performance to share their own tales with audiences each spring. We head to Holyoke to talk with folx from the Treehouse Foundation, Heroes Youth Leadership Program and the Truth Tellers ensemble about the strength of their collaboration, the history of their short but impactful past and the bevvy of upcoming programming, including the Runway 5k at a local airport next weekend. Live Music Friday puts dance in your orbit with the space-psych-rock disco that is Escaper. We hear some of their music before they perform at The Iron Horse.Plus, we get a preview of the upcoming Italian Wine Festival at Provisions in North Amherst with a north vs south Thunderdome with a tasty cheese guest appearance.

Today is for the brothers and the birds, not a bee in sight.Well, seeing actually factors into it, too! We head to Amherst where, on a particularly idyllic corner of the UMass campus, hordes of migratory birds are making their way back north. Professor Nathan Senner grabs binoculars and his trusty dog, Oliver, to head out into the woods to discover the many feathered friends that are finding their way home. He enlightens us to the ways that the campus itself is posing problems to conservation efforts, the methods they’re experimenting with to make the school’s landscape a bit safer for the traveling birds and how you can help.And, in Florence at the Bombyx Center for Arts and Equity, prose, theater and pie are coming together on stage this weekend. The Florence Poetry Carnival is bringing in Brother’s Keeper Poetry Ensemble as the featured literary artists for “Poetry and Pie.” We speak with founding member Marlon Carey about the group’s work, the melding of their styles on stage and the clandestine meeting between him and the carnival’s founder.And, although we don't have a chance to chat with Congressman Jim McGovern, our hearts and sympathies are with him as his family navigates recent tragedy. Note: The comic artist Kaliis mentioned with illustrations of bird calls is Rosemary Mosco.

Today we’re getting extra retro with an extra New England pastime, archaic conundrums and classic ways of making art. The art is found up and down the Hilltowns through Hampshire and Franklin Counties. The Asparagus Valley Pottery Trail is a network of studios that are open for the public to witness ceramic artists in their craft. We head to Florence to peek at the only wood fired kiln along the route and chat with artists James Guggina, Tiffany Hilton and intern Lucas Putney about their work and the upcoming festivities. And, few outside of New England know of or have played our classic pastime, candlepin bowling, but it's the style housed by some of the oldest operating bowling alleys in the nation, one of which is right here in western Mass. We head to Shelburne Falls Bowling Alley where owners Tony and Tam Hanna show us how the game is played, how the lanes are maintained and how far the history of the location stretches. Plus, Word Nerd Emily Brewster, senior editor at Merriam-Webster, lays an over 700-year-old mystery in our laps. Or does it lie in your lap? We look at the homophone pairing of lay and lie, and which one we should let sleeping dogs do.

It’s Earth Day!So we’re going to look at our mother through local lenses and explore our waterways, our skies, and of course, the ways we feed ourselves and each other. If we’re looking up, light pollution has more factors than just keeping you up at night, and one of the organizations seeking to bring more awareness to those factors is Northampton City Lights. Their mission is to Protect human health and wildlife by changing the way we think about municipal lighting and we’ll hear from Catherine Moriarty how their Northampton Night Fest event tonight at Historic Northampton will help them do more of that. And if we’re looking down to the water, Prof. Christine Hatch of Umass Extension has been examining swamps, bogs, streams and more. how those precious ecosystems are affected by human interaction, and how we can aid in their preservation and restoration are some of the questions we’ll ask when she joins us in studioPlus, transport may be the least sexy part of our local foodways, but that doesn’t make it any less vital. Nick Martinelli of Marty’s Local and Cathy Stanton of Quabbin Harvest Co-op talk to us about the important place local distributors have to farmers, retailers, and consumers as well to make a healthy food ecosystem.

Today is Patriots Day, a holiday to commemorate the battle of Lexington and Concord and the “shot heard round the world” in what is now the 617 area code. But today in the 413, we look back to last week when western Mass. planted a flag on our OWN side of the state and declared April 13 as 413 Day.At our party at CitySpace in Easthampton, we were joined by regular guests of the show including Emily Brewster, resident wordster from Merriam-Webster, who enlightened us on Massachusetts regionalisms and accents and answered live audience questions.And, we talked with prof. Ousmane Power-Greene from our Power of History segment about why our abolitionist history here in the 413 is worth exploring and celebrating.Plus, we hear live music from the western Mass. stalwart, singer-songwriter Erin McKeown, with songs on a borrowed guitar and a preview of the new musical they’re working on, set to debut next year.

We are encouraging you to stay up late because The Iron Horse, now almost a year in its new incarnation, is bringing back late shows. We preview tonight’s doozy of dance, connection and genre defying music.For Live Music Friday we hear from Bella’s Bartok as they wrap up their winter/spring residency at the horse. We hear how their latest album, “Apocalypse Wow,” sounds on its feet and learn how important a residency can be to the growth of one’s sound.On that same bill is the powerful queerpunk duo, Film & Gender, who’ve just come off of a 10 day east coast tour. We talk to bassist Issley about new music, the difference in feel between DIY venues and more established ones, increasing vulnerability in lyrics and more.And, with spring officially springing, we head to the Juicebox Wine Bar in Shelburne Falls to check out orange wines in a coastal battle for the latest Tina Turner Memorial Wine Thunderdome.

Today, as every day, we are speaking the language of community near and far and in all walks of life. For instance, we’re getting to know an organization that services the Berkshires (and a little beyond) to increase access to healthy food despite widespread funding cuts. We chat with Berkshire Agricultural Ventures Executive Director Rebecca Busansky about the Market Match program, which is currently fundraising for the 2025 growing season, and filling the gap left by HIP cuts while raising all boats in the effort. We also get a little Live Music Thursday with Brooklyn and Northampton-based singer-songwriter Stefan Weiner. He’s ending a music hiatus with the release of his new album, “How Lucky You Are,” and we hear about what inspirations lay amongst the tracks and if coming home has anything to do with it. And, our weekly chat with Rep. Jim McGovern hits both far and close to home as we discuss the proposed cuts to the Corporation of Public Broadcasting, the inaction regarding detained legal immigrants, the insurrection act’s possible enactment and a pile of questions from listeners like you.

We are covering a lot of ground.Including a brand new venture for a collective right here in town, Marketplace at Gasoline Alley, a collective effort of 5 entrepreneurs who are expanding their offerings attached to the Urban Food Brood. We speak with some of the folx who’ve settled into this new spot, Kate Forest and Missy Doe of Forest Doe Botanicals and Kristina Marie Denson of Journey’s Lemonade (with the CUTEST CAMEO by the business namesake), and find out how collaborative economics can work right in our own backyard.And, we sample a 35-year career in folk music bringing all that experience and versatility to The Parlor Room stage next weekend. David Wilcox started playing guitar in college in the eighties and hasn’t stopped since, and we pepper the singer-songwriter about his Canadian doppelgänger, his greatest inspirations and the shifts in the musical landscape, both esoteric and physical.Plus, resident wordster Emily Brewster, senior editor at Merriam-Webster, explores a listener question about the contexts of the dictionary’s citations while Kaliis accidentally side steps into a question about curing meats.

Two tales of agriculture and commerce, alike in virtue, a spring of hope from a winter of despair. The Cannabis Control Commission recently swept through western Mass, making visits with officials and business owners in all 4 counties. Despite the recent shake-ups within the department, they’re currently looking forward into expanding how businesses might offer more green to the people through social consumption. We speak with acting Chair of the CCC Bruce Stebbins about what that concept could entail, how cannabis businesses are faring in the Bay State and especially Western Mass., and how the commission is faring after nearly 10 years of legal weed. We’ll also head to Conway to a farm most innovative in practice, philosophy and action. Natural Roots has been growing produce in the hilltowns in a number of ways that are unique to their plots and bringing their crops to the area. From their crop rotation, to the actual horses powering their equipment, they’ve sought to reduce and remove fossil fuels from their farming operations. We’ll chat to proprietor David Fisher about his recent award from CISA, why reducing their carbon footprint through their machinery choices was so crucial to their agricultural plans, and get a tour through their sprawling beautiful grounds along the South River, and get to meet the horses!

Although the United States was never specifically a penal colony, it is hard to deny that systematic penal labor was crucial to the founding of the nation. We think it’s important to consider as we prepare to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Revolutionary War. So today, we look at an art exhibit at Wistariahurst Museum that highlights the carceral system as we know it today. “Prison Reimagined" is a collection of artwork depicting U.S. presidents by incarcerated folx, organized by artistic director Caddell “Monty” Kivett from inside a correctional facility in North Carolina. We chat with Kivett and Wistariahurst’s director, Megan Seiler, about the power of this display and some of the systematic roadblocks that stood in the way.We also bring you back in time to yesterday’s party to celebrate 413 Day in Easthampton. We show you what Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll had to say when she stopped by the festivities and delivered a present from the Governor in person and in writing!And, we received another present on that stage from Mr. Universe, Salman Hameed of Kainaat Studios and Hampshire College, all while exploring the ways that galaxies are formed and photographed!

It is a day of information for the day of our area code, April 13, which we’ll be celebrating this Sunday in Easthampton, but it turns out we’re not the only ones!Because western Mass. is too celebrate-able for just one party, we talk to Liz Rosenberg of The Toy Box in Amherst to talk about their 413 day festivities, and learn about even more celebrations across the Bay State.We have Live Music Friday with Vince Thompson of Silvie’s Okay and learn of the two opportunities to check out his bittersweet and heartfelt take on country this coming week, including our own event this Sunday, and learn how he has opened up the spectrum in his music and beyond.And, a Tina Turner Memorial Wine Thunderdome in Easthampton with great repercussions as we sip with Laurie Clark and Miranda Brown at Tip Top Wine Shop to choose which wine to get sampled at a celebration for an area code that we think is fabulous.

The Berkshires has been a dance incubator and nesting place and incubator for nearly 100 years. So, today we head to the grounds of Jacob's Pillow in Becket to get a sneak peek at their upcoming festival.Jacob’s Pillow’s executive director, Pamela Tatge, is nearing a decade at the helm of the organization, and we hear about some of her highlights from this season and her tenure..And we talk to producing director Holly Jones about the curatorial nuances behind such an extensive festival while considering each dance company's experience level and genre, and how Jacob’s Pillow continues to influence dancers across the Berkshires and beyond.Plus, we talk to both about the long lasting connections in the highly anticipated season closer, Alvin Ailey.We even get a chance to see the brand new Doris Duke Theatre, which is nearly rebuilt from the ashes after a fire destroyed the facility at the start of the pandemic.

Last year, Phil Korman of CISA announced his retirement. And just recently, our friends at the organization have found someone to fill his shoes. We talk to the new director, Jennifer Core, to hear her connections to agriculture in western Mass. and beyond, and how her insights from her own farm help push the organisation’s mission further.Our resident Word Nerd, Emily Brewster of Merriam-Webster, will have us salivating as we search for the origins of spit, spitting image, spit-take, and how clones are sorta connected to all three. Plus, how you can hang out with her in person this weekend!And, we get our first-hand government rundown a day early as we speak with Rep. Jim McGovern about the nationwide protests this past weekend, the likelihood that his hunger-free future bill survives the rigors of both house and senate, tariff-aggedon 2025 and much more.Oh plus, it's our 500th show. No biggie.

We constantly strive to be renaissance people because knowledge is power, and everyone wants to be able to properly MacGyver things.But, never in the course of the show have we seen a farm that does it like Barberic Farms. So, we head to Shelburne to see all the adorable lambs get their legs and discover the myriad of pots that Barbara and Eric Goodchild have their hands in, from wool to iron to pickles to pianos and more. Speaking of education, we discover a new film inspired by real events in the valley with locally-based actors on its celluloid. “Urban Ed” follows four students as they navigate their school’s closure, and we speak with writer, director and educator Wade Wofford and one of the movie’s main actors, Kayla Staley, about their connections to the story and the landscape for smaller films. Plus, we also learn some history with Mr. Universe, Salman Hameed of Kainaat Studios and Hampshire College, who tells the tale of Greenland's colonization in the name of science in the late 19th century and the questionable results of those efforts.

It is National Poetry Month, and as the world could use more art [full stop], we broadcast live from the Emily Dickinson Museum in Amherst. We hear some of the reclusive poet’s work and about who was instrumental in getting her words posthumously published with the museum’s executive director, Jane Wald. Plus, we learn about some of the museum’s upcoming programs and exciting updates on the grounds with Brooke Steinhauser, senior director of programs, including the Phosphorescence series.We also hear insights and inspiring and heartbreaking works of two local poets who’ve participated in the series, Joan Kwon Glass and DeMisty Bellinger. Content Warning: Some of the work read in this episode contains mentions of death, child death, and suicide.

If the arts funding cuts are due to continue until morale proverbially improves, we’re pretty sure that means a lot is on the chopping block. Great birthday present for a nation 250 years young. At that juncture is Mass Humanities. Among it’s other initiatives like the 4th of July readings of Frederick Douglass and the Clemente Course for the Humanities, the organization is slated to be at the center of the state’s commemoration of the Revolutionary War. But just this week their federal grants were terminated. Director Brian Boyles joins us to talk about how the festivities may continue, and what can be done to support their efforts to bring more Massachusetts stories to life. In that vein, we’re supporting organizations aiding each other, especially if it’s highlighting a pivotal work that shifted the entire landscape of two mediums in its wake. Triplex cinemas is showing a restored version of 1948’s The Red Shoes in conjunction with Jacob’s Pillow, and we’ll speak with Professor emeritus Lynn Garafolo and curator and archivist Norton Owen about the auteurs it has influenced, and the impact it has hadLive Music Friday brings the Lucky Shots to the studio. They’ve just released their second album Second Tongue and are celebrating with a show at JJ’s Tavern tonight, but we’ll get the story of their shift in recording process when they make a visit with us.

In the words of R.I.S.E Fest co-founder Gina M. Krosoczka, "art of all mediums has been scientifically proven to increase self-esteem, foster community and connection, and process emotions, feelings, trauma and so much more."So, today, we’re learning about folx at the beginning of their artistic journeys, someone with unlikely displayed artistry and someone who has been making copious amounts of it. We’ve got a little extra live music for your week with Ari Hest before he takes the stage at the Parlor Room tonight. With over two decades under his belt, we find out about the Grammy-nominated artist’s Patreon project that has him releasing a new song every two weeks.Plus, your kids are extra alright when there’s art involved. Later this month, R.I.S.E Fest returns to provide two straight days of engaging workshops, performances, presentations and more. We hear from event co-founder and NYT-bestselling graphic novelist Jarrett J. Krosoczka about the importance of fostering the artistic inclination of kids, tweens and teens. And, our weekly chat with Rep. Jim McGovern may not last for 24 hours, but it definitely covers his thoughts on Sen. Cory Booker’s filibuster, ICE arrests at Red Fire Farm, tariffs, possible weekend protests and more.

We’re jumping into National Poetry Month with two poets, extra descriptive language and a former state senator.One of these things may not be like the others, but is relevant to a key moment in history. Former Poet Laureate of Northampton Richard Michelson has written a new children’s book on the first presidential Passover Seder, “Next Year in the White House.” We talk with him and Eric Lesser, former state senator and White House aide, about being at the table with the Obamas.In Shelburne Falls, another poet is celebrating a new work. UMass professor and Guggenheim fellow Martín Espada is releasing his new book of poems, “Jailbreak of Sparrows,” and we gain his insight on the nuances of collecting his pieces anew before his reading at Raven Used Books this weekend.Word Nerd Emily Brewster, senior editor at Merriam-Webster, is encouraging us to be more descriptive with unusual words for very specific shapes.

Literacy equals liberation, and each can take several forms. To the letter of this equation, the western Massachusetts-based Literacy Project has been providing adult basic education programs and opportunities for 40 years. We talk with Executive Director Colleen Kucinski and Sagrario “Charro” Turner, a recent program graduate and commencement speaker, about filling this often overlooked gap in education, supporting participants to engage in meaningful and equitable learning to participate in the economic, social, cultural and civic community. And an event where you can celebrate the milestone with them!And the 4th annual Power of Truths Festival is happening this Friday and Saturday in Florence to harness the power of education and art for racial and social justice. We welcome back to the show festival co-founder Michael Lawrence Riddell, executive director of Self-Evident Education, and one of the festival performers, Washington DC-based emcee and author Sa-Roc.

New lands, and new works, and new looks oh my.We meet Margaret Russo, board president of the Scarlet Sock Foundation, whose mission it is to support works of social Justice theater. But how does a foundation come to such a specific niche. We’ll learn the history of the organization, about the many folx they support, and hear more on the free gala they’ll be hosting this SaturdayAnd we’ll head to Amherst to see the newest farm we’ve ever been to. Little Light Farm is taking a novel approach to CSAs, land conservation and preservation, and community connection, and they’re just getting started. New farm proprietor Emmy Smella talks to us about her plans for the plot of land, as well as some of the framework she’s established in starting a brand new farm. Plus PhD candidate at UMass, local historian Erika Slocumb outlines some of the recent changes that have been happening at the Stowe Center for Literary Activism, and how they’re shifting focus in their collection and in their curation, which might just shift some of your perspectives as well

This is about making big efforts in small places. We head to Pittsfield for one such endeavor. March 31 is Trans Day of Visibility, and Wander Berkshires is hosting a series of events to celebrate transgender and non-binary folx in a time when community members increasingly face endangerment and anti-trans legislation. We chat with founder Jay Santangello about the things he’s got planned for us all to enjoy and to make our neighborhoods inclusive. In Montague, the Bard comes alive all over town, bringing folx from all the way across the pond to breathe life into his words. The Montague Shakespeare Festival is in full swing with performances this weekend and the next, and we speak with artistic director Nia Lynn, artistic director; Kenny Butler, executive director; and Fiona Ross, director and lead practitioner, about what the second year of the festival has to offer. And Mr. Universe, Salman Hameed of Kainaat Studios and Hampshire College, remembers our eclipse fever from last year and tells us about 2 more eclipses, one of which you can see here in western Massachusetts, and dark energy in space (somehow those aren’t directly related).

If you’ve driven on Route 9 through the hilltowns, you’ve probably seen Beaver Brook Golf Course on the bend between Williamsburg and Northampton. But, there are some changes on the horizon for that gigantic parcel of land with the goal of expanding public access and climate resiliency.We talk with Kate Theoharides, Wendy Ferris and Mary Dettloff of the Trustees of Reservations about the goal to purchase the 200+ acres with help from the fundraising and conservation efforts of the public and surrounding towns.Live Music Friday brings author and banjoist Max Wareham to our shores before you can celebrate the recent release of his album. “DAGGOMIT!,” with him at a Watermelon Wednesday concert next Saturday.And, we get ready to feel the pain of EU tariffs in the next Tina Turner Memorial Wine Thunderdome. We explore one of the mother varieties at State Street Fruit Store in a return to Cabernet Franc as California challenges Loire on our palettes.

Today there's food for your tummies and your intellect, because that is how we roll.First, we head to Mesa Verde in Greenfield to learn about a new grant program to help small independent restaurants feed the community and meet their margins. We speak with Kate Lawless and Hannah Sobel of the Franklin County Community Development Corporation (FCCDC); Amy McMahon of Mesa Verde; and Valerie Hudson of Franklin County Community Meals Program (FCCMP) to hear about the state-wide initiative to help people in five counties to eat better while fueling local economies.For the latest Power of History segment, we celebrate the 100th birthday of Alain Locke's seminal piece, "The New Negro," that framed the start of the Harlem Renaissance. We talk with Clark University professor Ousmane Power-Greene about this work and the places where Black literature, art, music and thought thrived at the turn of the 20th century.And, Rep. Jim McGovern worries about the constitutional crisis we may be in, including similar worries within his own party close behind. And, he has tales to tell from his town meetings across his district, including the one that just happened in Greenfield.

Witnessing someone’s first experience with something is always fascinating. Lucky for the schools in our area, the Springfield Symphony Orchestra (SSO) has reinstated its program, “The Orchestra Moves,” to introduce local fourth graders to live classical music. Designed with global focus, the program aims to encourage students to interact with professional musicians and one another. To get a better grasp on the deep impacts of music, we hear from SSO President Paul Lambert, conductor Cailin Marcel Manson, narrator Brian Lapis, SSO education director Caitlin Meyer, school teachers and child attendees.And, Word Nerd Emily Brewster, senior editor at Merriam-Webster, drops more knowledge on us with words that have two contradictory meanings. She opens the doorway to antagonyms, clipped from more places than you’d expect.

We are proverbially circling our wagons, which is to say we’re making everyone feel more welcome. Bloom Local has teamed up with Bombyx Center for Arts & Equity to create “Rooted Resilience: Intersectional Narratives of 2SLGBTQIA+ Creatives in Western Massachusetts,” a multimedia project dedicated to preserving and amplifying the marginalized voices of contemporary creatives in our region. It launches the evening of March 19 and will feature artists of all mediums to build and protect community in a time when some seek to do the opposite.We speak with organizers and performers, Luc Abbott, M. Rudder, Inde Francis and Hazel Basil, about the work they’re putting in on and offstage.And just across the bridge on Route 9, a garden center has stood for almost 6 decades, but around the time of the beginning of the pandemic, it saw a shift. We head to Hadley to make a visit to the worker-owned land of lush greenery, the Gardener’s Supply Center, formerly known as the Hadley Garden Center. Eric Tiedeman-Mau speaks with us about the evolution of the business and what folx are eager to get in the ground as spring arrives.

We’re digging into the past by bringing history up to the present, transcending language barriers and questioning colonization. “Lamentations of Nezahualcoyotl” is a new book of poems translated and retold by Amherst College professor, Restless Books founder and friend of the show Ilan Stavans. We find out where this work resides in the Mesoamerican timeline, the living languages that have kept it alive, the role colonialism has played in its journey and the ways language, written and oral, keeps time of its own.Since we could always use another star or two in the neighborhood, our resident astronomer, Salman Hameed of Kainaat Studios and Hampshire College, introduces us to our cosmic next door neighbor, Barnard’s star. Will we find those new stars with funding cuts at every juncture? There may be conjectures about that as well...

Capitol Hill has been awfully aggressive with a constant barrage of cuts to many federally funded programs and departments. Today, we show you how some of those cuts are directly impacting kids in western Massachusetts and beyond. School lunch programs are just one of the many slashes in the USDA, and we hear from Melanie Wilk, Brianna Jackson and Abby Getman Skillicorn about the Massachusetts Farm to School Program, its specific impact in Chicopee and what lays ahead without federal support.Which might incline one to imbibe. We find ourselves comfortably in Women’s History Month and, lucky for us, there are two awesome women behind Tip Top Wine Shop who bring us two Oregon wines from women-led vineyards for the latest Thunderdome.And, Live Music Friday brings world champion Cory Pesaturo to the studio before you can catch him at the next Watermelon Wednesday. We also talk with Paul Newlin, one of the originators of the Watermelon Wednesday series, which often does not occur on that central day of the week.

We’re headed to Whip City!But we’re not looking at whips, we’re checking out quilts! Internationally renowned fiber artist Ed Johnetta Miller currently has an exhibit showing in Westfield called “Journey Stories” that uses her work to highlight key moments in her life, and we’ll chat with the artist herself about the tales textiles can tell. It’s being shown at Westfield on Weekends Center, and we’ll chat with board member Kathi Bradford about the program, and the classes connected to the exhibit as well as get to check out some of Edjohnetta Miller’s work right here in the studio!And Congressman McGovern is having a hard week. In fact it’s been 7 straight weeks of difficulties, but this one sees the representative in the shadow of a government shutdown with a lot of fingers pointing at a lot of folx, and a slew of announcements about cuts in the USDA. All things we chat with him about today, and which folx may end up talking to him about when he’s here next week for his town hall

Although we are in the midst of a housing crisis, the Baystate is making changes. To hear how Gov. Maura Healy’s plans to combat this problem impacts us locally, we talk to Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities Edward Augustus.And we gather flowers and herbs with Susan Pincus of Sawmill Herb Farm. We hear how a changing focus to perennials and moving to Montague has allowed for more community to blossom.Plus, Word Nerd Emily Brewster, senior editor at Merriam-Webster, shows us a plethora of linguistic discoveries.

It’s been 5 years since the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic that has lasting impacts to this day. So today, we head to UMass Amherst to check in with virologist Mandy Muller to help us understand more of what was happening in the uncertain, confusing beginnings of the COVID-induced shutdown. Since coronaviruses are not her main focus, we also learn about her favorite virus, herpes, and get to see it up close in her lab.And, speaking of things with global impact, the Massachusetts Multicultural Film Festival is just one of the few places where you can see the 2025 Oscar-winning documentary, “No Other Land,” along with more films within the theme of “Documenting Dissent.” We speak with organizers Jim Hicks and Celia Sainz, and Mount Holyoke College professor Adriana Pitetta about the next three free movie screenings you can see to expand your celluloid borders.

We’re taking roads less traveled and encountering folx who are carving their own paths in history, not always in plain sight.A new queer-centered multipurpose space in Pittsfield is encouraging people of all walks of life to grab a camera and venture out. We head to WANDER Berkshires and meet with owner Jay Santangelo to show us around the space, give a little history of the building they occupy and how small dreams of a public dark room grew into so much more. The new book, “In Defiance: 20 Abolitionists You Were Never Taught in School,” celebrates the work of champions in the cause against slavery in America, including those who may be overlooked in history books. We chat with authors Tom Weiner and Amilcar Shabazz about the origins of the idea, some of the abolitionists they studied and what we can expect during their book launch at Odyssey Bookshop March 13.And Mr. Universe, Salman Hameed of Kainaat Studios and Hampshire College, walks us through some recent successes and failures with rockets as many witnessed the sorry defeat of the SpaceX rocket in the battle against gravity. He also tells us about some wondrous things in the heavens you can see this week sans telescope.

We’re kicking off 3 days of music with more than 60 artists across 10 venues across the city of Northampton. The 11th Back Porch Festival is here to turn our chilly western Massachusetts into a New Orleans-inspired roots and Americana extravaganza. Despite power outages across the city, with some quick thinking on the part of our engineers, we broadcast live and in the dark from the stage at The Iron Horse, one of those 10 venues!We hear how the changes in format and the lineup of artists are still resonating with the music lovers of western Mass. with Jim Olsen of Signature Sounds, whose own back porch show on WRSI, our alma mater, was the impetus of the whole thing. Before you ramble through the streets, we give you a taste of the program with the classic bluegrass sounds of Old Hat Stringband, the catchy licks of Jake McKelvie and an artist who is no stranger to the greater music scenes of Northampton, Mike Flood.An extra special thanks to Bart Rankin, Jared Libby, Cara Foster and everyone that helped us make this show happen!

Today we take a local perspective of global happenings in art, in the environment and in the legislature. It is the very beginning of maple season, and the Bay State is celebrating this weekend as many producers open their sugarhouses and welcome the public to see their operations up close. We take a trip to Shattuck Sugarhouse in Belchertown to chat with the mother-son team, Judy and Nick Shattuck, about their 50 years of turning sap into syrup and more. And a new program is headed to Springfield Symphony Orchestra (SSO) next week. “Eternal Echoes” takes timeless themes in music of connection, loss and community and pairs them with a local maestro, Cailin Marcel-Manson, a local soprano soloist, Jamie-Rose Guarrine. We sit with Manson, Guarrine and SSO President Paul Lambert about bringing these works and topics close to home. Plus, our weekly chat with Rep. Jim McGovern recounts the 47th president’s recent address to Congress, budget cuts to local environmental offices, the Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of Congress on the DOGE debacle and more listener questions.

Today we are a bit playful, cause we all need more art and more laughter. So we bring back a guest from last week who’s got way too many projects going, one of which will be performing at the Back Porch Festival this weekend. Cowperson is the Americana outlet for Michael Hanson and Keith Dusoe, and we hear how this particular project stands out in its field from the rest in an impromptu Live Music Wednesday. It's also in the laughs just around the corner from our station because three decades of comedy are being celebrated at White Lion Brewery this Friday. We speak with the organizer and celebrant of the occasion, comedian Gerald Kelly, whose appearances span stage, screen, and beyond, about the night’s program which includes his sons.It’s in the words we use, some of which are not as proper as others, shall we say. Which is a great time for Word Nerd Emily Brewster, senior-editor at Merriam Webster, to chat us up on slang and how it has had an impact on English for centuries, which is wicked cool and hella fun, yo…

In the words of John M. McCrea, "we are widening the corridors and adding more lanes." In one case, this means expanding where art can go and who gets to make it. At Berkshire Community College, the Justice Dance Performance Project is presenting “Unmuting,” a piece that highlights the lives of incarcerated people in their own words and movements. We talk with director Judy Dworin about the importance of getting these tales outside both for the storyteller and audience.It is also in making more space for the art we love. In Williamstown, Images Cinema is making a huge push to raise funds to double their screening capabilities, and we sit with Executive Director Dan Hudson to talk about the need for more screen time, discuss the Oscars, and highlight the community built in each curated showing. And, speaking of community, we find out how, once again, bunnies are bringing us together to help those in need. Author and illustrator Mo Willems joins us at R. Michelson Galleries to discuss his new book, "Me and Other Bunnies," and this year’s benefit exhibition. We learn how to relate to one another while still staying true to oneself with animals, the cutest way to bring a little unity wherever you are.

It’s officially maple season, so we head for the forests to get a taste of the Bay State’s very first agricultural product, and the sweetest by far.We go as far west as we can to Hancock and Ioka Valley Farm where thousands of maple trees are being tapped to bring sweetness to our tables. Co-owner and third-generation farmer Missy Leab walks us through her farm's journey in maple production and how agro-forestry fits into the farm’s greater mission, including some delicious lemonade and some super cute cows. We also hear from Ben Crockett, Climate Smart Agricultural program manager at Berkshire Agricultural Ventures, to help us put forestry into a better perspective for local farms. And Mr. Universe, Kainaat Studios and Hampshire College's Salman Hameed, stumbles into the rocky territory of "astroturf astronauts" as a certain owner of Amazon prepares to send a mission of hand selected women on a space voyage. And, we take a quick pause from science to rundown of the Oscars.

Today is action packed with art nutrition for what ails you.We head to Amherst College to talk with director Jen Acker about actor Jeffrey Wright, author Percival Everett, Dr. Anthony Fauci and the other star studded guests coming to campus for this year's 10th annual LitFest.We also get a triple dose of music for this Live Music Friday. We’re joined by local star Ciarra Fragale, who is celebrating a new video, an upcoming album and an appearance at the Back Porch Festival next weekend. We’re also joined by the ever-amazing tag team, Peter Mulvey and his labelmate, Ruth Theodore, from across the pond. Both will take the stage at The Iron Horse this evening, so we hear some notes and how the current state of American affairs is impacting the international tour. And, on this last day of February, we’re already looking ahead to Women’s History Month. For those that indulge, we head to Lenox to hang out with the awesome purveyor, Mary Daire, at Dare Bottle Shop and taste two women-led vineyards for the Tina Turner Memorial Wine Thunderdome.

We’re tackling hunger from both coasts, or at least seeing how the west coast is combating food insecurity and reframing what the need to combat hunger looks like. Award-winning actor and comedian Kristina Wong is in the midst of a week long residency at UMass Amherst, culminating in a performance of her latest work #FoodBankInfluencer. We talk about her own experiences at food banks and some misconceptions about them before you can see her solo show on Feb. 28. And yes. We are still reeling from the loss of auteur David Lynch, so we head back to Great Barrington where the "Time to Wake Up: Tribute to David Lynch" series continues at Triplex Cinemas with the director’s very first film, “Eraserhead,” this weekend. Creative director Ben Elliott chats with us about the other films they’ll be showing to showcase Lynch’s contributions to the artform.And, our weekly chat with Congressmen Jim McGovern covers many listener questions on House votes regarding tariffs, the firing of the joint chiefs, our nation’s eerie resemblance to moments of the Velvet Divorce, and more issues relating to the very thorny landscape of Capitol Hill.