Mike Stockbridge

Mike Stockbridge (banjo, guitar, mandolin, ukulele) started his professional journey in music over twenty five years ago. He has attended both Berklee College of Music and the University of Maine at Augusta, receiving a Bachelors of Music in Jazz and Contemporary Music from the latter. Mike has continually worked as an in-demand music educator all over Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, including time spent at such institutions as Phillips Exeter Academy, Rivertree Arts, the Tony Boffa School of Contemporary Music, and the Robert Frost Charter School. Mike is currently the general music instructor at Polaris Charter School and a faculty member of the Nashua Community Music School and Concord Community Music School.

Sarah Cooley: the Value of Musical Friendships

There are certain familiar elements on any given afternoon when classes are in session at Concord Community Music School. Parents navigating the Fayette Street lot to drop off or pick up their kids, students ducking into practice rooms to prepare for an upcoming lesson, and a unique blend of melodies emanating from the hallways. Familiar faces are a key part of this fabric as well, and one of the most familiar is that of singer/songwriter Sarah Cooley. Along with being a music therapy student since 2015, Cooley has performed her music at multiple CCMS-sponsored events, started taking piano lessons this past fall, and has been a constant voice for disability awareness in the community. She also regularly volunteers her time to assist in the Music School’s community outreach and is joined in her efforts by her parents Seddon Savage and current CCMS trustee Carl Cooley, who have been CCMS supporters for years. Music Therapist Tony Varga started working with Cooley in the fall of 2023 and immediately took note of her artistic sense and passion for writing lyrics. While he takes the lead on developing melodies and chord progressions for their co-authored songs, Cooley crafts the lyrics, which she often uses as an outlet for emotional release, self-advocacy, and to promote disability awareness. “Sarah is always appreciative of the time and work that we put into her music, and it is gratifying to witness those special moments when she feels totally empowered by the art that she has created,” says Varga. Piano department co-chair Kathy Southworth notes that “(Sarah) understands the power of music for self-expression and for sharing with others. It’s always a happy moment to see her walk through the door!” Sarah was inspired to share her thoughts about her music, her lessons, and her time at CCMS in a piece she titles, “My Experience.”My Experience by Sarah Cooley It has been great being a part of the Concord Community Music School. I have been going there for nine years as a student and have gotten to know the faculty and staff. I have had some traumatic experiences in my life including bullying when I was young and several complicated hospital experiences, so music therapy has been a great way for me to work through my feelings about those experiences. I like to write song lyrics, and my music therapists have helped me set those lyrics to music and occasionally perform. My first music therapists were Julieann Hartley and Matt Roy, and I went on to work with Katy Gibney and Keady Kanelos. I am currently studying with another music therapist named Tony Varga. He’s an amazing guy, and I am enjoying my time with him. Tony has been helping me address my feelings through music including singing, rapping, and recording.For a long time, I had been wanting to take piano lessons in addition to music therapy. Fortunately, I was able to begin lessons this fall with Alex Tkaczevski, a new teacher at the Music School whom I met at the CCMS open house in September.I also enjoy volunteering at Music School events and helping the staff with special projects. Finally, I am proud to be a donor to the school. I love being a part of this organization and sharing my love of music with others who love music.Within the next few months, Sarah will be starting what she calls “a new chapter” in her life: moving to Sarasota, Florida. Although Sarah has lived mostly independently in her Concord apartment for years, this will be the first time she’s living so far from her family and friends. She admits to being equal parts excited and nervous at the prospect. She hopes that her current NH employer will allow her to transfer to its Sarasota store; otherwise, she’ll look for a job elsewhere. Sarah looks forward to staying in touch with her CCMS musical family.###
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Join Us March 7 When the CCMS Jazz All-Stars Return

Hot jazz and cool temperatures have always been a successful formula for Concord Community Music School. For decades, local enthusiasts and aficionados made their way to CCMS’s Wall St., Concord building for an annual “Jazz in January” event highlighting the Music School’s Jazz faculty and celebrating the genre. Following a brief pandemic-induced hiatus, the tradition of winter-time jazz relaunched at the Bank of New Hampshire Stage in downtown Concord. It continues next month with the second annual Jazz Night on March 7 at the Bank of New Hampshire Stage (part of the Capitol Center for the Arts; CCA). Bassist Matt Hogan, who will be performing at the upcoming event, was one of many community members who expressed his fondness for the event and has been instrumental in the rebirth of the beloved tradition. “I remember seeing CCMS staff onstage at some of the early “Jazz in January” events almost 25 years ago and feeling inspired that my teachers were able to jump in and play such great music while having fun doing so,” he says. CCMS Executive Director Daniel Acsadi, who first learned of Jazz in January from both faculty and community members like Hogan, who expressed how much they enjoyed having a dedicated event showcasing the school’s jazz programming. Ascadi looks forward to building on the “Jazz in January” legacy and continuing to bring Jazz music to the Concord community. “The Bank of New Hampshire Stage is an ideal venue for a jazz show and is located very close to CCMS,” he says. “We are lucky to have a number of extraordinary nonprofit organizations in Concord like the Capitol Center for the Arts; I know we’ll continue to create beautiful artistic moments and complement Concord’s cultural landscape.” This year’s event features “The CCMS Jazz All-Stars”, a quartet comprised of Music School faculty and alumni. Group leader and CCMS faculty member Eric Klaxton (saxophone) is joined by Jazz Night veterans Hogan (bass) and fellow faculty member Jared Steer (drums), while Music School alum Mark Shilansky (piano) will be making his event debut. The program is dedicated to the music of drummer Max Roach; a bandleader, composer, and social activist who shared the stage with the likes of Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis, and who helped shape the civil rights era with his music. “CCMS has a long history of offering excellent jazz education and has always had jazz faculty known both for being great educators and performers,” says Klaxton. “It’s important for students, families, and the community at large to see that jazz and improvised music remains part of our culture and is a contemporary art form, not just a thing of the past.” “It’s one thing to show up play a gig, but to put on a proper concert always requires a little creativity to keep your audience engaged,” notes Hogan. For example, at last year’s event, dedicated to the music of famed jazz record label Blue Note Records, Klaxton and Hogan made use of Bank of New Hampshire Stage’s audio/video capabilities and large screen to project the album artwork behind the musicians as they played. They plan to do something similar this year. “We’re fortunate to get to play such an inspiring room and owe it to everyone to try and make something special happen,” added Hogan. And while the Jazz Night performers won’t divulge the full scope of the program, they’re hoping to include a handful of surprise elements for the audience to enjoy. “We hope to have a few tricks up our sleeve,” notes Hogan. “Stay tuned!” – Jeff Selesnick Join us for the Max Roach Centennial Celebration on March 7, 2024 at the Bank of New Hampshire Stage. Tickets on sale through the Capitol Center for the Arts here. Your admission ticket includes a pre-show reception featuring food by local favorites Hermanos and Constantly Pizza.
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What Can the Spirit Believe?: Find Out Jan 20, 2024

It started with a Bach’s Lunch proposal. Vocalist and longtime CCMS faculty member Peggo Horstmann Hodes approached local Concord composer (and former faculty member) Bill Fletcher about featuring his music as a part of the monthly lunchtime concert series. Fletcher’s wife Margaret envisioned taking it a step further with a full evening concert and, together with Hodes, spearheaded the creation of the event taking place on January 20 at CCMS highlighting selections from Fletcher’s lifetime of work. It is especially fitting to have Fletcher featured early in a robust slate of concerts celebrating the Music School’s 40th anniversary in 2024, as Fletcher was CCMS founder Peggy Senter’s first faculty hire. “I have long wanted to showcase the fabulous music of Bill Fletcher,” says Hodes. “I first sang Bill’s E.E. Cummings songs when he started writing nearly four decades ago. Now, thirty plus years later, they still transport and delight me as they did then, taking me on a musical journey that’s new each time.” Faculty member and pianist Kathy Southworth echoes Hodes’ sentiments and is equally excited to be performing Fletcher’s works with her colleagues: “When I was introduced to his songs, I found them to be beautiful, meaningful, and accessible. They cover a wide array of musical ideas and emotions and range from humorous to dreamy to pulling on one’s heartstrings.” The carefully constructed set list features both vocal and chamber music from various points during Fletcher’s composing career. The selection of vocal pieces was left largely up to the performers themselves, while Fletcher chose the instrumental pieces with an eye toward variety. “The program includes songs which are among the first pieces I wrote, as well as the most current,” says Fletcher. “Most of these pieces wouldn’t exist without CCMS and the community I found there. Many were written on request for Music School colleagues and are specifically tailored to the tastes and abilities of their commissioner, as well as my affection for them.” Fletcher is humbled to have his music performed by CCMS friends and faculty members including Hodes, Southworth, Calvin Herst, Stephanie Ratte Jenkins, Elizabeth Gunlogson, Jennifer Paris-Yeaton, and the Mosaic Ensemble. Fletcher notes that two of the performers, Hodes and Jenkins,are responsible for the bulk of the concert’s repertoire: “Peggo’s is the voice I hear in my head when I’m creating songs and I love Stephanie’s beautifully expressive playing, as well as the committed care in her preparation, and I am grateful for her unwaveringly enthusiastic support and advice for my efforts. As a composer, I am always humbled and awestruck with the care and attention these performers give to presenting my music in its best light.” The concert is titled What Can the Spirit Believe, an homage to a poem by Theodore Roethke (one of Fletcher’s favorite poets), and Fletcher invites the listener to make up their own mind as to how the title applies to what they hear. “My hope for the performance is that both the audience and performers enjoy themselves, and maybe feel some of the pleasure and joy I had in writing this music.” – Jeff Selesnick As seating is limited, advance ticket purchase is strongly recommended. Tickets for the January 20 concert may be purchased at 603-228-1196 or ccmusicschool.org/event/what-can-the-spirit-believe/
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David Surette Mandolin Festival 2024

David Surette Mandolin Festival 2024

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David Surette Mandolin Festival 2024

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