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| Christiane Karam & Lucy Holstedt photo credit: Carolyn Alden |
Women
Musicians Network
20th
annual concert, Wed., Nov. 9th
"Once
again, it's a once-in-a-lifetime show."
20
years ago, Lucy Holstedt moved to Somerville and also co-founded the
W.M.N. concert. Today, Lucy (a professor in Berklee's Harmony Dept.)
feels "very good" about both decisions: she is now a
homeowner here, and this concert has become well known and highly
regarded.
One
fan is Cambridge Major E. Denise Simmons, whose 2016 PROCLAMATION
thanks Holstedt for her huge role in creating an "exciting and
diverse showcase {that brings} the gift of music to so many
throughout Greater Boston."
"It's
never easy," says Lucy—who is also the W.M.N. student club
advisor, concert co-director, and primary host—"but I love
working with the great, original talent constantly pouring into
Berklee. This may be the only college where you could put together
such an eclectic concert that's different every year." As
always, the focus is on Berklee women (mainly students) as
songwriters, composers, bandleaders, and producers. In the course of
90 minutes, you'll see 10 original acts—from Solo
Jazz and Contemporary Classical, to Funk/Gospel and Rock.
The
Nov. 9th show begins with a Big Band arrangement by Berklee professor
Ayn Inserto, based on a jazz composition by pianist Zahili Gonzalez
Zamora—a Berklee student from Cuba who has already performed around
the world. "I'm excited we're starting with an all-women,
19-piece band," Lucy remarks. "It's not something you see
every day."
Soon
after, concert co-director Christiane Karam will be leading her
magnificent (in my experience) traditional Pletinitsa
Balkan Choir. Near the end of the concert is a setting of a poem
dealing with refugees. The poem was written by Boston Poet Laureate
Danielle Legros Georges (born in Haiti), who now teaches at Lesley
University. This poem inspired Holstedt to write "Miles Apart,"
a song she'll be performing with vocalists from Kenya and Zimbabwe.
Every
Women Musicians Network concert I've been to—roughly a dozen so
far—is like a cross between an international music festival and a
magic trick: 10
acts in an hour and a half!? How is this possible?
"The staff at the B.P.C. deserve a huge amount of credit,"
says Lucy, who adds that W.M.N. student leaders are always working to
make smooth transitions between acts.
The
focus is on women, but a good number of Berklee men are included.
Lucy shows me a draft of the program, and I count participants from
more than 20 countries.
Not
quite as "international" as Somerville, of course—but not
bad for a concert.
Women
Musicians Network
20th
annual concert the
Berklee
Performance Center
8:00
pm - 9:30 pm (doors 7:00 pm)
Tickets:
only $8 in advance / $12 day of show
www.berklee.edu/BPC
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