Hilltown Family Variety Show
Cinco de Mayo Episode with Guest DJ, Mariana Iranzi
Listen to Podcast:
Mariana Iranzi, children’s musician from Argentina living in New York, guest DJs our Cinco de Mayo Episode— a celebration of Hispanic culture and its friendship with the United States through great family music. Multicultural, bilingual (Spanish & English) and fun! – www.marianairanzi.com
Saturday from 9-10am & Sunday from 7-8am May 4th & 5th, 2013 WXOJ LP – 103.3 FM – Valley Free Radio Northampton, MA
This weekend is Cinco de Mayo, and next weekend is Mother’s Day! In this video Mariana Iranzi’s bilingual song celebrates Mother’s day – Felíz día Mamá!
Have you ever wondered why the words to some songs get stuck in your head? In this episode of Under the Hat, Mister G reveals one of his big secrets; songwriters love to use rhymes.
Using examples from his songs “Pizza for Breakfast” and “Colores,” Mister G explains how good rhymes fit together like puzzle pieces to create catchy, memorable rhythms. We learn how songwriters search for the perfect rhymes to help to tell the story of the song.
As always, Mister G encourages kids to write their own songs whether they choose to use rhyming words or not. Featuring a cameo from Silas the Cat.
Next time in Under the Hat: Mixing it up in the studio. It’s a late night session, so you may have to stay up past bedtime for this episode as Mister G takes us into his studio where he’s recording a new CD. You’ll never listen to music the same way after you learn how songs are recorded and mixed.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mister G (Ben Gundersheimer) is an Amherst College graduate who spent 20 years as a singer/songwriter/producer in the adult music world prior to earning a Masters in Elementary Education at Smith College and transitioning to making music for children.His most recent release, CHOCOLALALA, a collection of original, bilingual (Spanish/English) songs for children, won a Parents’ Choice Gold Award and is on the Grammy ballot for Best Children’s Album of 2012. A leading figure in the kids music world, Mister G’s 2011 bilingual release, BUGS garnered numerous national awards and was dubbed “irresistible” by People magazine. www.mistergsongs.com
One day I quietly watched my children playing with each other and realized for the first time that they have their own unique form of communication. They have an instinctual knowledge of each other I had not previously been aware of. It is an understanding only a sibling can have, almost as if they can read each other’s minds.
At the moment when I noticed what I now call “brother speak” I began to reminisce about my own sibling and our bond as children. Being the younger of the two, my sister was always there. Her presence infused almost every moment I had in my life at home. It was different for her as she had 3 years enjoying all of my parents’ attention. She easily could have resented my arrival but my parents took a brilliant approach. One my partner and I did with our boys as well. My parents prepared my sister for my arrival by telling her I was a gift for her. That I was her baby too and her role as an older sister was very important.
The plan worked. She gave me tons of attention and in turn I adored her. I have seen old family movies where she is singing and dancing in front of my crib and I am standing up, holding on to the railing shrieking and jumping with delight at the captivating entertainment before me.
As we grew so did our connection. Our love for each other is fierce. We fought as hard as we loved. One day after a particularly loud argument which probably included some pushing and shoving, our Mom marched up the stairs and announced that our punishment for causing such a ruckus was to be separated for the day. Upon this announcement, our fighting immediately stopped. Whatever we were so furious about vanished and we fell into each other’s arms in tears at the thought of being separated. Our Mother was shocked by the emotion as she thought a break from each other would be a welcome relief.
A very similar incident occurred with my boys just the other day. They were happily playing outside and then the tide began to turn. Our five year old stormed in the house in tears. His beloved older brother had shot a nerf dart right at him and it almost hit his eye. Our nine year old clambered in the house after him to defend his decision to take the shot as he felt that his brother was cheating and had lied to him.
I went into safety mode and decided the best thing to do was to separate them until things had cooled down. When our little guy heard me declare my decision, his tears began to pour again and his anger was now turned on me. I looked at my sad and angry son with confusion and asked him “why would you want to play with someone that just shot you? If you take a break from him, he will learn that it’s not o.k. to hurt you.” My little guy yelled through his sobs back at me “now you have just made things worse mama! I just wanted him to learn his lesson but if I can’t play with him then I will be even more sad.”
Thinking about my own similar experience, I couldn’t help but smile. Knowing how close my children are to each other is one of the aspects of parenting I treasure. It is not always easy and fights break out all the time. Often I feel like a frustrated referee.
What makes it all worth it are those moments of peace when I watch them at play fully enjoying each other. It’s magical to me. I feel gratitude beyond measure that I am a witness to their bond and that I had it with my own sibling as a child.
My sister and I are now busy with our own families, work, our homes and time spent just the two of us is precious and hard to come by. Six years ago we began an annual ritual to have a summer retreat weekend together. Between activities we relax over long meals pouring out stories about our lives, our families our aspirations and frustrations. Our Mom has told us how much it means to her that we have remained bonded as adults. I wish with every bone in my body that no matter how far away my children go in life, they will always keep each other close in their hearts.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shana Hiranandani shares a home with her two boys, her partner of 12 years, a big dog and a small cat in the Pioneer Valley of Western MA. Shana earned a B.A. in Psychology from UMass Amherst and a M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Antioch New England College. Shana is a Board Certified Life and Career Coach, offering consultations from her office in Florence, MA. Her monthly column offers parenting perspectives from a Jewish-Indian-American, 2-mommy household.
Josh Ritter and the Royal City Band
Calvin Theater in Northampton, MA
Thursday, May 9th, 2013 at 8pm
Enter for your chance to win! You pay for the sitter and we’ll pay for the tickets!
Hilltown Families and Iron Horse Entertainment Group have partnered up to offer a chance to win free tickets to see adult venues in the Pioneer Valley for a PARENTS’ NIGHT OUT! You pay for the sitter, we’ll pay for the tickets!
For May we are pleased to offer a chance to win a pair of tickets to seeJosh Ritter and the Royal City Band plus The Felice Brothersat the Calvin Theaterin Northampton, MA at 8pm on Thursday, May 9th, 2013.
Win tickets and take your spouse, partner or good friend for a night out. Deadline to enter to win is Monday, 05/06/13 by 11:59pm (EST). More details below.
ABOUT JOSH RITTER
The Beast In Its Tracks, the sixth album from renowned singer-songwriter Josh Ritter, was releasedpast March.The new album follows Ritter’s 2010 release, So Runs The World Away, of which Bob Boilen from NPR Music declared, “I’ve come to expect good records from him…but this one took my breath away,” while the Boston Globe praised, “quite sensational…marks the finest music he has made.” In 2011, Ritter made is debut as a published author with his New York Times Best-selling novel, Bright’s Passage. Of the work, Stephen King writes in The New York Times Book Review, “Shines with a compressed lyricism that recalls Ray Bradbury in his prime . . . This is the work of a gifted novelist.” – www.joshritter.com
ABOUT THE FELICE BROTHERS
What separates The Felices mud-stomping folk from that of their peers is their no-winking honesty the sense that these songs and the places and people they’re singing about aren’t literary devices but actual people doing their damnedest to rage against the growing darkness. – www.thefelicebrothers.com
HOW TO WIN
Your chance to win a pair of tickets to seeJosh Ritter and the Royal City Band plus The Felice Brothersat the Calvin Theaterin Northampton, MA at 8pm on Thursday, May 9th, 2013, is as easy as 1-2-3 (4)! To win simply:
CONSIDER SHARING ON FACEBOOK & TWITTER by selecting from the icons below
TELL US HOW HILLTOWN FAMILIES KEEPS YOU CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT THE REGION below (one entry per household) and be sure to tell us your
FULL NAME (first/last) and where you
LIVE (TOWN/STATE) must include your town to be eligible.
ACCURATE EMAIL (we never share your email address).
We’ll randomly draw a winner and will share the results below.
IT’S THAT SIMPLE! — Deadline is Monday, 05/06/13 by 11:59pm (EST)
If you don’t win you should still go. Tickets are available at the Northampton Box office, online at IHEG.com, or by calling 413-586-8686.
Saturday from 9-10am & Sunday from 7-8am WXOJ LP – 103.3 FM – Valley Free Radio Northampton, MA
Featured Video: “World of Wonder,” the title track from Alison Faith Levy’s debut album for children World of Wonder… a paean to the natural world and all its mystery. Animated by filmmaker Danny Plotnick.
Autumn Leaves – “Stars in the Snow” [The Twilight Hours of the Autumn Leaves]
The Sippy Cups – “Drinking from the Sky” [Electric Storyland]
The Jayhawks – “Save It For a Rainy Day” [Rainy Day Music]
The Kinks – “Waterloo Sunset” [Something Else by The Kinks]
ABOUT ALISON FAITH LEVY
Alison Faith Levy, the songwriter behind such Sippy Cups hits as “Magic Toast,” “The Jellyfish,” “Move Your Pants” and “One Day Soon,” returns to making music for kids with a stunning solo album, World of Wonder.
After spending five years criss-crossing the country with the psychedelic rock n’ roll circus for kids that was The Sippy Cups, performing in such venues such as Symphony Space in NYC, Lollapalooza, House of Blues, Central Park Summerstage and Austin City Limits, Alison Faith Levy took a break from performing for children and found success with her “grown-up” Americana band, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, with songwriting partner Victor Krummenacher (of Camper Van Beethoven). They performed with the likes of Rosanne Cash, Cracker, and Built to Spill, and released an acclaimed album Time for Leaving.
Alison missed performing for children, however, and started up a music time at a local bookstore. She began writing new songs for the kids, and word spread quickly. Within a few months the place was packed to the rafters every week and she started putting a band together and booking performances at libraries, museums, music venues and outdoor festivals. She enlisted the help of her friend, songwriter and bandleader of lush indie popsters The Orange Peels — producer Allen Clapp. Together they took the new batch of songs and crafted their perfect pop album, playing practically every instrument on the album themselves and mining their collective encyclopedic knowledge of pop music for production touchstones. – www.alisonfaithlevy.com
Hilltown Family Variety Show Guest DJ, Francie Kelley
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Los Angeles based singer/songwriter Francie Kelley will be taking us on a musical safari from our neighborhoods to places far and wide, with uplifting and joyful songs, from her new CD Where Do You Want To Go Today and other favorite artists. Infused with international sounds and rhythms, you’ll be transported to countries such as Ireland, Africa, Jamaica and back home to the heartland. – www.franciekelley.com
Saturday from 9-10am & Sunday from 7-8am April 13th & 14th, 2013 WXOJ LP – 103.3 FM – Valley Free Radio Northampton, MA
Hilltown Family Variety Show Guest DJ, Lloyd H Miller
Listen to Podcast:
Lloyd H Miller is the leader of the Deedle Deedle Dees, a Brooklyn NY-based that draws inspiration from history, science, and folklore for their interactive family concerts. His guest DJ spot on HFVS is a celebration of Women’s History via the music of some of his favorite female artists. – thedeedledeedledees.com
Saturday from 9-10am & Sunday from 7-8am March 16th & 17th, 2013 WXOJ LP – 103.3 FM – Valley Free Radio Northampton, MA
Carolina Chocolate Drops plus David Wax Museum
Calvin Theater in Northampton, MA
Saturday, April 13th, 2013 at 8pm
Hilltown Families and Iron Horse Entertainment Group have partnered up to offer a chance to win free tickets to see adult venues in the Pioneer Valley for a PARENTS’ NIGHT OUT! You pay for the sitter, we’ll pay for the tickets!
For April we are pleased to offer a chance to win a pair of tickets to seeCarolina Chocolate Drops plus David Wax Museumat the Calvin Theaterin Northampton, MA at 8pm on Saturday, April 13th, 2013.
Win tickets and take your spouse, partner or good friend for a night out. Deadline to enter to win is Tuesday, 04/09/13 by 11:59pm (EST). More details below.
ABOUT CAROLINA CHOCOLATE DROPS
Carolina Chocolate Drops’ members met at the 2005 Black Banjo Gathering in Boone, N.C., and have spent the years since revitalizing and refreshing a glorious tradition of African-American string-band music. But this is no mere trio of nostalgia-miners: Members Dom Flemons, Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson are as likely to work with a progressive orchestra, or to reinvent Blu Cantrell’s R&B hit “Hit ‘Em Up Style,” as they are to draw on old-time jug-band favorites. — www.carolinachocolatedrops.com
ABOUT DAVID WAX MUSEUM
Anointed as Bostons Americana Artist of the Year (2010 Boston Music Awards), the David Wax Museum has been called pure, irresistible joy (Bob Boilen, NPR) and hailed by TIME.com for its virtuosic musical skill and virtuous harmonies. It is no surprise that its acclaimed performance at the 2010 Newport Folk Festival was hailed as one of highlights of the entire weekend by NPR. The Museum fuses traditional Mexican folk with American roots and indie rock to create an utterly unique Mexo- Americana aesthetic. Combining Latin rhythms, call-and-response hollering, and donkey jawbone rattling, they have electrified audiences across the country and are kicking up a cloud of excitement with their high-energy border-crossing sensibility (The New Yorker). — www.davidwaxmuseum.com
HOW TO WIN
Your chance to win a pair of tickets to seeCarolina Chocolate Drops plus David Wax Museumat the Calvin Theater in Northampton, MA at 8pm on Saturday, April 13th, 2013, is as easy as 1-2-3 (4)! To win simply:
CONSIDER SHARING ON FACEBOOK & TWITTER by selecting from the icons below
TELL US HOW HILLTOWN FAMILIES KEEPS YOU CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT THE REGION below (one entry per household) and be sure to tell us your
FULL NAME (first/last) and where you
LIVE (TOWN/STATE) must include your town to be eligible.
ACCURATE EMAIL (we never share your email address).
We’ll randomly draw a winner and will share the results below.
IT’S THAT SIMPLE! — Deadline is Tuesday, 04/09/13 by 11:59pm (EST).
If you don’t win you should still go. Tickets are available at the Northampton Box office, online at IHEG.com, or by calling 413-586-8686.
Imago: ZooZoo
Thursday, April 11th at 7:30pm
UMass Fine Arts Center in Amherst
“Theater like this opens the eyes to the possibilities of exploration in the vast realm of imagination.” – New York Times
Hilltown Families and the Fine Arts Center Concert Hall at University of Massachusetts in Amherst have partnered up to offer two family 4-packs of tickets to two lucky families to see Imago: ZooZoo on Thursday, April 11th at 7:30pm, at UMass Fine Arts Center Concert Hall in Amherst, MA!
Deadline to enter to win: 4/8/13 by 11:59pm (EST). More details below.
ABOUT IMAGO: ZOOZOO
Imago Theatre’s shows have been described as Cirque Du Soleil-evoking acrobatics mixed with Mummenschanz-like mime, set in a unique yet accessible French- influenced avant-garde playground. Imagine all of that with penguins playing musical chairs, a cat trapped in a giant paper bag, hippos with insomnia, anteaters as waiters, and a madcap revue of illusion. That’s ZooZoo, the critically acclaimed mix of dance, design, circus, music, text and illusion that has inspired audiences nationwide.
This is an Arts Give back event for Feline Friends. Tickets holders are asked to bring an item from the Feline Friends’ wish list available at www.felinefriendsinc.org.
ABOUT IMAGO THEATER
Carol Triffle and Jerry Mouawad, the creators of Imago, have been called alchemists, magicians, theatrical animators, and physical comedians. Defying classification, they have populated the stage with characters and beings such as comedic amphibians, acrobatic larvae, circus boulders, and metamorphosing humans in works which tantalize the senses, the intellect, and the passions. From adaptations of classics to excursions into vaudevillian existentialism, Imago’s repertoire is as vast as the forms they shape. With commissions for stage, film, and television, Imago blurs the lines of the expected to break new ground, exploding performance boundaries yet maintaining humor and humanity.
Imago Theatre tours internationally while also producing a season at its home base in Portland, Oregon. The company’s critically acclaimed productions FROGZ and ZooZoo have played at the prestigious New Victory Theatre on Broadway. www.imagotheatre.com
HOW TO WIN
Your chance to win one of two free family 4-pack of tickets toImago: ZooZoo on Thursday, April 11th at 7:30pm, at UMass Fine Arts Center Concert Hall in Amherst is easy & simple! To enter to win simply:
CONSIDER SHARING ON FACEBOOK by selecting the Facebook icon below
TELL US HOW HILLTOWN FAMILIES KEEPS YOU CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT THE REGION below (one entry per household) and be sure to tell us your
FULL NAME (first/last) and where you
LIVE (TOWN/STATE) must include your town to be eligible.
ACCURATE EMAIL (we never share your email address).
We’ll randomly draw a winner and will share the results below.
IT’S THAT SIMPLE! — Deadline to enter to win: 4/8/13 by 11:59pm (EST)
Tickets for Imago: ZooZoo at the Fine Arts Center Concert Hall are $30, $25, $15; Five College, GCC, STCC students and youth 17 and under are $10. For tickets call the Box Office at 413- 545-2511, toll-free at 800-999-UMAS, or purchase online at fineartscenter.com. Imago: ZooZoo is sponsored by Baystate Medical Practices and the Daily Hampshire Gazette.
In her recent interview in Time Magazine’s March edition and in her TED.com talk which received over 2 million views, Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s powerhouse Chief Operating Officer speaks to why women still have not achieved equality in the workforce. She acknowledges that very real barriers still exist like sexism, discrimination, a lack of flexibility, access to child care and parental leave. She also states an additional belief that “women can dismantle the internal barriers holding us back today.”
What stood out for me about Sandberg is that she dares to speak about what women do to ourselves, our internal barriers, our beliefs and actions. Sandberg’s refreshing perspective is one that I am grateful for. So often we think about what others are doing or what we perceive is being done to us.
We spend enormous amounts of time and precious energy on trying to change external factors to create the life, career and relationships we want. We ask others to change, we attribute stress in the workplace to what our boss said or did, we blame the government, we blame our parents.
While it may be a huge problem that your boss is a control freak or your parents continue to be withdrawn and judgmental for example, the point here is what can you do about it? Just like Sandberg acknowledges sexism and discrimination still very much exist, she also believes the power lies within ourselves to create change by what we believe and how we act.
To be clear, this is very different then saying we are at fault for what happens to us or around us. To me Sandberg is saying that we have agency over our situations and that it is possible to create more sustainable and fulfilling lives if we start with ourselves first.
So how do we do this? How do we shift our perspectives and thoughts that may be holding us back? This is not an easy task but there are some questions you can ask yourself that begin the process of shifting perceptions.
For example, the next time you are in a situation and you catch yourself thinking a limiting belief that holds you back like “I can’t do this” or “I am not good enough” stop and ask yourself, “is my belief really true?” Most likely your answer will be “no.” If it does still feel true for you then ask yourself, “is my belief true in all situations?” Take a moment to think about what evidence exists that your limiting belief is not true.
Then challenge yourself further and state the exact opposite of your limiting belief with the evidence attached. For example “I can do this because . . .”
How would you show up differently in the world if your newly stated belief is true? Would you take more chances, feel more confident, empowered?
I believe this is what Sheryl Sandberg wants for women, to shift those barriers within us, the ones we put there ourselves. In doing so, more women will reach further, go for the promotion, become a leader, find a partner that’s truly a partner and achieve higher levels of success and fulfillment.
Marianne Williamson writes, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shana Hiranandani shares a home with her two boys, her partner of 12 years, a big dog and a small cat in the Pioneer Valley of Western MA. Shana earned a B.A. in Psychology from UMass Amherst and a M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Antioch New England College. Shana is a Board Certified Life and Career Coach, offering consultations from her office in Florence, MA. Her monthly column offers parenting perspectives from a Jewish-Indian-American, 2-mommy household.
Hilltown Family Variety Show Guest DJ, Steve Weeks
Listen to Podcast:
Join guest host Steve Weeks for a eclectic musical journey filled with new kindie releases, old favorites, and a few surprises. You’ll hear electro-pop, a capella, bluegrass, rock, Celtic and more as Steve explores the “Variety” in the Hilltown Family Variety Show. – www.steveweeksmusic.com
Saturday from 9-10am & Sunday from 7-8am March 16th & 17th, 2013 WXOJ LP – 103.3 FM – Valley Free Radio Northampton, MA
In his excellent storytelling style, Steve Weeks’ newest song “Change of Heart” sends a positive message to both parents and children alike about sharing, accepting and trying new things… he’s even put together a super cute video!
Gaelic Storm at the Calvin Theater
Northampton, MA
Friday, March 22nd, 2013 at 8pm
Hilltown Families and Iron Horse Entertainment Group have partnered up to offer a chance to win free tickets to see adult venues in the Pioneer Valley for a PARENTS’ NIGHT OUT! You pay for the sitter, we’ll pay for the tickets!
For this spring we are pleased to offer a chance to win a pair of tickets to see Gaelic Storm at the Calvin Theaterin Northampton, MA at 8pm on Saturday, March 22nd, 2013.
Win tickets and take your spouse, partner or good friend for a night out. Deadline to enter to win is Tuesday, 03/19/13 by 11:59pm (EST). More details below.
ABOUT GAELIC STORM
Celtic-rock group Gaelic Storm’s dazzling new #1 Billboard World Album Chicken Boxer is a heavyweight record that comes out swinging with a mix of empowering anthems and traditional ballads. Gaelic Storm has earned a reputation as one of the world-music scene’s preeminent Celtic bands. With catalog sales of more than 1 million, the group has now had three albums debut at #1 on the Billboard World Albums Chart, 2008’s What’s the Rumpus?, 2010’s Cabbage, which remained parked in the top slot for three consecutive weeks, and now, 2012’s Chicken Boxer. The group’s ability to deftly incorporate a rock sensibility into their sound affords them rare crossover appeal. In recent years, they’ve performed on the same bill with acts ranging from Zac Brown Band and the Goo Goo Dolls to Emmylou Harris and Lyle Lovett, at events as varied as the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and Milwaukee’s Summerfest. Chicken Boxer, and Gaelic Storm live, deliver a titanic knock out.
Your chance to win a pair of tickets to see Gaelic Storm at the Calvin Theaterin Northampton, MA at 8pm on Saturday, March 22nd, 2013., is as easy as 1-2-3 (4)! To win simply:
CONSIDER SHARING ON FACEBOOK & TWITTER by selecting from the icons below
TELL US HOW HILLTOWN FAMILIES KEEPS YOU CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT THE REGION below (one entry per household) and be sure to tell us your
FULL NAME (first/last) and where you
LIVE (TOWN/STATE) must include your town to be eligible.
ACCURATE EMAIL (we never share your email address).
We’ll randomly draw a winner and will share the results below.
IT’S THAT SIMPLE! — Deadline is Tuesday, 03/19/13 by 11:59pm (EST).
If you don’t win you should still go. Tickets are available at the Northampton Box office, online at IHEG.com, or by calling 413-586-8686.
We all know about the American tradition of Easter eggs – the three dimensional ovals that come in many varieties, from jelly beans to hard boiled. They’re no match, however, for Pisanski eggs. These eggs – that you would never dream of eating – are beautifully decorated using beeswax and vibrant (yet non-edible) dyes. A tradition from eastern Poland and Ukraine, rich in history, Pisanski eggs are usually decorated with intricate patterns, and are made using hollowed out eggs!
The word Pisanski comes from the Polish verb “pisac,” meaning to write - an accurate description of the process! Check out this simple tutorial on making pisanki- wax and dye decorated Easter eggs from polandisawesome.blogspot.com:
Easter is coming – it’s on March 31st this year! Introduce a new tradition to your family while exploring the customs of another culture. Instead of plastic candy-filled eggs, make your own Pisanski eggs. Your beautiful eggs will become beloved family treasures. Families hoping to find help in learning to make Pisanski are in luck! Check out these Western MA classes and workshops taking place before Easter Sunday:
Hampden County: On Saturday, March 2nd the Wistariahurst Museum hosts a hands-on demonstration of making pisanki with local artist Carol Kostecki. Ages 12+, registration required. 413-322-5660. Holyoke, MA. ($$)
Franklin County: The Deerfield Spring Sampler, held at the Eastern States Exposition, will offer Ukrainian Egg Workshops on Sunday, March 9th at 12noon. 413-774-7476. West Springfield, MA. ($)
Berkshire County: Ventfort Hall Gilded Age Museum will offer two workshops, taught by Tjasa Sprague. Classes will take place at 10am and another at 12:30pm on Saturday, March 23rd, with lots of demonstration. 413-637-3206. Lenox, MA. ($$)
Hampshire County: Marion Abrams will be leading two Family Batik Ukrainian Egg Workshops. The first one take place on Saturday March 16th from 12noon-2pm at the Whately Library (FREE) and on Saturday, March 23rd from 1-3pm at the Forbes Library (>$) in Northampton. Marion will teach basic skills for beautiful traditional Ukrainian Pysanky. Children ages 8yo+ are welcomed. For info contact Marion at 413-247-9807. Whately, MA & Northampton, MA. (Free/>$)
Have you ever tried to find out about your children’s daily experiences? Well, of course, teenagers rarely want to share their day with an adult, but younger children do. For some kids this is one of the hardest things to do. Why is that? It seems like such a simple thing to do!
Well, let’s think about it. Telling a story pulls all kinds of language skills together. First, you have to remember (and you have to think it’s important enough to attend in order to store the memory). Then, you have to organize how to explain it. This includes understanding the main idea of the event, the important characters involved, the setting, the steps and sequence in which it happened, the outcome, the emotions involved. This is all before you say anything; this is the planning stage. Then, there’s choosing the vocabulary and remembering the words you need, deciding what’s most important, telling the steps in the right sequence, giving just the right amount of information for the person in front of you (what do they know and not know? How long will they listen to me? What will they be most interested in?), and describing and explaining clearly, and expressing emotions for the reactions to the event and to the ending.
Holy cow! No wonder speech language pathologists often use a story retelling task as a way to check functional language skills. Some kids have a glitch along the way and it’s our job to figure out where the gaps may be and teach kids explicitly how to fix or compensate for the skill that’s hard. Of course, there are also developmental stages involved. A preschool child is not going to sound much like a teenager telling a story!
So what can a parent do to encourage good narrative skills?
First of all, read stories to your kids. And tell your kids stories about what your day was like!
Start with specific prompts. “Tell me 2 things you did today.” Or “tell me something you liked or didn’t like today.” Or “what’s something you learned today?”
Eventually, you want them to not need prompts. So you can teach them how a story goes. After I read a picture book to a child, I often copy or take photos of three or four of the illustrations. I show them out of order and let the child sequence them. Then I start with “First________, then________, next________, last________.” and wait for the child to finish each sentence using the pictures. I do this with many stories until they do this on their own. You may need to write the words “First, Then, Next, Last” on a card to support them visually even if they aren’t yet reading (they may notice the first letter sounds to remember the words). Or you may need to use the card when you tell a story to your child, to model how to tell stories.
Lately, I’ve been using an app called Making Sequences by Zorten Software, LLC. This app allows me to make custom stories by taking pictures on my iPad to use for sequencing, typing in a sentence for each picture that the child dictates, recording the child saying the sentence, and playing back the whole story in the child’s voice. The kids love it!
Older children may need manipulatives or graphic organizers to remember what to put in and in what order. Many speech therapists use Story Grammar Marker.
Some older children may need practice with main ideas and summaries. They can tell lots of details but you don’t know the topic. I tell them to start with the big idea of the story or ask them to tell me about the story in one or two sentences. Then I ask for more details.
Just a few ideas to help your children be good communicators!
Kathy is a private practice speech-language pathologist living in Shelburne, MA and the author of our monthly speech and language column, Time to Talk. Living in Western Massachusetts since 1970, she raised two children here and has two grandsons, ages 15 and 8 years old. She has worked as an SLP with people of all ages for the last 14 years. She runs social thinking skill groups and often works with teens. As a professional artist, she has a unique and creative approach to her practice. She loves technology, neurology, gardening, orchids, and photography. She uses an iPad for therapies. She grows 500 orchids and moderates her own forum for orchid growers (Crazy Orchid Lady). Kathy is dedicated to the families of her private practice, and offers practical, creative ideas to parents. She blogs about communication at kathypuckett.com
Screening of A Place at the Table at the Amherst Cinema
50 million people in the U.S.—one in five children—don’t know where their next meal is coming from, despite our having the means to provide nutritious, affordable food for all Americans.
And of the 50 million facing hunger, 135,000 live right here in Western Massachusetts.
A Place at the Table, a new film exploring the issue of hunger in America and uncovering possible solutions, will be screened at Amherst Cinema on March 7th, 2013 at 7pm.
Following the screening, The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts Executive Director Andrew Morehouse will lead a panel discussion with Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA), who is featured in the film, and UMass Professor Julie Caswell, who will discuss local and national hunger.
The presentation is a collaboration with The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, the leading provider of emergency food in Western Massachusetts that reaches individuals and families with lower incomes and an organization committed to working with our community to reduce hunger and increase food security.
Tickets for the March 7th special screening are available at www.amherstcinema.orgThe film will open for a full run at Amherst Cinema on Friday, March 8th and will run through at least March 14th.
“My experiences with violence in schools still echo throughout my life, but standing to face the problem has helped me in immeasurable ways,” writes Shane Koyczan. “I wrote To This Day, a spoken word poem, to further explore the profound and lasting impact that bullying can have on an individual.”
Collaborating with animators and motion artists, Shane’s spoken word was paired with 20 second visual segments to bring us this stunning video that will move you through tears into empowerment:
To This Day Project is a project based on Shane’s poem, with a mission to further explore the deep and long lasting effects bullying can have on children. According to their web site, “Schools and families are in desperate need of proper tools to confront this problem. We can give them a starting point… A message that will have a far reaching and long lasting effect in confronting bullying.”
For more online resources, check out bullying.org, a collaborative project aimed to help people understand that they are not alone in being bullied, that being bullied is not their fault, and that there are many positive ways to deal with bullying.
Mama Doni celebrates the Jewish holiday of Purim on Hilltown Family Variety Show! Celebrating the universal theme of Purim: standing up to adversity, having a voice, self empowerment, Mama Doni shares classic songs of strength. This unique Radio Show will give listeners a flavor of Purim – from the fun and crazy to the true meaning and message of this cool Jewish holiday. Produced by Doni Zasloff and Eric Lindberg
Saturday from 9-10am & Sunday from 7-8am Feb 23rd & 24th, 2013 WXOJ LP – 103.3 FM – Valley Free Radio Northampton, MA
Featured video: What to wear for the holiday of Purim? Mama Doni and her band have some engaging ideas to sort through the choices in their original song, “Costume Conundrum.” Learn more about the Mama Doni Band online at mamdoni.com.
One traditional delicacy that can almost always be found in a Purim basket are the three-cornered fruit-filled pastries known as Hamentashen (The word means Haman’s hat, and recalls Haman’s triangular shaped headdress.). Every year, my daughters and I bake several batches of the recipe that’s been handed down for generations in my family.
Jewish heroines in the Bible are few and far between. The upcoming holiday of Purim is unique amongst Jewish holidays in that two strong, independent women are at the heart of its story. Indeed, one of them saves the entire Jewish people from imminent destruction.
The story of Purim comes from the Bible, and is set in ancient Persia. Haman, an evil and egotistical minister of the King, concocts a plan to destroy all of the Jews in the empire because they refuse to bow down to him. Little does Haman know that the new queen, Esther, is herself a Jew. (Esther, incidentally, has replaced king’s first wife, Queen Vashti, who was banished for refusing to dance for the King and his drunk friends. Yay, Vashti!) After a series of plot twists and turns truly reminiscent of a Shakespearean comedy, Esther bravely reveals her true identity to the king. The Jews are spared and Haman is destroyed instead. (Yay, Esther!) For a more detailed version of the story, try Eric Kimmel’s picture book The Story of Esther: A Purim Tale or Queen Esther Saves Her People by Rita Gelman. For a tamer version (both picture books mention capital punishment, gallows-style) try the Shalom Sesame version on youtube.
The holiday of Purim has many rich and joyful traditions. Families gather in the synagogue on Purim eve (Saturday, February 23, 2013) where the story of Esther is recited aloud in Hebrew, from a scroll known as a megillah. During the reading it is customary to drown out Haman’s name each time it appears in the story with loud noisemakers known in yiddish as graggers. Adults and children wear costumes to the megillah reading; these disguises are a reminder that God’s miracles are often worked behind-the-scenes, or in disguise. Often the story of Purim is also acted out in a humorous skit known as a Purim shpiel. Other traditions include giving gifts to the poor and exchanging baskets of food with friends and neighbors.
One traditional delicacy that can almost always be found in a Purim basket are the three-cornered fruit-filled pastries known as Hamentashen (The word means Haman’s hat, and recalls Haman’s triangular shaped headdress.). Every year, my daughters and I bake several batches of the recipe that’s been handed down for generations in my family. My mother, whom my girls call Bubbe, yiddish for grandmother, used to make them with her Bubbe in her kitchen in Boro Park, Brooklyn. Here’s the recipe – they are, quite honestly, the best hamentashen I’ve ever eaten.
Hamentashen
1 stick butter or margarine
3/4 c sugar
3 c flour (start with 2.5 cups and slowly add the last half cup as needed
2 large eggs
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs. Mix. Add the dry ingredients. (Sometimes I need to use my hands to get it thoroughly mixed.) Form a ball, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
Prune Filling (my great- grandmother’s specialty): 1/2 lb pitted prunes soaked overnight in water (about an inch higher than the prunes), cook with a little sugar and cinnamon until very soft. Mash to break up the prunes. (I sometimes puree it with an immersion blender, but it’s not necessary.) Squeeze in a little lemon to taste.
Roll the dough, and cut out circles ~3” diameter (I use a drinking class for this.) To see how to fill and fold the pastries, watch this video from Shalom Sesame, made by the Sesame Street Workshop. (Folding starts at around 2:00, but the whole video is worth watching.)
Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes, until lightly brown around the edges.
PURIM EVENTS IN WESTERN MA
Here’s a round up of Purim events in Western Massachusetts. Hope to see you at one or more!
Friday, February 22 at 11am
During Purim, it is a tradition to send gifts and food to neighbors! Learn about this tradition – called mishloach manot – with Lander Grinspoon Academy kindergarten teacher Amy Meltzer, while reading stories, singing songs, and doing crafts. For pre-school aged children and their caregivers. 257 Prospect Street. Northampton, MA. (FREE)
Friday, February 22 at 5:30pm
“A Night at the Temple —The Marx Brothers Purimshpiel.” Shabbat services, community dinner, and Purimshpiel! RSVP for dinner by Tuesday, Feb. 19th. Temple Anshe Amunim. 413-442-5910. 26 Broad Street, Pittsfield, MA ($)
Saturday, February 23rd from 9-10am
Purim Episode of the Hilltown Family Variety Show airs on 103.3FM WXOJ (Northampton, MA). Mama Doni celebrates the Jewish holiday of Purim as a guest DJ with a fun mix of songs like “I Ate Too Many Hamantashen” by Mindy Kornberg, Mama Doni’s original tunes “Kooky Cookie,” “Hey Man, You’re Acting Like Haman,” to Andy Statman & Bella Fleck’s beautiful instrumental, “Purim.” Celebrating the universal theme of Purim: standing up to adversity, having a voice, self empowerment, Mama Doni shares classic songs of strength like “I Will Survive” and Get Up Stand Up” by Bob Marley. As always, special guest appearances from Mama Doni’s own children who share their favorite thing sbaout Purim! This unique Radio Show will give listeners a flavor of Purim – from the fun and crazy, to the history and traditions of this Jewish holiday. Produced by Doni Zasloff and Eric Lindberg. Encore airs on Sunday, February 24th from 7-8am. Podcast and playlist available here on www.HilltownFamilies.org immediately following Saturday’s broadcast.
Saturday, February 23rd from 5-6pm
Havdalah and Festive Megillah Reading. Temple Anshe Amunim. 413-442-5910. 26 Broad Street, Pittsfield, MA (FREE)
Saturday, February 23rd at 6pm
Megillah reading, Purim shpiel and dance. Greenfield Temple Israel. 413-773-5884. 27 Pierce St. Greenfield, MA
Saturday, February 23 from 6:15pm-8:30ish
Purim Circus Party with Megillah Reading. This family-oriented Purim Party will include a megillah reading interspersed with loony entertainment. The party will include a rockin’ band, amazing jugglers, poi-spinners, walk-around magic, a joke contest and a costume parade. Refreshments will be served. Adults and kids please come in costume. 413-584-3593. Congregation B’nai Israel. 253 Prospect St. Northampton, MA (FREE)
Saturday, February 23 at 6:30pm
Mask-making and Purimspiel. At 6:30, join Congregation Beth Israel to decorate masks (for those who don’t have costumes — or those who do!), and at 7 transition into enjoying a Purim Play, which will feature a creative and fun retelling of the Purim story along with a few verses from the megillah. All ages welcome! Dessert will follow the Purimspiel — feel free to bring cookies if you have some to share. Congregation Beth Israel. 53 Lois Street. North Adams, MA (Free)
Saturday February 23 at 6:30pm
Megillah Reading. Costume Parade & Family Friendly Frolick from 6:30pm. Megillah reading primarily in Hebrew for adults begins at 7:15pm. Bring your own grogger, noisemaker or box of macaroni to shake. Open to the community. At the Jewish Community of Amherst. 413-256-0160. 742 Main Street. Amherst, MA. (FREE)
Saturday, February 23 at 7:45pm
Community Purim Celebration. Come one, come all to a Purim masquerade! Put your best face on ‘cuz there will be prizes for creative costumes. Hear the megillah, snack on delicious (and kid-friendly) hors d’ouvres, and be amazed by Tomm Magician. Havdala at 7:45pm, Megillah at 8pm, followed by the magic show. Sponsored by Chabad House in Amherst, MA. 413-549-4803. Event held at the Holiday Inn Express on Route 9. Hadley, MA ($$)
Saturday, February 23rd from 6-8pm
Purimspiel Beach Boy Style. Everyone is welcome to celebrate Purim Beach Boy Style! Dig out your Hawaiian shirts and join in for a fun evening. Hevreh of Southern Berkshire. 413-528-6378. 270 State Road. Great Barrington, MA (Free)
Sunday, February 24th from 11am-1pm
Purim Carnival. Dress like a queen, twirl a grogger, nibble a hamantashen. Playful and educational activity booths for ages 3-12. Attendees who come in costume, bring BoxTops for Education, or bring food for the Amherst Survival Center will receive an extra shekel for prizes. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Proceeds go to the JCA Children’s Fund. At the Jewish Community of Amherst. 413-256-0160. 742 Main Street. Amherst, MA. ($)
Sunday, February 24th at 11:30am
Purim Carnival Hollywood. Join in for JCC Goes Hollywood at the annual community-wide Purim Carnival. Come dressed in costume and enjoy inflatables, games, prizes, food and more. Springfield JCC. 1160 Dickinson Street. Springfield, MA (>$)
Sunday, February 24th from 3:30-5:30pm
Purim Justice Fair. This family-oriented Purim Festival is for all ages. Festivities will include spirited singing, interactive games and booths including facepainting, bingo, palm reading, blackjack, bowling and ring-toss. All proceeds from the event will go to support local and international social justice and environmental causes. Please bring canned food for a sculpture activity with all food being donated to the Northampton Survival Center. Bring some homemade hamantaschen to share if you want to take part in our hamantaschen bake-off contest and, by all means, come in costume. Beit Ahavah. 130 Pine Street (in Florence Congregational Church). Florence, MA (>$)
Sunday, February 24th at 4:30pm
Purim, Chabad Style. Come one, come all! Let the blessings flow (and the wine!) Fun for the whole family. Come in costume. 4:30pm – Megillah Reading. 5pm – Delicious Purim Seudah Meal. Drop in, the party never stops. Chabad of Northampton. 81 Milton Street. Northampton, MA.
Monday, March 5th from 10:30-11:30am
PJ Pals -Purim celebration for young children (ages 1-5) and their parents/caregivers. Held at The Church On The Hill Chapel. 413-442-4360 x14. 55 Main Street. Lenox, MA.
Amy is a Kindergarten teacher at Lander-Grinspoon Academy in Northampton, MA, and the author of two children’s books, A Mezuzah on the Door, and The Shabbat Princess. She writes the blog Homeshuling for Beliefnet, and a monthly column for the Jewish parenting site Kveller.com. Amy lives in Northampton, MA with her husband and two daughters.
Love & Social Consciousness Episode
with Guest DJ, Lisa Mathews of Milkshake
LISTEN TO PODCAST:
Lisa Mathews of the Grammy-nominated kid rock band Milkshake talks about love and social consciousness in this musically diverse hour. With a song list that includes Sly and the Family Stone, Billie Holiday, the Civil Wars, Adele, Lucienne Boyer and a sprinkling of Milkshake tunes from the band’s brand-new 33-song Got a Minute? CD (featuring the long-lost 13 songs written for PBS KIDS), the show is sure to reward big ears and inspire discussion.
Saturday from 9-10am & Sunday from 7-8am Feb 16th & 17th, 2013 WXOJ LP – 103.3 FM – Valley Free Radio Northampton, MA
Featured video: “I Love You” Music Video: A compilation of clips from Real Look Autism, with the song “I Love You” by Milkshake. – www.milkshakemusic.com
Moon hugs and star kisses! Our friend Charity Kahn from Charity and the JAMband in San Franciso wishes us all a Happy Valentine’s Day in this archived episode of the Hilltown Family Variety Show which aired last year for Valentine’s Day on Valley Free Radio: HFVS Valentine’s Day 2012 Episode with Guest DJ, Charity Kahn.
This year Charity gathered artwork from children all over the country, ranging in ages 1.5-9 years old, and put them together in this video to accompany her song, “Valentine,” off of her album, Family Values, Hilltown Families number one pick featured in our post, Top 11 Family Music CD Releases from 2012.
Mardi Gras Episode
with Guest DJs, Johnette Downing & Scott Billington
LISTEN TO PODCAST:
Children’s book author and musician Johnette Downing and Grammy Award winning producer Scott Billington offer a carnival of Louisiana roots music; a showcase of Cajun, New Orleans Rhythm and Blues, Zydeco, Brass Band and Jazz music by Louisiana artists.
Saturday from 9-10am & Sunday from 7-8am Feb 9th & 10th, 2013 WXOJ LP – 103.3 FM – Valley Free Radio Northampton, MA
Featured video: Reading Rocks! By Johnette Downing Children’s book author and musician Johnette Downing sings “Reading Rocks!” from her Reading Rocks! CD to get children boppin’ into books and rockin’ into reading! – www.johnettedowning.com
Professor Longhair – “Go to the Mardi Gras” (The Complete Ric & Ron Recordings,
Vol. 6: Classic New Orleans R&B and More, 1958-1965)
The Hawkettes – “Mardi Gras Mambo” (The History of Rhythm & Blues, Volume 3 -
The Rock’n’roll Years)
Zachary Richard – “File’ Gumbo” (Zack’s Bon Ton)
Johnette Downing – “Bon Jour Mes Amis,” (From the Gumbo Pot)
Papillion – “Cocodrie” (Cajun for Kids)
Johnette Downing – “Why the Possum Has a Large Grin,” (Reading Rocks!)
Huey Smith and the Clowns – “Don’t You Just Know It” (Having a Good Time With
Huey ‘Piano’ Smith & His Clowns – The Very Best of, Vol. 1)
Robert Parker – “Barefootin’” (Introduction to Robert Parker)
Fats Domino – “Walkin’ to New Orleans” (The Fats Domino Jukebox: 20 Greatest
Hits)
Nathan the the Zydeco Cha Chas – “Festival Zydeco” (Creole Crossroads)
Dirty Dozen Brass Band – “Little Liza Jane” (My Feet Can’t Fail Me Now)
Johnette Downing and Jimmy LaRocca’s Original Dixieland Jazz Band – “Dixieland
Jazz” (Dixieland Jazz for Children)
Louie Prima – “Banana Split for My Baby,” (Louis Prima Collectors Series)
Louis Armstrong – “What a Wonderful World,” (What a Wonderful World)
Johnette Downing and Jimmy LaRocca’s Original Dixieland Jazz Band – “It’s Time for
Mardi Gras,” (Dixieland Jazz for Children)
About Johnette Downing
Dubbed the “Musical Ambassador to Children” and the “Pied Piper of Louisiana Music Traditions,” Johnette Downing is a multi-award winning children’s book author and musician performing concerts and author visits for children, and workshops and keynote for educators globally. Dedicated to celebrating childhood, sharing cultures and fostering literacy through her music, books and programs, Johnette has performed in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Central America, North America and the Caribbean, has received twenty-one awards and has received rave reviews in the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Disney Family Fun Magazine, Parenting Magazine, Parents Magazine and many more.
Scott Billington
Scott Billington is a musician, writer and Grammy® Award winning record producer. With a discography of over 100 albums of roots-based music, Scott has received the Porretta (Italy) Sweet Soul Music Award, the Blues Foundation’s Keeping the Blues Alive Award, and the Offbeat (New Orleans) Lifetime Achievement Award. His records have garnered a total of ten Grammy® nominations, along with awards from the French Academie du Jazz, Living Blues magazine and many others. His writing has appeared in the Oxford American, Gambit, the Boston Globe and numerous other publications. Scott’s harmonica playing has been featured on albums by artists as diverse as Appalachian folk singer Hazel Dickens, rockabilly musician Sleepy LaBeef and soul singer Irma Thomas.
The instant we hear music our bodies start responding to the sounds.
Why is it that some music makes us want to dance and other music makes us want to take a nap? Using examples from his songs “Grilled Cheese” and “Sueños,” Mister G illustrates the role tempo plays in creating mood in music. It’s really not that complicated: fast tempos tend to make the listener want to move fast and slow tempos make the listener want to move more slowly.
He explains how songwriters use tempo as a tool to create different emotions in the listener and encourages listeners to notice the way the speed of music affects their emotions.
As a songwriter, Mister G takes into account the subject for his songs before deciding on a tempo. So, with an exciting topic like “Grilled Cheese,” a fast tempo is in order. And with a gentle lullaby like “Suenos,” a slow tempo makes sense.
Next month in Under the Hat: What role does rhyme play in songwriting? Playing examples from his songs “Pizza for Breakfast” and “Cocodrilo,” Mister G explains how rhymes are the fundamental building blocks of lyric writing for popular songs.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mister G (Ben Gundersheimer) is an Amherst College graduate who spent 20 years as a singer/songwriter/producer in the adult music world prior to earning a Masters in Elementary Education at Smith College and transitioning to making music for children.His most recent release, CHOCOLALALA, a collection of original, bilingual (Spanish/English) songs for children, won a Parents’ Choice Gold Award and is on the Grammy ballot for Best Children’s Album of 2012. A leading figure in the kids music world, Mister G’s 2011 bilingual release, BUGS garnered numerous national awards and was dubbed “irresistible” by People magazine. www.mistergsongs.com
Be Mine: Chocolate and Valentines
The Roots of Valentine’s Day Traditions
Old Sturbridge Village: Feb. 9th & 10th
Historians at Old Sturbridge Village will celebrate the history of Valentines in America and demonstrate old-fashioned chocolate-making with “Be Mine: Chocolate and Valentines,” a weekend program set for Saturday and Sunday Feb. 9-10, 2013. – UPDATE: Due to the impending storm, the Village will be closed, Friday, February 8 and Saturday, February 9.
[02/08/13 UPDATE: OSV will be closed Sat., Feb. 9th and opened Sun. Feb. 10th]
The tradition of having chocolate on Valentine’s Day is a longstanding one – it has been around since the early days of New England, even! Today’s Valentine’s traditions tend not to involve a lot of homemade chocolate or laborious preparations, however – usually we buy our chocolates at the grocery store or, in the most thoughtful of cases, from a local candy shop. However, early Americans spent a lot of time preparing their delicious chocolate foods – a tradition that families can learn about this weekend at Old Sturbridge Village!
The village’s annual Be Mine: Chocolate and Valentines offers families a chance to learn about the history of chocolate – how it was prepared, where it came from, and how it was eaten. Cacao beans were processed and ground by early New Englanders in order to create things like a spicy hot chocolate-style drink or a chocolate cake – with a surprising secret ingredient! There will be both displays and demonstrations from which families can learn about 19th century chocolate-making techniques. Do you know where the first Americans were supplied their chocolate from? Before visiting, watch a video on the history of chocolate to learn some useful background information on the process of acquiring and preparing cocoa beans!
Along with chocolate, Valentine’s Day brings the sharing of valentine cards! Since the roots of this tradition are local, the village will have special educational programs and hands-on activities on this topic, too! Families can learn about the Worcester resident whose humble handmade card business blossomed into a large card-making company and, eventually, the huge tradition of Valentine’s Day cards that we have today. Then, make your own valentines to share – inspired by images of antique cards shared by villages in the 1800’s.
Families can use a visit to the village to make this Valentine’s Day an educational one, rather than a commercialized one! Students can exerience the roots of some of the traditions that they participate in, and will learn to better understand early American culture. The village is open from 9:30am-4pm on both Saturday, February 9th and Sunday, February 10th. More information and a complete schedule of events is available on the village’s website. www.osv.org
Did You Know?
Chocolate
Spanish conquistadors brought chocolate from Central America back to Spain in the 16th century. From there, it traveled through Europe, to England, and back to America.
Early versions of “chocolate cake” do not actually contain any chocolate. The name means that the cake was intended to be enjoyed with a cup of chocolate, just as “coffee cake” today is meant to be served with coffee.
Boston pharmacists advertised chocolate as a medicinal remedy as early as 1712, and by the late 1700s, there were hundreds of chocolate vendors in the city.
Chocolate was drunk as a medicine during the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and by California Gold Rush miners, but later in the 19th century, with the addition of milk and more sugar, chocolate was preferred more as a confection than as a health tonic.
New manufacturing processes developed during the Industrial Revolution transformed chocolate from an expensive drink into an inexpensive food. By the late 1800s, chocolate was widely advertised to women and children through colorful posters and trade cards, and its iconic status as the world’s preferred candy was secured.
Valentines
The best known legend about St. Valentine has that he was a Roman martyr killed for his faith on February 14, 269 A.D. He may have been a priest who married couples in spite of the Emperor’s ban.
Valentine’s Day, like Christmas and many other Christian holidays, was originally an attempt to Christianize popular pagan festivals. In pagan Rome, February 14 was dedicated to the goddess Juno (Hera in Greek mythology), wife of Jupiter (Zeus) and patroness of women and marriage.
Few New Englanders marked Valentine’s Day before its rise in the increasingly sentimental and economically prosperous 1840s.
As with other holidays, those who made money from Valentine’s Day encouraged its observance. In the 1840s when printing technology improved, sending handwritten notes and printed cards became even more popular. Enterprising shopkeepers encouraged the exchange of gloves, books, candy, and other gifts among a growing middle class.
Esther Howland, of Worcester, Mass. began designing fancy Valentine cards in 1848, and hired girls to help cut and paste together these small works of art. By 1850 she was advertising her cards in the newspaper, and by 1860 she was selling between $50,000 and $100,000 worth of Valentines annually.
Do you have a tween/teen who likes to make short videos? There is a current call to artists of all ages for video submissions for the REACH One-Minute VidFest, and tween/teens are welcomed to participate. All videos must be no more than one minute and received by March 4, 2013.
The REACH One-Minute VidFest will be screened on April 13, 2013 at Popcorn Noir Movie Theatre in Easthampton, MA, in conjunction with REACH—a festival of over 25 exhibitions of works by contemporary practitioners located in multiple venues throughout Easthampton and Holyoke, MA. There is a submission fee of $5 per video. For more information & guidelines, visit www.reachfest.com or email REACH at reachfest@gmail.com.
The Popovich Comedy Pet Theater
February 19th, 2013
The Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, MA
Enter for a chance to win a family 4-pack of tickets for a fun show and visit with The Eleanor Sonsini Animal Shelter and the Berkshire Humane Society who will be in attendance too, helping raise awareness about animal adoption! Deadline to enter to win: 02/12/13 by 11:59pm (EST). More details below.
Hilltown Families and the Berkshire Theatre Group have partnered up to offer a free family 4-pack of tickets to one lucky family to The Popovich Comedy Pet Theater on Tuesday, February 19th at 2pm, at The Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, MA!
The Popovich Comedy Pet Theater will delight audiences of all ages with amazing circus skills and extraordinarily talented and rescued pets. Enter for a chance to win a family 4-pack of tickets for a fun show and visit with The Eleanor Sonsini Animal Shelter and the Berkshire Humane Society who will be in attendance too, helping raise awareness about animal adoption! Deadline to enter to win: 02/12/13 by 11:59pm (EST). More details below.
ABOUT THE POPOVICH COMEDY PET THEATER
The World Famous Popovich Comedy Pet Theater is a perennial favorite featuring Gregory Popovich and his cast of jugglers, clowns, 15 house cats, 10 dogs, 4 geese, 8 white doves, and 2 parrots. Each of the show’s 15 cats and 10 dogs were once strays, rescued from animal shelters.
Gregory grew up in a unique environment, as the child of Russian circus performers Alex and Tamara Popovich. In addition to their juggling and performing skills, Gregory’s parents were dog trainers. From a very young age, Gregory formed a special bond with animals. Eventually, the connection he formed with his mother’s showdogs led to his participation onstage, assisting with Tamara’s dog act. At the age of six, Gregory began to learn the art of juggling. Eight years later, he prepared his first solo act – juggling on a free standing ladder. After the public debut of this feat, Gregory became a member of the renowned Moscow Circus at the age of 17.
The Popovich Comedy Pet Theater is a family-oriented blend of the unique comedy and juggling skills of Gregory Popovich, and the extraordinary talents of his performing pets. They love to show off onstage – performing a variety of stunts and skits! Audiences will be delighted to see this extravaganza of European-style clowning, amazing juggling and balancing acts, and of course, very talented performing pets. Debuting in The Popovich Comedy Pet Theater’s 2013/14 season are the following new vignettes: Funny Winner Dog, Trained Geese, Dog Football, Dr. Doolittle, Brave Parrots, and Pet Fire Marshalls.
The Popovich Comedy Pet Theater has performed in more than 20 countries, and is currently in its 4th season at the Planet Hollywood Resort/Casino in Las Vegas. Mr. Popovich and his Pets have been featured on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with David Letterman, and as a finalist on NBC’s America’s Got Talent. Feature stories have appeared in People, The New Yorker and USA TODAY. Most recently Gregory wrote a book about cats entitled, You CAN Train Your Cats.
Find out more about Gregory Popovich and his world famous Popovich Comedy Pet Theater at www.comedypet.com.
ABOUT THE COLONIAL THEATRE & BERKSHIRE THEATRE GROUP
The Colonial Theatre, founded in 1903, and Berkshire Theatre Festival, founded in 1928, are two of the oldest cultural organizations in the Berkshires. Having united in November of 2010 under the leadership of Artistic Director and CEO Kate Maguire, these two institutions are providing the Berkshires and beyond with the finest in live theatre, music, dance and the visual arts on five stages in Berkshire County, including The Colonial Theatre. The Colonial in Pittsfield (780 seats) re-opened in August of 2006, following a $21 million restoration, and boasts pristine acoustics, classic gilded age architecture and state-of-the-art technical systems. For more information on BTF call 413-298-5536 or go online to www.BerkshireTheatreGroup.org. The Colonial Theatre is located at 111 South Street in Pittsfield, MA. For schedule and ticket information visit www.BerkshireTheatreGroup.org or call 413-997-4444.
HOW TO WIN
Your chance to win a free family 4-pack of tickets toThe Popovich Comedy Pet Theater on Tuesday, February 19th at 2pm, at The Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, MA (valued at $60) is easy & simple! To enter to win simply:
CONSIDER SHARING ON FACEBOOK by selecting the Facebook icon below
TELL US HOW HILLTOWN FAMILIES KEEPS YOU CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT THE REGION below (one entry per household) and be sure to tell us your
FULL NAME (first/last) and where you
LIVE (TOWN/STATE) must include your town to be eligible.
ACCURATE EMAIL (we never share your email address).
We’ll randomly draw a winner and will share the results below.
IT’S THAT SIMPLE! — Deadline to enter to win: 02/12/13 by 11:59pm (EST)
Family-Friendly Afternoon Mardi Gras Ball
At WinklePicker Festival in Ashfield, MA
Saturday, February 16th at 2pm
Win a family 4-pack of tickets and shake off the winter blues at the Ashfield Town Hall during a winter afternoon of family-friendly creole fun! Deadline to enter to win: 02/12/13 by 11:59pm (EST). More details below.
Parents aren’t the only ones who can have a ball at the WinklePicker Mardi Gras Festival! Kids have their own Mardi Gras Ball planned too! Families can two-step during an afternoon family-friendly Mardi Gras Ball on Saturday, February 16th at 2pm with The Primate Fiasco, and Hilltown Families has three family 4-pack of tickets to giveaway!
Win a family 4-pack of tickets and shake off the winter blues at the Ashfield Town Hall during a winter afternoon of family-friendly creole fun! Deadline to enter to win: 02/12/13 by 11:59pm (EST). More details below.
ABOUT THE PRIMATE FIASCO
The Primate Fiasco, the Pioneer Valley’s own New Orleans street band (Sousaphone, banjo, brass, woodwinds, drums, etc), plays music that you wouldn’t expect. They can keep a dance party pumpin’ on a sidewalk or from a stage. High energy arrangements and improvisation mix with fascinating lyrics and curveball cover decisions. From their Grammy nominated kids album, “Wheels on the Bus,” to their cult following of Hippies and Hipsters to their gray haired jazz lovers, the Fiasco scene is open to all music lovers, especially those who love to dance. Whether you see them on stage or parading through a festival campground, you’ll be smiling and moving your feet. The Primate Fiasco has shared the stage with Classic Rock legends, Jazz greats, Jam Band giants, and random people from the audience. - www.theprimatefiasco.com
Dadnabit, the “Dads writing about kids’ culture” blog, summed up The Primate Fiasco live concert experience perfectly, “Trust me: You’re a Primate Fiasco fan. You just don’t know it yet.”
HOW TO WIN
Your chance to enter to win a family 4-pack of tickets to the family-friendly afternoon Mardi Gras Ball at WinklePicker Festival in Ashfield, MA on Saturday, February 16th at 2pm, is as easy as 1-2-3 (4)!
To enter to win simply:
CONSIDER SHARING ON FACEBOOK by selecting the Facebook icon below;
TELL US HOW HILLTOWN FAMILIES HAS CONNECTED YOU WITH YOUR COMMUNITY OVER THE YEARS below (one entry per household); and be sure to tell us your
FULL NAME and where you
LIVE (TOWN/STATE), Must include your town to be eligible.
ACCURATE EMAIL IN THE EMAIL FIELD BELOW (we never share your email address with a third party).
We’ll randomly draw the names of three winners and will share the results below.
IT’S THAT SIMPLE! — Deadline is Tuesday, 02/12/13 by 11:59pm (EST) – Laissez les bons temps rouler!
If you don’t win, you should take yours sprouts anyway! Tickets will be available at the door, beginning at 1:30pm, and are $5/children, $10/adults, or $20/family of four. For more information, visit WinklePickerFest.com or call Elmer’s Store at 413-628-4003.
Resources for Supporting the Study of Space Science
If, after diving head-first into all things astronomical, your student is completely enamored with space studies, consider entering Astronomy magazine’s essay contest! The grand prize is a trip to the 2013 Northeast Astronomy Forum in Suffern, NY, where the winner will be able to meet important people in the field of astronomy, learn about space programs and discoveries, and more! The topic for the contest is, “What I love most about astronomy,” and essays should be 300-500 words. Hurry, though – submissions are due by February 15th! More info at www.astronomy.com.
Studies of outer space can be mysterious and intriguing to young minds and there are many resources to support a students interest in the study of space, both online and in Western MA.
ONLINE RESOURCES
The website StarChild offers a wealth of information and basic internet-based activities that help students build their understanding of outer space. Beginning with our solar system and moving outward, the information is grouped into two levels based on degrees of difficulty and background information needed in order to understand concepts. Students can guide themselves through each lesson, learning astronomical vocabulary and facts about the universe. At the end of each section, there are a variety of activities to do, such as identifying planets while in orbit, matching facts to their corresponding stars and planets, and pairing planets with their many moons.
Another resource online is NASA’s Afterschool Universe, “an out-of-school-time astronomy program for middle school students that explores basic astronomy concepts through engaging hands-on activities and then takes participants on a journey through the Universe beyond the Solar System.”
Mardi Gras Ball at Ashfield Town Hall
with Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys
Saturday, February 16th at 8pm
Win a pair of tickets for a Parents’ Night Out to the WinklePicker Festival Mardi Gras Ball with music by Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys and special guests, The Primate Fiasco, on Saturday, February 16th at 8pm at the Ashfield Town Hall. Deadline to enter for a chance to win: 02/12/13.
Continuing our Parents’ Night Out promotions, Hilltown Families and Winklepicker Festival have partnered up to offer two pairs of tickets to the 2nd annual WinklePicker Festival Mardi Gras Ball at Ashfield Town Hall on Saturday, February 16th at 8pmwith multi-Grammy nominee Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys!
Win a pair of tickets and take your spouse, partner or good friend for a night out. Deadline to enter to win: 02/12/13 by 11:59pm (EST). More details below.
ABOUT THE WINKLEPICKER MARDI GRAS FESTIVAL
The 2nd annual WinklePicker Mardi Gras Festival — When New Englanders Go Barnyard Crazy – will heat up the town of Ashfield, MA., February 15- 17, 2013. WinklePicker stirs all the warmth of music, dancing, community, eating and drinking up together in one big, roiling pot, celebrating warmth and fun in the coldest, plainest days of the year. www.WinklePickerFest.com
ABOUT THE MARDI GRAS BALL
Headlining the Saturday, February 16th Grown Ups Mardi Gras Ball at Ashfield Town Hall (412 Main Street, Ashfield, MA) at 8pm, will be multi-Grammy nominee Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys. This is the ball for grown-ups who want to dress up and get down as the band works its magic with a hot two-step, then turns on a dime and deliver an a cappella ballad, followed by something that sounds like Howlin’ Wolf fell in lust with a Creole girl. Costumes and masks are welcome! After the concert, revelers can head next door to Elmer’s Store where The Primate Fiasco After Party will keep you dancing.
ABOUT STEVE RILEY & THE MAMOU PLAYBOYS
Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys will be rolling out their brand new songs in the Hilltowns of Western MA in Ashfield, just before heading into the studio to record their 14th CD. And they will have just returned from the Grammy Awards on February 10th, where their last recording, “Grand Isle,” is nominated for a Grammy in the “Best Regional Roots Music Album” category. Best of luck to the Playboys! www.mamouplayboys.com
Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys began over twenty years ago with a reputation for excellence. Their stunningly clean and cohesive performance of Cajun French music from the backwaters of Southwest Louisiana propelled them into the world music limelight early on, and by their third release, Trace of Time, had garnered them a Grammy nomination in the worldwide field of traditional folk music, another in 2004 for Bon Reve, in 2009 for Live at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and again in 2011 for their latest release, Grand Isle.
In this video below, “Steve Riley and his Mamou Playboys make sweet Cajun music together: music steeped in the French heritage of southwestern Louisiana and driven by accordion and fiddle. Watch the Grammy-nominated Cajun band play an upbeat yet bittersweet set from the NPR Music offices.:”
HOW TO WIN
Your chance to enter to win a pairs of tickets for a Parents’ Night Out to the WinklePicker Festival Mardi Gras Ball with music by Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys and special guests, The Primate Fiasco, on Saturday, February 16th at 8pm at the Ashfield Town Hall, is as easy as 1-2-3 (4)!
To enter to win simply:
CONSIDER SHARING ON FACEBOOK by selecting the Facebook icon below;
TELL US HOW HILLTOWN FAMILIES HAS CONNECTED YOU WITH YOUR COMMUNITY OVER THE YEARS below (one entry per household); and be sure to tell us your
FULL NAME and where you
LIVE (TOWN/STATE), Must include your town to be eligible.
ACCURATE EMAIL IN THE EMAIL FIELD BELOW (we never share your email address with a third party).
We’ll randomly draw the names of two winner sand will share the results below.
IT’S THAT SIMPLE! — Deadline is Tuesday, 02/12/13 by 11:59pm (EST)
If you don’t win, tickets are on sale at www.signaturesounds.com/winklepicker2013 and at Elmer’s Store in Ashfield ($25/person)… and at the event ($30/person). Doors open at 7:30 pm. Complete details and ticketing information is available at www.WinklePickerFest.com and at Elmer’s Store 413-628-4003.
These are sample lyrics to Foster the People’s freakishly popular song, “Pumped up Kicks,” that my children were happily listening to the other day. When I realized that the song my 5 and 9 year old boys were dancing to with joy was essentially about gun violence, a blanket of horror came over me.
Let me back up a bit…
For Chanukah, my partner and I agreed to give our boys their own mini MP3 players. It was a big decision for us as we were aware that the MP3 players would be the first electronic device they owned. We made the purchase in preparations for an upcoming long plane flight. The MP3 players seemed like a great, fun option for them to have on the plane.
Once their gifts were open, immediate excitement and requests to load songs on their players followed. We were happy to pick out songs with them and relished in how thrilled they were about the gifts. The song “Pumped up Kicks” was one of the first choices for both of them. My partner and I had heard the song before but the lyrics were always murky to us.
After listening to the song again, I thought I was hearing words referring to guns and cigarettes but it seemed so improbable. I decided to do some research. First I looked up their video on You Tube. The video was a montage of the handsome young men playing the song live and having a blast. Nothing about guns there, so it seemed.
Then I looked up the lyrics online. Here is a sample:
“He found a six-shooter gun
in his dad’s closet, with the box of fun things.
I don’t even know what,
but he’s coming for you.”
He’s coming for you. All the other kids with the pumped up kicks,
you better run, better run, outrun my gun.”
Startled and upset, I knew I had to take a moment before I reacted. I needed to think about how to approach this with my family. Do we tell the kids and then ban the song? Do we tell and educate them but still let them listen? Do we not tell them and let them be in ignorant bliss?
When I shared all this with my partner, she was also shocked. The fun, light beat and high pitched singing fostered a random association for her that the song was from a Disney movie.
I then wondered how many other parents are completely unaware that their children are listening to these lyrics. It’s on every pop station, on iTunes (without a warning) and featured on the popular singing show, “The Voice.”
So what is a parent to do?
I believe the predicament spreads wider than just this song. As parents we all have the responsibility to monitor, set rules and expectations of how to interact with media, pop culture and the internet in appropriate and safe ways.
When our boys are teenagers, there would be nothing I would like more then to keep them in safe warm cocoons until they can come out and make all the smart, safe and savvy decisions I would most wish for them.
This is when I wake up.
Someday, they are going to be aware of gun violence, exposed to social media, to alcohol, drugs, to peer pressure. If we took the approach of saying no to all these things, most likely they will rebel and our lines of communications will be strained. There will be fighting and heartbreak.
Just taking something completely away or banning it is an approach that I steer away from. There are many realities out there that scare me as a parent. If I let my fear control my parenting, then I will most likely distance myself from my children which scares me even more.
As parents, I believe it our responsibility to educate and help navigate the world with our children, not for them. It is also imperative that we are present, involved and aware of what our children are doing online and off.
To refer back to the song lyrics, I asked myself, “Do I want it to be my partner and I who has this conversation with them or do I want it to be the older boys on the bus who first tell them?”
As challenging and awkward as it is, I certainly want it to be us to bring up these topics. I want our children to have the space to ask questions, express feelings and participate in a course of action that feels safe, appropriate and agreeable to all of us.
It all goes back to basic psychology. If we just take something away, or quit something, we will want it even more. If there is something good we are offered or moving towards instead, then our success rate for change is much higher.
Questions for the reader?
What would you have done in this situation?
Is there a time when a ban is the course of action you would take?
If you do allow your children to be exposed to pop culture, social media and the internet, is it possible to teach and encourage our children to use those modes of communication for good?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shana Hiranandani shares a home with her two boys, her partner of 12 years, a big dog and a small cat in the Pioneer Valley of Western MA. Shana earned a B.A. in Psychology from UMass Amherst and a M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Antioch New England College. Shana is a Board Certified Life and Career Coach, offering consultations from her office in Florence, MA. Her monthly column offers parenting perspectives from a Jewish-Indian-American, 2-mommy household.
Welcome to Hilltown Families, a grassroots communication network for families living in Western Mass, established in 2005 by hilltown mother and long time activist Sienna Wildfield.
"Hilltown Families keeps us connected with all the amazing educational and cultural activities and resources that abound here in W. Mass and curates them in a way to let us know just what’s out there for the many varied interests of our young families and communities,while creating networks of support and growth." - Kara Kitchen (Plainfield, MA)
The Hilltown Family Variety Show (HFVS) airs Saturday mornings on Valley Free Radio, 103.3FM WXOJ, Northampton, MA from 9-10am with encores on Sunday from 7-8am. Playlist and podcasts are posted immediately following broadcast. Listen to our archived shows at any time: HFVS Archived Shows.
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Information provided on Hilltown Families (HF) is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Reasonable efforts are made to provide the most accurate information, but no guarantees of any kind can be made. Information can be changed without prior notice. Please check with 3rd parties to confirm all listings for date/time, cost, location and age appropriateness before attending. Opinions expressed on HF are that of the writer and not necessarily that of HF. In no event shall HF be liable (directly or indirectly) for any losses or damages causes (or allegedly caused) in connection with HF. All health and wellness related information is for entertainment purposes only and should not be used to substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. All provided links are provided as a courtesy and not as an endorsement.
The exhibit will be on display at the Forbes Library in Northampton for the month of February 2013, and at the City Hall Gallery in Easthampton from Sept 13-Dec 11, 2013. - We're currently booking shows for the Spring/Summer of 2013 and for 2014. Each exhibit is a unique showcase of images that correspond with the season and venue. Contact us to inquire about hosting this fundraising exhibit for Hilltown Families in your town/venue.
Mister G (Ben Gundersheimer) is an Amherst College graduate who spent 20 years as a singer/songwriter/producer in the adult music world prior to earning a Masters in Elementary Education at Smith College and transitioning to making music for children.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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Hilltown Families and
Celtic-rock group Gaelic Storm’s dazzling new #1 Billboard World Album Chicken Boxer is a heavyweight record that comes out swinging with a mix of empowering anthems and traditional ballads. Gaelic Storm has earned a reputation as one of the world-music scene’s preeminent Celtic bands. With catalog sales of more than 1 million, the group has now had three albums debut at #1 on the Billboard World Albums Chart, 2008’s What’s the Rumpus?, 2010’s Cabbage, which remained parked in the top slot for three consecutive weeks, and now, 2012’s Chicken Boxer. The group’s ability to deftly incorporate a rock sensibility into their sound affords them rare crossover appeal. In recent years, they’ve performed on the same bill with acts ranging from Zac Brown Band and the Goo Goo Dolls to Emmylou Harris and Lyle Lovett, at events as varied as the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and Milwaukee’s Summerfest. Chicken Boxer, and Gaelic Storm live, deliver a titanic knock out.
or 
by Rita Gelman. For a tamer version (both picture books mention capital punishment, gallows-style) try the Shalom Sesame version on 
