Musicians from throughout the region and a few hundred music fans gathered in Oakfield on Father's Day for the annual Retro Jam and Musicians Reunion. Photo by Howard Owens.
An audience and a chance to play is usually a pretty good reason for local musicians to show up at a venue on a sunny afternoon, and add in a chance to see the guys and gals they are too busy to see on gig nights, and a few dozen are likely to make the scene.
And though the venue had changed since its inception, that's been what has kept the Father's Day Retro Jam and Musicians Reunion going since 1978.
"Most of the musicians playing the jamboree are working musicians," said organizer Bill Pitcher. "They've been in different bands together, but while they're working, they don't see each other much because when they've got gigs, they're playing in different places. This is a chance for musicians to get together to mix and chat and have some fun."
The first jamboree was part of the Stafford Firemen's Carnival and grew bigger each year until the Stafford Volunteer Fire Department discontinued the carnival because of changes in state law forced them to end the annual Corvette Raffle.
Soon, area musicians were calling Pitcher with one question: "Where are we going to jam?"
Scott Graff and his wife Val had a solution, Pitcher said. The Oakfield Rod and Gun Club. There's a pavilion with electricity, plenty of grass for lawn chairs and canopies and parking.
"It's a great venue," Pitcher said.
The Rod and Gun Club sells hotdogs, there are public restrooms available and everything is friendly and laid back.
A 50/50 raffle raised $1,000 for the Center for H.O.P.E. at the VA Hospital in Batavia.
"This is the second year at the Rod and Gun Club," Pitcher said. "They've been very cooperative and friendly, very supportive."
The lineup of bands is a mixture of the old guard and some young musicians, so there's a next-generation ready to move forward with the event in the coming years.
This year's lineup included the Ghost Riders, the Double Image Band, Front Porch Pickers, Rock-A-Bully’s, Prospect, Sounds Good, and Bad Sign.
"We have a waiting list of bands that want to come and play," Pitcher said. "Most of the bands have been playing for years and years but we're getting a couple of younger bands involved."
Kay and Bill McDonald in Jackson Square recently preparing for the Homegrown Concerts hosted by the Old Hippies on June 23 and June 30. Photo by Howard Owens.
Bill and Kay McDonald have spent their living the dream, playing and singing for smiling, clapping, foot tapping, and sometimes dancing audiences.
They decided a few months ago they wanted to give young, aspiring performers a chance to relish the same experience they've enjoyed all these years -- getting on stage with a good sound system in front of an audience looking to be entertained.
The McDonalds are producing concerts on June 23 and June 30 that will feature young performers. Both shows start at 6 p.m. in Jackson Square.
"We're really concentrating on the youth this time," Bill McDonald said. "We've got eight, nine, 10-year-olds that we've wrangled in -- guitar players, a bagpipe player, and accordionist. We've got a couple of more seasoned veterans like Deanna Spiotta and Don Thomas and Steve Kruppner."
The young artists include William Franz (bagpipes), Leah Ford (guitar), Nolen Wright (guitar), Spencer Moscicki (guitar on June 23), and Quinn Karcher (accordion on June 30).
Also on the bill, the Ghost Riders and the Old Hippies.
The name of the show is, naturally, "Homegrown." The event is paid for through a $5,000 grant from the state that was administered by GO ART!
The young performers were found by talking with teachers and friends, but even with the dates set, there might be more room on the bill for other aspiring performers.
"We could probably squeeze room for more," Bill said. "If we had a few more, we could. Every time you do that, it limits somebody else's time. But that's okay. We think the more, the better. Everybody's gonna play. If we (the Old Hippies) only get a couple of songs than so be it."
Evan Williams performing in Le Roy High School's production of Newsies in 2022. Photo by Howard Owens.
A lot of well-meaning adults around Evan Williams' life have a bit of advice in the form of a question: "What's his backup plan?"
"What is he going to do if it doesn’t work out?" they ask.
Musical theater is going to be what Evan Williams does, says his mother, Laura. He might wait tables while building his career, but singing and acting, or perhaps some other career role in or around Broadway, is what he is going to do with his life.
She doesn't have any doubt about it.
“People ask all the time about his fallback plan, but I can’t see him doing anything else,” Laura said.
One of his inspirations and mentors, John Bolton, a Le Roy graduate who has made a career in musical theater, TV and movies, said he hates the term "backup plan."
"Back-up plan means this is what you're going to settle for if things don't work out," Bolton said. "You should always have something else that interests you in life, but a backup plan always sounds second-rate. It's not going for your dreams."
Williams has his best chance yet to go after that dream. He's one of 100 students from around the nation who has won a place in the Jimmy Awards in New York City.
He secured his spot last week by winning -- along with Hope Galloway (Brighton High School) -- the Rochester Broadway Theatre League's "Stars of Tomorrow" competition.
Judges from the league visited the musicals of dozens of high schools in the Finger Lakes region and selected 40 students to compete in "Stars of Tomorrow." After a first round, those 40 competitors became 20, then 10, and then the final two.
Last year, Williams also made the final 10. This year, he won.
Evan Williams as Jean Valjean in the Le Roy 2023 production of Les Miserables. Photo courtesy Laura Williams.
"Evan was prepared and focused," said Bolton, who was an early round judge and then coach throughout the competition. "He's got an amazing voice. He took our notes and worked at it, as did the entire Top 40. He took very slight adjustments because he's well prepared. He owned the night, as did Hope Galloway. Everybody was wonderful. If it had taken place on another night, maybe someone else would have won, but that night, Evan claimed it. He owned it."
It was an incredible experience, Williams said.
He said the weeks leading up to the competition were anxious days.
"I had a lot of pressure to take on," Williams said. "Everyone had been telling me that I was gonna be the one, but I wasn’t gonna take anyone’s word for it other than my own."
He had grown up watching the Jimmys, hoping for even a regional consideration.
"I never had really thought of it as a reality until it became a reality," Williams said. "I knew it was possible, but I didn’t want to allow myself to think I didn’t have to work for it. I never want to do that for anything. Nothing should be handed to anyone. I had said to Nate Yauchzee on the way to the event that I remembered watching kids get picked to compete at NYC Bound and just being astounded, so even the fact that I was lucky enough to be part of the competition, not once but three times is crazy. On top of that, I think sixth-grade Evan would be incredibly proud of the fact that he is the first person from Le Roy to represent Rochester at the Jimmy Awards. I hope that there are some little Evans in the world who watch those videos and are inspired just the way I was."
Jacqueline McLean has directed the recent high school musicals at Le Roy and recognizes that Williams is a special talent.
"Evan has a heart of gold," McLean said. "Often, he's not thinking about himself. He's thinking for the better of the group, about a better musical, a better performance from the team. He's a team leader, and I'm a big believer that you're not going to get anywhere if you're not kind. He shows that often."
She said Williams is magnetic, that he connects with audiences in a way that's unique, that she hasn't seen other students be able to do.
"I have no doubt that he's going to go to college, and he's going to make a career out of this," McLean said. "I always joke with him, 'Don't forget the little people, don't forget where you came from because we're going to be cheering for you for years to come.'"
She's proud of Williams, but she's also proud of the entire Le Roy Music Department. Le Roy was represented in Rochester by not just one but five students, and three of them made the final 20.
Le Roy's musical this year was Les Miserables. The production was honored in every category of the theatre league's awards for 2023. Recognized as leading cast members from Le Roy were Ashlyn Puccio, Aubry Puccio, Cooper Terry, Jackson Cain, Maureen Klaiber, and Nathan Yauchzee. Among large schools, it was recognized for excellence in overall musical production, excellence in vocal ensemble, excellence in dance ensemble, excellence in production crew, and excellence in student orchestra.
"When you see kids over the years," she added, "you pick out the ones who have the 'it' factor. We've had a lot of them in Le Roy. We joke about it a lot -- that it must be something in the water. There is so much talent in this town."
After graduation, Williams, in pursuit of his musical theater ambitions, will attend Point Park University in Pittsburgh.
Attending college for music theater puts him on a very different career path than Bolton, who also grew up in love with theater, who started out in regional theater and then took a chance and moved to New York City and happened to make the right connections to build a career.
It helped that he, too, is a nice guy, but he recognizes he might be the best guide for Evan's career. Bolton's partner is a theatrical agent, so was able to offer Williams advice on universities to target.
Other than that, he's just a big believer that Williams should focus on what he loves.
"All signs are saying that Evan Williams can do this," Bolton said. "He's diving into a situation in New York in a few weeks with 100 other students from all over the country, and he will form friendships that will last a lifetime. He will form connections that will last a lifetime."
Bolton has known Evan's mother, Laura, since they were very young. Bolton's mother and Laura's mother, Lynn Belluscio, the Le Roy historian, have been good friends. Social media helped Bolton and Laura reconnect, and so he's been able to watch Evan's passion for theater blossom.
Laura said the main advice Bolton has ever given her son, because Evan is taking just a different path in his career, is to embrace his passion.
“John is always in Evan’s corner but more along the lines of, ‘follow your dreams, sing the songs that make you happy, be true to yourself,’” Laura said.
She's extremely proud of her son.
"Not only does Evan work hard, but he’s also genuine," Laura said. "He lifts people up and celebrates everybody’s success. In this career, he’s learned quickly that if he’s going to go places, he has to help other people. It’s far more than a kill-or-be-killed arena. That’s what I’ve noticed. Clearly, that’s a parent's answer, but that is what makes me proudest, and I know that makes Justin proud as well."
Williams has heard those well-meaning words about having a fallback plan, but he agrees with his mother. He can't see himself doing anything else.
He said he's listened to interviews with stars like John Meyer, who said he didn't necessarily get the best grades in school in mathematics. He was always a music guy. Williams said he's tried to do his best in school, even in mathematics, but those academic subjects, or even sports, have never been his focus.
"Some kids grind at science or they grind at mathematics. They go home and do their science homework or their math homework. When I'm not in school, I spend my time with voice lessons, music lessons, rehearsals, or something like that. That's my form of success," Williams said.
"This is something I want. If I keep pushing for it, I believe it can happen.I’m a big if you can dream it, you can do it. I'm that kind of guy."
Evan Williams performing in Le Roy High School's production of Newsies in 2022. Photo by Howard Owens.
The Ramble Team is once again partnering with the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council (GO ART!) to bring a fun-filled event that has something for everyone, including 25+ bands performing on two stages, an Explore Art tent for kids, street performances, food and much more! The event will take place in Jackson Square and on Jackson Street on Saturday, July 1, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
“After last year’s successful return, this year’s Batavia Ramble Explore Art and Music Festival is shaping up to be the biggest and best one yet to date,” said Stephen Kowalcyk. Ramble Event Coordinator
The coordinators are seeking art vendors, food vendors, sponsors and musicians for the event. For more information on being a food vendor, art vendor, or a sponsor of the event, contact Mary Jo at mjwhitman@goart.org. For musician applications, contact Stephen at thebataviaramble@gmail.com.
Batavia Players premier A Cabaret Showcase: Opposites Attract at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Main St. 56 Theater in City Centre, Batavia.
The show is a smorgasbord of songs showcasing true opposites -- love and hate, dead and alive, in and out, big and small, and more. All of the songs come from popular Broadway shows.
The show goes on again at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
Tickets are $18 for adults and $16 for seniors and students.
Ava Davids decorating an egg in a Ukrainian style called pysanky at GO ART! on Saturday. Photo by Howard Owens.
GO ART! today hosted the first of a two-part class on Ukrainian egg decorating, or pysanky. Pysankar master artist Irene Grassman is leading the class as part of GO ART!'s Explore Art! program.
GO ART! staff member Jodi Fisher with her decorated egg. Photo by Howard Owens
William Joyce, veterans services officer for Genesee County, receives bundles of tickets from Batavia Downs President and CEO Henry Wojtaszek on Friday afternoon at Batavia Downs. Photo by Howard Owens.
Press Release:
Officials from Batavia Downs Gaming and Hotel presented 2,000 complimentary tickets to William Joyce, Director of the Genesee County Veterans Service Agency. 250 Tickets from each of Batavia’s Summer Concert Series were included.
“Batavia Downs has always supported our local Veterans," said Batavia Downs CEO and President Henry Wojtaszek. “This is the fifthsoncert series in a row that we’ve given tickets to the Genesee County Veterans Service Agency. We happy to do anything we can to give back to our local Veterans for all they’ve done for our country.”
Tickets for the concert series can be purchased at BataviaConcerts.com. Performances include:
Brittny Benjamin, a GCC art student, received the Virginia Carr Mumford Scholarship from the Batavia Society of Artists on Tuesday. Photo by Howard Owens.
At the Richmond Memorial Library, the Batavia Society of Artists is displaying some of the best works of its members for the spring, and on Tuesday, at the annual Spring Show's opening, the best of the best were honored, including a GCC student who received the Virginia Carr Mumford Scholarship Award.
The art show was judged by Le Roy artist Lori Longhany.
The show runs through Friday, May 26.
Hills of Canandaigua, by Kevin Feary, received the Best of Show award. Photo by Howard Owens.
Steer'd by Shelley Moore received the first place ribbon. Photo by Howard Owens.
Bryan Wright, who entered four metal paintings received the second place award. Photo by Howard Owens.,
Richard Ellington, who received an honorable mention, poses with his painting (top), High Peak Sunset. Photo by Howard Owens.
The Genesee Chorale will present two spring concerts on May 19 and May 21, presenting the music of Ola Gjeilo in Batavia and in Le Roy.
The program is called Across the Vast Eternal Sky and will feature the Greycliffe String Quartet and Riesa Cassano on Oboe.
The May 19 performance is at 7 p.m. at Grace Baptist Church, 238 Vine St., Batavia, and the May 21 performance is at 4 p.m. at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 1 East Main St., Le Roy.
The chorale is under the music direction of Ric Jones. Janine Fagnan is associate conductor and Doug Hanson is the accompanist.
Tickets are $10 and are available from members of the chorale or at the door.
Classical guitarist Peter Fletcher performed an afternoon concert at the Richmond Memorial Library on Saturday.
Fletcher has been recording and performing classical guitar music for more than 40 years. He holds a Master of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester. He has studied with David Leisner, David Russell, Oscar Ghiglia and Pepe Romero. He has performed recitals throughout the U.S., including two recitals at Carnegie Hall in New York. He's also made numerous appearances on radio and television.
He currently resides in Detroit and New York City.
His CD releases include The Art of Classical Guitar, A Peter Fletcher Recital and Federico Mompou: Guitar Works. In 2005, Centaur Records released Peter Fletcher plays Erik Satie. Peter Fletcher Plays Baroque Music for Guitar was released in 2008 on the Tower Hill Recordings label. His current release is
Jeffrey Fisher, one of the music teachers at Le Roy Central Schools, talks about music education while five graduating seniors who are entering college music programs look on. The students are Jackson Cain, Alexiana Clarke, Connor McGee, Evan Williams, and Nathan Yauchzee. Photo by Howard Owens.
A lot of students pour through a school district's music program, but only a few of them put in the effort, show dedication and develop the skills necessary to carry on with their music education after graduation.
It's incredibly rewarding when a student follows that path, said Matthew Nordhausen, who teaches 5th and 6th-grade band in the Le Roy Central School District as well as serves as the district's primary percussion instructor.
"We obviously feel some pride in being able to help them build those skills to pass the auditions," Nordhausen said. "It's also incredibly rewarding, in about four years from now, when they graduate, and they go out into the workforce -- especially those that go into music education, because chances are, they'll come back to this area, and they might end up being our colleagues."
That's happened, he said. Nordhausen said he's been teaching long enough -- 20 years -- now that he has former students teaching in Batavia and Monroe County.
On Thursday, Le Roy recognized five graduating seniors who are continuing their music education.
They are:
Jackson Cain, SUNY Fredonia for Music Education
Alexiana Clarke, SUNY Fredonia for Music Education
Connor McGee, SUNY Fredonia for Music Education
Evan Williams, Point Park for Music Theater
Nathan Yauchzee, SUNY Potsdam Crane School of Music for Music Business
Le Roy has a reputation in the region for quality music education, and Nordhausen said that comes down to the support the district gives to the Music Department and their ability to hire dedicated and talented teachers.
"The five of us -- Miss (Tasha) Dotts, Miss (Jessa) Dechant, myself, Mr. (Jeffrey) Fisher, and Miss (Jackie) McLean -- we do work tirelessly for these kids, it's a 24/7 life, not a job. We're helping the kids before school, after school, anything they need, we're always accessible."
The district has helped ensure teachers hired are also qualified on instruments to provide individual instructions, and that is something, Nordhausen said, that many districts can't offer.
"It allows somebody like myself, who is primarily at the elementary school, to still be able to come up here (the high school) and teach my primary instrument, percussion, which allows our kids to get private instruction all the way through their senior year. That level of instruction is just unheard of. In another school district, you're going to have to seek out outside-of-school private lessons, but these kids are getting specific instruction on percussion for me and brass from Miss Dechant and woodwinds from Miss Dotts."
Nordhausen is obviously enthusiastic about music education, and he encourages parents to get their children involved in music -- or any of the arts -- even if the parents have no background in music or art on their own.
Music is forever, he noted.
"Whether you have a musical family quote unquote or not, if you find a love of anything, whether that be music or art, then you should follow that passion through," Nordhausen said. "If you get involved in a great school district and a great program and a supportive one then you're going to be able to build those skills. I've often said, of myself, I am not the most talented musician, but I will be one of the hardest working ones. My colleagues are both talented and hardworking. And you can certainly overcome a quote-unquote a lack of talent if you're willing to put in the time and the effort."
Nothing like the smell of burnt shopping cart to go with your morning coffee.
That was just one of several teasers thrown online to pique viewers’ interest during these past four months of preparation for a surprise exhibit on the city’s east side.
Considering the involvement of artists, sponsoring businesses, with the lead being GO ART!, and Harvester Center LLC serving as host, this project has been kept under wraps fairly well.
That is until now, when founders Brian Kemp and Mary Jo Whitman decided it’s time to announce: Enter Through The Coffee Shop @ The Harve.
“So Brian came to me with this idea, he was like, ‘We should take over an industrial space and see what we can do.’ And you know, Brian always has a lot of ideas. And the next day, he said, can you meet me at the Harvester in 30 minutes? He showed me the room, and he's like, ‘You want to do it?’ I'm like, ‘All right. ‘And that's how it started,” Whitman said.
While that may sound like a rather calm beginning, it has been anything but ever since they temporarily claimed the 7,000-square-foot space at 56 Harvester Center in January.
Rectangular in shape, with long rows of windows for ample natural sunlight, it’s a space easily accessible through The Pub Coffee Hub, owned by Rob Credi.
Kemp and Whitman put the word out for artists, and the walls have been gradually bleeding color with brilliant murals and 3D sculptures, while the room's footprint has been carpeted with the shell of a red car, artwork and the makings of a bar area.
Is it an art exhibit? A gallery? A space for mingling and reflection while enjoying refreshments and listening to live music? Or perhaps a new avenue for artists to publicly expose their creations? Yes, yes, yes and most certainly, yes.
One other possibility, of course, is that it also brings people over to Harvester Center, which seems to be getting more buzz as a growing business center again.
The Harve’s debut will be with an opening reception from 5 to 11 p.m. June 3, and a VIP invitation-only event the evening before.
Step into the capacious room, and it’s hard not to notice the sweeping mural of a blonde-haired, vivid blue-eyed doll on one end wall that sits next to a take on the Cheshire cat in a vibrant purple atop red mushrooms in a dazzling, eye-catching still vignette. And all of it was painted by Dan Butler in an astounding four days.
Across the room in a corner is Kemp’s studio, filled with various materials and about 20 works already done.
“It’s been cool having this much space,” he said. “I have 10 more things I’m working on.”
On one wall is Whitman’s sculpture-in-progress. It seems fitting, given a prior disclosure, that she often leans toward darker works of art.
A big black puff of clouds stretched along toward the top of the wall, with two people dressed in black below, and one of them with a shopping cart — painted black — against the wall. It actually rains, and the clouds have lightning, she said.
From those early moments of walking into such an expansive space, she and Kemp didn't really fumble with ideas of what to do or how to go about bringing their collective visions to life, they said.
“It’s absolutely amazing how everything has just fallen into place. Rob’s extending his hours when we’re open Fridays and Saturdays in June,” Whitman said. “We just started asking questions. There was a BBC documentary, ‘Exit Through the Gift Shop,’ so it’s a parody of that, ‘Enter Through The Coffee Shop.'
“It was just perfect clarity based on ‘Exit Through The Gift Shop,’ but kind of an opposite message that you know, instead of commodifying the arts let’s bring the arts to people to help support local business,” she said.
There will be two cars in the show, and they will hopefully be in the demolition derby in July, Kemp said. Having wheels helps with their other vision for the main floor, which brings together street art, graffiti and murals.
“We’re literally going to have the place kind of like a street, we're gonna have little elements of this street scene. Like we're trying to make it look like a street … traffic cones, construction cones, the cars,” he said. “You can just come in and walk around. You can grab a seat. Rob … will be open, so you can grab a coffee or a sandwich. We're hoping to have some alcohol available.”
There are a couple of comfy couches there right now for seating, and tables and chairs will be moved from The Pub Coffee Hub for exhibit patrons, he said. They have booked four acts for live music already, with the potential for more.
They’ve worked with about 10 artists, Credi and Jarrod Clark, who manages Harvester Center LLC. Go HERE to stay up-to-date on details.
Photos of Brian Kemp, an artist and owner of T-Shirts Etc. in Batavia, and Mary Jo Whitman, an artist who works at GO ART! in Batavia, at The Harve at 56 Harvester Ave., Batavia, by Howard Owens.
Sometimes fundraisers help to augment a nonprofit’s goals and projects, but that’s not quite the case for Batavia Players, Patrick Burk says.
Main St. 56 Theater, an ambitious downtown symbol of the arts in all their dramatic glory — up on a stage featuring the community’s own — is dependent on the funds raised during a final push for donations.
Titled “Be Our Guest,” the campaign is designed to offer folks an opportunity to give what they can — a little or a lot, Burk said. There was a kick-off at the theater-in-progress in late April, and Broadway actor John Bolton was a featured “Be Our Guest.”
“John is wonderful and so dedicated to keeping and maintaining the Batavia Players and the Main St. 56 Theater as a top notch performance space,” Burk said. “He was very gracious and giving to the actors and volunteers and provided some wonderful insights on the profession. We thoroughly enjoyed having him here to help shine a light on our needs and the project in total.”
The project has received grant funding, however, due to COVID — yes everyone is tired of hearing about it, but the lasting effects are nonetheless real — prices of everything have gone up, Burk said. Delays, increased labor and raw material costs, have added to the total expense.
This fundraiser is for the purchase of new seating, and lighting and sound upgrades to provide a state-of-the-art facility “that is comfortable and inviting for our audiences,” the campaign material states.
“We need to raise these funds in order to complete the theater,” he said. “It’s that simple."
When might we expect to see a show at there?
That depends on who you talk to, he said. The theater is about 80 percent complete.
“Our ability to move forward is directly attached to the 'Be Our Guest' campaign. I have no idea. I have been telling myself that it will be sometime after Sept. 1 of this year. Maybe the Christmas show in December,” Burk said. “Again, all of this depends on when we can raise the funds as well as get the work done. We are looking for volunteers for a multi-day work session that will be announced soon.”
During a recent interview with Bolton, he spoke fondly of community theater and how it belongs in every city, including Batavia.
What’s a community without live theater?
“A community without theater (or any of the arts for that matter) loses so much. The arts of a community are a distinct part of that community. It would be like losing your favorite or most known landmark. Community theaters are an outlet for those that want to perform and do not have the resources or the ability to go far from home to achieve that,” Burk said. “They are spaces that help talent develop and as we have seen from the past, we do develop great talent here that goes on to bigger and better things. We have past participants of the Batavia Players performing on Broadway, being on national tours and starring on the stage and screen. John Bolton is a great example of those that got exposed to the profession locally and then went on to perform professionally all over the United States.
“The Batavia Players have been in existence for close to 93 years. When you look back at all that they have accomplished and all the people that we have touched and worked with it is amazing,” Burk said. “I feel that we are a great reflection of our community and the area in general and that we provide an excellence in the performing arts area with talented veterans and new people on a regular basis.”
Donations of certain levels will be placed on an engraved plaque in the theater lobby area. The goal is to raise $150,000. Make checks payable to Batavia Players Inc., P.O. Box 256, Batavia, NY, 14021-0256. For more information, email burk.patrick1956@gmail.com.
There was a polka party featuring the Jimmy Sturr Orchestra at Batavia Downs Thursday night while WBBZ taped four segments of the station's weekly show, Polka Buzz, for broadcast in May.
Sturr has won 18 Grammys for his polka albums and is the undisputed King of Polka.
Joyce and Bob Spamer fell in love with the soulful sounds of southern gospel music over a decade ago. In an effort to share that love with others, they embarked on booking concerts for their fellow Western New Yorkers.
Through their foundation, Southern Gospel New York, the Spamers seek out Southern gospel talent from all over the South and invite them north for concerts.
Now, the pair is hosting a concert featuring the hometown southern gospel band, the Needhams.
With over two decades under their belts touring and singing together, the Needhams will return to their hometown of Batavia to perform a homecoming concert.
The band has written and recorded seven albums, including their latest: "Legacy."
This album features 10 new songs and commemorates the group's 25th anniversary.
The Needhams is a family band. Formed by Sr. David Needham, the band is comprised of Dave Needham (his son), Diane Needham (his daughter), and her husband Steve Mummert.
Being big fans of the storytelling and talent of the band, the Spamers wanted to ensure that the Needhams felt loved and honored by their hometown.
“We wanted to make it big this year because they’re celebrating their anniversary in singing. The dad, Dave Sr. has been singing for 60 years, he started the Needhams,” Joyce Spamer said. “It’s encouraging. They need the encouragement to know that people are excited about what they do. They are putting us on the map.”
The family gravitated to gospel, Bob Spamer said, and to music's personal meanings.
“We’ve always loved gospel music. There’s a message in the music,” Spamer said. “These gospel songs tell a story. A lot of people write from the experiences they’ve had.”
All who wish to attend the event on May 26 are invited to go to Batavia First Methodist Church at 8221 Lewiston Road, Batavia. The concert begins at 7 p.m. No tickets are required, however, a love offering will be taken to help support the ministry of the Needhams.
On Sat, April 22, GO ART! announced the 2023 Statewide Community Regrant (SCR) Program Grantees at the Hoag Library in Albion.
The Statewide Community Regrant Program was developed by the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) in 1977 in response to a mandate by New York’s Legislature that there be greater local involvement in funding decisions, affecting local non-profit organizations, offering artistic or cultural services and programs, and to ensure New York State’s cultural funding reached every part of the State. The program is funded statewide, in all 62 counties, and NYSCA funds are regranted by local arts agencies through a transparent peer panel funding process. Through the Statewide Community Regrant Program GO ART!, NYSCA and the New York State Legislature hope to extend, upgrade and increase the arts and cultural programming in Genesee and Orleans Counties. The goal is to make state arts support available to geographically, economically, and ethnically diverse segments of the state’s population.
Through the SCR Program, GO ART! awarded a total of $210,000 in regrant funding to 50 artists and organizations for events and programming throughout Genesee and Orleans counties.
The Statewide Community Regrant Program consists of three different grants Reach, Ripple and Spark:
REACH: The GO ART! Community Arts Grants (Reach Grants) provide seed grants to individual artists, collectives and arts organizations for projects and activities that enable Genesee and Orleans County communities to experience and engage with the performing, literary, media, and visual arts. Each year the program supports arts projects, including concerts, performances, public art, exhibitions, screenings, festivals, workshops, readings, and more.
GENESEE COUNTY REACH GRANTEES:
Batavia Business Improvement District - Jackson Square Concert Series - $5000
Batavia Concert Band - 2023 Batavia Concert Band Summer Concert Series - $3231
Batavia Development Corp - Murals in the Batavia City Centre - $2800
Batavia Players, Inc - 2023 Theater Season - $5000
Bergen Historical Society - Holiday Mural Panels - $4286
Bill & Kay McDonald - Homegrown Concert Series 2023 - $5000
Brian Kemp (Batavia Business Improvement District) - TableTop ArtShow - $5000
Byron-Bergen Public Library - Enriching lives through the Arts - $4954
David Burke (Warrior House of WNY) - The Goose Community Center Indoor Mural - $2500
Elba Betterment Committee - EBC Presents Art Around Town (Again) - $5000
Friends of the Batavia PeaceGarden - Artistic Interpretive Panels - $5000
Gillam-Grant Community Center - Community Art Adventure - $4849
Genesee Chorale, Inc - Genesee Chorale 2023 Season - $5000
Genesee Symphony Orchestra - 2023 Concert Series - $5000
GLOW OUT! - 2023 Pride Festival - $4500
Haxton Memorial Library - Talented Thursdays - $5000
Heather Davis (St. Mark's Episcopal Church) - Opera on the Oatka - $1500
Holland Land Office Museum - Guest Speaker & Concert Series - $3500
Hollwedel Memorial Public Library - Shake on the Lake Presents William Shakespeare - $5000
Michelle Cryer (Friends of the Batavia Peace Garden) - Batavia Water Storage Tank Mural - $2800
Warrior House of WNY - Learning Through Art - $5000
William Peterson(Batavia Players) - Everyone Has a Story - $5000
Woodward Memorial Library - Art All Year - $5000
ORLEANS COUNTY REACH GRANTEES:
Albion Merchants Association - Concerts on the Canal - $5000
Cobblestone Society & Museum - Cobblestone Museum Arts Series for 2023 - $5000
Friends of Boxwood Cemetery - Boxwood at Night - $4160
Hoag Library - Hoag Music Series - $5000
Howard Barry (Community Free Library) - Myron Holley Erie Canal Mural - $5000
Lee-Whedon Memorial Library - Finally Fridays! 2023 - $3200
Lyndonville Lions Club - I Hear the Music - $5000
Orleans County Historical Association – Multidisciplinary Live History Event- $5000
Veronica Morgan - I was a "Hoggee" on the Erie Canal - $5000
Vette (Albion Merchant Association) - Albion Summer Concert -$4768
Village of Albion - Bridging the Village Music Series - $5000
Village of Holley - Concerts at the Canal - $3000
Yates Community Library - More than Just Books - $5000
RIPPLE: The GO ART! Individual Artist Commission (Ripple Grant) supports local, artist-initiated activity, and highlights the role of artists as important members of the community. The Commission is for artistic projects with outstanding artistic merit that work within a community setting.
GENESEE COUNTY RIPPLE GRANTEES:
Eric Zwieg - Passenger: A Billion Little Pieces - Postmodern Reflections - $2500
David Burke - Harvester Center Hallway Mural - $2500
William Schutt - Connecting Hands Connecting Communities - $2500
Joshua Lang - On Dreams - $2500
ORLEANS COUNTY RIPPLE GRANTEES:
Eric Weatherbee - The Humble Bard Present - $2500
SPARK: The Arts Education Program (Spark Grant) supports arts education projects for youth and/or senior learners. Emphasis is placed on the depth and quality of the creative process through which participants learn about the arts. Projects must focus on the exploration of art and the artistic process.
GENESEE COUNTY SPARK GRANTEES:
Genesee County Youth Bureau - Re:Creation (Drawings of Nature) - $3200
Strength in Numbers Organization Inc - Strength In Numbers Organization Youth Music Program - $5000
Linda Miranda Fix (Batavia Central School District) - #kindness,empathy&you mural - $5000
Laura Jackett (Byron-Bergen Public Library) - Art Workshops at the Libraries - $5000
ORLEANS COUNTY SPARK GRANTEES:
Patricia Greene (Orleans County Chamber of Commerce) - Art Experiences for Seniors - $5000
Judd Sunshine (Lyndonville Central School District) - Erie Canal Songwriting Project - $3300
These grants are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
Photos by Tom Rivers/Orleans Hub.
Top photo: Gregory Hallock (right), executive director of the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council greets about 75 people during an announcement on Saturday for $210,000 in grants to local arts programs. He is joined at Hoag Library in Albion by Mary Jo Whitman (left), the education and Statewide Community Regrant Program coordinator; and Jodi Fisher (center), the GO ART! administrative assistant.
GO ART! officials on Saturday presented checks for $210,000 to about 50 different artists, community organizations and municipalities to support cultural programs in 2023. The funding was presented to about 75 people at the Hoag Library in Albion.
Sara Vacin, executive director of GLOW Out, said a grant will help fund the GLOW Pride Fest on June 9 in Batavia.
Not many legends play concerts in Batavia, but this Thursday, Batavia Downs will host Jimmy Sturr -- winner of 18 Grammy Awards, leader of a polka band since age 11, and musical artist who has recorded 152 records.
His first recording in 1964, in the midst of Beatlemania, was a 45 -- the A-side was a song Sturr wrote, "Hepsa Polka" -- and he's been touring and recording since, building a reputation as the King of Polka.
"I fell in love with it (Polka) at an early age," Sturr said during an interview with The Batavian.
That won't be hard to understand once you know a bit about where he grew up.
Sturr was born in 1941 and raised in Florida, NY, and even with international success, he's never left Florida, NY.
He's perhaps as proud of his hometown as he is of Polka.
"It's funny, but Florida, New York is known as -- now don't get upset when I tell you this because I know you think your part of the state is the Onion capital of the country -- well, Florida, New York is supposedly the onion capital of the country. We grow, I guess they say, approximately 30 percent of the nation's onions."
Sturr is Irish, but Florida, NY, was 85 percent Polish when he was growing up.
"A lot of the people came over from Poland and Germany working in the black dirt, and they brought all their traditions with them, one of which was their music," Sturr said. "That's how I fell in love with the music. My high school dances all had Polka bands. The local radio station had a Polka show every day. And of course, we had those three-day Polish weddings. So you know, I just fell in love with Polka."
If you were coming of age as a musician in the 1940s and 1950s, it wasn't a bad time to fall in love with Polka. Some of the genre's most influential musicians -- such as Frankie Yankovic, Walt Solek, Larry Chesky, and Myron Floren -- were cutting popular albums. Myron Floren became a regular on the "Lawrence Welk Show," playing a Polka segment that a young Jimmy Sturr never missed.
He quickly became a proficient musician and, by 1952, was leading his own band. In one interview, Sturr said his band was the third call band because he was so young. If the more established bands in town were booked, Sturr got the call, which still led to plenty of performance experience and helped launch his career.
Sturr said he was also influenced by the Big Bands of the East Coast that occasionally passed through his hometown.
"For some reason, most of the bands that came here were from New England, from Massachusetts, and some were from New Jersey and New York," Sturr said. "That's the kind of music I grew up on with bands that came from that area. I sort of molded my band in that direction. That's why we have such a big band."
And it's a good band. There are dozens of live recordings of the Jimmy Sturr Orchestra on YouTube that demonstrate how well the band plays together, their dynamic performances, and individual musicianship.
Sturr, from early in his career, wanted to be an ambassador for Polka.
He realizes there is a bit of a stigma attached to Polka. That it's grandma and grandpa's music, but he's seen for himself how young people can enjoy the music -- which is really party music -- as much as anybody.
"You know, once we can get them to hear the music -- just like last week in Buffalo (for a Dyngus Day celebration) -- there were a lot of people who weren't Polka fans, but they were there for the party," Sturr said. "Once they heard it, they were hooked. I had them hooked. They stayed the whole night."
Spreading the love for Polka is one reason Sturr has recorded with so many other artists who aren't usually associated with Polka, such as Arlo Guthrie, Mel Tillis, Bela Fleck, Brenda Lee, Charlie Daniels, Bobby Vinton, Porter Wagner, Ray Price, the Oak Ridge Boys, Bill Anderson, and Allison Krauss.
Willie Nelson has appeared on five Sturr LPs.
"I read a book one time on Willie Nelson, and that's how this whole thing sort of started," Sturr said. "I read that Willie Nelson started in a Polka band back in his home state of Texas. So I thought, 'Well if I ever get the opportunity to meet Willie, I'm going to ask him if he would record with me.' Well, sure enough, not long after that, I had the opportunity to perform with Willie on the same show. After the show, I snuck around and said, 'Willie, would you be interested in recording some polkas with our band?' And he said, 'I'd love to do that. And we did. That was back in around 1998."
By then, Sturr was already a big star, thanks to the Grammy Awards.
The Recording Academy didn't get around to declaring Polka a genre worthy of its own award until 1986, when Frankie Yankovic won that first award. The next year, Sturr won the first of his Grammys, starting a string of six consecutive Grammys for best Polka album. He would win 12 more before the category was eliminated in 2009. Since 2011, Polka artists have been eligible for awards in the Regional Roots Music category, but so far, no Polka act has won that award.
"If we had not won 18 Grammys, I think we would be just another, quote, polka band," Sturr said. "But the Grammys meant so much. You get to meet a lot of people, people like Willie Nelson. I mean, from that, we got to play Farm Aid. I'm sure we wouldn't be doing that If we hadn't won those Grammys."
In his effort to appeal to younger music fans, Sturr has always welcomed a variety of musicians into his band. His current guitarist is Chris Caffery, lead guitarist for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
"That's one reason I like to tour with Chris Caffery," Sturr said, explaining his desire to reach young fans. "He comes out with the long hair, and he does rock guitar with the horns, and it sounds quite good. It's a good mix. And, of course, the young kids all of a sudden, they're right into it. And the next song I play would probably be a Polka. And those kids are still getting into it. They'll get into the polka."
Sturr's performance at Batavia Downs on Thursday is part of WBBZ's Polka Buzz broadcast from Batavia Downs.
Tickets are $20 and can be purchased on the Batavia Downs official tickets website, BataviaConcerts.com. Tickets can also be purchased at the Lucky Treasures Gift Shop. Tickets can be redeemed for $20 in Free Play on the day of the show.
Who: Calling all artists, sculptors, craftsmen, woodworkers, fiber artists, mixed media artists, photographers, painters, etc.
What: Art installations/gallery exhibitions/group shows for exhibition in the Roz Steiner Art Gallery
Where: Roz Steiner Art Gallery ~ Genesee Community College ~ 1 College Road ~ Batavia, NY 14020
When: Schedule for the 2023-2024 season and beyond
The Roz Steiner Art Gallery presents exhibitions by a variety of regional artists, faculty and students. We are proud to partner with the local community to uplift artists. The gallery opened in 2011, and since then, we have held a variety of shows featuring visual works, sculpture, ceramics, fiber arts, photography and other media. We offer a large professional space with state-of-the-art lighting and SMART technology to allow the presentation of new digital media, as well as online exhibitions. With over 1,700 square feet of space and equipped with moveable walls, the Roz Steiner Art Gallery is a flexible environment perfect for both intimate and large-scale exhibitions.
We also offer a secondary exhibition space in the form of the Stuart Steiner Theatre lobby. Equipped with the same fiberglass rail system as the gallery, we are able to install 2-dimensional work there.
The Art Gallery offers culturally-enriching events to GCC students and the community through a variety of media styles, concepts and processes. The College is an integral part of the arts community and works with regional arts organizations to enhance the Western New York art community.
Exhibit proposal (include size and number of pieces to be displayed)
Available to do solo exhibitions, duos and group shows
Quality of Artwork
must be professionally matted and framed/displayed; ready to hang
aesthetically show professional quality skills and techniques
conceptually show originality and creativity
artwork must fill the gallery space accordingly (single, duo or group exhibit)
Scheduling Goals
schedule a diversity of media and concepts within a year's exhibition plan
offer students exhibit times for fine arts and digital arts
offer exhibit times for professional artists
offer exhibit times for community arts organizations that are prepared to exhibit high-quality art at an age-appropriate level (high school/college/ and adult group exhibits will be considered
Our goal is to create a well-rounded exhibit schedule that meets the above requirements.
Jury Procedure
The GCC Gallery Committee will jury the artwork and create a schedule of events for the Roz Steiner Gallery. The Gallery Advisory Committee will then approve the proposed schedule. After the exhibit schedule has been approved, the Gallery Manager will send out acceptance letters and collect Gallery Contracts from the participating artists. Exhibits dates will be confirmed and reserved when the artist hands in the signed contract agreeing to the exhibition terms.
