Free recording studio opens in Northampton
Valley creatives have differing reasons to utilize the new, free-to-use David S. Dow Community Recording Studio, which laid down its inaugural tracks Saturday.
For his part, 9-year-old Darren Chraplak plans to use it to edit his own comedy and music clips.
Darren, of West Springfield, sat watching intently as Valley Free Radio programmer and project mastermind Joshua Braska edited audio freshly recorded by Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz.
The mayor’s voice emanated from the speakers: “I’m pleased to announce that the David Dow Recording Studio is open to the public.” The studio — now officially part of Valley Free Radio 103.3, a volunteer-run nonprofit station in the basement of 140 Pine St. in Florence — represents the culmination of a fundraising campaign that raised $3,000 to outfit the station’s spare room as a space for artists to record free of charge.
The campaign, which ran from late September through October, saw significant contributions from the Northampton Arts Council, which contributed $600, and Northampton Community Television, which contributed a matching grant for $1,000, and the estate of station programmer Michael Dow’s late brother, David Dow.
“We’re really lucky to have the station and this is going to be a great addition,” said Narkewicz from inside the sound-absorbing studio.
Over the past few months, Northfire Recording Studio owner Jason Metcalf and his staff have donated a lot of time and energy into making the room into a studio. One of Northfire’s engineers, Metcalf said, recently spent 18 hours in one day rewiring the whole station.
“It’s very important for artists to have resources like this,” said Metcalf, who’s also sharing an engineering intern with the station this spring.
Metcalf said the space will serve an important bridge between artists with ideas but little cash and those ready to invest thousands of dollars to record in a professional studio.
“A lot of artists don’t necessarily have the budget to spend a lot of time and money to flesh out their ideas, but the more they do that, the better it is on our end,” Metcalf said. “It’s called pre-production. Essentially, it’s a step that a lot of musicians take before spending a lot of money in the studio.” The studio, said Braska, will be a testing zone for artistic ideas, so artists can go into professional studios like Metcalf’s more prepared to produce polished works.
Northampton musician Seth Newton, who served as the station’s “guinea pig” during Saturday’s inaugural recording session.
“I hope kids will use this space,” Newton said. “I would’ve used this space all the time.”
— Amanda Drane, adrane@valleyadvocate.com
Black History Month events
This week, the Valley is hosting many events celebrating Black History Month. Here’s a handful:
∎ Selma: A cinematic look at the historic march on Selma to Montgomery Alabama in support the end of segregation. Monday, 7-9:30 p.m. Free. Elms College, 291 Springfield St., Chicopee, (413) 594-2761.
∎ Who Cries for the Black Girl?: This one-hour documentary by Amherst College graduate Abigail Bereola features interviews with five women of color who attended Amherst College. The women speak about their campus experience in raw terms. Take this quote from the movie: “When I was a freshman and even a sophomore, I would look at the older black women in BSU [the Black Student Union] and think, ‘They’re so crazy.’ Because they had all these radical ideas. … But then when I myself became one of those senior black women, I thought, I and the black community as a whole have been done so dirty.” Friday, 7-9:30 p.m. Free. Carroll Room, Smith College Campus Center, Northampton, (413) 585-2190.
∎ Porgy and Bess: The Gershwin musical tells the story of two lovers trying to keep their lives together on poverty-stricken Catfish Row. When Bess’ boyfriend kills a man and she seeks shelter with Porgy, the hero has to take a stand. Maestro Kevin Rhodes and the Springfield Symphony Orchestra. Saturday, 7:30-9 p.m. Tickets start at $22. Springfield Symphony Hall, 34 Court St., Springfield, (413) 733-2291.
∎ globalFEST on the Road: Featuring reigning queen of Haitian songs Emeline Michel, Rio’s samba masters Casuarina, and Jamaica’s guitar virtuoso, Brushy One String. Saturday, 8 p.m. $10-$35. UMass Fine Arts Center, 151 Presidents Dr., Amherst, (413) 545-2511.
∎ 22nd Annual Du Bois Lecture with Aldon Morris: Historian Aldon Morris discusses his new book The Scholar Denied: W.E.B. Du Bois and the Birth of Modern Sociology. Friday, 4-6 p.m. Free. W.E.B. DuBois Library, UMass Amherst, (413) 545-0995.
∎ National African American Read-In: Community members read aloud works by celebrated African-American authors. Thursday, 4-5:30 p.m. Free. Mendenhall Center at Smith College, 122 Green St., Northampton, (413) 585-2190.
∎ Structural Adjustment — Mapping, Geography, and the Visual Culture: Steven Nelson, director of the UCLA African Studies Center, will talk about how mapping sheds light on African ancestry, notions of diaspora, and urban spaces. Wednesday, 4-8 p.m. Free. Mead Art Museum, Amherst College, 41 Quadrangle Dr., Amherst, (413) 542-2295.
NENPA awards Advocate for recent reporting
The Valley Advocate won top awards in the annual New England Newspaper & Press Association competition, which announced the results in Boston Saturday. The association’s prizes recognize exceptional journalism produced by publications in the six New England states.
In the weekly newspaper category, Advocate designer Jennifer Levesque won first place in front page design for what judges called “a cleverly conceived and skillfully executed photo illustration [that] effectively [highlighted] the efforts of local artists … during a time of upheaval and changing tastes in the art world.”
Advocate staff writer Amanda Drane won a first place award in the racial or ethnic issues category for what judges termed “a strong look at area policing and racial bias … Drane shines the spotlight on police ignorance and indifference to an age-old police practice and shows how any person of color can be treated differently or indifferently simply by crossing municipal lines. An eye-opening look at police inconsistency.”
Drane was also honored in the social issues feature story category for an Advocate story on sexual harassment in the restaurant industry. “A highly engaging look at an issue that shouldn’t still be with us in 2015/16,” the judges said.
“I’m incredibly proud of the Advocate’s staff and the work we do,” said editor Kristin Palpini. “It’s gratifying to see Amanda and Jen recognized across the region for their news and creative talents, especially when they’re using said skills to tackle controversial topics like race and the value of an artist.”
Former multimedia editor Micky Bedell took a second-place prize in the entertainment video category for a piece about the Young@Heart Chorus’ work with Northampton inmates. “Here’s something you don’t see often: prison inmates singing their hearts out with senior citizens,” a judge wrote.
