BRATTLEBORO — I deeply appreciated the special focus issue on the pandemic and the arts this past week. Brattleboro and Windham County have such an abundance of residents who are artists and presenters, many of whom are struggling, so I wanted to give a voice to one rather large group of artists that was not mentioned.
It is what one might call “trad,” or traditional, musicians. It's hard to tell on a typical day in downtown Brattleboro, but the truth is that our town is internationally famous for the sheer number of musicians who play traditional New England, Irish, English, and Québécois music on the fiddle and other assorted instruments (including guitar, accordion, voice, mandolin, piano).
These artists are somewhat invisible locally because they frequently travel outside of the area to play for festivals, concerts, and other events nationally and internationally; however, the concentration of us within a three-mile radius is mind-blowing.
There are times when I'll be playing a music event in a place like, say, Arizona and quite literally two-thirds of the musicians on the staff are from the Brattleboro area.
With no concerts or dances, these artists are struggling just like everyone else but are finding a place with performances and lessons moving to an online format. Many festivals have chosen to pay musicians for shows online, but not always in full. Many of my colleagues have applied for unemployment and assistance from the state.
A silver lining that I have experienced has been more local networking (and distance socializing) among us than in past years because we are staying put in this beautiful town for the summer instead of dispersing.
There are also collaborative projects that may offer some local money and connections that would not have normally materialized.
One such example is the Handy Station project, which when fully funded will provide an opportunity for musicians to earn money writing hand-washing jingles for the hand sanitation stations going up in front of local businesses. This W.P.A.-style project is the brainchild of Erin Maile O'Keefe.
I myself have gone the Facebook Live/YouTube route but have chosen to switch my format to showcasing local musicians. I know my audience members, some of whom are from as far away as Trinidad and California, have warm feelings for our town.
Many folks watching “Live from Brattleboro” know that “you can't throw a stone without hitting an artist in this town,” as the saying goes.