Lowell Folk Festival starts revealing their performer lineup for 2025

2025 THE LOWELL FOLK FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES FIRST GROUP OF PERFORMERS!

Cajun Legend BeauSoleil, Irish Favorites Solas, Blues Rockers Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials, and Bhangra Sensation Red Baraat among the artists set to play this free multi-stage festival July 25-27.

The 2025 Lowell Folk Festival has announced the first group of artists scheduled to perform at one of America’s most popular free summer events. With folk music traditions that span the globe, world-class musicians will bring the world to Downtown Lowell July 25-27 on stages throughout the Mill City.

Lowell Folk Festival

“The Lowell Folk Festival has celebrated the extraordinary spectrum of folk music from around the world for nearly 40 years,” said Art Sutcliffe, Chairman of the Lowell Festival Foundation. “Musicians from Louisiana to Ireland, Colombia to Chicago, Spain to Quebec, and more will share traditions on multiple stages throughout downtown Lowell.”

Featured Performers

• BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet – celebrating their 50th anniversary with Louisiana’s irresistible Cajun music
• Cécilia – bringing Québécois and Celtic music from Eastern Canada
• Crooked Road Revival – honoring Virginia’s Crooked Road with bluegrass, old-time, and gospel
• Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials – classic Chicago blues and house-rockin' energy
• LOS RICOS featuring Sonia & Ismael – intimate, graceful, powerful flamenco traditions
• Red Baraat – a huge brass band sound fusing South Asian, Bollywood, jazz, and hip hop
• Solas – a force in the Irish music scene since debuting at the 1994 Lowell Folk Festival
• Yeison Landero – carrying the legacy of Andrés Landero, king of Colombian cumbia

Check out the lineup with more to be announced at https://lowellfolkfestival.org/

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5 Franklin High School Music Students Perform at Annual All-State Concert

Superintendent Lucas Giguere and Director of Visual & Performing Arts Diane Plouffe are pleased to share that five Franklin High School musicians recently performed in the Annual All-State Concert.

Each year, the Massachusetts Music Educators Association (MMEA) hosts the All-State Concert, featuring performances from some of Massachusetts' best student-musicians in chorus, concert band, jazz band, orchestra, and treble chorus.

Five students in the Franklin High School music program auditioned and were accepted into the All-State Honor Ensembles. The performances took place on March 29 at Symphony Hall in Boston.

Alexander Fioravanti (euphonium) and Sophia Francis Fracassa (French horn) performed in the All-State Band. Chongyu Liu (violin), Abram “Ace” Eagerman (bass), and Emma Anderson (French horn) perform with the All-State Orchestra.

Five Franklin High School students — from left, Emma Anderson, Chongyu Liu, Sophia Francis Fracassa, Abram Eagerman, and Alexander Fioravanti — recently participated in the All-State Concert. (Photo Courtesy Franklin Public Schools)

"I am incredibly proud of our five Franklin High School students who were selected to perform in the All-State Concert," Plouffe said. "This prestigious event brings together the top musicians from across Massachusetts, and it is a true honor for our students to be a part of it."

"Congratulations to our talented Franklin High School student-musicians for this honorable achievement," Superintendent Giguere said. "Performing alongside some of their most talented peers in the state showcases their dedication and artistry and is an experience they can carry with them for years to come."

MICCA showcase recordings - WOW!!! (video)

via Ruthann O'Sullivan:

Good morning! 

I wanted to congratulate our FHS musicians on their performance at the 2025 Gold Medal MICCA Showcase concert.  Performing were the FHS Wind Ensemble, Repertory Orchestra and String Orchestra.  See YouTube link below. This performance was held at the Groton Hill Music Center on Sunday.  It was not only a beautiful venue in which to perform, but it was also an opportunity for the top music programs in the state to hear each other perform and support each other.  It is always a proud moment to be invited to such an elite event.  

It is my hope that we can use this as a reminder of the special music program we have in Franklin.  I've said it before, but this program is not a luxury to have in our schools, it is a necessity. While looking at the program linked above, it is interesting to take note of the schools who earned gold medals.  For the most part, these schools are also some of the highest achieving schools academically.  This is not a coincidence. 

Please continue to fight to protect what we have.  These performances are a result of a supported program K-12.  We have an enormous responsibility to maintain this gem for future generations.  

Our Director, Diane Plouff, received this email from an attendee from Ashland following the performance.

Ms. Plouffe,

 

I attended the MICCA Gold Medal Showcase this afternoon. I heard the FHS Orchestra's performance and was stunned! The emotion and precision with which the students performed moved me, particularly the first piece they performed. I would appreciate it if you would send me the names of the pieces performed today.

 

Please pass along my congratulations! Your students performed remarkably!

 

Diane Umholtz

Vice President

Ashland Music Association

The playlist of performances ->  https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9Bs1M9EbM8ggqeQTlauFyOPSRosxzmdE&si=UN96TWL7eVwJaH2R

FHS Musicians bring back MICCA awards

Congratulations to FHS Repertory and Symphony orchestras! Both received gold medals at MICCA!

 

FHS Symphony orchestra

 

FHS Repertory Orchestra

 

Shared from -> https://www.facebook.com/share/p/15ijT4eADL/

 

Congratulations to the FHS Wind Ensemble and Concert band for their Gold and Silver medals at MICCA today!

 

FHS Wind Ensemble

FHS Concert band

 

Shared from -> https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1EAX2kTAu3/

FHS All-State Festival Performance at Symphony Hall

"Grit is key to success. Music teaches grit.

FHS All-State Festival Performance at Symphony Hall

FHS students here played in the All-State Festival @ Symphony Hall.

They were inspired, taught to read music, to work to improve & perform under pressure by the brilliant & dedicated music educators Franklin employs.

@TOFranklinMA"
@FranklinPSNews  @FranklinHS @fhspanthertv

Shared from -> https://x.com/Beccanad/status/1906468344607195616?

Franklin Historical Museum: The Joy of 12-Tone Music - Sunday, March 30

Beyond Do, Re, Mi -  We Will `Scale New Heights’ of Musical Appreciation with TWO Franklin Music Educators as we discover…

The Joy of 12-Tone Music

Our March "Music at the Museum" program has been rescheduled to March 30. The program offers a deep (but accessible!) dive into 12-tone or serial composition -- a very influential aspect of "modern" music that emerged in Vienna about a century ago and was widely championed by composer Arnold Schoenberg.  Over time, the technique increased greatly in popularity and eventually became widely influential on Mid 20th-century and later composers.

The Joy of 12-Tone Music - March 30

The "joy" of 12-tone music, or dodecaphony, lies in its unique and challenging approach to musical structure, where all 12 notes of the chromatic scale are treated as equally important, leading to a potentially more complex soundscape. Learning about 12-tone music (also known as 12-tone technique or serialism) can offer a new perspective on how music can be organized and can help you develop your creativity across different musical languages as well as your appreciation of modern pop and classical music where 12-tone has been influential.

Using all 12 notes of the chromatic scale equally, avoids the traditional emphasis on a "home" key or tonal center.  Our guides are Franklin native, Randy LaRosa, a multi-instrumentalist who has played with many of the greats – even including Duke Ellington-- and took classes with 12-tone pioneer Karlheinz Stockhausen. He will be joined by Jon Mitchell, a composer (including the Franklin-premiered Opera, Mary Anning: Fossilel Hunter) and retired conductor. Come to be amazed and entertained at this free event at the Franklin Historical Museum, on Sunday, March 30.  

The Museum is open 1-4, program starts at 1:15. 

Open Mic Night; Music & Spoken Word at Brichwood Bakery April 10

4/10 6:30-8:30pm (6:15pm sign up)

Brichwood Bakery April 10

• 15 SLOTS - FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED
• 2 SONGS OR 8 MIN SPOKEN WORD
PA & CABLES PROVIDED
• GUITAR & MIC INPUTS (NO KEYBOARD OR DRUMS)

Contact JESSI.FANUELE @GMAIL.COM @jessijmusic for details

Shared from -> https://www.instagram.com/p/DHmNBqmRKry/

Talking all about the Party For The Pantry March 29 with Marsha & Jen (audio)

FM #1407 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1407 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares my conversation with Marsha Tait, Development Director, and Jen Johnson, Development Associate. We had our conversation in the Franklin Food Pantry at Edwin’s on Monday, March 10, 2025. 

We talk about the Party for The Pantry scheduled for March 29 at THE BLACK BOX with musical entertainment provided by JP Royer, Matt Zajac, & The Pub Kings. 

Silent auction will be available online before and during the event closing out at 9:15 PM. Special bidding in person for one or more trips being offered by AMFund. The opportunity to bid on dream destinations, including Paris, Florence, Greece, Sedona, Ireland, Portugal, Scotland, and Africa—all while supporting The Pantry.

The recording runs about 30 minutes, so let’s listen to my conversation with Marsha and Jen  Audio link -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1407-party-for-the-pantry-03-10-25/

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Party for The Pantry page -> https://www.franklinfoodpantry.org/happenings/events/party/ 

AMFund travel information details -> https://www.franklinfoodpantry.org/travel-auction/ 

Food Pantry current needs page -> https://www.franklinfoodpantry.org/get-involved/pantry-needs/ 

Amazon wish lists -> https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2SIL7UR08ZZUC?ref_=wl_share 

Sign up for a public tour of the Pantry -> https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f4baaa622a4f4c43-pantry#/ 

The Franklin Food Pantry is here for you. If you need us, we are here with not only food, but useful programs and resources for individuals, seniors and families struggling with food insecurity. If you can support us, we thank you - visit www.franklinfoodpantry.org  to explore volunteering, donating funds, donating food, or supporting our Capital Campaign to keep the lights on and the programs, from food elves to weekend backpack stuffing. It truly takes a village to keep our food pantry running and supporting the increasing demand, supporting our Franklin neighbors.

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We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm). 

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.

 

How can you help?

• If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors

• If you don't like something here, please let me know

• And if you have interest in reporting on meetings or events, please reach out. We’ll share and show you what and how we do what we do

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.

 

For additional information, please visit www.franklin.news or www.Franklinmatters.org/ 

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana"  c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

------------------

You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

Talking all about the Party For The Pantry March 29 with Marsha & Jen (audio)

The Joy of 12-Tone Music - March 30

Beyond Do, Re, Mi

We Will 'Scale New Heights’ of Musical Appreciation with TWO Franklin Music Educators as we discover …

The Joy of 12-Tone Music - March 30

The "joy" of 12-tone music, or dodecaphony, lies in its unique and challenging approach to musical structure, where all 12 notes of the chromatic scale are treated as equally important, leading to a potentially more complex soundscape. 

Learning about 12-tone music (also known as 12-tone technique or serialism) can offer a new perspective on how music can be organized and can help you develop your creativity across different musical languages as well as your appreciation of modern pop and classical music where 12-tone has been influential.

Using all 12 notes of the chromatic scale equally, avoids the traditional emphasis on a "home" key or tonal center.  Our guides are Franklin native, Randy LaRosa, a multi-instrumentalist who has played with many of the greats – even including Duke Ellington-- and took classes with 12-tone pioneer Karlheinz Stockhausen. He will be joined by Jon Mitchell, a composer (including the Franklin-premiered Opera, Mary Anning: Fossilel Hunter) and retired conductor. Come to be amazed and entertained at this free event at the Franklin Historical Museum, on Sunday, March 30.  

The Museum is open 1-4, program starts at 1:15. 

The Franklin Historical Museum is located at 80 West Central Street, Franklin. The museum is open Saturday mornings from 10AM-1PM (except as noted above) and Sunday afternoons from 1:00PM-4:00PM. 

When visiting the museum, please consider donating a non-perishable item for the Franklin Food Pantry.    

Questions? Contact Alan Earls at 508 560 3786.    

Visit us online at https://www.franklinmuseum1778.com

Franklin Town Council gets update on the FY 2026 deficit, primed with a performance by FHS student quartet; 2 part audio

FM #1398-1399  This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1398-1399 in the series. 

This session shares the Franklin (MA) Town Council Meeting of Wednesday, March 5, 2025. All 9 of the members participated in Council Chambers.  

The audio is in 2 sections:

Part 1 - the beginning and the ending (1 hour 40 mins)

Part 2 - the FY 2026 preliminary budget review & discussion (2 hours)

Quick recap:

Part 1 - non budget

Part 1 audio link -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1398-town-council-mtg-non-budget-sections-03-05-25/

• Police officer Steven Dejoie sworn in replacing Officer Lawrence who had retired a couple of months ago

• A string quartet of FHS students played a brief piece as part of a recognition of their music achievements which also resulted in a formal proclamation of their accomplishments. Many other students recognized were in the audience as well

• Dan Sherman provided the annual update on the town progress towards funding their OPEB liability. We are in good stead, better off than many other MA communities. We will do better once the Norfolk Retirement liability is paid off (2035ish) and that amount of funding can be shifted to the OPEB liability to advance the payoff schedule

• Approval for easement granted to DCR for access to SNETT extension, also a commitment from them for $1M to help prepare it when the trail does become ours (will take time with Federal process)

• From TA Report - another first in that the Town is first in using opioid funding for the Art Pharmacy program, more to come on this exciting opportunity for health with an economic development aspect for local arts/culture organizations

Part 2 - FY 2026 Budget

Part 2 audio link -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1399-town-council-mtg-fy-2026-prelim-budget-03-05-25/

• FY 2026 - Town Administrator Jamie Hellen walked through the preview of the budget, some updates had been previewed most recently on Tuesday at the Senior Center with the Joint BUdget Listening Session. More was expanded upon here. The documents will be posted to the Town budget page today. We are in a $3.8M deficit and coming up with that (or an amount close to it) is likely the only way to maintain "level service". What we have is what will stay, if we want increases or expansions to such services, we need to get by this one first before considering more. "we need a win" someone said in the course of the discussion

Let’s listen to the meeting recording which runs about 2 hours and 45 minutes. 

Part 1

Part 2

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Franklin TV video ->  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAHS9BRE4cA&t=100 

The agenda doc ->

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_03052025-1608 

The budget preview presentation ->

https://franklinma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/4620/2025-03-05-Budget-Update---Town-Coucil-Version-PDF 

My notes captured during the session

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TELQ8ylitbI6RxGjNDCll4poFZsu2ONg/view?usp=drive_link 

-------------

We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial. 

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.

How can you help?

• If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors

• If you don't like something here, please let me know

• And if you have interest in reporting on meetings or events, please reach. We’ll share and show you what and how we do what we do

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/  or www.franklin.news 

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana"  c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

------------------

You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

primed with a performance by FHS student quartet