Corinth
Like all of the shows, held during the colder months, the Beantown Swing Orchestra’s performance benefited a local organization. This time, it was the Mentoring Project of the Upper Valley, which aims to promote self-confidence and academic growth in students age 10 to 18.
The program pairs local adults with students in Bradford, Newbury, Waits River, Corinth, Topsham, Fairlee, Vershire and Piermont.
Nancy Jones, the Mentoring Project’s sole paid employee, called the monthly coffeehouses in the Corinth Town Hall “kind of the best of everything.”
The organizers pursue their passion for bringing good music to the community, and the musicians volunteer their time to support community organizations, Jones, a regular at the concerts, said in a phone interview. “It’s sort of a give-fest.”
In addition to Jones, an advisory board member and several students and their mentors turned out for the Nov. 19 show, the third to benefit the Mentoring Project, which provided the goodies for the snack table.
A wonderful event, it came “at a very good time for us,” said Jones, who works 50 hours a month for the Bradford-based nonprofit.
Due to a spike in the number of grant applications, Mobius, a Burlington-based nonprofit that supports adult-to-youth mentoring programs, has reduced everyone’s funding by 12 percent, “which means we need to raise more money locally.”
Donations on a given night can range from $300-$700, depending on attendance, said Dave Richard, one of eight or 10 volunteers who team up to organize the events.
Last weekend’s show raised $462 for the Mentoring Project.
The Saturday night shows have varied in genre, from jazz to blues to rock and singer songwriters, and attract “a lot of really good performers,” Richard, a musician himself, said in a phone interview.
And those who play there value the welcome they receive.
The audience is “very attentive and appreciative,” unlike in bars, where often bands are in the background, he said.
Many of the musicians are from local towns, but others journey from farther afield.
Frank Hsieh, the Beantown Swing Orchestra’s director, first got to know Corinth a few decades ago during an internship with Vermont Woodlands magazine, which later became Northern Woodlands. Last year, he bought property in the town, and in March, a five-piece version of the orchestra played at the coffeehouse. This time around, nine of the band’s 18 members played.
“We just want to give back to the community,” Hsieh said in a phone interview.
The feeling was mutual. Volunteers made a spaghetti supper for the musicians, some of whom planned to spend the night at Hsieh’s place or with residents who offered to put them up.
This year’s coffeehouses will look a little different than in the past. In previous years, shows might feature an open mic segment, but since participation fell off, none were scheduled this year.
And the schedule has changed a little, too. This year, the coffeehouses will run from November to May, not October to April, as in years past.
They were unable to find a performer for October, which is understandable, said Richard, whose band Turnip Truck will back up musician and producer Jim Rooney for the April show. “They volunteer to play.”
Now in their eighth year, the coffeehouses are popular with people from local towns and beyond.
A group effort, they provide a community service and a chance for people to socialize, said Richard, all of which makes the volunteer effort worthwhile.
“When the band is cooking and the house is full, I look around and see everybody having a good time, it’s very satisfying,” he said. “Good music is one of life’s great pleasures, so the more of it, the better.”
Aimee Caruso can be reached at acaruso@vnews.com or 603-727-3210.