It seems like no matter what environment we find ourselves in, music is always welcome. In middle school, I set my record player on repeat, put on Neil Young’s “Harvest,” Joni Mitchell’s “Court and Spark,” or Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours” album, and climbed into bed. Neil, Joni, and Stevie’s music were lullabies to me –– their voices wove through my dreams.
Music-wise, we’re exceedingly lucky on the Island. Not only are we surrounded by talented musicians, but we also have plenty of opportunities to hear them play at several venues, including our libraries, which offer a variety of concerts and musical events throughout the year.
“For our Sounds Like Summer concert series, we typically host local musicians who are well-known and beloved by the Island community (e.g., Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish, the Jeremy Berlin Trio),” Edgartown library programs coordinator Claudia Taylor says. “With classical programs, we have collaborated with the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Society on several programs now, and the organization normally brings musicians and ensembles from off-Island and asks the library if we will host some of the concerts.”
Island musician Johnny Hoy has performed quite a few library gigs over the years, in all kinds of configurations. “Duos, trios, the full Bluefish band,” he says. “We’ve played the libraries in Oak Bluffs, West Tis., Vineyard Haven, and they’ve all been fun, but I’d say lately the Edgartown library Tuesday thing outside has been extra-fun. There are always a few crazy dancers and lots of music lovers of all ages you don’t see in bars. Parents dancing with kids, people dancing alone, couples swing-dancing, lots of toes tapping and people smiling. They really appreciate it, and of course so do we. We’re very lucky as musicians to have that outlet, and it’s free for the people!”
The Island’s Opera Club started partnering with the Edgartown library in 2014. “I heard that Buzzy Hall, who owned the Capawock, was no longer going to show his opera film screenings,” Opera Club founder Virginia Penta Munro says. “This was before the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center began the Met transmissions. I love opera, and thought we could and should please the bereft opera fans on the Island and start a monthly screening at the library. We were in the old Carnegie then, without a program room, so we needed to commandeer the kids’ library on Sundays.”
The Vineyard Haven library offers a variety of music-related events, and co-sponsors a Sunday night series with Ballroom Dance MV. “The next session of the Ballroom Dancing MV series will be Sunday, Jan. 19, at 4 pm, with live music by Delanie & Johnny,” adult program coordinator Liz Shick says. Since the library is under renovation, this event will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Society’s Stevens Chapel, one block from the library.
Olivia Gately, who is in charge of programming at the West Tisbury library, says that one of its most popular concerts is its monthly Second Sunday Jazz series. “Musician Eric Johnson has been curating this series for about 10 years. Our latest concert featured vocalist Darby Patterson and the Jeremy Berlin Trio. The audience overflowed out of the program room and into the lobby.”
According to Eric Johnson, the early days of the Second Sunday Jazz series evolved from occasional jazz performances to the current monthly format. “The ‘house band’ is Jeremy Berlin on piano, Tauras Biskis on drums, and myself on upright bass and guitar. Our much-missed friend, pianist John Alaimo, was a regular before his passing a few years ago. For me, the series provides something to look forward to every month — a reason to practice and engage with the music during the slow time of the year. I’m extremely grateful to Olivia Gately and the library for their continued support.”
Jeremy Berlin has been playing at various libraries for about 10 years. “The libraries are such great community resources, and many have acquired good pianos, and they keep them up,” Berlin says. “There are not a lot of places to hear jazz music on the Island, so to have this ongoing loyal constituency is wonderful.”
Berlin also says that for many Islanders, these concerts are their only exposure to this kind of music. “I get emails and reviews from people who are staggered by the experience, even overwhelmed, in the best possible way. It’s a real gift to give them the live music and to have them experience the interplay among the musicians at such close quarters. We musicians take that for granted, but when you hear the reactions and feelings that people have, you realize it’s a fairly rare occasion for many.”
During the summer, the West Tisbury library also hosts other musical events, including the sister trio Choro Das Três from São Paulo, Brazil. “This internationally acclaimed group tours in Brazil, Mexico, France, and the U.S., and our library is lucky to be one of their stops along the way. The music they play is called choro, a musical style that originated in Brazil over 100 years ago, and is now popular internationally,” Gately says.
The Oak Bluffs library offers “Tap with Hannah.” Described on the library’s website, these classes invite you to discover your inner tap dancer: “Class will include a warm-up, instruction to basic tap steps, and vocabulary. We will end each class with some fun, light choreography that will keep you tapping until the next class. Although this class is geared toward adults, tap is fun for all ages, and a great way to get in touch with rhythm and musicality.”
So what about music events for our Island kids? The Chilmark library’s youth services librarian and assistant director, Drew Dubno, leads two weekly storytimes that feature live guitar music and usually one to two recorded songs for movement or games. “It can get silly, like when we do the Chicken Dance, or more imaginative, when we listen to Laurie Berkner’s ‘The Goldfish.’ A few weeks ago, one kid requested ‘Baby Shark,’ since it was her favorite song, so it turned into a spontaneous sing-along with the child and her family,” Dubno says.
Some additional Chilmark library music-focused events and classes include the Pinkletinks, Roberta Kirn, a class focused on Brazilian music, and coming in 2025, kids’ music classes.
Though I may not listen to Neil, Joni, and Stevie while falling asleep anymore, whenever I do hear them, a sense of calm and happiness still washes over me. Based on the number of musical events hosted by Island libraries, it’s pretty clear that music on the Island is here to stay.
To learn more about upcoming concerts and events at the Island public libraries, please visit their websites. Oak Bluffs Library: oakbluffslibrary.org; Edgartown Library: edgartownlibrary.org; West Tisbury Library: westtisburylibrary.org; Chilmark Library: chilmarkma.gov/chilmark-library; Vineyard Haven Library: vhlibrary.org.
