Barbara Stack Articles
7/3/1980, Daily Hampshire Gazette, Six bluegrass groups keep the music coming, Barbara Stack
"Over 500 enthusiastic fans turned out between clearing skies and the still damp lawn of the Pines Theater at Look Park for the fourth annual Pickin' in the Pines Bluegrass Festival. They came in generations, sat on lawn chairs, wheelchairs, blankets amd laps, ran about, danced, and heartily enjoyed their friends and neighbors making music on stage."
9/3/1980, Daily Hampshire Gazette, Plain and fancy hot and steamy, they fiddled away, Barbara Stack
"At 11 p.m. it was over. Tired folks went home humming, analyzing the performance of their favorite loser, and wondering if it's too late to take up fiddle playing. It's never too late."
"Yet these musicians also came to the Valley with a serious purpose. They sang of our debt to 'Mother Earth.' The Aunt Molly Jackson song, 'I am A Union Woman,' spoke of the struggles of women workers in Harlan County and elsewhere. A particularly spirited performance of the Bonnie Lockhart tune, 'We Ain't Satisfied' left us with a clear chard of work to do. Whistling."
"At a local pickin' party last summer Bob Green approached Deb Radway, president of the folklore society about trying to bridge the traditional American music fields which have been flourishing in the Valley these past few years. Bluegrass was going strong, with new bands, a growing and enthusiastic audience, and local festivals. Wynn Fay's fiddle contests were attracting fiddlers and fans from all over the Northeast. And the contradance scene was becoming a popular alternative to disco."
12/9/1980, Daily Hampshire Gazette, Gospel music rings true, Barbara Stack
"'Take your time,' Boyer urged.' Yes, take your time,' echoed the congregation among the audience." ... "The PVFS began something Friday night. Spiritual practice grows with teaching and repetition. Teachers are among us. I urge the Folklore society to convene this would be congregation again next season."
1/27/1981, Daily Hampshire Gazette, Block's fiddling means good time, Barbara Stack
"Each controls a range of styles and a technical balance out of which arises the sweetest up strokes and syncopations you'd ever want to hear. They ticked each other, showed off a bit, tossed riffs and bits back and forth, and generally had a good time right there in public. Laughed at what their hands did."
March 1981, Valley Women's Voice, Adrienne Torf: Local Girl Makes Good, Barbara Stack
"Adrienne Torf became a Smithie in 1973. She left after one year to become a rock-n-roller with the women's band, Liberty Standing. I talked with Adie on the afternoon of February 7, backstage at the UMass Fine Arts Center, a few hours before what would be her spectacular second debut to the Valley as Holly Near's pianist. Here's the scoop:"
"What's going to happen Saturday night is that rhiannon and Terry are going to sing together in a 21-mike extravaganza. And you can be sure that these two masters of improvisation, power, and feeling are going to cook in South Hadley."
4/23/1981, Daily Hampshire Gazette, The Klezmorim, Barbara Stack
"Tuba, trombone, clarinet, percussion, vocals and at least six other traditional instruments recreate a music uniting elements of Slavic, gypsy, Mediterranean, military and improvisatory styles in exuberant performance."
5/7/1981, Daily Hampshire Gazette, Patty Larkin, Barbara Stack
"THEY'RE SAYING that Patty Larkin is the hottest white blues singer in Boston--or is it rock, or jazz? Her varied repertoire and command of style have set the Hub abuzzing."
9/22/1981, Daily Hampshire Gazette, Sweet Honey gives rousing show, Barbara Stack
"It was a diverse and adoring audience of nearly a thousand which gathered at Smith College's John M. Greene Hall Sunday afternoon to celebrate the soaring and telling voices of Sweet Honey in the Rock."
7/24/2001, Piedmont Post, Oakland Youth Orchestra captures hearts on Italy tour, Barbara Stack
My experience of the tour, as well as all the reports I have heard from students and parents, suggest that the tour was a great success. First, we brought everyone back healthy and happy. Second, with the exception of a couple of small thefts and one damaged instrument, we moved a lot of gear to and from Italy, and in and out of six concert sites with no real problems. Third, we gave 70 kids a chance to succeed at a big adventure --to keep themselves and their colleagues well and strong enough to carry off the logistics and the art of performing on tour, while following a relentless and exhausting (though fascinating and irresistible) tourist agenda. Fourth, we extended the opportunity and the adventure to the 14 students who received scholarship aid. Fifth, we have nearly succeeded in raising the funds which made this all possible. (A donated piano is for sale at Piedmont Piano to benefit OYO.)
7/31/2001, Piedmont Post, Oakland Youth Orchestra captures hearts on Italy tour, Barbara Stack
"And thus, better than two weeks from the time we left, musicians and instruments were back where they belonged, and the Oakland Youth Orchestra could savor the many memories and accomplishments of its highly successful tour to Italy."
7/18/2007, Piedmont Post, Oakland Youth Orchestra: Bliss in Shades of Blue, Barbara Stack
"That evening we gave our final concert at the amazing Arhaeo Odion. (We can now tell the difference between an amphitheater, theater, and odion.) Heghine Boloyan led the Armenian and Greek String Group through a hot performance of Arkadi Serper's arrangement of Greek tunes, and the crowd went wild."
August 22-28, 2007, Oakland Post, OYO's Hot Greek Odyssey: Bliss in Shades of Blue, Barbara Stack
"In order for us to meet our promise that, "everyone goes," the OYO support organization engaged in serious fundraising, raising $53,572 in. scholarships. Additional funds were raised for expenses for instrument shipping and rental, insurance, and music. Under the leadership of OYO Board President Maurice Arnold, and with the help of Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums and John Protopappas, the Oakland Port Commission, and many generous and hard working people of the Bay Area, we succeeded in meeting the challenge!"
Fall 1998-Spring 2008 Oakland Youth Orchestra Noteworthy Newsletters, Barbara Stack, editor
Most unsigned articles were penned by the editor. many BTS photos were used.