American multi-instrumentalist, bandleader, producer, and singer-songwriter Jolie Holland has been on the road since the early 2000s, releasing seven of her own albums and collaborating on countless others. Her work has been described as a synchronization of American roots, with rock and experimental elements. Jon Braught has been playing music in New England for twenty years. He started playing guitar, after struggling to put a voice to emotion, finding it an important expressive outlet. Music was a natural conduit for creation. Sofi performs whispered protest songs that combine voice, guitar, synthesizer and urban field recordings, while Alice's operatic refrains weave together chamber and psych folk with her own modern experimentations. Door will open at 7pm and music will begin at 7:30pm. Seating is limited and first come first served!

Join thousands of volunteers across New England to clean up the Connecticut River and its tributaries on September 20-21st, 2024, as part of the annual Connecticut River Conservancy’s Source to Sea Cleanup! This coordinated effort is a chance to spend a fun day on the river and give back to our shared waters! Sites include both on-foot and boating locations. Volunteers should only be using small boats such as kayaks, canoes, and paddle boats, due to limited space on the river. 2024 Cleanup Sites Include: Friday, 9/20 Keene (9:00a-1:00p) – Ashuelot River at Ashuelot River Park (on-foot and boats welcome) Saturday, 9/21 Keene (9:00a-1:00p) – Ashuelot River at Martel Court (boats only) Keene (9:00a-1:00p) – Beaver Brook at Water Street parking area (on-foot and boats welcome) Swanzey (9:00a-1:00p) – Ashuelot River at Cresson Bridge (boats only) Volunteers are needed! Please register ahead of time using the learn more link. Volunteers do not require a boat, but those on the water are encouraged to bring life jackets for all passengers. Trash bags and gloves will be provided to all volunteers, and a limited amount of t-shirts for volunteers will be available! If you require assistance with registration, please contact [email protected] or call 603-904-3011

The phrase “hidden gem” would seem appropriate here, but it’s a misnomer when talking about Dean Johnson. He shines bright, in plain sight, and it was only a matter of time before people stopped to take a look. Dean’s gentle and passionate approach to songwriting has inspired many, and his work provides the listener the opportunity to believe once more that a song can be more than the sum of its parts. If you catch even a phrase of his melodies or the sobering tone of his voice, it waltzes its way into your heart like a letter written, signed, sealed, and delivered just for you. Silvie's Okay is the ache-y country project of Vince Thompson. Silvie’s Okay is a return to his roots of blasting pop country through the AM radio of a tractor. Thompson manages to highlight his personal experiences in queer identity, grief, love and lust with hard-hitting lyricism and enticing hooks, inviting a wider audience to dive in and find their own reflections in his work.   Tickets are $20 in advance and will be $23 the day of the show. Doors are at 7:00pm and music will start around 7:30pm. Seating is limited and first come first served. This show is all ages.

How did the coming of the railroad impact New England communities like Keene, NH? Walk the Cheshire Rail trail through downtown Keene with Historical Society of Cheshire County executive director Alan Rumrill. Learn about the arrival of Keene's first train in 1848. Visit the sites where many industrial firms found success along the tracks in the downtown area and learn about the rise and fall of the railroad in Keene. Ticket Information: The Railroad History Tour is $10 per ticket. Register online using the Learn More link and we will email you the rendezvous point. Tours take 1.5 - 2 hours. Wear comfortable shoes, and dress for the weather. (Meeting spot – city parking lot adjacent to the rail trail on Water Street, Keene NH)

MSH will host its second annual Monadnock Clean Energy Fair. Festivities will be at Keene’s Dillant-Hopkins Airport.  Come see a variety of electric cars, talk with home heating efficiency experts and learn about groups that are working to create a brighter energy future for our region. The onsite restaurant and other food services will be available for your dining needs. At the Fair, we’ll have:

• Vendors showing heat pumps, weatherization options, electric yard tools, and other upgrades available to you.
• Workshops about heat-pumps and about financial incentives for heat-pumps, solar and more
• Several regional non-profits all working to advance clean energy in the region and the state.
• A variety of Electric Vehicles (EVs) from pick-up trucks to e-bikes. Our event kicks off National Drive Electric Week

Join us to celebrate 79 years of conservation! What to Expect: Enjoy live music from local musician Johnny Sheehan! Participate in our auction of locally donated items! Join us to hear stories from community members involved in CCCD's programs! Enjoy a catered dinner from CC&D's kitchen! Including dessert! Celebrate our 2024 awardees: Cooperator of the Year and Educator of the Year! Connect with community, both old friends and new! Learn more about ways to support CCCD's conservation programs and help further our impact! Ticket Options: Individual tickets for the Annual Celebration are $40.00, which includes your meal, activities, and access to the auction. You can purchase your ticket online through Eventbrite! Reserved table tickets for the Annual Celebration are $300.00 (save $20 when you reserve your table!), which includes meals, activities, and access to the auction for 8 people! Tables seat 8 people and are a wonderful option for organizations, or to invite friends and neighbors! Please register by October 1, 2024. Register today using the Learn More link.

Concert Band is an ensemble environment designed for the highest level of music making. Students from all majors and backgrounds have the opportunity to rehearse, study, and perform a variety of wind band literature, from original concert band literature, to transcriptions, to concert marches and more. The Concert Band serves the community through scheduled performances, which may include campus ceremonies and other public events. It also serves music major students as a laboratory ensemble to synthesize material that is learned in other music courses, such as conducting, music education, and composition. Concert Band is designed to examine and perform music repertoire accomplishments from the middle ages to the present. Location: Main Theatre Price: General Public $15/ Non-KSC Student & Senior Citizens (65+) $10/ KSC Students, Faculty & Staff FREE

Keene State is unique among New England schools for its Guitar Orchestra. The KSC Guitar Orchestra has been a curricular offering since the 1970s. Since 1991, and under the direction of Dr. Jose Lezcano, the KSC Guitar Orchestra has performed on a tour of Northern Ecuadorean Universities, and for Quito’s prestigious “Casa de la Musica” concert hall (2010). The group has performed frequently at the annual concerts (Festival 21 and New England Ensembles) sponsored by the Boston Guitar Society; has performed in Staten Island, NYC, with the Curtis High School Guitar Orchestra; and was a featured showcase ensemble for the New Hampshire Music Educators’ Association All-State Festival. In addition to its spring and fall performances at Redfern Arts Center, it has performed frequently in the region for civic groups, churches, and schools, and is open by audition to students, staff, and community members. We encourage guitar aficionados to join us! The Keene State Latin American Ensemble is open to students and members of the campus community. No previous musical experience or reading ability is required. Although all styles of Latin music are programmed, the ensemble specializes in the folkloric and ritual music of the Andes. The music of the Andes (Peru, Ecuador, Chile, and other South American nations) has travelled around the globe, due to touring professional ensembles such as Inti Illiamni and Quillapayun, who also performed it as a vehicle for social commentary and protest. The exotic timbres of panpipes, charangos (Andean guitar), bombo (Andean drum), and mostly pentatonic melodies, have captivated audiences from stage to subway platforms. Much of this music has its origins in ritual observances such as Inti Raymi (Festival of the Sun), celebrated in its hybrid, syncretic form, as San Juan (Saint John). These rituals and musical traditions have endured centuries of European colonization and are a testament to the strength of Indigenous and Mestizo peoples and cultures. Students and community members learn to play the panpipes of Southern Peru and Ecuador in dialogue style, a traditional communal practice. Also included in the ensemble’s concerts are autochthonous string instruments from the Music Department’s inventory which can be checked out for individual study. The ensemble was founded by Dr. Jose Lezcano in 1992, and is a component of the academic courses IAMU 112 (Latin American Music Survey) and IAMU 312 (Latin American Music, Society, and Culture). Location: Alumni Recital Hall Price: General Public $15/ Non-KSC Student & Senior Citizens (65+) $10/ KSC Students, Faculty & Staff FREE

Vocal Consort: Keene Vocal Consort is a small, auditioned vocal ensemble dedicated to medieval, renaissance, and baroque repertoire. Emphasis is placed on individual preparation, leadership, and historical performance practice. KVC has enjoyed several exciting projects recently, including a collaboration with the Ewing Arts Award-winning Chamber Singers of Keene, mounting a staged production of Purcell’s The Fairy Queen with KSC Opera and Boston-based ensemble Seven Times Salt, and presenting a service of Lessons and Carols with Saint Bernard Church on Main Street. Contemporary Ensemble: All music was once new. As a promoter of new music, our music faculty enables students to learn, understand, and embrace contemporary chamber music. Students work in small groups of duos and trios and focus on diverse contemporary repertoire, particularly the work of living composers. Location: Alumni Recital Hall Price: General Public $15/ Non-KSC Student & Senior Citizens (65+) $10/ KSC Students, Faculty & Staff FREE