Overview:
A group of singer-songwriters over the age of 50 will perform an evening of original music at ‘'Singer-Songwriters in the Round" at the Athol Public Library on April 16. The event aims to highlight the depth and experience that older artists bring to their work, and encourage people to reconnect with their interests and creative outlets. The show will be presented in a 'round' format, with performers taking turns throughout the set, creating a unique and organic performance. The event is free and open to the public.
ATHOL – A group of singer-songwriters will bring an evening of original music to the Athol Public Library.
The “Singer-Songwriters in the Round” will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 16, and will feature Joanna Katzen, an Athol-based singer-songwriter and music teacher; Linda Marks, an award-winning, Boston-based artist; and Ronald Carlson, a Worcester-based musician known for his traditional folk sound. Western Massachusetts Poet’s Seat Laureate Candace Curran will open the evening with a poetry reading.
Katzen said the show brings together three songwriters over the age of 50, with a focus on continuing to create and perform later in life.
“We want to show that just because you’re older doesn’t mean you lose your creativity,” Katzen said.
Marks, founder of the International Singer-Songwriters Association’s Boston/Northeast Chapter, said she organizes similar showcases across the region, bringing groups of songwriters together in both traditional and non-traditional venues.
She said the focus on performers over 50 is meant to bring attention to artists who can become less visible in the music industry, and to emphasize the depth and experience they bring to their work.
“The longer you live and the more passionate you are about something, the more skilled you become,” she said.
The show will be presented in a ‘round’ format, with performers taking turns throughout the set. Marks said the format creates a different kind of performance, where each show develops organically and no two are exactly the same.
“It’s not just you by yourself,” she said. “You get to share the stage … and what you play sometimes is based on what the person before you plays.”
Marks said her music draws from folk and Americana traditions and ranges from humorous songs to more reflective and socially-focused material, with the goal of connecting with audiences in different ways.
“My whole life, I’ve been committed to building community through music and the arts,” Marks said.
Katzen said she returned to music later in life.
“I’m one of those people that put everything off to be married and raise kids and concentrate on family,” she said. “Once my kids were all grown up, I actually auditioned for Berklee College of Music.”
She began studying at Berklee in 2010 and graduated at age 57.
At the event, Katzen will perform an original song titled “Icy Inside,” which she described as “a different kind of love song,” noting that the piece placed third in a songwriting competition focused on live performance.
She said performing at the library is especially meaningful to her.
“I absolutely love Athol. I love the people here,” Katzen said. “One of my favorite places is actually the library itself … so for me to be performing there, it means the world to me.”
Katzen said she hopes the performance encourages people to reconnect with their interests and creative outlets.
“When you come across that thing that makes you cry, that’s what you should be doing,” she said.
The event is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to register by calling the library at 978-249-9515 or visiting its online calendar at www.athollibrary.org/.