neilfein Posted November 3, 2012 Share Posted November 3, 2012 I'm planning a trip to the Button Box in Sunderland, MA to test drive a couple of starter concertinas (and probably put money down on an instrument). It's a four-hour drive from New Jersey, and I'd like to find more stuff to do in the area. (We'll be coming from the south, probably through Hartford, CT.) Is there anything else music-related up there? I play guitar and piano, and my copilot has just started to learn violin, so anything related to those instruments would be great. But I'm not picky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken_Coles Posted November 3, 2012 Share Posted November 3, 2012 Tons! Three or four dances a week (Friday and Saturday in Greenfield, some Saturdays in Amherst) and jams (Fri night in North Amherst, several in Greenfield on weekends) too. Of course, I'm a few years out of date...But it's a very active area, I do miss that. Doug C. (owner-manager of BBox) is a great source of info, if you can catch him when he isn't busy. Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilfein Posted November 3, 2012 Author Share Posted November 3, 2012 I'll need to call ahead anyway to see if they have what I'd like in stock, so thanks. (Unless the upcoming noreaster kills this trip, of course.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Franch Posted November 3, 2012 Share Posted November 3, 2012 Go to the Country Dance and Song Society (CDSS) website, http://www.cdss.org, and click on Events and Affiliates. I think you'll find all sorts of stuff. They also have a great store. I just bought English Pub Session Tunes: 101 Tunes for Pub Sessions and Country Dances by Dave Mallinson. I'll see how it compares to the excellent free tune books available only for the cost of printing them from Paul Hardy, but it looks pretty neat! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fearfeasog Posted November 3, 2012 Share Posted November 3, 2012 lots of sessions up this way--Check out The Harp, a pub not far from the Box, I think it's still friday evenings. http://www.thesession.org/sessions/display/47'>http://www.thesession.org/sessions/display/47 Also in amherst: First and third sundays, 5:30 - 8-- http://www.thesession.org/sessions/display/47 of course, I'm assuming you're into ITM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fearfeasog Posted November 3, 2012 Share Posted November 3, 2012 Oh also, you can come to the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art and say HI to me, on the weekdays of course! Name's Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aprelias Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 The Yankee Candle factory and store is "around the corner" from The Button Box so you can start your holiday shopping early! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellowbelle Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 You'll be right near UMASS, Amherst College, and Mount Holyoak... not too far from Smith... and there's probably another one somewhere. I don't know why you'd want to go to any of those, but... maybe. My daughter went to UMASS, and though that was a while ago, I drive out to The Button Box every once in a while. Just did so the other day, to pick up my foot bass, nicely repaired. In Amherst, Bart's has good ice cream. When I drive back home (east) I like to take route 9... in the town of Ware (a bit of a drive, not really near the BB) there is the Berkshire Blanket Factory Outlet Store. The best blankets!!! And cheap... since it's the factory outlet. Further east on 9 (but... too far, really) in West Brookfield, I like The Book Bear. If you like used books, though, I know there's also at least one or two bookshops in Amherst. I'm sure there's so much more, but I've just never had the time to find it all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fearfeasog Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 You'll be right near UMASS, Amherst College, and Mount Holyoak... not too far from Smith... and there's probably another one somewhere. I don't know why you'd want to go to any of those, but... maybe. My daughter went to UMASS, and though that was a while ago, I drive out to The Button Box every once in a while. Just did so the other day, to pick up my foot bass, nicely repaired. In Amherst, Bart's has good ice cream. When I drive back home (east) I like to take route 9... in the town of Ware (a bit of a drive, not really near the BB) there is the Berkshire Blanket Factory Outlet Store. The best blankets!!! And cheap... since it's the factory outlet. Further east on 9 (but... too far, really) in West Brookfield, I like The Book Bear. If you like used books, though, I know there's also at least one or two bookshops in Amherst. I'm sure there's so much more, but I've just never had the time to find it all. There's Mt. Holyoke (south hadley), UMASS (amherst), Smith (Northampton--a lovely campus to walk around), Amherst and Hampshire Colleges (amherst). All have art museums that are worth a visit. The Mead at Amherst College is free, as is The Mt. Holyoke College Museum I believe. Smith MOA charges. Umass I don't know. Hampshire has shows up in the gallery in the student center. The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art is adjacent to Hampshire College, and Atkins Farm Store is a great place to get lunch. Their cider donuts are famous too! yum! Northampton is worth just walking around in. Check out Thorne's Marketplace--it's sorta like a mall, but in an old building, very quirky and swank at the same time. Lot's of great restaurants. Buskers. Lot's of galleries in Northampton too, as well as a music shop called Birdhouse music--lots of old mandos, fiddles, banjos, and random other stuff. Downtown Sounds is another, more typical musical instrument store--guitars and amps, drums and mics, P.A. gear etc. Nothampton is the place to be. Very true about the bookshops! Raven in Northampton but not sure about Amherst. Emily Dickinson museum is in Amherst. Hope is a thing with feathers, that perches in the soul, y'know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Barnert Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 I'm planning a trip to the Button Box in Sunderland, MA to test drive a couple of starter concertinas (and probably put money down on an instrument). It's a four-hour drive from New Jersey, and I'd like to find more stuff to do in the area. Forgive me for making assumptions, here. It looks like your name might be Neil Fein, and that suggests that you might be Jewish or have Jewish heritage. If so, you must have a look at the Yiddish Book Center on campus at Hampshire College in Amherst. Even if you don't know any Yiddish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fearfeasog Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 Neilféin might be Irish for "Neil himself" too. But good call on the book center. I often mean to get over there me féin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilfein Posted November 6, 2012 Author Share Posted November 6, 2012 @David - Assumption validated! That looks pretty cool; It goes on my list o' stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fearfeasog Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 @David - Assumption validated! That looks pretty cool; It goes on my list o' stuff. I Schtand corrected! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilfein Posted November 8, 2012 Author Share Posted November 8, 2012 Everyone, thanks for all the great ideas. Our trip was scheduled for tomorrow, but we're postponing until Monday due to the snowstorm. (If the weather is bad then, too, I'll just mail-order one of these; but that seems like much less fun.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilfein Posted November 13, 2012 Author Share Posted November 13, 2012 I went up today with a friend, and they had a used Concertina Connection Jack! I haven't played it much yet, but I'm looking forward to it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Barnert Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 I went up today... And did you get a chance to do anything else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilfein Posted November 13, 2012 Author Share Posted November 13, 2012 I went up today... And did you get a chance to do anything else? Unfortunately, we had very little time dut to hitting traffic on the way up. But I'll be back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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