Otter Valley Union High School's award winning Walking Stick Theatre will present a collection of one-act performances at 7pm Friday, February, 27th and Saturday February 28th, and at 2pm Sunday, March 1st. Performances will be held in the high school theater and tickets will cost $5.00.

Of the five short plays to be performed, four will be directed by students.

Seniors Katie McCarthy and Andrew Jerome are co-directing Jonathan Dorfs's "4 A.M.," a play that explores what it's like to be awake when the rest of your world is sleeping.

Senior Liam Noonan is directing "On the Street," a play about the homeless. Maggie Smith and Vytas Nielson, also seniors, are co-directing "Law & Order: Fairy Tale Unit. In this spoof on the long-running TV series, the characters from fairy tales and nursery rhymes are represented by two separate yet equally ridiculous groups: the fairy tale police who investigate fairy tale crime, and the fairy tale district attorneys who prosecute the fairy tale offenders. These are their stories.

Seniors Isaac Roberts and Brenna Coombs will co-direct "Next Door," based on a short story by Kurt Vonnegut.

Jeff Hull, Director of the Walking Stick Theatre, will lead students in the Samuel French play, "She Kills Monsters." A comedic romp into the world of role-playing games, "She Kills Monsters" tells the story of Agnes Evans as she leaves her childhood home in Ohio after the death of her teenage sister Tilly. When Agnes finds Tilly's Dungeons and Dragons notebook, she stumbles into an action packed adventure and discovers the imaginary world that was Tilly's refuge.

Reed, Rosin and Pedal features artistic director Wesley Christensen on clarinet, Laura Markowitz, violin and Melody Puller, piano.  The group was formed in 2012 and is made up of Vermont musicians from the Vermont Symphony Orchestra and the greater Burlington area.  Whether playing the wild notes of Bartok or the smooth and flowing lines of Khachaturian; RRP's mission is to promote the music of this unique combination of instruments.

A sample of some of the pieces they will perform include, 'Serenade for Three' composed by Peter Schickele, 'Five Pieces for Two Violins and Piano' by Dmitri Shostakovich and 'Cuatro Estaciones Porteņas (The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires) composed by Astor Piazolla and arranged by Reed, Rosin and Pedal.

Wesley Christensen, a.k.a "Reed", has played clarinet with the Champlain Philharmonic Orchestra, Vermont Youth Orchestra, Shrewsbury Chamber Music Society, University of Vermont Symphony Orchestra, the Vermont Mozart Festival, and the Opera Theatre of Weston.  Christensen has played at many venues including the Flynn Theater in Burlington and Carnegie Hall in New York City.  He was a recipient in 2009 of the Eden's Edge Young Artist's Award.  Christensen graduated from the University of Vermont in 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music.  He currently teaches clarinet at the Monteverdi Music School in Montpelier.

Laura Markowitz, a.k.a "Rosin", received her Bachelor's degree in Music from Indiana University, studying there with Paul Bliss and Peter Marsh.  Markowitz has been a member of the Santiago Philharmonic (Chile), the Florida Orchestra, and the Ohio Chamber Orchestra.  Currently, she is a member of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra and also plays in the Burlington Chamber Orchestra and the Green Mountain Opera.  Markowitz plays in various chamber music concerts and coaches chamber music through the Vermont Youth Orchestra Association and at Kinhaven Music School in the summer.  She also plays in the band Symphony Reel which tours Vermont schools throughout the year.

Melody Puller, a.k.a "Pedal", has performed in numerous St. Paul's Cathedral Arts concerts since 2004, in both solo and collaborative recitals.  She received her Master of Music degree in Piano Pedagogy and Performance from the University of Idaho in 2002, studying piano with Dr. G. Jay Mauchley.  Puller moved to Vermont in 2002 and continued her studies with Elaine Greenfield.  She has performed in the master classes of John O'Connor and Andre LaPlante at the Adamant Music School.  She maintains a private teaching studio and has been a board member for the Vermont Music Teachers Association since 2005.

This concert promises an evening of enjoyment for classical music lovers as well as listeners of high quality music in general.

Tickets for the concert are $15 with a pre-concert dinner available for $20.  Reservations are required for dinner and recommended for the show. Venue is BYOB.  Call (802) 247-4295 or e-mail info@brandon-music.net for reservations or more information. Brandon Music is located at 62 Country Club Rd. Brandon, VT 05733. www.brandon-music.net | http://reedrosinandpedal.weebly.com/ 

Artist Sale- March 7, 10-4pm

     Calling all Artists: Do you have unwanted art supplies, materials, or artwork that you would like to sell? Sell them at our Artist Sale on Saturday, March 7th from 10-4pm and give someone else the chance to utilize the materials or enjoy your works of art. This is not a sale in which to offer your full-priced, gallery-ready pieces, however, in addition to offering unused art supplies, consider selling items such as older, unsold work and reject art or "seconds".

$25 per space ($30 if renting a table) for each 6'x6' selling space with a maximum of 3 spaces per seller. Spaces are limited. No commission is taken so price your items to sell. Send completed registration form and payment by check by Thursday, March 5th. Registration form is available online at www.cmacvt.org or by contacting 802-247-4295 or info@cmacvt.org.

Music Swap Meet-April 4, 10-4pm

     Calling all Music Enthusiasts: The Music Swap Meet on Saturday, April 4th from 10-4pm is a great opportunity for record collectors and enthusiasts, audio fanatics and musicians of all types to sell, swap and barter vinyl records, CDs, 78s, tapes, audio equipment, phonographs, radios, musical instruments, ephemera and more.

$25 per space ($30 if renting a table) for each 6'x6' selling space with a maximum of 3 spaces per seller. Spaces are limited. No commission is taken so price your items to sell. Send completed registration form and payment by check by Thursday, April 2nd. Registration form is available online at www.cmacvt.org or by contacting 802-247-4295 or info@cmacvt.org.

Compass Music and Arts Center is located at Park Village, 333 Jones Dr. Brandon VT, 05733 (Park Village used to be the Brandon Training School, located 1.5 miles north of downtown Brandon off of Arnold District Rd.). www.cmacvt.org

Following a very successful performance at Brandon Music (sister venue to the Compass Music and Arts Center) in 2014 which left the audience exhilarated, exhausted, amazed and enthralled, Ian Ethan Case will give a second not-to-be-missed performance at Brandon Music on Saturday, March 14th at 7:30pm.  Ian is only one of about five musicians worldwide to tackle the acoustic double necked guitar in earnest.  Drawing on a diverse musical background that saw Ian taking piano lessons at the age of five and later studying the drums, orchestral percussion, saxophone, electric guitar and bass, he naturally moved into playing this extraordinary, seldom-seen instrument.

Prior to the concert, Ian will be offering a workshop at the Compass Music and Arts Center from 11am-2pm.  This is an amazing opportunity for all musicians and those interested in music to develop their knowledge, skills and explore their unique creative potential.

In the first half of the workshop, Ian will focus on: 

• ear training
• developing better timing and rhythmic versatility
• finding your own path (Ian will share a bit of his journey so far and how he ended up on this particular track in terms of musical direction, as a way to encourage people to explore their own unique creative potential.) 

In the second half, Ian will take everyone through the technological aspects of live looping, as well as demonstrating and exploring with the participants looping's creative aspects.

Emmy-winning composer and producer Peter Bruce Wilder was one of the first to discover Ian's talent and unique voice in the remote hills of Northern Vermont, proclaiming in 2008:

"Ian Ethan represents something so new in musical approach, that the result is near impossible to pigeon hole into a 'sounds like' statement. It has been my personal privilege to observe his unwavering and deep exploration of this new technique and on a relatively rare instrument ... the original music of Ian Ethan is not to be missed."
In January 2013, Ian was invited to perform with some of the world's foremost guitarists and bass players as part of Muriel Anderson's "All-Star Guitar Night" at the annual NAMM convention in Anaheim California, where he shared the stage with Robben Ford, Victor Wooten, Stu Hamm, Mimi Fox, and Stanley Jordan, among others. Since then he has gone on to perform with some of the most respected artists in his genre, including international solo bass icon and innovator Michael Manring and Grammy Award-winning reed player Paul McCandless (Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, Paul Winter Consort), as well as top notch classical musicians from the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra.

Most recently, after both were featured nationwide on the same NPR program ("Here & Now", Dec. 2013), Ian performed his original works at the Boston Museum of Science Planetarium with 4-Time Grammy Award-winning cellist Eugene Friesen, with whom he continues to collaborate.

For more information about the concert or to enroll in the workshop contact Edna Sutton by March 13^th at 4pm at 802-247-4295 or visit www.cmacvt.org.

Compass Music and Arts Center is located at Park Village, 333 Jones Dr. Brandon VT, 05733 (Park Village used to be the Brandon Training School, located 1.5 miles north of downtown Brandon off of Arnold District Rd.).

   A unique musical experience is in store for the audience on Saturday, March 21 at 7:30pm when Brandon Music welcomes back the Yabuno Ettun Project.  Ehud Ettun, bassist, and Haruka Yabuno, pianist, describe their music as "simple, but unique, and fun."  The two young masters see their music as the next level of conversation.  Their improvisatory music is on the line between classical and jazz with a mixture of Baroque esthetics and contemporary jazz.

   They say, "We began our collaboration four years ago.  Since then, we've been developing our own musical language.  This language continues to grow, taking us - as well as our audiences - above and beyond any cultural, linguistic or geographic differences and barriers."  Eliseo Cardona, editor of the blog Blue Monk Moods says, "Their music is based on the intrepid attitude that anything goes as long as risk is shooing away any fear."

    A native of Israel, Ehud Ettun is a recipient of the America Israel Cultural Foundation scholarship and "Tzfunot Tarbut" grant.  Ettun studied at the Jerusalem Music Academy with Michael Klinghoffer and at the New England Conservatory with Dave Holland and Donald Palma.  "Quickly establishing himself as an up-and-coming bassist on the Jazz and world music scene" (Jazz Earshot), Ettun has performed at venues ranging from New York's Blue Note to Washington Kennedy Center and Boston's Symphony Hall.  He has performed with many artists including George Garzone, Danilo Perez, Fred Hersh, Frank London and others.

   Haruka Yabuno began her musical career at the piano when she was three and gave her first improvisation.  Her foundations in classical piano continued to strengthen as she accumulated numerous distinctions in national level competitions that eventually led her to be accepted into the prestigious Kumitachi College of Music in Tokyo, Japan.  While at Kumitachi College, Yabuno was exposed to the music of Jazz and studied with legendary pianists such as Makoto Ozone, Yosuke Yamashita and Masahiro Sayama.  Yabuno was awarded the highest honor by the Jazz department, The Yosuke Yamashita Award.  In 2010, Yabuno received a scholarship to Berklee School of Music in Boston.  Currently a resident of New York City, Yabuno has performed at many prestigious venues including Jazz at the Kitano, Shapeshifter Lab, Caffe Vivaldi, Somethin' Jazz and many more.

Concert tickets are $15.  A pre-concert dinner is available for $20.  Reservations are recommended for the show and required for dinner.  Venue is BYOB. Call (802)247-4295 or e-mail info@brandon-music.net for reservations or information.  Brandon Music is located at 62 Country Club Rd. Brandon, VT 05733 http://www.brandon-music.net | www.yabunoettun.com/  

Otter Valley's Walking Stick Theatre Group has been invited to attend the world renowned Fringe Arts Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland in August of 2015. They are one of 40 schools nationally to be selected to perform there. This selection is a tremendous honor for our school and the theatre department, however now they have to get there.  

Donations to support this wonderful educational opportunity can be made online at http://www.gofundme.com/OtterValleytoFringeFest. Any contribution will be appreciated. The total cost of the trip is over $60,000.

 Multiple fundraisers will also be taking place throughout the school year.

Thank you in advance for your consideration.

   This is an exciting time for the Brandon Town Hall. We invite you to join us in building a future for this vibrantCommunity Center and event venue. The Friends were successful in obtaining a matching grant from Historic Preservation of Vermont to repair, replace and refurbish the 10 large, original windows in the upper hall. We were also awarded a Cultural Facilities Grant to continue our electrical upgrades throughout the building and new audio and lighting equipment for an incredible improvement to our stage area. We have become a destination venue for the central part of the great state of Vermont.

   The Friends of the Town Hall continue, in 2015, to build upon the success of years past. In order to do so, we seek sponsors to partner in our programming and ongoing rejuvenationand restoration.Individuals or organizations sponsoring programs will be featured on our website and program handbills, and will be seen by patrons from Brandon and many surrounding towns.

   Investment in this community asset is a way to visibly contribute to civic life andeconomic developmentin Brandon.The Town Hall is playing a growing role in attracting business to local shops, restaurants and guest houses. As our facility and programming continue to gather momentum, theTown Hall has become an engine of the local economy. Your sponsorship is one of the keys to the Town Hall's success.

   The Silent Movie Festival, already a tradition at the Town Hall, is a perfect opportunity for individual or corporate sponsorship. Featuring accompanying New Hampshire musician Jeff Rapsis, each silent movie attracted an average of 80-90movie goers last year. At a cost of $300 for each showing, you could become part of this Town Hall tradition. We plan to show six movies this year, andyou or your company may be interested in sponsoring all or part ofthe entire series.

   Our plan to make the basement area an additional space dedicated to educational, artistic and theatrical presentations has become a reality. It is being used by numerous community organizations including the Brandon Select Board, Cub Scouts, Recreation Dept., Civic groups, for special meetings, is available year round for community groups and can be rented for rehearsals, parties, receptions, etc.

   Please contact me at denniswmarden@gmail.com or at 802-247-5420 if you would like additional information on programming, use of the Hall, rental opportunities or just a tour of the building. We welcome you to visit ourwebsite at BrandonTownHall.org,and you can follow us on Facebook.

As a 501(c) 3 organization your sponsorship/contribution is tax deductible. Contributions in any amount towards this years programming would be greatly appreciated

   Thank youin advance for your generosity,

Dennis W. Marden, President

2^nd Floor Office above Gourmet Provence

39A Center Street, Brandon, VT

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Includes room, free WI-FI, closet, waiting room, kitchenette, bathroom and great location.

Interested? Contact:Jim at 247-9595 or Nancy at 558-1444 

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