We Are Launched!

Michael Eck by Sebastien Barre

Michael Eck performing at the Launch Party, by Sebastien Barre

Many thanks to all those who came out last Friday to help us inaugurate the Albany Music Coalition! The show was a great success, a load of fun, and a great opportunity to chat with some more members of the community about our goals and how everyone can get involved.

A few specific thanks are in order. First and foremost, thank you so much to Matthew Carefully, Michael Eck, and Tom McWatters and the Philo Beddoe Band for performing. They have all been involved, to varying degrees, with the Coalition during our establishment and preparations for launch, and we are deeply appreciative of all their support.

Matthew Carefully by Sebastien Barre

Matthew Carefully performing at the Launch Party, by Sebastien Barre

Also, a great deal of thanks must go to Howard Glassman, who has been in on the planning of the Coalition literally since the moment we had the idea for it, and who has been endlessly accommodating, and to the amazing staff at Valentine’s who kept everything running smoothly. And last but not least, thanks to WEXT for co-sponsoring the event.

If you were at the show, and took pictures, we would love to see them! Add them to our brand-shining-new Flickr Group, Facebook, or send us a link to where we can find them.

Tom McWatters by Sebastien Barre

Tom McWatters and Scott Smith, by Sebastien Barre

So, what next? There is of course no rest for the weary — we are hard at work on launching a series of events for this summer, which we hope to be announcing soon. As always, you can remain informed about our activities and learn how to become involved by signing up for our mailing list. You’ll find the form to the right of this post, or by clicking here.

All photos in this post by Sebastien Barre. Check out his blog here.

Launch Party Set for April 13

Launch Party Flier

We’ve been working hard for the last few months to get the Coalition ready to go, so we’re anxious to actually get out into the community and get started. Luckily, the wait is over: our official launch is Friday, April 13, at Valentine’s in Albany. Performing will be the outstanding local musicians Michael Eck, Matthew Carefully, and Tom McWatters and the Philo Beddoe Band. The event is co-sponsored by WEXT.

Aside from seeing some really great performances, this will be our chance to start talking to members of the music community about setting up some of our activities. The idea of the Coalition is to foster communication among everyone involved in music in the Capital Region, so there is no better way than to get as many people involved as possible. I personally can’t wait to start getting people on board for some of the great events and programs we’re hoping to launch over the next year.

To see the full press release, click here. See you on the 13th!