Main Street News

In 2015, when The Music Cellar moved to their new location at 14 Main Street in Millerton, NY, they put on their first Porch Concert. Now, despite being a touring musician, Music Cellar owner and instructor Jonny Grusauskas has aimed to organize one Porch Concert each year to spotlight their music students’ talents while bringing the town together in a much-needed community gathering. This Friday, June 7th, a Porch Concert will be held from 4pm to 10pm, and you won’t want to miss it!

Highlighting the importance of community

When describing the inspiration behind the Porch Concerts, Jonny explained that the local area needed an event to encourage social connection outdoors, much as the Millerton music festival Spring For Sound once did. Since it’s clear that everyone misses this sort of activity, the emergence of the Porch Concerts was Jonny’s way of providing a greater sense of connection in the region.

For quite some time, Jonny has understood the importance of gatherings like this. He recounts an instance during his time at Bennington College when the power went out, and everyone’s first instinct was to abandon their computers for socializing and dancing. He reflects, “There’s a human drive to get together, so [I’ll do] whatever I can do to provide that for people.”

And as he points out, a public event where the whole community is present is great not just for socialization, but for benefitting one’s mental health: “It’s easy to be isolated in our own little bubbles, so it’s great to have an outdoor community meetup.”

On the whole, Jonny is glad that the Porch Concert can shed light on The Music Cellar and what they do, while also getting people out of the house. Reflecting on a moment with his mother one year at Spring For Sound, he notes, “I remember walking around with my mom, and she met all these people she wouldn’t have met otherwise.”

A celebration of the Cellar’s musical skills

In addition to giving neighbors the chance to interact and have a fun time outside, the Porch Concerts give the community an opportunity to appreciate the Cellar’s range of performers and their skills. The Porch Concert functions as both a recital for the students’ musical capabilities and a showcase for the instructors to demonstrate their own talents. Jonny adds that local musicians also perform in the show whenever possible.

In terms of genres you can anticipate, Jonny notes that while the kids’ bands generally align with a rock and roll style, you can expect some more funky, jazzy music from the instructors. Sound will be provided by Alex Harney.

At 4pm, a roaming brass band will begin calling people in to commence the celebration, and performances on the stage at 14 Main Street will kick off at 5pm. Right after 5pm, festivities will start with a “kids jam” portion for children to participate in. The event is free of charge, but donations will be accepted and will go toward paying the instructors. Everyone is welcome, so be sure to stop by from 4pm to 10pm!

For more information about The Music Cellar, you can visit their website.