Date/Time
Date(s) - 04/23/2016
6:00 pm to 11:00 pm
Location
American Legion Post 440
On Saturday, April 23rd, the Boston Minstrels, who have brought over 1500 performances to people struggling with homelessness, will celebrate its 25th anniversary, with a full band – The Soul City Band – dancing, and special guests. Open to the public, the celebration begins at 6:00 pm at the American Legion Post 440, at 295 California Street in Newton.
The Minstrels, a 100-member group of singers and musicians, plays over 70 gigs a year. Their motto is “Making Music with Heart” and they transform every homeless shelter they play, bringing energy, pop and rock songs, and a feeling of community.
Founding member Tim McHale, on vocals and plugged- in guitar, is the consummate song leader, inviting everyone to participate. Individual residents often come up to one of the eight microphones and sing lead on a song (with ten to fifteen Minstrels behind him/her, providing support and harmony.) Other residents dance in the audience and become percussionists, playing the tambourines, drum sticks, maracas, etc. that the Minstrels hand out. The group plays songs that almost everybody knows and have songbooks “just in case.” Typical tunes include “Just My Imagination,” “Dancing in the Street,” “Give Me One Reason,” and “Imagine.”
Scottie Wait, Director of Volunteer Programs at the Pine Street Inn, where the Minstrels have played for 25 years, says “The energy the Minstrels bring and their way of connecting to the guests through music actually creates joy, a feeling of being included and even hope. The guests love them.”
Nicole W., a member of the audience at the Shattuck shelter, said, “For just this moment you forget your problems. Things are not that bad – no worries for the moment. Things are tough these days and I met two women tonight who gave me hope for the future. Thank you so much.”
Said Tim McHale, “At every gig, the interactive music creates connection. It creates joy and hope. And those three things are a formula for change; feeling happy, connected and hopeful.”
For more information on the festivities at the April 23rd fundraiser, please see website, www.bostonminstrel.org To purchase tickets, contact Jim Evans at JWE729@hotmail.com
