When the Northampton Community Music Center (NCMC) first began, it didn’t have a permanent space — students took music lessons in living rooms. Now, the organization is getting ready to celebrate its 40th anniversary, joined by a household-name special guest.
NCMC will host its 40th anniversary gala at Mill 1 in Holyoke on Sunday, Nov. 8, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. The gala will include a short performance by longtime NCMC student AJ Strack, a pianist and vocalist, and an address by NCMC founder Bill Feinstein.
The headliner guest, however, is none other than Ken Burns, the award-winning documentary filmmaker and Hampshire College alum behind documentaries such as “The Civil War,” “The Vietnam War,” “Baseball” and “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea,” among others. Burns will participate in a 40-minute Q&A with NCMC board president Greg White, featuring a curated set of questions submitted in advance by guests.
Burns was a natural fit because of his knowledge of musical history: His body of work includes a documentary miniseries about country music and jazz.
“Everyone loves Ken for so many reasons… But what we were really interested in is his perspective on the role music has played ...