AFM Local 135-211

Country Sunset
2023-01-19 18:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | Online
Online streaming favorite Country Sunset is back to warm up your winter with their “Summertime Country Music with a Tropical Twist.” Please come join guitarist/vocalist Mark James, bassist Dave Smith and “The Legend” Tommy Vollmer on pedal steel guitar as they play and sing through a variety of classic Country, Folk and TropRock tunes. Always a good time – hope to see you online!

Josh Taylor Trio
2022-12-31 19:00 - 20:00 | Online
Josh is joined by multi-instrumentalist Ken Gehret and guitarist Josiah Taylor for an evening of jazz and more ring in the new year.

Fyve Woodwind Quintet
2022-12-19 18:30 - 19:30 | Online
The FYVE Woodwind Quintet, formed in 1993, is comprised of 5 classically trained professional musicians, dedicated to the finest performance of chamber music. FYVE offers a varied repertoire from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and contemporary eras, presented by creative and expressive instrumentalists for every occasion, such as a formal chamber recital, wedding or church service, private party, or holiday festival. FYVE’s musicians bring a variety of performing experiences to the quintet, from symphonic to show music, operatic to jazz, and solo to small ensemble.

Paul Colombo Jazz Duo
2022-12-09 14:00 - 15:00
Paul Colombo has a Master of Music in Jazz Studies Degree from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. He has performed and recorded with artists such as Neil Sedaka, Peter Nero and Bill Goodwin.

Mark James & Country Sunset
2022-12-08 18:00 - 19:00 | Online
Mark James has been entertaining audiences across the country for over 30 years. His early roots are in country fairs and festivals. On the road in the 80s, he expanded his repertoire through show and dance bands performing the “Sheraton Circuit” and Atlantic City. Touring with the Bobby Mercer Road Show, Mark worked “one nighters” with notable stars including Lee Greenwood, Marie Osmond The Four Tops and many more. Over the past 10 years, he has been concentrating on the tropical side of life working with singer/songwriter John Frinzi and touring with the tribute band Parrotbeach.
Caribbean Sunset provides the platform to take all this past experience to create his own musical direction. Marks warm, veteran stage presence pulls the audience into the performance with humor and excitement.

Reading Pops Orchestra
2022-06-19 15:00 - 17:00 | Green Valley Chateau Tent, 150 Green Valley Road, Sinking Spring, PA, 19608
For the Father’s Day/Juneteenth celebration guest conductor Andrew Cusano will be leading the orchestra. Andy is the son of former Pops conductor, Paul Cusano, and Ann Cusano who plays in the bassoon section. Andy has also performed with the RPO in the percussion section over the years. He is a graduate of Eastman School of Music and is currently enrolled in a wind conducting master’s program at West Chester University. Andy is the band director at Governor Mifflin High School and was one of the founders of Berks Sinfonietta where he shared conducting duties and performed as a member of the ensemble.
The newest US national holiday of Juneteenth commemorates the day the message of the Emancipation Proclamation, issued on January 1, 1863, finally was verbally delivered in Texas, June 19, 1866, and the last enslaved people were released. Celebrations of the emancipation began that day, and grew over the years in communities across the South, eventually spreading to other parts of the country.
The Reading Pops Orchestra event will feature John Coakley, Minister of Music at West Lawn United Methodist Church, a graduate of West Chester University with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education, majoring in voice.
Additionally FreshWind vocal ensemble will also be joining us. FreshWind is a group of women who, over the years, have forged a rich relationship of sisterhood and friendship through their music, their faith, and their fierce desire to live out their lives in full bloom. The women of FreshWind, some of whom have been together over multiple decades, are each uniquely talented and gifted in their own right. Still, they recognize the exponential power – and blessing – of their connectedness and have remained unyielding in their desire and commitment to continue to make music together.
As members of the former Doxa Gospel Ensemble, these women have shared their musical talents with local audiences in their hometown of Reading, PA, as well as in Memphis, Nashville, New York, Orlando, and Philadelphia, to name a few. They’ve collaborated and performed with such artists as Kirk Whalum, Jonathan Butler, Donnie McClurkin, Bobby Lyle, Yolanda Adams, Oleta Adams, Fred Hammond, and many others. They’ve also performed on the Bobby Jones Presents television show as well as on the iconic stage of New York City’s Radio City Music Hall.
The women of FreshWind have built beautiful lives on a firm foundation of faith. Many of them are now living their best lives as mothers of grown children and grandmothers. This is now their season to harvest the fruits of wisdom and wit that have been cultivated over the years and release them through their music as a powerful expression of life of gratitude, grace, resilience and strength.

Canal Street Pub’s United Jam Session of America(n Federation of Musicians)
2021-08-17 18:00 - 21:00 | Canal Street Pub & Restaurant, 535 Canal Street, Reading, PA, 19602, United States
Live streaming became the norm for musicians in 2020. Through a generous grant from the Music Performance Trust Fund (MPTF), musicians throughout the United States and Canada were able to stay afloat by doing paid live streams through this program. Canal Street Pub was among the first to step up to host countless live streams, providing the musicians with much needed large space in order that they may socially distance during performances. This jam session is a means for all musicians to share their talents with each other and fans of the music. It is also a way to thank Canal Street Pub for over a year of generosity and support. We hope you will join the musicians in celebrating this Reading institution.

Ken Gehret and Josh Taylor Live Stream
2021-06-30 19:00 - 20:00

General Meeting with special guest John Ernesto
2021-06-22 14:00 - 15:30
We are excited to invite you to our general membership meeting next Tuesday June 22nd at 2pm via Zoom.
Our special guest will be John Ernesto, long time general manager of Berks Jazz Fest.
He will discuss music, education, promotion, and the festival’s economic impact.
We hope you can join us. If not, please visit berksjazzfest.com.
ZOOM INFO:
Topic: AFM 135-211 Meeting with special guest John Ernesto
Time: Jun 22, 2021 02:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

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