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Date: 4/24/2019
CHICOPEE – “At my soul, I'm a musician,” said Chicopee resident, Craig Harris, who is passionate about Woodstock. While Harris was too young to attend the Woodstock festival in 1969, he has cultivated a range of knowledge and experiences around the subject. On May 14, Harris will bring his passion and knowledge of music history to the Chicopee Public Library in a 90-minute presentation titled “Woodstock: A Multimedia 50th Anniversary Celebration.”
Harris’s presentation has four parts, the first of which will be a drumming performance by him as people arrive for the program. Next, will be a period of storytelling based on his personal experiences over the years with musicians who had played at Woodstock. His celebration also includes an 11-minute montage of every artist who played at Woodstock in the order they played.
Finally, Harris will pass out hand shakers and encourage the audience to play along with what he called “Woodstock-oriented” music. Harris's Woodstock presentation is an event that travels to libraries around southern New England and as far away as New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Harris said his show is booked at libraries through November. Libraries, Harris said, are true community centers.
“I like to think that my program gives people a chance to forget about everything outside,” Harris said.“They can become part of the experience of Woodstock.”
Harris will also showcase his music photography in a gallery exhibit at oOps! an art experience, at 20 Center St., in Chicopee. The exhibit will take place on the nights of May 17, during Chicopee’s Lights On Art & Culture night, and again on May 18. Lights On Art & Culture is a community event where businesses stay open late to promote downtown Chicopee’s artists and culture.
Harris said he has been the music festival staff photographer at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, and the Oldtone Festival for over 30 years and has worked as a photographer at the Newport Folk Festival, the Newport Jazz Festival, the Philadelphia Folk Festival. His exhibit features a wide range of musicians, including Miles Davis, Ray Charles, Chuck Berry, and Little Richard.
Harris has been around music his entire life he has an 80,000-album collection, plays with two local bands, is the author of four books about music and hosts a twice-weekly radio show, “The Craig Harris Show”, on WMUA. His radio show can also be found at bluegrasscountry.org.