Performance of a lifetime

Rona Trachtenberg

RonaIf months and years of quarantines and social distancing have left you wanting to share your musical talents with the public, consider attending the Mattapoisett Museum's monthly open mic night.

Hosted in a charming 1821

Meeting House with an attached replica of a 200 year old carriage house, it’s the perfect place to showcase a talent. Their website describes the “ancient pews, graceful galleries, and post and beam construction in the carriage house, which carry one back to when life revolved around daily work, church, town meeting and the waterfront.”

At this event, you can “Sing a song, tell a joke, read a poem, or play an instrument,” began Jessica DeCiccoCarey, who is a Member at Large on the Museum’s Board of Directors. “The audience is yours, and the entertainment is all ours to share and enjoy. This is a community at its best! This event is in keeping with our mission to provide a vibrant place of learning and community activities. We have created a welcoming place for all people of all ages.”

Due to COVID-19, the museum was closed all of 2020. The staff was considering ways to inject life into the museum. Fortunately, in 2021, Jeff Angeley, from South Coast Lessons, came along with his Old Time Fiddle Session and Silent Movie Night. “When he needed a place to host his monthly open mic,” said DeCicco-Carey, “We had the space. It was a mutually beneficial agreement; we didn’t charge him to use the space, and his event brought new people into the museum.”

DeCicco-Carey explained that, “Jeff was the catalyst and inspiration for our Open

Mic Monthly Event, which has been running successfully since July 2021, every third Friday of the month at 6 p.m. It is free to perform and free to attend. Since we are a nonprofit we always mention that donations are appreciated. (It helps to keep the lights on).

“People have come from all over the South Coast and Cape Cod to perform,” confirmed DeCicco-Carey. “I have been told that the museum has amazing acoustics and many of our regular performers, like Doug from Middleboro, are thrilled to have the opportunity to perform in this beautiful space.”

There is no audition. Performers simply sign up when they arrive and their names will be called randomly. Depending on how many performers attend, each one can do one or two songs, for about a 10 minute set. If there are fewer performers, then they can do up to four songs. “We are an all-volunteer operation,” said DeCicco-Carey, “so as long as the volunteers are willing to stay (which they gladly will), we will stay open as long as needed to give everyone a chance to perform if they want to.”

The museum’s open mic nights welcome performers of all ages, from as young as nine years old to people in their 70s. “I personally love when a child or teen performs,” said DeCicco-Carey. “It takes courage to get up in front of a room of people and play an instrument or sing. I am always blown away by how much talent there is in our community.”

Each month is different. One never knows who will show up or what the performers will do.

DeCicco-Carey related the story that, “One evening in 2021, Adam Hanson from Northwoods came and performed an acoustic version of a song he wrote for his first solo album. He approached me after the show and asked if we did any concerts. We kept in touch and he emailed me about six months later asking if we could set a date for a show. We booked him for May of 2022 for his East Coast album debut show. (He is originally from Mattapoisett and lives in L.A. now.) He wanted to perform in his hometown. I honestly had no idea how much of a big deal he was until he showed up with his sound and lighting people and some of his bandmates drove from NYC to perform with him.”

Unfortunately, in November 2022, Jeff Angely had to step away from his three events. “Until we get an MC, with their own speakers and microphone,” said DeCicco-Carey, “we will be hosting an acoustic open mic night. The feedback and involvement from the community has been outstanding, so we will continue this event. In the meantime, we eagerly wait to hear if our grant comes through. If it does, we will be able to purchase our own equipment.”

DeCicco-Carey is invested in her facility’s long-term success as a museum and as a place for community gatherings. She concluded, “This is a very pure way to get people who love listening to music and people who love performing music together in a very supportive and inclusive environment. Our Mattapoisett Museum is located at 5 Church Street. Please consider sharing your talent on stage with us.”