
Fête de la Musique
June 24
Time:02:00 pm - 05:00 pm
Meet the Artists
Little Green Line is a musical trio based in Medford MA, performing pop, jazz and folk favorites in crystalline three-part harmony. Members Elizabeth Wu, Rena Cohen, and Sophie Webster first met in the Radcliffe Pitches, an a cappella group at Harvard University, in which they toured internationally and produced several jazz albums. They now live as roommates along (you guessed it!) the recently-opened MBTA Green Line Extension.
Centering intricate and intimate vocals, Little Green Line also shines in their varied instrumentation and imaginative arrangements.
ELEVATE is a vocal band that challenges the boundaries and expectations of our audience. Together we create music that is dynamic, sophisticated, and enduring. Music, for us, is full of life. It has the power to electrify sound and create vibrant moments.
Guitar virtuoso, composer, bandleader, educator and recording artist, Javier Rosario is the first-ever Michel Camilo Scholarship winner. The scholarship was an initiative of the Dominican born, Grammy, Latin Grammy, and Emmy Award-winning pianist. It has been the first scholarship of its kind in the history of the Dominican Republic, where Javier was born in Santo Domingo. In 2006, Javier attended Berklee College of Music with full scholarship, graduating with the highest ratings ever given to a guitarist. In 2009, he performed at the Berklee Jazz and Blues Guitar Night: a concert which only featured the very top players of the entire school. In 2010, Javier decided to further his studies at the Longy School of Music of Bard College with a master’s degree. There he was awarded a Presidential Scholarship and was acknowledged by his guitar teachers as possibly the highest-level guitarist ever to enter the jazz program.
It was the 1970s in Boston. Caribbean migrants certainly did not leave their culture back in their native lands. Rather, the musical and festive traditions of their culture were alive and active in their adopted communities as evident in the annual Boston Caribbean Carnival. In 1978 Mr. Carl Smith, a native of Trinidad and Tobago and many other carnival-spirited, male and female musicians were, according to Carl, “called by our culture to form a pan-side” celebrating the steel pan (steel drums)- the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago. They called themselves the “Roots Steelband.” These fun-loving pannist were very popular in the Boston area. The band was grassroots, they simply enjoyed making music so people naturally gravitated to them. The band grew in membership and supporters so by the 1980s the Roots had now grown to become known as Branches. Hence the name was adopted- Branches Steel Pan Orchestra.
By the late 80s the membership of Branches shifted and younger players were now the faces of the Branches sound and in 1988 the group came in first in the highly competitive Boston Panorama Competition. Today, 45 years later, Branches remain grounded in the youth with the parents as the backbone. A fixture in the community, the band has played in every Boston Carnival since 1978!! The group has also played at notable events such as Governor Deval Patrick’s Inaugural Celebration in 2007 and Boston’s Barack Obama’s Inaugural Celebration in 2009. Branches’ story is the story of the community and it is their mission to ensure that the band uses music and culture to maintain its roots in family and positive community engagement.
The Party Band is an original brass band embodying homegrown, unadulterated, unplugged fun. Their mission is to bring people together, celebrate the gift of being alive, and make the world a better place through the joys of quality live music in a way that is accessible to everyone.
Originating in Lowell, MA, The Party Band has traveled the country blasting brass for fun, festivals, community events, schools, weddings, protests, and nightclub shows since their inception in 2013. The band has recorded three albums of original brass music inspired by the sounds of New Orleans and folk music from across Planet Earth. The Party Band believes it is important to be a force for good in the world, and to celebrate every day like the gift that it is.
Parent & Alumni Hour
Join us for a CMCB Parent and Alumni Hour during Fête! The parent and alumni meet-up will occur from 4:00 – 5:00 pm in Union Park.
In addition to CMCB faculty and student performances, there will be a chance to mingle and chat, a whiteboard to share memories, a social media station, free merchandise, and kid-friendly activities for play and engagement for our children.
Invite your fellow CMCB parents and alumni to join us for this special event, and follow along with us on social media!
Sponsorship Opportunities
Thank you to our generous sponsors so far!
Eastern Bank Foundation
Union Park Neighborhood Association
Ringgold Park Neighborhood Association
If you’re interested in sponsoring this year’s event, please reach out to Jessica Chen at jchen@cmcb.org.
