The White River Valley Herald

Randolph’s ‘Make Music Day’ Heralds Beginning of Summer

Performances Delight Village Music Fans


Amanda Ukasick performs a series of original songs and covers on Merchants Row in downtown Randolph for the town’s celebration of Make Music Day. (Herald / Dylan Kelley)

Amanda Ukasick performs a series of original songs and covers on Merchants Row in downtown Randolph for the town’s celebration of Make Music Day. (Herald / Dylan Kelley)

The village of Randolph observed the longest day of the year on Tuesday with a full slate of free musical events at half a dozen venues downtown—all part of the town’s latest, and largest, participation in the worldwide Make Music Day.

A celebration of music making of any style and skill level, Randolph’s Make Music Day was once again largely coordinated and organized by Randolph music producer and recording studio owner Vincent Freeman—who also partnered with the Randolph Arts & Culture Committee as well as Big Heavy World, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting Vermont music.

Embracing local history, the day’s music began with the ringing of church bells at St. John’s Church and Bethany Church at 9 a.m. From there, performances picked up around midday and continued well into the evening with venues that included Ken’s Barbershop, the Chandler Center for the Arts, Kimball Library, and Kuya’s Sandwiches + Kitchen.

Musical Director Breydan Medbury keeps the cast of Chandler’s summer youth musical “Legally Blond” on time and in tune during a sidewalk performance on Tuesday for Randolph’s celebration of Make Music Day. (Herald / Dylan Kelley)

Musical Director Breydan Medbury keeps the cast of Chandler’s summer youth musical “Legally Blond” on time and in tune during a sidewalk performance on Tuesday for Randolph’s celebration of Make Music Day. (Herald / Dylan Kelley)

The musicians performing this year represented an equally wide range of talent and style. On the steps of the Chandler Center for the Arts, Grace Collins led the cast of the forthcoming summer youth musical “Legally Blond” in a performance of “So Much Better,” to the delight of parents and passersby that gathered to watch the 30-person spectacle from the sidewalk.

A short time later, the low-key sounds of guitar and fiddle music could be heard emanating from the porch of the Gear House as musicians (and intrument makers) Andy Mueller and Mark Burds played a range of acoustic and traditional tunes while bike mechanics could be seen working busily in the windows behind them.

On Merchants Row, the sidewalk and a few parking spaces filled with listeners as singer-songwriters Amanda Ukasick and Breanna Elaine were hosted in back-to-back performances at the stoop shared by Black Meadow Gallery & Tattoo and Eternal Return.

A block away at 802 Pizza, R&B fans were treated to an intimate (and mostly clean) performance by rapper Phil Dog who got up-close and personal with the lively patrons of the pizzeria.

“I thought it was a hit! I saw new people in town and familiar faces—especially when worked wrapped up for people … the town was just buzzing and it was so wonderful to see,” said Jessica Wilkinson, who serves as the chair of the Randolph Arts & Culture Committee. “It felt like all these things that we know about Randolph that we love and is part of our daily life—all of a sudden it came to life and had this new energy to it.”

Noting that many of the musical performers had drawn listeners into business that they might not have otherwise frequented, Wilkinson made a point of thanking the Randolph business community for hosting so many performances throughout the day.

In addition to being one of the primary organizing engines of Make Music Day, this year marked a special day for Vincent Freeman who used the event to hold a soft opening of a new performance space at The Underground Recording Studio, which he owns at 24 Pleasant Street. Though Make Music Day began in Randolph at 9 a.m. with the ringing of church bells, the day was closed out by an inaugural performance on an underground stage that rumbled to life with the sounds of Bow Thayer, I Hear Ghosts, and the Western Terrestrials.

“The day was incredible! Every single performance seemingly went off without a hitch,” wrote Freeman shortly before press time. “Though the event fell onto a Tuesday this year we still had 10-30 people at each location from noon to 5pm. After folks got out from work I’d like to think that there were at least 200 people.

Noting that the day’s performances and the opening of the listening room at the Underground had required a full week of “non-stop action” in order to get everything ready, a “beyond exhausted” Freeman was still eager to point to others who helped bring the event together.

“I am so very grateful for everyone who helped me the day happen—the musicians, businesses and restaurants, sponsors, the attendants, and my crew at The Underground and [the Randolph] Arts & Culture Committee.”