Music and Spirituality from Around the Planet
First in-person concert and online groups
HarpBeat
a ​percussion/harp duo
Saturday, December 18 at 7:30 pm
​UU Society of Amherst, 121 N. Pleasant St., Amherst, MA

Please Note: For everyone's safety, vaccinations and masks are required for this indoor concert. Please be ready at the door with proof of vaccination as well as your ticket.
​HarpBeat is the collaborative creation of percussionist Fabio Pirozzolo and harpist Shelley Otis. Their music blends the soft sounds of the lever harp with the lively rhythms created by hand percussion. The Peruvian cajon, the African djembe and the Southern Italian tamburello find their home in the sweet and haunting sound of the harp. The duo merges elements of pop and world music into a dynamic and entertaining musical act.  

A multi-year award winner on the Knot, Wedding Wire, and Gigmasters, harpist Shelley Otis plays for more than 100 weddings and private events per year. She has been featured in concerts both as a soloist and with the Celtic band Ulster Landing. As a composer and arranger for the harp, she has traveled in Mexico, Chile, and Ecuador, interviewing and collaborating with harpists from the arpa llanera tradition. 

Fabio Pirozzolo is an Italian drummer, multi-percussionist and singer currently based in Boston, Massachusetts. Originally from Terracina, Italy, he started his career as a folk percussionist, playing Italian frame drums tamburello and tammorra, in one of the most famous folk groups in his area. This experience gave him the opportunity to travel throughout Europe, playing concerts and giving lectures on regional Italian frame drum techniques. A summa cum laude graduate from Berklee College of Music, he performs in virtually any genre of music from jazz to world music to rock.
Joe Jencks
Songs of Celtic Heritage and Immigration
Sunday, March 13 at 3:00 pm
​UU Society of Amherst, 121 N. Pleasant St., Amherst, MA
Joe Jencks is an 22-year veteran of the international folk circuit, an award-winning songwriter, and celebrated vocalist based in Chicago. Merging conservatory training with his Irish roots and working-class upbringing, Joe delivers engaged musical narratives filled with heart, soul, groove and grit. Having penned several #1 Folksongs including the ever-relevant Lady of The Harbor, Jencks is also co-founder of the harmony trio, Brother Sun. From Festivals like Falcon Ridge, Kerrville, Mariposa, and Old Songs, to venues like Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, Jencks has enthralled diverse audiences with his approachable style. Joe is noted for his unique merging of musical beauty, social consciousness, and spiritual exploration. Blending well-crafted instrumentals and vivid songwriting, Jencks serves it all up with a lyric baritone voice that has the edgy richness of a good sea-salt caramel.
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Bringing the world of music and spirituality to New England through online and live, in-person events is a labor of love. However, while our love of world music and world spirituality takes us a long way, it needs to be expressed as financial support. Please join us in making a monthly, sustaining donation. And thank you!