Open mic night in Falls Village

Open mic night in Falls Village

Brook and Leo Martinez perform at Hunt Library.

Patrick L. Sullivan

FALLS VILLAGE — The open mic talent show at the David M. Hunt Library Friday, Aug. 8, featured a guest singer from Sweden and the world premiere of a new musical instrument.

The show started promptly at 6 p.m. on the library lawn.

First up was violinist Rachel Gall with a welcoming song, and singing and playing the instrument, which is not easy.

Master of Ceremonies Adam Sher emphasized the “open” part of open mic.

“I am going to give each one of you the opportunity to tell a story or a joke.”

The first surprise of the evening came from Ruben Ohman, age 11, visiting the area with his mother, Jenny Ohman.

Young Ruben stepped up to the microphone and sang a quick piece solo. He later said the song meant, roughly, “Bring Us Peace.”

He also danced enthusiastically while Gall and Brook Martinez played what sounded like an Irish reel, with Martinez sitting on and playing a Peruvian percussion instrument called (in Spanish) a cajon. It is essentially a modified wooden box but in the right hands it sounds like someone playing a set of drums and cymbals.

The Berkshire Resilience Brass Band, in this case consisting of Dathalinn O’Dea on alto sax, trumpeters Lev and Shamu Sadeh, and Martinez on the cajon, played a couple of their patented group groove improvisations.

Martinez and his son Leo, performing as The Mystery Twins, with dad on acoustic guitar and son on electric guitar, did a version of Nirvana’s “About a Girl.”

The most intriguing part of the show was the world’s first look at the “guitire,” a portmanteau of “guitar” and “tire.”

This rolling instrument was created by Lev Sadeh and Eli Sher. It has four piano strings strung across one side of an ordinary automobile tire, and a drum skin across the other side.

Constructed from piano parts, it can thus be plucked or thumped.

And being round, it is eminently portable.

Latest News

Robin Lee Roy

FALLS VILLAGE — Robin Lee Roy, 62, of Zephyrhills, Florida, passed away Jan. 14, 2026.

She was a longtime CNA, serving others with compassion for more than 20 years before retiring from Heartland in Florida.

Keep ReadingShow less
Marjorie A. Vreeland

SALISBURY — Marjorie A. Vreeland, 98, passed away peacefully at Noble Horizons, on Jan. 10, 2026.She was surrounded by her two loving children, Richard and Nancy.She was born in Bronxville, New York,on Aug. 9, 1927, to Alice (Meyer) and Joseph Casey, both of whom were deceased by the time she was 14. She attended public schools in the area and graduated from Eastchester High School in Tuckahoe and, in 1946 she graduated from The Wood School of Business in New York City.

At 19 years old, she married Everett W. Vreeland of White Plains, New York and for a few years they lived in Ithaca, New York, where Everett was studying to become a veterinarian at Cornell. After a short stint in Coos Bay, Oregon (Mike couldn’t stand the cloudy, rainy weather!) they moved back east to Middletown, Connecticut for three years where Dr. Vreeland worked for Dr. Pieper’s veterinary practice.In Aug. of 1955, Dr. and Mrs. Vreeland moved to North Kent, Connecticut with their children and started Dr. Vreeland’s Veterinary practice. In Sept. of 1968 Marjorie, or “Mike” as she wished to be called, took a “part-time job” at the South Kent School.She retired from South Kent 23 years later on Sept. 1, 1991.Aside from office help and bookkeeping she was secretary to the Headmaster and also taught Public Speaking and Typing.In other times she worked as an assistant to the Town Clerk in Kent, an office worker and receptionist at Ewald Instruments Corp. and as a volunteer at the Kent Library.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rafael A. Porro

SALISBURY -— Rafael A. Porro, 88, of 4 Undermountain Road, passed away Jan. 6, 2026, at Sharon Hospital. Rafael was born on April 19, 1937 in Camaguey, Cuba the son of Jose Rafael Porro and Clemencia Molina de Porro. He graduated from the Englewood School for Boys in Englewood, New Jersey and attended Columbia University School of General Studies. Rafael retired as a law library clerk from the law firm of Curtis, Mallet Prevost in 2002 and came to live in Salisbury to be nearer to his sister, Chany Wells.

Rafael is survived by his sister, Chany Wells, his nephew Conrad Wells (Gillian), and by numerous cousins in North Carolina, Florida, Wyoming, Arizona, Cuba and Canada. He was the eldest of the cousins and acknowledged family historian. He will be greatly missed.

Keep ReadingShow less
Roger D. Ovitt

TORRINGTON — Roger D. Ovitt, 91, of 35 Berry St. Torrington, died peacefully at his home surrounded by his loving family.He was the husband of Barbara (Webb) Ovitt of Torrington.Roger was born June 28, 1934 in Amenia, New York, son of the late Ronald and Edna Lucy (King) Ovitt.

Roger had worked for 36 years as a crusher operator for the former Pfizer Corporation in Canaan. After retiring from Pfizer in 1992, Roger joined his brother, Brian, and began a new career as a house painter. Roger enjoyed this venture with his brother.He was an avid fisherman.Roger also loved to garden.He took great pride in the flowers and vegetables that he raised.

Keep ReadingShow less