Cathie Malach and friends online Wednesday

Monday, December 28, 2020
Cathie Malach at the keyboard

The Greencastle Virtual Music Festival presents its final 2020 program, “Looking to the New Year with Cathie Malach and Friends” at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday online at gvmf.live, where listeners can join Malach, festival host Eric Edberg, and others in a “watch party” with post-concert discussion on Zoom.

The program also debuts at that time at facebook.com/greencastlevirtualmusic and greencastlemusic.org as well as the festival’s YouTube channel, where it can then be watched along with the previous 10 weekly programs. To be put on a list for future events, send an email to greencastlevmf@gmail.com.

Malach is joined Wednesday in an approximately 40-minute program of her original music (plus a Sting cover) by local musicians Parker Black, Bill Hamm, Ben Hogan, Bobbie Lancaster, Bryan Landoc, Rick Provine, Steve Snyder and Chris White. The music making was video and audio recorded in Gobin Church by Bryan Langdoc and Parker Black.

A composer, improviser, and keyboardist, Malach thrives in diverse musical genres, from new age to rock to folk. Her music has been called “emotionally dynamic and revelatory ... [with] evocative, soulful melodies; and sensitive keyboard work that is at turns lush, sparse, percussive and exuberant.”

Wednesday’s program includes pieces from “Heartland,” her latest album. You can read more about Malach and her music at https://cathiemalach.com.

Edberg, the DePauw emeritus music professor who organizes and hosts the weekly performances, says that the idea behind the weekly programs is to showcase and provide a creative outlet for musicians whose live performance opportunities have been curtailed during the pandemic shutdown, and to create a weekly opportunity for audience members to connect with each other and the performers.

“Many of us are feeling isolated, particularly as winter weather sets in,” Edberg said. “It’s important to stay connected with other people, and while getting together on Zoom Wednesday nights is not the same as gathering in person, it beats nothing. Our motto for these programs is ‘community through shared arts experiences.’”

Edberg also said he’s getting feedback that the audio quality and multi-camera video work Langdoc and Black are producing is some of the highest quality people have seen outside of high-end professional video studios. “It’s really amazing to see what these guys are doing.”

The festival’s weekly events are made possible by the Greencastle Summer Music Festival family of donors, the GSMF endowment at the Putnam County Community Foundation, the Putnam County Convention and Visitor Bureau, the DePauw Performing Arts Series, The Inn at DePauw, and the people of Gobin Church and their pastor, Bryan Langdoc.

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