Our summer festivals have been reimagined as a series of residencies that make space for artists to collaborate, generate new work, and reconnect with audiences in creative ways. Each week, musicians arrive for a creative retreat at Valley View Farm, where they have space to rehearse and collaborate in a safe, open-air mode. Saturday, they take the stage at the historic Academy of Music Theatre for a live streamed broadcast with no physical audience.

We are thrilled to welcome 2017 Millpond alum, Brown Rice Family back to the Valley. The band’s sound is World Roots Music in the truest sense of the word. Hailing from Japan, Jamaica, Haiti, Nigeria, South Africa and the USA, members' diverse national backgrounds set the stage for their unique musical creativity. Spreading their positive message via a spirited fusion of reggae, Latin, and funk, Brown Rice Family’s vibe is akin to that of Fela Kuti - with Bob Marley and Antonio Carlos sitting in on the gig. Above all, the ensemble seeks to reflect the tenets of "the love moment" -  making music that puts an emphasis on unity, a global community and sustainable living. (At home, band members make their own organic soap.)

Our summer festivals have been reimagined as a series of residencies that make space for artists to collaborate, generate new work, and reconnect with audiences in creative ways. Each week, musicians arrive for a creative retreat at Valley View Farm, where they have space to rehearse and collaborate in a safe, open-air mode. Saturday, they take the stage at the historic Academy of Music Theatre for a live streamed broadcast with no physical audience.

We cap off the 2020 season with the irrepressible Glen David Andrews. A native son of New Orleans, Glen is a warrior for cultural preservation in his home city. As journalist Larry Blumenfeld, a Katrina Media Fellow with the Open Society Institute writes, “Long before he began trying to save himself in earnest, Andews’s music projected the promise of redemption…His remarkable singing voice and commanding trombone sound (both powerful, direct, resonant, and with just enough rasp) as well as his disarmingly honest manner have provided whatever the situation calls for: beauty, truth, compassion, anger, joy or all of the above.”

If you love New Orleans like we do, you'll be longing for the sounds and flavors of the Crescent City right about now. This may be a pandemic, but we've hatched a plan to bring the music into your living room along with a culinary experience to satisfy your cravings. Stay tuned for announcements about local chefs, mixologists, and home delivery.