TCAN - The Center for Arts in Natick
A Metro-West Treasure
By: David Wilson - Jun 14, 2010
TCAN, The Center for Arts in Natick
The complexity of a process that combines the diverse goals of preserving a historic building, providing a venue for the performing arts to thrive and creating a facility to teach the arts to new generations is daunting to say the least. Nevertheless, the founders of TCAN, The Center for the Arts in Natick, surmounted all those problems.
In 2003, having rescued from demolition, and renovated, a 19th century firehouse, they opened an intimate performance site with professional quality lighting and sound, seating almost 300. Within two years, the Massachusetts Historical Commission acknowledged their efforts with a Preservation Award.
Their continuing foresight or good fortune led them to promote in 2004, from their ranks, David Lavalley, to the office of Executive Director. Under his guidance TCAN has expanded all aspects of the Center programs.
“Music transformed my life,” David told me during a conversation. “It taught me a lot about myself and I think it has the power to do that in the lives of other young people as well. I want to facilitate that process.”
Lavalley is well equipped to pursue that goal. His list of credits is extensive. This includes participation in the musical group, The Paisley Project, as back-up vocalist on numerous local recording productions. He has done voice-overs on local and national TV commercials and was a past recipient of a Helen S. Stratton Drama Scholarship. He has marketing savvy acquired first at BU, then from directing marketing operations with product lines at both DEC and Compaq.
The Program at TCAN rests on three pillars consisting of; a schedule of performances by musicians of note; programs which allow members of the community to participate and perform and an educational program for a wide range of ages.
The schedule of performances includes musicians of national prominence suitable to the intimate facility of the center. This includes representatives from folk, blues, jazz, classical and rock. May saw performances, by Colin Hay, Deborah Henson-Conant, and Chris Smither. June will present Tom Rush, Roomful of Blues, Antje Duvekote, Al Dimeola and Julian Lage. July and August features Beppe Gambetta, Ronnie Earl, the Pousette Dart Band and the Dave Mason Band.
The TCAN players have just wrapped up two weekends of performances to full houses of their version of the Broadway hit, Twentieth Century.
Open Mike nights akin to the hoots of the '60s occur every Monday night, hosted by Mark Stepakoff one week, then by Trish and Phil Knudsen on alternate weeks. Performance spots are filled weeks before performance dates, so check here if you have a yen to show off your talent.
One of David’s most satisfying accomplishments was the fostering of Rock Off Main Street in 2003, offering local high-school aged bands the opportunity to perform for peers and fans on a proper stage with full lighting and sound enhancement. His early efforts with the program, now led by director Diane Young, were successful enough to lure the Berklee School of Music into a sponsorship and ongoing management of the program. In talking about the current trends being performed, David professed pride and pleasure at the fusion of wide-ranging musical styles and the sophistication of the young musicians performing.
The TCAN players continue to recruit actors and technicians to perform in and/or crew their productions.
A gallery exhibit of paintings Summer Gardens by Grace Vasta-Carris is currently on display and will run through June 29th with a public reception on June 17th from 7-9 pm.
The third pillar is an educational program for age-groups from toddlers to adult with a major emphasis on nurturing the creative impulses of the very young. In the form of workshops participants are encouraged to use their imaginations, voices and body movements to express the events and feelings of simple but well-known stories, to organize and create a performance. Classes include music, dancing, acting for all age levels, writing, video and production for more advanced ages.
A reciprocal agreement allows TCAN members to participate in the education programs offered by the Danforth Museum in Framingham.
I am sure I have missed a prominent quality or two or three that I will later regret overlooking. That simply serves to point out the extensive offerings and opportunities brought to the community by TCAN. Perhaps the links provided here will whet your curiosity and lead you to their doors. I look forward to many of their presentations and the challenge of reviewing them for you.