My Holiday Letter 2017

This year, as in previous ones, I’ve chosen to honor the spirit of giving, by making contributions to some worthy non-profit organizations in my community that mare making efforts to better life for many. The money I could have spent on cards, postage, and client gifts, can go to make someone’s world better.

It’s been a great year for me workwise with some interesting projects and events to keep me busy from The Jazz Ensembles at Mount Holyoke College’s The Big Broadcast to the Berkshire Film and Media Collaborative’s Day2Play Expo. I did my annual stint with The Capitol Steps in Cambridge, and the groundwork for two upcoming shows in Torrington, CT and Northampton, MA. Their tour producer Mike Thornton had me help him promote a jazz concert he was doing in The Berkshires, in conjunction to his recording an album. I also did the promotion for Harriet Scott Chessman’s book tour to launch The Lost Sketchbook of Edgar Degas, and some public relations for the American conductor Kevin Rhodes and Zasco Productions.

The journalism side of my life picked up. In addition to writing the weekly ArtsBeat column and providing theatre reviews for The Westfield News Group, I wrote for the blog Succeeding in Small Business and Take, a regional arts magazine. 89.5fm/WSKB, where I was a frequent arts contributor, offered me the opportunity to produce and host a weekly show, ArtsBeat Radio, which aired for a 13-week run over the summer. I’m doing monthly ArtsBeat programs now, and hope to go back to a weekly stint in May. My columns, reviews, and radio programs live on my blog Mark.My.Words. http://wordsbymarka.blogspot.com/

There were some once-in-a-lifetime moments in my reporter world. Patrick Berry, President of Westfield News Group and I co-produced and co-hosted a two hour radio feature backstage at Berkshire Theatre Group. https://vimeo.com/225433309

I mentored a high school student,  Ben Jacek, who works as our condo lifeguard, and whose mom is a colleague of my friend Rob’s. I worked with Ben in writing, and he co-reviewed several theatre performances with me, the most fun being a trip to Connecticut Repertory Theatre with a stop at the famous UConn Dairy Bar for some ice-cream tastings.  http://thewestfieldnews.com/double-bill-disneys-newsies-ice-cream

The mentoring experience impacted me more than I might have imagined. https://www.succeedinginsmallbusiness.com/a-mentoring-experience-that-changed-my-way-of-thinking/#.Wi7I_iMrJaU

There was plenty of pool time this summer, and time spent with my 98 year old father. I’ve been spending a lot of time with my Northfield Mount Hermon classmates planning a big reunion for June. 

Here’s hoping that your holidays are terrific, and hopes for peace, health, and happiness in the coming year.

Mark