We’re highlighting an event that takes all we do on this show and condenses it into a day of learning, sharing, and expansion on the UMass Campus. 

Art for the Common Good is a full day convention at the Fine Arts Center that is bringing together artists, healthcare practitioners, policymakers, researchers and community leaders from across Massachusetts to look at the connections between art and our well being as humans.

We speak with Drs. Jean King and Tasha Golden, as well as Jamilla Deria, director of the Fine Arts Center, and Betsy Cracco, assistant vice chancellor for Campus Life and Wellbeing and co-Chair of the Okanagan Wellbeing Collective on Campus about  the ways in which arts and creativity can support healing, build stronger communities

And although congress is currently on break, Rep. Jim McGovern still finds time to chat with us about DHS bill that did not fund ICE, birthright citizenship, a short civics lesson about the letter of the constitution and procedures that are currently either under fire or being shirked, plus the places in his constituency that he’s been visiting in this downtime. 

No joke, we are building a better future through skill and laughter

Right here in our own building the NEPM Media Lab spring cohort has just wrapped up their projects, which spanned from working with reporters at Mass Live, to interviewing their peers at schools in the area, and more. NEPM's director of education, Ismary Santiago-Lugo and education program coordinator Donyel Le’Noir Felton reveal more about the students of this session, and cohort members Enrique and Jahlyssa explain  their insights and experiences as their time with us comes to a close

And laughter is some of the best medicine around, and it’s at the core of an upcoming fundraiser for the Northampton Center for the Arts. Revelry at 33 is an incredible affair featuring music, art, an auction, tasty delights, and this year, stand up comedy. We talk with the two performers who’ll take the stage to ensure art is available to everyone: beloved local figure  Kelsey Flynn, and Rhymes with Orange cartoonist Hilary Price as well as NCA co-director Kelly Silliman to discover more about the communal nature of comedy, and the importance of having community performance spaces like 33 Hawley. 

“Alienated Tongues” is the theme of this year’s Massachusetts Multicultural Film Festival (MMFF) which kicks off tomorrow at Amherst Cinema and will run every Wednesday in April. We are joined by MMFF guest program curator Ayanna Dozier, a Brooklyn-based filmmaker and assistant professor of communications at UMass Amherst, to hear about her vision for centering women directors for this festival, and how her non-film work has added to the history and legacy of Janet Jackson.

Then we’re off to the hills of Colrain to visit the largest brewery in town yet one of the smallest breweries in New England to talk to Justin and Katie Korby from Stoneman Brewery. We meet up with Jennifer Core, executive director of CISA, traverse a dirt road, a covered bridge, and visit the microbrewery to learn about how they became the first in the country to create a community supported agriculture (CSA) beer share.

Today’s show is one big love fest.

Big Love Little Performances is the area’s only karaoke and lip sync fundraiser, and it's happening April 2 at The Iron Horse in Northampton to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County. We talk with two long-time ‘bigs,’ Bob Lowry and Jack Petrides, about the impact of mentorship on both the littles and on the bigs. We also talk with the creators of the event,Tara Brewster of Greenfield Savings Bank and Ann Walsh of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County.

We show some big love to valley-based Transhealth, the only independent, non-profit healthcare organization in the nation devoted solely to serving trans and gender-diverse communities. We meet CEO Jo Erwin and hear what they are up to in anticipation of the Trans Day of Visibility tomorrow and the challenges they face from the federal government as they try to provide gender-affirming care here in western Massachusetts.

And, astronomy lover Mr. Universe, Salman Hameed of Hampshire College and Kainaat Studios, tells us what might interfere with the love of star gazing as a corporation plans to launch thousands of mirrors into space that will impact our dark skies at night.

The Back Porch Festival descends upon Northampton with 60 artists in American Roots music across a dozen venues, and The Fabulous 413 broadcasts live from The Iron Horse on to kick things off. For an extra special Live Music Friday, we’re joined by musical guests Willie Carlile, bringing us Queer Country out of Kansas; Olive Klug, singer-songwriter storyteller from Portland, Oregon; Sally Baby’s Silver Dollars who are bringing sounds from New Orleans; and old-timey bluegrass Celtic jazz sounds from our local heroes, The Faux Paws.

We are also joined by the founder of the festival, Jim Olsen, who’s been the host of the Back Porch Radio Show for decades.

Yesterday, we learned the news of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Tracy Kidder’s passing. Today we revisit some of our conversation with the Williamsburg author after publishing his book, “Rough Sleepers.”

And, we are joined by Salar Nader, protege of Zakir Hussain, as he brings the tabla to the studio for the first time for Live Music Thursday.  We hear a preview of his contemporary sound rooted in tradition before he brings his Afghan Music Project to The Drake in Amherst March 26.

Plus, as the war in Iran continues, our listeners want to hear from their elected officials about what the end game will be. Rep. Jim McGovern answers some of your questions about the war in Iran and the future of our own democracy here at home.

Poetry and politics cross paths in Montague this Sunday with a benefit to support our immigrant neighbors. We hear the debut of a brand new poem, inspired by an immigrant rights activist born in Montague, by National Book Award winner and UMass Professor Martín Espada. 

State Senator Jo Comerford from the Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester districts, who will also be at the event in Montague this Sunday, gives us an update from Beacon Hill about the status of immigrants in our community.

Plus, born on the streets of New Orleans and shaped by the city’s second-line tradition, The Soul Rebels have redefined what a brass band can be. They will play De La Luz in Holyoke on March 26, but you can get a preview as they create a brass explosion live in the studio for an extra special Live Music Wednesday. 

Spring is trying real hard to spring. Thus, we will do our part to gently nudge it along as we visit a small hilltop in Montague where Jo Rosen at Meadowhawk Farm is embracing her role as a seed steward and working towards seed sovereignty. Plus she'll give some insights to what you can be doing right now at the end of March to get your own seeds ready for your own garden.

And the vernal times are when more than just birds break into song. The Local Vocal Chord Bowl highlights some of the area's many singing groups  across a wide array of age ranges. Roxy Schneider and Ann Chiara of founding group and local ensemble, Green Street Brew, give us a rundown of the gathering and we and eavesdrop on a rehearsal with Susan Dillard and the Northampton High School Chamber Choir who'll perform at this Saturdays event happening at Northampton High.

And Word Nerd Emily Brewster, resident wordster and senior editor at Merriam-Webster in Springfield explains to us why and how we organize adjectives in the way we do as we learn about the Royal Order of Adjectives.

We get a chance to sit with an incredibly gifted, lauded professor and author who is making an appearance in Northampton. Jesmyn Ward is a professor at Tulane University, a MacArthur Grant recipient, has won the library of congress prize for fiction, is the only black person or woman to win the national Book award twice, and all this from the acclaim of 4 novels, and 3 works of non-fiction. 

 Although her body of work clearly meant she was a perfect fit for her upcoming sold out lecture at Smith College on "Hauntings," it has also been a network of constellations illuminating experiences across the black diaspora, and especially those in the south. So we get a chance to speak with the author about the balance of writing fiction, essays, non-fiction, the love and importance of reading aloud, connections of family and spirit and perseverance, using all one's senses in one's sentences, Martial arts movies and lots lots more. 

Plus Mr. Universe, founder of Kainaat Studios and board member of Amherst Cinemas, Salman Hameed, wears both of his hats as he talks about andrew weir’s latest adapation to hit cinemas nationwide and we explore the spectacle and science found onscreen in "Project Hail Mary." 

 We talk with one of the more important health organizations in the area. Tapestry Health provides care, information, and support for all four counties through an incredible network of programming including WIC, Harm reduction, Sexual and reproductive health, and much much more. We speak with some of their leadership team: CEO Mavis Nimoh and directors Lakayla Harris and Pedro Alvarez about the many ways they build and aid the community, and how you can help them continue the work at their upcoming Gala. 

There's celebrations ongoing, a band that feasts on tiny bursts of pop brilliance is coming to the Shea Theater to perform this evening. Brooklyn’s The Dream Eaters make a stop at the studios before heading up to Turners falls to join us for a most irreverent Live Music Friday. 

And in Easthampton, we’re celebrating Women’s History Month by heading to the women owned Tip Top Wine Shop for a battle of bubbles between two women winemakers, and get to hear about a wicked cool women forward wine convention that Lauren Clark just attended as well.