Earth Music Theater Live Brings Music, Space Imagery, and Storytelling to Valley Audiences This Spring
- Mar 31
- 2 min read
Free April 9 performance at Forbes Library kicks off regional and statewide series
Northampton, MA — A group of acclaimed Pioneer Valley musicians will present a one-of-a-kind performance experience this spring, blending live music with stunning imagery of Earth captured from space.
Created by Northampton-based composer and guitarist Steve Thomas, Earth Music Theater Live (EMTL) is an immersive multimedia concert that weaves together genre-spanning music, astronaut photography from the International Space Station, and spoken word to explore our planet from a rare and powerful perspective.
The spring series opens locally with a free performance on April 9 at 6 PM at Forbes Library, presented in the Calvin Coolidge Museum. The event is part of the statewide Ignition Initiative, coordinated by The Space Consortium, building momentum toward Massachusetts Space Week.
The ensemble features Valley musicians Chris Cheek (alto saxophone), Claire Arenius (drums and percussion), and Josh Metz (acoustic bass). Their live, improvisational interplay forms the musical core of the experience—evolving in real time alongside breathtaking Earth imagery captured by astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
EMTL was developed in collaboration with Dan Barstow, director of EarthMusicTheater.org with support from the Association of Space Explorers (ASE) for the astronaut imagery used in the production.
Following the Northampton performance, EMTL expands beyond the Valley with a presentation at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum on April 25 as part of Massachusetts Space Week. The series concludes regionally with a May 31 performance at the Shea Theater in Turners Falls.
Both the Boston and Turners Falls performances feature special guest Cady Coleman, whose presence brings a deeply personal and inspiring dimension to the program through stories and reflections from her time in space. Easthampton-based multi-instrumentalist Carl Clements joins the ensemble for the Shea Theater performance.
At the Forbes Library, a scratch-built scale model of the International Space Station will be on display.
With support from community partners and sponsors, EMTL is committed to offering free and low-cost access, ensuring that families, students, and community members can experience this unique intersection of music, science, and storytelling.
April 9
6:00 PM
Forbes Library
Calvin Coolidge Museum
Northampton, MA
Free and open to the public
April 25
6:00 PM
John F. Kennedy
Presidential Library and Museum
Boston, MA
Presented during Massachusetts Space Week
Special guest former NASA astronaut and author Cady Coleman
Free and open to the public
May 31
4:00 PM
Shea Theater Arts Center
Turners Falls, MA
Special guest former NASA astronaut and author Cady Coleman
Free and open to the public
More Information:
Contact: Marc Nichols — earthmusictheaterlive@gmail.com
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