SWOONSOCKET

Meet Dan Tvaroha

“I came to Woonsocket via my ex-wife. She grew up in Woonsocket, got a job here, and we transferred here. So my kids went through the school systems, went public, and then went to Mount St. Charles; this community became my home. I've chosen to stay because I've been here for so long and love it. 

I am a building manager for CVS Health. We have a faux store where everything is planned and designed for consistency throughout the 1000s CVS stores nationwide. I’m part of the seasonal team, so we were working on Christmas 2024 today.

What I love most is the community here. I love the groups that get together and plan and do things for the city to make it better, whether it be the Levitt Amp music concerts, Autumnfest, or other things. Many of the same people volunteer; they're just great people to work with. Everything we do enhances life here.

I have been with Levitt since the beginning. I worked with several people on the Levitt Amp Woonsocket committee, the volunteers, and some other organizations that partnered with Levitt. I had a fresh set of arms and legs and wanted to help. I came in after work and helped clean up more than I did anything early on. I was just a volunteer that first year. I expressed interest in Meg Rego joining the committee. I let her know of my interests, and I've grown and become in charge of the volunteers as the volunteer manager. Give me something to do, and I’ll make sure to get going to get it done, or I will find somebody to help with it.

If you’d like to volunteer, you can reach out to me. It is easiest to access our Facebook link and Instagram. Eventually, people will be assigned to me. I do a quick informal training on what we do, why we do it, how we do it, and where things are, and I instill in everybody the love of what we do. Some nights, we don't have enough bodies to help. We do an extensive donation collection to help fund the Levitt Amp concert series. And some nights, we're usually only three to six people here. If community groups come in for a night to help, we can help you. It helps to build your organization's brand. Once you are signed up, show up in a group of 15 or 20 people, wear your matching organization T-shirts, and we’ll get you started; we’ve had Autumnfest,  Woonsocket Rotary, DWC, and Hearts with Hope. Those are just a few great groups we've worked with over the years.

My grandmother emigrated from County Cork, Ireland. Irish has always been a big part of my background. I was in the Gaelic society in college, took Irish step dancing lessons (to meet a girl), and marched in Buffalo's St. Patrick's Day parade as we were skilled in Irish step. I most looked forward to Tartan Terrors. They played this past Friday, and it was one of the absolute best, most energetic, finest concerts I’ve seen.

What has surprised me is how smoothly we can make things run if a problem occurs. We've had thunderstorms roll through, and people come back to the park and still see the show, and we always put on a very successful, smooth show. If it's hot, we set up an ER tent.  We have water bowls for the dogs, we have kids' games, we have bubbles, and we have all kinds of food trucks. Our local tavern, Ciro’s, provides a bar service. It's a great event; you can bring friends, sit and talk, get up and dance, and be as active as you want. You can rest assured that we've got everything under control for a smooth and enjoyable experience.

I would tell someone who's never been to a Levitt Amp concert that if there is a genre of music that you like, we probably host a band that resembles that. You may not know the words because they all sing original music, but you'll get the essence and feel of soul, jazz, rock, country, pop, Irish rock, or Zydeco. It's just so much fun. You're experiencing different music every week. It’s a community event. There are no issues with crowd control.  Everyone here is having fun. We have food trucks, vendors that sell things, and vendors that give information out. Just come out and see for yourself. I have talked to many guests who have never been here before. They're always amazed at our little small park, which brings in hundreds of people, and how good the production and music are. They may want to dance and sit and watch, but everyone has had a good time and is returning. They're looking forward to the next one. It's a community you'll want to be a part of.”

Meet Thomas Gray

“I was born and raised and recycled here in Woonsocket. My parents are initially from Newbury, South Carolina. Many black people were in Newberry County, South Carolina. They had some family members that ended up in Woonsocket. They were looking for jobs, trying to get off the farmland and do better. So one family member would come here, and they'd be working at some of the mills around here. They always return to South Carolina in the summertime to visit their home. And whenever they returned, they brought somebody back to Woonsocket with them. It is a story in our community that we hear all the time. 

My mother, her parents, and some sisters and cousins were the last from their household to migrate up here after her older brothers and sisters came up. They looked at this place as an opportunity. My parents were married here in Woonsocket, and shortly after, I was born, raised, and educated here. I played sports and did all kinds of social activities. Then, as I grew up, I began to get involved in community activities. This is where I want to be. This is home; it's a place that I love being, and it's a place where I was reared and belong. I decided to stay. I've traveled throughout the country, and returning home has always been good. This is an extraordinary place. I met a lot of my friends here. I met my wife here. I have been married for over 37 years and am a father and grandfather.

I currently work outside the city. I’ve worked at BJs warehouse, a wholesale distribution center, for 18 and a half years. Before then, I worked at another company for about 23 years. I went to URI for a year and a half. I coach high school basketball and high school baseball. I was the NAACP president for ten years and was voted in at 25. I stepped down at 35, as it was time for someone else to lead. I have always been involved in community activism. My parents, aunts, and uncles were community activists who instilled in me the value of giving back to the community. I've served on many different boards within the city. I'm a Deacon at the St. James Baptist Church. I was born and raised in St. James Baptist Church.

I love Woonsocket. First of all, this is a place where I can always relate. I can always be around my family if I can't do anything else. The second thing I love, was growing up and participating in all the youth activities. Back when I grew up, I was always doing something with young people, such as baseball, basketball, football, or whatever it was; there was someone within the community, specifically Parks and Recreation, who would always have something for us to do. The third thing was just the close-knit community. It has never been an intimidating city. Everybody knows everybody. It is a comfortable place to be and feels safe and open. Of course, we went through the challenges of being accepted. But those were different times back then. However, there was always a place to go to be safe and to feel like you belong. I still think that way. I have introduced myself so much to the city and community. I'll admit there's a lot that goes on in the town now that I don't know about. The city has changed, people have changed, and there has been a change in demographics. I hear a lot of people saying that it's an unsafe place, but that is not true; it is a safe place to be. 

What I love about the Levitt Amp Woonsocket Series is the variety of music. However, the biggest thing I love is how it brings the community together. It's a night where we're just one community and enjoy good music. You see people dancing and having a great time. It shows the best side of Woonsocket. It brings us together; everyone gets along and enjoys each other's company. We need more of that type of atmosphere within the city itself. It's a worthwhile event that needs to continue.

In summary, this event serves the community well and brings out the best in our town. See the Levitt Amp Woonsocket concert tomorrow. It is something everyone needs to experience!”

Photo from Chris Curtis

Meet Margaux Morisseau

“I grew up in Woonsocket and have always had family here. I moved away long ago but continued working here. I had an 18-year career at NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley. So, I always had one foot in Woonsocket. In 2018, I moved back home and purchased a house here. It was the sense of community that brought me back. I just wanted to live in a place where people were kind and accepting of each other, the community was diverse, and there were exciting things to do. Being here is a cozy feeling, and I wanted to be in a place with a real sense of community. This is the only place to go to dinner and get to know people. People are friendly and say hi, and everybody's always willing to help and look out for each other. That's why I love it here.

I now work as a nonprofit consultant. I specialize in policy and advocacy, helping nonprofits advocate for the community, so I advocate for housing, homelessness, and economic justice.

When volunteering at Levitt Amp, I worked at NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley and was part of the original cast. Meg Rego is the grant writer and said something like Margaux: there's this grant I'd love to go for. Imagine if we got this music series for Woonsocket. She continued to tell me about it, and I was like, well, Meg, that's a crazy idea. But let's try it! Meg wrote the grant, and of course, with her excellent skills, she landed the grant, but that wasn't the hard part. 

The hard part was getting the community out to vote. At that time, when I was a Director of Community Engagement at NeighborWorks, Meg and I teamed up, and we went on a campaign around the city. Churches welcomed us to their Sunday masses and allowed us to get their communities to vote. The schools welcomed us over their loudspeaker in the morning and allowed us to vote. We just went everywhere in the city, every gathering, and asked people to vote. I was skeptical because, at that time, Woonsocket had a low voter turnout. We're one of the lowest in the state. Let me tell you, the community voted for free music concerts in the park!

We ended up winning and were so proud of Woonsocket that we then had the task of putting together a content series. So Meg and I went to the Levitt Convening in Los Angeles, California. We learned to put on a concert series, returned here and went to work. So we divided and conquered. I managed all the volunteers and the external stuff. Then, she handled all the band bookings and other internal tasks. It has been so much fun to see it build over the years that even when I left NeighborWorks, I couldn't stop volunteering at Levitt Amp because I saw its impact on the community. I saw how excellent the concerts were and wanted them to keep going; I wanted to be part of it.

I've tried out different roles over the years at Levitt Amp. This year, I am the vendor manager, recruiting and supporting craft vendors to set up and park to make it feel more like a festival.

We would love a couple more craft vendors. We're looking for people who can make and sell their goods. If you are a craft vendor or know somebody who is, please tell them to go to our Levitt Amp Woonsocket Facebook page, and there's a vendor form that they can fill out. You can also message us on the Levitt Amp Woonsocket Facebook page. We will get back to you with the link to the form. It is straightforward: fill out the form. It's a meager cost. It's only $10 per week. Vendors don't even have to bring a tent. They don't have to get a table. They bring their goods. We only allow six a week, so it's a nice small amount. The crowds are typically between 500 and 600 people, so it's an excellent way to get your handcrafted goods out to the community.  It’s a great deal. As somebody involved at craft fairs as, I recently started a craft business, Le Jardin, with my niece, Destiny. But that’s a story for another time. $10 is amazing!

I am most excited to see Black Opry Revue this year on July 26th. I wouldn't say I liked country music when we started this series. One of Levitt's sayings is that people must eat their musical vegetables and listen to live music they don't particularly like or think they'll want. So when Levitt Amp Woonsocket started, the country bands performed and changed my mind. The music was so incredible that I loved some of our country musical acts. Having the Black Opry Revue here this year to celebrate country music's roots is extraordinary. It is fantastic to see how it began. You’ll hear this amazing band that worked on Beyoncé’s new album this year. It is a big deal. So I'm excited and ready to see them.

For context, the Levitt Foundation has stringent guidelines about selecting the bands and must approve the final lineup. So, none of the bands that can be covered bands. They must be original musicians who write their music, and the bands must be diverse in performers and type of music. So, some creative performers take music to the next level. And they also have to be nationally known. They have to have their music available on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, and then they have to have awards under their belt so you know that every band that plays Woonsocket will be unique. There is always something for everyone, as we have a different genre of music each week.

Discover the hidden gem of Woonsocket- the Levitt Amp concert series. With a rich history spanning six years, we've been bringing the community together through the power of music. It's a unique experience that many have yet to discover. So, if you're reading this, I invite you to join us and bring your friends to share in the joy of the Levitt Amp Woonsocket concert series.”