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By Daniel Curtin
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Members of the community of all different ages came out to the Medfield Library to listen to Colette O’Connor perform original songs on her acoustic guitar last Tuesday.
O’Connor’s performance channeled her past experiences as a mother and from her own childhood. She described her musical style as “where Libba Cotten meets Doc Watson meets George Harrison, and they all kind of hang around Cat Stevens’ kitchen table.”
Deborah Booker, who was in attendance and who is a frequent visitor of events at the library, enjoyed the storytelling aspect of the performance.
“I think her voice is so melodious. It’s wonderful. Her stories she tells as part of the music pulls the whole event together,” Booker said.
O’Connor remembers that before she began giving concerts, she wasn’t sure how to get her music career started and was nervous about the idea of performing in front of crowds. A health scare several years ago, however, helped her realize that it was important to overcome her trepidation and share her notebooks that were full of music with others.
“Like any art, you bring it out within yourself. What’s music if you don’t share it? What’s art if nobody sees it? What’s a poem if nobody hears it? How can it connect? I made myself get out there to open mics,” O’Connor commented.
Penny Post attended the performance and was struck at the different experiences O’Connor referenced in her music.
“What I love most about Colette’s music is the way that she takes a particular experience out of all the stuff that is going by. I mean, fireflies, mannequins on the porch, and she makes it so special … she brings it to our attention. In getting so specific, she’s universal,” Post said.
The audience was very receptive to the performance, and enthusiastically sang along to several songs.
Some in attendance brought with them an even greater appreciation for the artist’s talents, which expand into the realm of acting, as well. O’Connor is currently playing Frances Perkins in “We Did It For You! Women's Journey Through History,” Dr. Thea Iberall’s musical about how women got their rights in America, told by the women who were there.
“I think she is an incredible singer-songwriter,” said Dr. Iberall, who had come to enjoy her colleague’s concert. “I’ve never seen anyone play the guitar the way she does.”
For further information on Colette O’Connor, visit www.coletteoconnor.net.
For more information on “We Did It For You!,” upcoming performances of which are scheduled in Framingham and Boston, visit http://www.wediditforyou.org.
