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Music of First Fridays, in Skippack
Frank Raffa of Sound Sensation DJs and Entertainment arranges the music for First Fridays in Skippack. Here he brings dance beats to the steps of Audra Lingerie Boutique in Skippack during First Fridays.
In Skippack, on the First Friday of each month, May thru November, from 5 pm to 9 pm: Shops stay open late and musicians, artists and family entertainers enliven sidewalks, porches, shops and restaurants throughout the village.
A room is just a room. And if it is empty, it may be filled with gloom. But add music and the room comes alive. So it is with First Fridays – a key element that turns this monthly event into a joyful celebration is the music that fills the air in Skippack Village.
The Man Arranging the Music
Frank Raffa, owner of Sound Sensation DJs and Entertainment in Skippack, arranges the music as well as other entertainment, such as juggling and face painting, for First Fridays in Skippack. He recruits the musicians, almost all of whom are volunteers, arranges for multiple locations for entertainment throughout the village, and works with merchants to make sure the event runs smoothly.
Frank is friendly, patient and professional. He makes me feel at ease when I speak to him. He takes pride in providing professional-quality DJ entertainment and service for his clients as well as contributing as a member of the Skippack business community.
John Salamone, at right, an instructor at the Creamery School of Music, with Chris Genovese who plays in a band with John, performs in Front of Mal’s American Diner during First Fridays in Skippack.
What They Do for Love
“As someone in the entertainment business, I really appreciate what the musicians are giving,” says Frank Raffa, speaking of First Fridays in Skippack. “They’re taking the time out of their schedules, away from their families, driving, setting up, tearing down, and sharing their talent with us so that we can have great First Fridays.”
Nearly all First Fridays musicians perform without payment.
“Without them,” Frank adds, “First Fridays would not be as successful for Skippack as it has been. Thanks guys and gals.”
Frank explains more about his role in Skippack First Fridays. “We try to arrange the entertainment so that the musicians complement each other and aren’t stepping over one another. This way you can walk Skippack Village from Justin’s Carriage House to La Villa Mexican Grille and take in a great variety of sounds.”
One of the musicians you may see during a First Fridays visit in Skippack is John Salamone, guitar and bass instructor at Creamery School of Music in Skippack and the leader of a rock band that bears his name.
John describes his experience performing at First Fridays in Skippack. “It’s a great sense of community. We get to reach out and perform for people whom we normally wouldn’t. When my band plays downtown, we usually play in a club or bar, we can’t reach teenage kids, younger kids, or older people no longer part of the club scene. All these people take in our music at First Fridays. It’s pretty cool.”
A Message to First Fridays Musicians from the Skippack Blogger
The end of the show: Night falls, toward the end of First Fridays in Skippack.
There have good times and bad times in the life of the Skippack Blogger, fire and rain, darkness and light. Even in the darkest of times, music is always there for me. Music never lets me down. Music is never critical or cruel. Like a guiding angel, music is beside me to touch the deepest part of my soul when it is burning. Music helps me understand the complex emotions born of human relationships–beautiful, flawed and fragile.
For me, local musicians are the greatest of all musicians. They play their melodies without pretense. They give much of themselves in exchange for little in return, asking only that we stop for a moment and listen. At our slightest appreciation, they pay us back in gratitude. They are as unique and individual as the manifold creations under the sun. As long as there is a local musician playing at a bar or event in Skippack, there will be someone whom the Skippack Blogger can write about and respect.
“Give me the beat boys and lose my soul. I want to get lost in your rock and roll.”
More Photos and a Special I Love Skippack Music Video
Bunny Barnes brings soothing folk-pop guitar sounds to First Fridays in Skippack. She plans to return in July. The Skippack Blogger plans to listen to her play.
I enjoyed listening to Brian Bingaman play during First Fridays in May. He has a strong tenor voice and projects his personality well. He is lead singer and guitarist with Fish Relics (cover band) and a staff writer at The Reporter.
Each month, First Fridays in Skippack offers a different feature band. In May, the feature band was the Hearts Club Band, a Beatles tribute band that played both well-known hits and more obscure songs. Visitors loved it.
Mike & Tina Oelschlager of SpiritsHigher will play this upcoming First Friday in June, hosted by Bella’s Boutique, in the patio between Bella’s and Southwest Trading Post.
Links
Frank Raffa
Sound Sensation DJs Facebook Page
John Salamone
Creamery School of Music Website
Creamery School of Music Facebook Page
Sound Sensations DJ Mike Ellis
The Greatest Event, in Skippack
I look forward to seeing and hearing all of Frank’s musical acts.