Singer/songwriter

Eclectic a capella, from classical to contemporary and beyond.

Playing under the moniker "leisure," Ben Parinello has been described as a "one man band" with only an acoustic guitar and his voice. With a repertoire of nearly 40 original songs and 100 covers Ben strives to never play the same set twice. The dynamic range of his voice and the unpredictability of his sets always make for something special for the audience when he performs. 

I'm a singer/songwriter from Cambridge, though I'm moving to Somerville soon! https://soundcloud.com/bencentra 

I already sing my songs on my porch, and I would love the opportunity to use someone else's for a change.

The WholeTone Music Academy will be hosting YOU playing at our Instrument Petting Zoo, several bands featuring the brilliant members of our teaching collective, and sparkling performances by students of all ages. One such band will be Petting Kazoo, a singer-songwriter indie folk duo, made of Nora Maynard (WTMA Director, Instructor for Voice, Violin, & Piano) and Rafael Natan (Oboe, Violin, Piano). Hayes Cummings (WTMA Co-Administrator & Gig Coordinator, Instructor for Guitar, Bass, & Ukulele) will also be showcasing his jazz guitar chops. Stay tuned for a schedule!

A killer lineup of folk all-stars, including: 
Windowsill & Ashtray, the Folked Up folk heroes that cannot be described in words alone
C i d e r d o w n, the mistress of melancholy
Hannah Jay, the social media free songstress
Mike Sim, the rollicking rock god,
And Andy Brink, who has a porch and pays rent and does other stuff good too

Somerville based singer-songwriter EJ Carey, known as the 2000s Pop Diva, is known for putting on an energetic, vocally-charged live acoustic set packed full of her own original pop-rock songs as well as songs you forgot you loved from the 2000s. Her debut album Loaded Question reintroduces originality to the idea of the singer-songwriter and packs an emotional punch with entrancing lyrics and dynamic vocals, providing the kind of storytelling that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Newcomers and fans of Fall Out Boy, Avril Lavigne, Demi Lovato, and Kelly Clarkson alike come to an EJ Carey show for the nostalgia and stay for the tunes and singalongs!

Jamie Kallestad is a songwriter from Cloquet, MN. A longtime guitarist and vocalist for the MN stomp-grass trio Saint Anyway, he is also one half of the New England Americana duo 90-Mile Portage. Jamie currently lives in Boston, MA. His new full length album Songs From The North Country was inspired by three months in Norway. In 2017, Jamie was selected to serve as an artist-in-residence for Porcupine Mts. Wilderness State Park.

Julia Alpern is a 24-year-old singer/songwriter whose style blends acoustic indie, folk, and pop. She performs her own originals along with striped-down versions of popular songs on vocals and guitar.”

A funky fresh sextet from Lowell, Massachusetts. Formed from the shared desire to funk things up, The Squires have quickly become an energetic staple of the Lowell music scene. They blend RnB, Soul, Reggae, and funk into a satisfying musical experience!