>>> COMING UP, STORIES WE'RE CONNECTING YOU WITH TONIGHT.

WE'LL EXPWRIEWS YOU TO SOME ARTSIANCE ON DISPLAY DURING THE RECENT CRAFTS OF COLRAIN STUDIO TOUR.

>> I NEVER FEEL LIKE I'M GOING DO WORK.

AND EVERY PIECE OF WOOD HAS A STORY.

AND I JUST LOVE UNCOVERING THAT STORY.

>> CONNECTING MUSIC AND SPECIAL EDUCATION TO UNLOCK THE LEARNING POTENTIAL OF DIFFERENTLY-ABLED STUDENTS.

>> LANGUAGE BREAKTHROUGHS, STUDENTS WITH AUTISM WHO ARE NOT SINGING BUT WHO -- SPEAK BUT SING, IT GIVES US SO MUCH HOPE.

>>> AND WE'LL STAKE A HIKE UP ONE OF THE WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS' MOISTURE BEAUTIFUL MOUNTAINS.

>> THE VIEWS ARE AMAZING.

MOUNT EVERETT TO THE SOUTH, THE NEW YORK STATE BORDER.

>> WE'LL BRING YOU THOSE STORIES AND MORE AS WE EXPLORE THE CREATIVITY, CULTURE, AND COMMUNITY THAT MAKE US WESTERNENING, UP NEXT ON "CONNECTING POINT."

>> Announcer: SUPPORT FOR "CONNECTING POINT" IS PROVIDED BY OUR CONTRIBUTING VIEWERS.

¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ >>> GOOD EVENING AND THANKS FOR JOINING US FOR "CONNECTING POINT."

I'M SIDZ.

-- I'M SIDZ SIDES.

THE FRANK COUNTY TOWN OF COLRAIN, MASSACHUSETTS, HOSTED ITS 18TH ANNUAL CRAFT OF COL RAN SELF-GUIDED TOUR.

THE EVENT FEATURED 19 DIFFERENT ARTISTS AND ARTISANS WHO OPENED THE DOORS TO THEIR WORKSHOPS AND VISITORS WERE ABLE TO FOLLOW A MAP OF THE TOWN TO STOP INTO EACH ONE FOR A BEHIND THE SCENES LOOK AT THEIR OPERATIONS.

CPR'S BRIAN SULLIVAN MET UP WITH TWO OF THOSE ARTSIANCE AHEAD OF THE TOUR AND BRINGS US THE STORY.

>> IT RESTS ON THE SOUTHERN BORDER OF VERMONT AND HAS A POPULATION OF ROUGHLY 1700.

BUT THIS FRANK COUNTY BEDROOM COMMUNITY WASN'T ALWAYS SO SLEEPY.

BACK IN AGRICULTURE EMPLOYED A MAJORITY OF ITS RESIDENTS.

AND THOSE NOT WORKING IN THE FARM TRADES WERE LIKELY EMPLOYED BY THE LOCAL MILLS.

NOW WITH THOSE DAYS IN THE REAR VIEW FOR OVER HALF A CENTURY, THE TOWN HAS UNDERGOT NOT ONLY A MAJOR ECONOMIC BUT ALSO ONE OF IDENTITY.

>> THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT MOVED TO THE HILLTOWNS IN THE '60S.

YOU KNOW, KIND OF BACK TO THE LAND MOVEMENT, THE HIPPIE MOVEMENT.

SEVERAL OTHER DIFFERENT THINGS.

AND THEY KIND OF STAYED AND HAD KIDS AND GRANDKIDS AND THEY'RE PART OF THE LAND NOW.

AND THEY BROUGHT A RENAISSANCE TO THE ARTS.

>> IT'S THE KIND OF TOWN WHERE A FORMER ELECTRICIAN AND PASTOR LIKE NEIL STEAD -- STETSON CAN TURN WOOED WORKING INTO A CAREER.

AND FOR SARA, SHE CAN FINALLY TAP INTO HER ARTISTIC SIDE NOW.

AND THE COMMUNITY HAS TAKEN NOTICE.

FOR THE THE BETTER PART OF THE PAST TWO DECADES, THE TOWN HAS HOSTED A UNIQUE EVENT KNOWN AS THE CRAFTS OF COLRAIN STUDIO TOUR.

UNLIKE ART SHOWS AND FARMERS' MARKETS THAT TEND TO BE CENTRALIZED IN ONE LOCATION, THE CRAFTS OF COLRAIN IS A SELF-GUIDED TOUR OF SEVERAL STUDIOS AND WORKSHOPS SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE TOWN OF COLRAIN.

ONE OF THEM IS RIGHT HERE, IN NEIL STETSON'S GARAGE.

AND FOR ANYONE WITHIN AFINT FOR THE SOUND AND SMELL OF THE HIGH SCHOOL WOOD SHOP, THIS GARAGE IS A LITTLE SLICE OF HEAVEN.

A QUICK GLANCE AROUND THE ROOM AND ONE MAY GET THE IMPRESSION THAT HE'S BEEN UP TO THIS FOR MOST OF HIS ADULT LIFE.

BUT HE ONLY STARTED A FEW YEARS AGO FOLLOWING A 35-YEAR OF -- CAREER WAS A PASTOR.

>> I STARTED SHOPPING ON craigslist AND MARKETPLACE AND ALL THOSE PLACES FOR TOOLS AND I HAD A FAIRLY GOOD SET OF TOOLS.

MY OWN MOSTLY HAND TOOLS.

AND JUST STARTED MAKING THINGS AND SOMEBODY SAID, HEY, YOU SHOULD TAKE THIS TO A FARMERS' MARKET.

SO WE DID AND THEN THEY SAID, HEY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS BETTER THAN FARMERS' MARKET MATERIAL.

YOU NEED TO START GOING TO INJURERIED -- INJURED ART -- JURIED ART SHOWS.

>> THIS OPENED THE DOOR FOR STETSON TO ENTER THE COLRAIN SHOW A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.

MEANWHILE, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN IS SOMEONE WHO IS NO STRANGER TO THE CRAFTS TUSH, HAVING TAKEN PART IN EIGHT OF THE PAST 10.

FIRST-TIMERS WILL LIKELY TRAVELING ALONG THE SCENIC BYWAY OF ROOT 112 TO GET THERE.

THE BEAUTIFUL HILLSIDE PROPERTY OF ARTIST SARA SHOULDN'T DISAPPOINTMENT EITHER.

IT WAS THE INSPIRATION FOR THE NAME OF HER COMPANY.

>> MY SON-IN-LAW HAD -- HAD NAMED OUR PLACE HERE THE COMPOUND, BECAUSE WE KEPT ADDING ON OVER THE YEARS.

36 YEARS THAT WE'VE BEEN HERE, WE BUILT OUR HOUSE, THENNED AD ON THE STUDIO -- THEN ADDED ON THE STUDIO.

AND I NOT ONLY DO BASKETS BUT I PAINT AND DO JEWELRY AND SO I FEEL LIKE, THAT'S A GOOD NAME.

COMPOUND CREATIONS.

>> THE BASKETS TEND TO BE THE BIG DRAW, AND WHILE I WAS ABLE TO SEE THOSE THAT WERE ON DISPLAY, WATCHING THEM BE CREATED WAS SOMETHING I'D HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE WARMER MONTHS TO WITNESS.

>> MY BASKET STUDIO IS ABOVE MY GARAGE AND IT'S NOT HEATED.

SO I AM NOT ACTIVELY MAKING BASKETS AT THIS TIME OF YEAR.

I HAVE TO WORK IN THE SPRING AND SUMMER JUST IN THE MORNINGS BEFORE IT GETS TOO HOT.

AND -- BUT I TRY TO SET UP MY HOME AND MY STUDIO DISPLAY FOR DO AND TO MAKE A PURCHASE IF THEY'RE -- THEY HAPPEN TO BE IN THE SHOPPING MOOD.

>> WATCHING ARTISTS AND ARTISANS WHO SEEM TO BE DOING SOMETHING THEY'VE WAITED THEIR WHOLE LIVES TO DO, MAY SERVE AS AN INSPIRATION FOR THOSE OF US STILL NAVIGATING THROUGH OUR FIRST ACT, THAT THERE IS A CHANCE FOR A SECOND ACT.

>> I NEVER FEEL LIKE I'M GOING TO WORK.

I ALWAYS FEEL LIKE, I GET TO UNCOVER WHAT GOD CREATED TODAY, YOU KNOW.

AND EVERY PIECE OF WOOD HAS A STORY AND I JUST LOVE UNCOVERING THAT STORY.

¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ >>> EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT CPR EXPLORES THE CREATIVITY, CULTURE, AND COMMUNITY THAT MAKE US WESTERN NEW ENGLAND, BUT IT DOESN'T STOP THERE.

YOU CAN FIND US ONLINE ANYTIME FOR EXCLUSIVE FEATURES AND CONTENT.

>>> SUSAN B. ANTHONY WAS ARRESTED IN ROCHESTER THIS WEEK ON NOVEMBER 18TH, IN 1872, FOR LEADING WOMEN TO VOTE.

NORTHERN IN THE NORTHERN BERKSHIRE COUNTY TOWN OF ADAMS, MASSES MASS, SHE WAS A SOCIAL REFORMER AND WOMEN'S RIGHTS ACTIVIST TO PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE IN THE WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE NO.

AND "CONNECTING POINT" PAID AS HAVE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT -- PAID A VISIT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HER LIFE AND LEGACY.

>> IN THE 18 40S SHE WENT TO A CONVENTION AND SHE TRIED TO GET UP ON STAGE AND ADDRESS THE SEM ABLY, AND A GENTLEMAN STOPPED HER, NO, THE LADIES HAVE COME TO LISTEN, NOT TO SPEAK.

SHE TURNED HER ATTENTION TO WOMEN'S RIGHTS.

>> DON'T MISS THIS DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE ABLE ONRIGHT RIGHT NOW.

A NEPM.ORG/CONNECTINGPOINT.

>>> THE COMMUNITY MUSIC SCHOOL OF SPRINGFIELD RECENTLY RECEIVED A STATE BUDGET ALLOCATION OF $50,000 FOR THEIR ADAPTIVE MUSIC PROGRAM, A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SPRINGFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

THE PROGRAM, WHICH SERVERS OVER -- SERVES OVER 500 STUDENTS IN 14 SCHOOLS, CONNECTS MUSIC AND SPECIAL EDUCATION TO ENHANCE AND UNLOCK THE LEARNING POTENTIAL FOR DIFFERENTLY-ABLED STUDENTS AND OFFER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING FOR EDUCATORS.

I SPOKE WITH EILEEN McCAFER -- MCCAFFREY, THE EXECUTE DIRECTOR OF THE COMMUNITY SMIEWS SCHOOL OF SPRINGFIELD, AS WELL AS MARY KAY BROWN, DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIPS AT JOHN J. DUGGAN ACADEMY IN SPRINGFIELD.

>> IT WAS A PARTNERSHIP THAT WAS DEVELOPED DIRECTLY WITH THE SPRINGFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THE COMMUNITY MUSIC SCHOOL TO SUPPORT MUSIC EDUCATION.

WE ARE HAPPY TO SAY THAT WE WE E STRING PROGRAMS AND BAND PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT THE AMAZING WORKING HAPPENING IN THE SPRINGFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

AND NOW WE'VE EXPANDED IT TO HOKE YOKE.

-- HOLYOKE N. THAT REGARD, WHAT WE REALIZED WAS THAT SPECIAL ED STUDENTS WHO WERE PARTICIPATING IN OUR PROGRAMS WERE REALLY BENEFITING FROM THIS BEAUTIFUL ART FORM.

AND SO WE'VE DECIDED TO DO A DEEPER DIVE.

AND FORTUNATELY WE HAD IN OUR -- AMONG OUR FACULTY NOT JUST MUSIC SPECIALISTS BUT ALSO SPECIAL ED FOLKS.

AND SO WE DEVELOPED A CAPACITY AND WE WENT TO A COUPLE OF OUR PARTNER PROGRAMS, SUCH AS DUGGAN ACADEMY, AND MARY K. BROWN, AND ASKED IF WE COULD PIONEER THIS NEW PROJECT CALLED THE ADAPTIVE MUSIC PROGRAM.

WE'RE NOW IN 14 SCHOOLS AND SPRINGFIELD AND HOKE YOKE.

AND IT'S JUST BEEN AN AMAZING JOURNEY OF REALLY TAKING OUR AMAZING SPECIAL ED STUDENTS AND GIVING THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A MUSIC PROGRAM TAILORED SPECIFICALLY TO THEIR NEEDS.

>> WHAT WAS THE -- WHAT WAS SO WONDERFUL OF THAT IS HOW COLLABORATIVE IT WAS.

THE MUSIC TEACHERS IN THE DISTRICT MAY NOT NECESSARILY HAVE THE SPECIFIC SKILLS THAT THE MUSIC PROGRAM PROVIDES.

SO THE MUSIC TEACHER IN THE SCHOOLS TOGETHER WITH THE PARAPROFESSIONALS AND THE TEACHERS ALL COME TOGETHER AS A UNIT TO HELP SUPPORT THE INSTRUCTION FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.

AND TO SEE THEIR EYES LIGHT UP WHEN THE INSTRUCTOR COMES INTO THE CLASSROOM, THEY KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT.

THEY KNOW THEY'RE GOING TO BE SINGING.

THEY KNOW THEY'RE GOING TO BE PLAYING INSTRUMENTS.

THEY KNOW THEY'RE GOING TO BE SINGING ABOUT THE CURRICULUM, BECAUSE THE INSTRUCTOR WILL FIGURE OUT WHAT IT IS THAT THEY'RE DOING CURRICULARLY IN THE CLASSROOM AND TURN IT INTO A SONG THAT THEY CAN THEN SING THROUGH THE DAY WHEN THE INSTRUCTOR HAS MOVED ON TO ANOTHER CLASSROOM.

AND ALSO, HOW GOING REMOTE, WE DIDN'T MISS A BEAT.

AND WHAT WAS BEAUTIFUL ABOUT IT WAS NOT ONLY DID YOU HAVE THE STUDENT IN FRONT OF YOU, BUT YOU HAD THE WHOLE FAMILY, BECAUSE THE PARENTS WERE THERE SITTING SIDE BY SIDE WITH THEIR CHILDREN TO MAKE SURE THEY WERE ACCESSING THE ZOOM, ACCESSING THE CURRICULUM, AND NOW THEY GOT TO SING ALONG WITH ANDY.

>> LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT, BECAUSE I REMEMBER WHEN ALL THE STUDENTS HAD TO GO REMOTE IN ALL THESE DISTRICTS.

I WAS THINKING ABOUT THE STUDENTS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION NOT RECEIVING THAT HANDS-ON TIME THAT THEY HAD WITH INSTRUCTORS AND PROGRAMS.

HOW DID YOU ALL MANAGE TO STAY ENGAGED WITH THESE SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS THROUGH THIS PROGRAM?

>> WE'RE FORTUNATE TO BE PART OF A NATIONAL NETWORK AND AS WE TALK TO FOLKS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WE HAD A PRETTY UNUSUAL EXPERIENCE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO, AS MARY K. SAID, NOT MISS A BEAT.

WHAT WE DIDN'T REALIZE IS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, MOST OF THE PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMS WERE NOT ABLE TO CONTINUE.

AND THAT HAD SIGNIFICANT CONSEQUENCES.

I THINK IT IS BECAUSE OF THE DEPTH.

PARTNERSHIP, I THINK IT'S BECAUSE WE LOVE OUR KIDS COLLECTIVELY, WE ALL LOVE OUR KIDS SO MUCH AND KNEW HOW ESSENTIAL IT WAS FOR US TO FIND WAYS TO CONNECT.

AND ALSO JUST THE BEAUTIFUL POWER OF MUSIC.

THAT THERE'S SOMETHING -- YOU KNOW, THEY DID STUDIES AT -- WHILE PEOPLE WERE HOME, THEY ACTUALLY ENGAGED IN THE ARTS, ALL OF OUR FAMILIES, IN THEIR OWN SORT OF NONSTRUCTURED WAY.

BUT WE ALL FOUND -- I DON'T KNOW IF YOUR FAMILY FOUND THAT, BUT WHEN YOU WERE HOME YOU ARE THE COOL CLEAR ON WHAT THE ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS OF JOY LOOKED LIKE EVEN WHILE THEY WERE ALL LOCKED DOWN.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

SO SPEAKING TO THAT, AND THAT JOY OF MUSIC, AND I WITNESSED THE MAGIC IN THAT JOY WHENES I VISIT PINPOINT DOPPLER WHEN I VISITED -- WHEN I VISITED SPRINGFIELD.

SO IT'S SO NICE TO HEAR THAT YOU'RE RECEIVING THIS FUNDING.

WITH THIS FUNDING, WHAT IMPACT WILL THAT MAKE ON THIS PROGRAM?

>> SO WHAT WE'VE USED THE MONEY FOR AND WHAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO USE THE MONEY FOR IS NOT ONLY THE CLASSROOM WORK THAT WE TALKED ABOUT THAT MARY K. IS REFERRING TO, BUT WE FOUND THAT CREATING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, THAT QUESTION YOU ASKED ABOUT PIVOT, REMOTELY, THAT WAS PART OF WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO USE OUR FUNDING FOR, WAS TO HAVE BEAUTIFUL CAMERA WORK PROVIDED BY FOCUS SPRINGFIELD.

AND SOME OF THE FOLKS FROM LEGACY SOUNDS.

BUT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO USE THE MONEY TO INCREASE OUR OWN SKILL BUILDING.

ALSO, FRANKLY, WE'RE DOING A LOT OF IMPORTANT WORK AROUND CULTURALLY AND HISTORICALLY RESPONSIVE PEDOGY, AND PAYING OUR ARTISTS TO PROVIDE MORE SERVICES ON THE GROUND.

>> NOW, MARY K., YOU ARE ON THE INSIDE OF ALL THAT MAGIC HAPPENING IN THIS PROGRAM.

TALK TO ME ABOUT WHAT A CLASS LOOKS LIKE IN THE ADAPTIVE MUSIC PROGRAM AND WHAT HAVE BEEN SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE EXPERIENCES THAT YOU HAVE WITNESSED OR TEACHERS HAVE SHARED WITH YOU.

>> I ASKED THE TEACHERS TO PROVIDE ME WITH SOME TESTIMONIALS.

AND THEY JUMPED ON IT BECAUSE THEY FEEL THAT THE AMP MUSIC PROGRAM REALLY SUPPORTS WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN THE CLASSROOM.

JUST GOING TO READ A LITTLE BIT FROM ONE OF THE TESTIMONIALS, BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE I CAPTURE IT.

OUR ADAPTIVE MUSIC TEACHER BRINGS WITH HER ENGAGING ACIT THE THAT EVENING RATE MOVEMENT, RHYTHM, BEING CONSCIOUS OF OUR BODY AND SPACE, WHICH COMPLEMENTS ELEMENTS OF TEACHING THAT GO INTO IN THE CLASSROOM SUCH AS MATH, COUNTING BEADS, RECOGNIZING PATTERN IN MUSIC, OR SOCIAL SKILLS BEING AWARE OF OUR BODY IN SPACE AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE ROOM.

THESE ARE ALL SKILLS THAT OUR SPECIAL ED TEACHERS, SPECIFICALLY THE AUTISTIC CLASSROOM TEACHERS, WORK ON WITH THE STUDENTS EVERY SINGLE DAY.

AND THIS IS WHAT AMP TRANSITION TO THE CLASSROOM.

AND THERE ARE LOTS OF STUDENTS WHO ARE VERY, VERY MUSICAL AND THE ADAPTIVE MUSIC TEACHER WILL PICK THOSE STUDENTS AND HELP THEM TO SORT OF LEAD THE CLASSROOM IN SONG AND ACTIVITIES, BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THOSE PARTICULAR STUDENTS REALLY HAVE A REAL, REAL LOVE AND INTEREST IN MUSIC.

>> AS YOU MENTIONED, EILEEN, YOU SERVE OVER 500 STUDENTS IN 14 DIFFERENT SCHOOLS, WHICH IS AMAZING.

WHAT ARE THE HOPES FOR THE FUTURE OF THIS PROGRAM?

>> THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT HAS REALLY THE SCALE OF IT COULD BE REPLICATED MUCH MOSH BROADLY.

-- MUCH MORE BROADLY.

WE'RE FORTUNATE WE USE THE FUNDING FROM THE STARS GRANT, FROM THE MASS CULTURAL COUNCIL, TO SUPPORT THIS.

BUT HONESTLY WITH ADDITIONAL FUNDING, WE COULD OFFER THIS FAR MORE BROODILY INTO THE SCHOOLS.

-- BROADLY IN TOO SCHOOLS.

AND SOME OF THE MOST INCREDIBLE BREAKTHROUGHS HAVE COME.

LANGUAGE BREAKTHROUGHS.

YOUNG PEOPLE WHO WITH AUTISTIC WHO ARE NOT SPEAKING BUT COULD SING, YOU KNOW, WORDS ARE COMING.

IT JUST MAKES US ALL -- >> YEAH.

>> GIVES US SO MUCH HOPE.

AND OUR HOPE IS THAT WE COMONT TO DO THE WORK, THAT -- CONTINUE TO DO THE WORK, THAT THE WORK BECOMES EVEN DEEPER AND MORE EMBEDDED IN THESE BEAUTIFUL PARTNERSHIPS WITH OUR SCHOOLS, LIKE MARY K., AND WE CONTINUE TO GET THE TYPE OF FUNDING SUPPORT THAT ALLOW US TO DO THIS WORK AGAIN AND AGAIN AND TO BE A NATIONAL MODEL, SO THAT OTHER STATES LOOK AND SAY, BOY, WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE IN SPRINGFIELD.

WE COULD DO THIS AS WELL.

AND IF WE CAN MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE IN TERMS OF HOW WE'RE DOING THIS, THAT WOULD ALSO BE A GREAT HOPE AND JOY FOR US, IS TO SEE THIS FLOURISHING ACROSS THE COUNTRY, NOT JUST IN OUR OWN COMMUNITY.

¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ >>> THIS PAST WEDNESDAY WAS NATIONAL TAKE A HIKE DAY, AND MONUMENT MOUNTAIN IS A WELL-KNOWN AND POPULAR HIKING SPOT IN GREAT BARRINGTON.

SO POPULAR, IN FACT, THAT "USA TODAY" NAMED THE MOUNTAIN TO ITS LIST OF 50 MOST BEAUTIFUL SIGHTS IN THE U.S.

LITERARY GIANTS LIKE HERMAN MELVILLE AND NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE DUE INSPIRATION AT THE VIEWS AT THE 1600-FOOT PEAK AND AN ESTIMATED 20,000 HIKERS MAKE A CLIMB TO THE TOP EACH YEAR TO ENJOY THE SKENRY.

"CONNECTING POINT'S" DAVE FRASER VISITED THE MOUNTAIN TO EXPLORE ITS HISTORY AND BEAUTY.

¶ ¶ >> I'VE BEEN HIKING IT SO LONG, I DON'T REMEMBER PROBABLY THE FIRST TIME WAS 20 YEARS AGO.

I DON'T REMEMBER HOW I ACTUALLY GOT STARTED WITH IT.

BUT IT'S A WONDERFUL MOUNTAIN.

THE VIEWS ON THE TOP ARE FASCINATING.

YOU CAN SEE GREAT VIEWS OF THE BERKSHIRES, INCLUDING MOUNT GRAYLOCK, MOUN EVERETT TO THE SOUTH, AND SOUTHERN BERKSHIRES.

YOU CAN SEE PART OF THE TACKONNICS ALONG THE NEW YORK STATE BORDER AND ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE THE CATSKILLS.

>> MONUMENT MOUNTAIN IS PART OF THE TRUSTEES OF RESERVATIONS, WHICH IS A STATEWIDE ORGANIZATION.

MONUMENT IS ACTUALLY ONE OF OUR OLDEST RESERVATIONS, GIVEN NOWS IN 1899 -- GIVEN US TO US IN 1899 BY CHARLES BUTLER.

SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO US AND HAS QUITE A SIGNIFICANCE HERE IN THE REGION.

FIRST, AS A SACRED SITE FOR THE STOCK BRIDGE MOW HE CAN TRIBE AND AS A PLACE OF LITERARY IMPORTANCE, BECAUSE IT'S WHERE HER MEN MELVILLE AND HAWTHORNE MET AND WHERE THE IDEA FOR "MOBY DICK" CAME FROM.

"USA TODAY" JUST NAMED MONUMENT MOUNTAIN THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE IN MASSACHUSETTS.

I CAN SEE WHY THEY MADE THAT CHOICE AND I THINK MOST PEOPLE HO TO THE HIKE AND VISIT THE MOUNTAIN ALSO -- DO THE HIKE AND VISIT THE MOUNTAIN ALSO CAN SEE WHY IT'S DESIGNATED AS MASSACHUSETTS' MOST BEAUTIFUL SIGHTS.

>> I THINK WE'RE LUCKY.

I THINK WE TAKE IT FOR GRANTED THAT WE LIVE IN AN AREA WHERE THERE'S SO MUCH HIKING.

>> IT'S A CHALLENGE TO GET TO THE TOP.

AWESOME VIEWS.

AND IT'S CLOSE BY MY HOMETOWN.

>> I DON'T THINK YOU CAN EVER NOT APPRECIATE IT ONCE YOU COME UP HERE, BECAUSE IT IS SENICE AND YOU APPRECIATE IT EVEN -- IT IS SO NICE AND I APPRECIATE EVEN MORE THAT YOU HAVE ACCESS TO IT.

>> THE PEAK IS 1642 FEET.

THAT'S ABOUT A 700-FOOT CLIMB FROM THE PARKING LOT WHERE YOU ENTER THE TWRAIL.

-- TRAIL.

IT'S ABOUT 500 ACRES AND THERE'S ROUGHLY 3 1/2 MILES OF TRAIL THERE.

IT'S FUN TO WORK IN THE SHADOW OF MONUMENT MOUNTAIN.

I FEEL VERY FORTUNATE TO BE DOING WHAT I DO FOR THE TROUSES -- TRUSTEES, TO HAVE INSPIRING PLACES, TO KEEP OUR WORK GOING AND INSPIRING NEW MEMBERS, FUTURE STEWARDS OF THE MANY PROPERTIES THAT WE MANAGE ACROSS THE STATE.

¶ ¶ >>> SINCE EARLY CHILDHOOD, JOY LADIN FELT A DISCONNECT BETWEEN HER BODY AND SOUL, BUT THE ONE THING SHE DID FEEL IS A CONNECTION TO WAS POETRY.

IN 200 7 LADIN WENT THROUGH THE TRANSITION TO LIVING HER FEMALE GENDER IDEA CASE AND BECAME THE FIRST AND ONLY OPENLY TRANSGENDER EMPLOYEE OF AN ORTHODOX JEWISH ORGANIZATION.

NOW, AS A PUBLISHED ESSAYIST AND POET OF SEVERAL BOOKS, SHE'S A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED SPEAKER ON TRANS AND JEWISH IDENTITY.

I SPOKE WITH LADIN TO HEAR MORE ABOUT HER WORK AND HER JOURNEY THROUGH IDENTITY AND TRANSITION.

>> I STARTED WRITING POETRY IN A HOME THAT WAS COMPLETELY NOT LITERARY.

WE DIDN'T HAVE POETRY BOOKS.

BUT AS SOON AS I STARTED WRITING, I STARTED WRITING WHAT I CONSIDERED POEMS, WHAT I WOULD NOW CALL LIKE RIMES.

BUT I NOT ONLY CONSIDERED THEM POEMS.

I CONSIDERED THEM GREAT POEMS, EVEN THOUGH I HAD NO CONCEPT OF LITERATURE.

AND I OFTEN LIKE -- WHAT WAS IT ABOUT -- WHAT DID I THINK I WAS DOING WHEN I WAS 6 YEARS OLD THAT I THOUGHT WAS SO IMPORTANT?

AND I THINK THAT IT WAS BECAUSE WHEN I WROTE, I FELT CONNECTED TO LANGUAGE AS A WHOLE, SOMETHING LARGER THAN MYSELF.

WHEN I MADE WORDS RHYME, I WAS SHOWING THAT WORDS THAT SEEMED TO BE DIFFERENT ON THE OUTSIDE HAD A INNER KINSHIP ON THE INSIDE.

AND I WONDER IF THAT'S NOT THE WAY I FELT ABOUT MY FEMALE GSHED IDENTIFICATION.

-- GENDER IDENTIFICATION, THAT I COULD FEEL IT RHYMING WITH OTHER GIRLS, BUT THEY COULDN'T SEE THAT.

>> THE SECOND BOOK THAT YOU PUBLISHED ENTITLED, "THE BOOK OF ANA," IT'S A COLLECTION OF PROSE DIARY ENTRIES IN THE VOICE OF A CONCENTRATION CAMP SURVIVOR AND WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU BUBBLE PUBLISHED AS A MAN.

THE SECOND EDITION WAS PUBLISHED THIS SPRING.

HOW PIVOTAL WAS THIS BOOK FOR YOU THROUGH YOUR JOURNEY OF IDENTIFICATION AND TRANSITION?

>> WHEN I STARTED WRITING IT, I THOUGHT THIS IS -- THIS IS REALLY GREAT, BECAUSE IT'S A WAY OF -- I'M WILLING TO DO THIS WORK BECAUSE OF THE TRANS THING.

AND IT WHETHER HELP ME KEEP THINGS IN BALANCE WHILE LIVING AS A MAN.

WHAT I DIDN'T REALIZE WAS THAT AS THE CHARACTER IN THE BOOK, ANA, WAS EMERGING TO ME, SHE WAS TEACHING ME BUT I WAS BASICALLY WRONG IN EVERYTHING THAT I THOUGHT BEING A WOMAN WAS.

I MEAN, SHE JUST DIDN'T FIT ANY OF THE PRECONCEPTIONS THAT I HAD.

SHE WAS, YOU KNOW -- SHE'S ANGRY.

SHE'S TOUGH AS NAILS.

SHE DOES NOT -- SHE'S NOT NICE.

YOU KNOW?

I WAS ALWAYS TRYING TO BE VERY NICE.

AND I CONFUSED BEING NICE WITH BEING GOOD.

AND I CONFUSED GOING ALONG AND ACCOMMODATING PEOPLE WITH BEING HONEST, IF YOU'RE WHAT PEOPLE WANT, THAT'S LIKING YOU KNOW, SOMEHOW THAT SEEMED TO BE OKAY.

AND I CONFUSED ALL OF THAT WITH BEING FEMALE.

SO SHE WASN'T ALL WOMAN ACCORDING TO ANY OF MY -- YOU KNOW, UNDERDEVELOPED IDEAS OF IT.

SHE WAS REALLY HERSELF.

AND IT WASN'T UNTIL YEARS LATER WHEN I -- AFTER -- YEARS OF LIVING AS MYSELF THAT I THOUGHT, OH, RIGHT, GENDER TRANSITION ISN'T BECOMING ALL WOMAN.

NOBODY CAN BECOME A GENERIC CATEGORY.

THERE ARE NO WOMEN WHO ARE ALL-WOMAN.

EVERYBODY IS WHO YOU ARE INDIVIDUALLY.

AND THAT'S WHAT IT'S ABOUT FOR ME.

AND THAT'S WHAT ARNA IN AN EXTREME WAY, SHE STILL SCARES ME, WAS MODELED FOR ME.

>> YOU'VE BEEN RECOGNIZED AS LGBTQ NATION'S TOP 50 TRANSGENDER AMERICANS.

AND YOU'VE DELIVERED TALKS NATIONALLY ON TRANS AND JEWISH IDENTITY.

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO DO THIS TYPE OF WORK?

>> BEING A TEACHER, TO ME, INVOLVES TWO THINGS THAT ARE SACRED AND THEY'RE LINKED TOGETHER.

IT'S TRYING TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND, BUT IN ORDER TO DO THAT, I NEED TO UNDERSTAND.

LIKE I CAN'T HELP OTHER PEOPLE UNDERSTAND UNLESS I'M ALWAYS ENGAGED IN THE WORK OF UNDERSTANDING OTHER PEOPLE.

I HAVE TO KEEP GROWING AND LEARNING THAT WAY.

AND SO TEACHING IS A WAY THAT WE GROW TOGETHER AND UNDERSTAND -- IN UNDERSTANDING.

SO I PAY ATTENTION TO ANTITRANS FEMINISTS AND EVANGELICAL CRITIQUES OF TRANS IDENTITY, NOT BECAUSE IT'S FUN TO READ THAT STUFF BUT BECAUSE IT'S MY JOB TO UNDERSTAND SO THAT I CAN HELP OTHERS UNDERSTAND.

>> AND TO THAT POINT, WHAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE TRANS COMMUNITY?

>> BEING TRANS AND NONBINARY IS JUST ANOTHER -- THESE ARE JUST DIFFERENT WAYS OF BEING HUMAN.

AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT IDENTITIES FOR ALL OF US.

IT'S LIKE WHAT ANA WAS TRYING TO TEACH ME.

NONE OF THESE IDENTITIES, NO MATTER HOW WELL THEY WORK FOR US, AND SOMETIMES THEY WORK REALLY WELL FOR US, YOU KNOW.

WE GET A LOT OF GOODIES FROM THEM.

BUT NONE OF THE IDENTITIES THAT ANY CULTURE GIVES US PERFECTLY FIT US AS INDIVIDUALS.

SO ALL OF US IN A WAY ARE EM -- REMMERSON SAID THIS.

-- EMERSON SAID THIS, HE SAID HE WAS FOR WHAT WE ARE.

ALL OF US ARE PASSING FOR WHAT WE ARE.

WE'RE SAYING I WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND ME, SO I'LL PRESENT MYSELF AS A CATEGORY THEY UNDERSTAND RATHER THAN THE FULL MESSY ME THAT I'M NOT SURE THEY'LL UNDERSTAND.

BUT BASICALLY, I THINK THAT TRANS AND NONBINARY PEOPLE GIVE EVERYBODY A CHANCE TO EMBRACE THE LARGER PARTS OF THEMSELVES THAT DON'T FIT INTO THE CATEGORIES AND ROLES THEY'LL BEEN GIVEN.

-- THEY'VE BEEN GIVEN.

>>> THAT DOES IT FOR "CONNECTING POINT" FOR NOVEMBER 19th, 2021.

REMEMBER, YOU CAN ALWAYS FIND THE STORIES THAT YOU SAW TONIGHT, AS WELL AS EXCLUSIVE FEATURES, DIGITAL-ONLY CONTENT, AND MORE ONLINE ANYTIME AT NEPM.ORG/CONNECTINGPOINT.

AND PLEASE BE SURE TO JOIN US AGAIN NEXT FRIDAY NIGHT AT 6:00 RIGHT HERE ON NEW ENGLAND PUBLIC MEDIA FOR MORE STORES OF THE CREATIVITY, CULTURE, AND COMMUNITY THAT MAKE US WESTERN NEW ENGLAND.

I'M SIDES.

-- I'M I'M ZYDALIS BAUER.

THANKS FOR WATCHING AND HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND.