In the early 1800s the power loom disrupted the way fabric had always been made, and who had made it. The "mill girls" originated at Francis Cabot Lowell's Boston Manufacturing Company, which opened in Waltham in 1814, using the first American power looms.
Diane explores the revolutionary changes millwork brought to the lives of women and men alike. We hear of the early days in Lowell and the Bread & Roses strike of 1912, which united workers who spoke dozens of languages in a common quest for decent working conditions.
Diane performs in period clothing and accompanies her crystal-clear singing on parlor guitar and lap dulcimer. As a descendant of immigrant millworkers on both sides of her family, Diane is honored to present songs that capture both despair and hope as newcomers sought a better life.
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Diane Taraz offers unique programs that explore various eras through music. She wears period clothing she has sewn by hand from reproduction fabrics, and plays instruments of the time. Listening to songs created by people who lived through momentous events adds a compelling depth of understanding about the way ordinary folks lived, loved, and thought about themselves and their place in the world.
Diane is a songwriter and producer who has made well over a dozen recordings in a variety of styles. She directs the Lexington Historical Society Colonial Singers and performs with Vox Lucens, a Renaissance choir, and other groups. More information is at her website, www.dianetaraz.com.
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Doors open at 7:00pm and the show begins at approximately 7:30pm. Arrive early and enjoy a self-guided tour of the museum!
Beverages are included in the ticket price, non-alcoholic for everyone, and beer & wine to those 21+.
