Echoes: a Cabaret of Community Portraits

Echoes of Otsego is a cabaret of song portraits—true stories transformed into music and art. From a bass-playing biker to a village baker, a survivor finding faith to a man finally coming home, these are real voices—funny, tender, defiant, and searching—woven into songs about belonging, becoming, and the quiet power of everyday lives.

It’s not just a show—it’s a living, growing work. With every new person I meet, a new portrait may be born. Echoes continues to evolve—because community keeps changing, and stories keep coming.

Join us—and you might just hear your own story in someone else’s song.

Buried Treasure

Buried Treasure is all about finding ways of opening the heart and connecting with the world and the people in it. Multi-genre songwriter and storyteller Keith Torgan and flutist Barbara Siesel, take us on a musical journey that explores these connections from many different angles and links the audience to their own internal struggles around growing up, finding relationships, getting married, dealing with politics, and the spiritual life. Buried Treasure inspires us all to look at our own lives in this witty, poignant, and joyous performance. 
 

Now We Can Sing

Stories of Hope, Resilience, and the Power of Remembering

Envision a world where pursuing your deepest passion is hindered by the color of your hair, the freckles on your skin, or simply thinking a bit differently. “Now We Can Sing” unfolds as a poignant and uplifting musical journey, spotlighting the music banned to Jewish musicians in 1930s Germany by the Nazis. This immersive event traces the paths of these resilient artists through the harrowing era, culminating in their migration to a new land and the forging of new lives. In the face of adversity, the melodies that were once suppressed now soar, creating a powerful narrative that resonates with the triumph of the human spirit and the enduring ability of music to transcend oppression.

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Filigree: Flute Music From Around the World

The flute has played an important role in so many cultures. Flutist, Barbara Siesel, offers a pallet of music from China, Ireland, France, Germany, America, Japan, and Italy. This concert includes music from the baroque to the contemporary, as well as Barbara’s thoughts and commentary on the selections. This is a wonderful and peaceful way to spend an afternoon or evening.

Flute Mastery

Workshops

being onstage: acting for leadership

Whether you've an established business or a startup or you're just embarking upon a career -- the ability to communicate powerfully and effectively in front of people often under the most stressful of situations is invaluable.

The difference between a nice presentation and an effective one is the ability to go beyond the fear of exposing what is unappealing and revealing that which is most authentic. In BEING on Stage: Acting for Leadership, participants see themselves in the proverbial mirror and discover the parts of themselves that really touch others. Utilizing emotional exploration, performance feedback and expert theater training participants begin to experience a powerful emotional connection to themselves and as a result and new and affecting connection with potential clients, employees, business associates and investors.

Join award winning actor, musician, storyteller, author, entrepreneur and teacher, Keith Torgan, in a workshop designed to help you unblock the psychological and physical obstacles that keep you from being free.

Testimonials:

“This was profound. BEING onstage really helped me find something I didn’t know was in me. My plan now is to use it expressing my passion for my business”
Phil Keane, Blue Sky Farm Productions

“I thought I’d get some tips on the way to say and do things, but it was so much more. It was much more sensitive, it was much more real, it gave me a different feeling about who I am and how I present myself. [It] brought to my attention things I forgot about – when I was younger and how I felt.”
Joan Salbu, Caldwell Banker

“Thank you for helping me bring out my badass! It was beautiful, you’re a healer. I got inspired by the work I saw you magically perform, it was very sensitive and skillful – and I’m honored. I’m so happy I came. Thank you.”
JoJo Keane, Inspired Soul

“It was an awesome workshop”
Umut Ermec, CEO, Smart Professions

“I spoke briefly in front of a couple of hundred people yesterday and did a much better job being authentic and maintaining eye contract. Thanks “BEING onstage.”
Brett Whysel, Co-Founder, Decision Fish

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Living Creatively

a workshop in seeing life through fresh eyes

Waking up in the morning and facing the day can be daunting, unless of course we have something to look forward to; something fresh, a new way of seeing life that we’d not cultivated. In Creative Aging we rekindle our innate creative ability by remembering and telling the stories that are central to our lives and turning them into songs. Through guided imagination, exploration of the senses, free writing, group sharing and collaborating we rediscover our joy. Not only does this highly interactive experience assist us in accessing our creativity it is also empowering in other areas of life leading to greater awareness and satisfaction. 

testimonials

My Story My song

a workshop in creativity and collaboration through songwriting

The stories that are central to our everyday existence fuel the creative process and serve as the centerpiece for this invaluable workshop in personal and group creativity. My Story, My Song has participants tell their life-tales and guides them in turning them into song through free writing, group collaboration, guided imagination and sense exploration exercises. Not only does this highly interactive educational experience assist participants in accessing their creativity it also empowers them in other areas of their lives leading them to greater self-awareness, self-confidence and self-esteem.

adults & young adults