Berkshire Music School Hosts Matt Cusson Performance

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Music School (BMS) will present a performance featuring Grammy-nominated alumnus Matt Cusson on April 26, 2025, at the St. Germain Stage. 
 
The event will also include performances by BMS scholarship recipients and community group classes.
 
The event aims to celebrate community and support BMS's outreach programs. BMS reports serving 1,900 students through community outreach in Berkshire County schools and providing financial aid to 51 students, totaling over $35,000 annually. Additionally, 60 percent of the 250 students enrolled in BMS's "pay-what-you-wish" group classes do not pay for the classes.
 
Matt Cusson, a BMS alumnus, has collaborated with artists including Stevie Wonder, James Taylor, Dua Lipa, Boys II Men, and Christina Aguilera. He has received a Grammy nomination, a Billboard Songwriting Award, and the Maxell Song of The Year award.
 
Other performers at the event will include Artois Sancho, Zoe-Ruth Brizan, James Ryan, the Berkshire Music School Adult Flute Ensemble, and the Youth Rock Band.
 
Sponsorship opportunities are available starting at $500. Proceeds from the event will support BMS's efforts to provide accessible music education.
 
The event will be held at the St. Germain Stage, located at 36 Linden St, Pittsfield. Food service begins at 5:30 p.m., doors open at 6:00 p.m., and performances start at 7:00 p. Each ticket purchase includes a meal. Tickets are available for purchase, starting at $25.
 
 
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Companion Corner: Cali and Kyzer at The Berkshire Humane Society

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There's a bonded dog pair awaiting a new family at the Berkshire Humane Society.

Kyzer and Cali are both poodles. Kyzer is the male and is 7 years old, a quite a bit bigger than his sister Cali, who is a miniature of Kyzer and 8 years old.

Canine adoption counselor Rhonda Cyr introduced us to the two.

"They came from a household that couldn't hold on to them, and it sounds like they may have been abandoned by their previous owner with somebody else, and so they came to us looking for a new home," she said.

The two love to be around you and snuggle. But both are very happy dogs.

"Kyzer is 7 years old, and his personality is that he kind of wants to be in everything. He's very loving, very snuggly, as you can tell. And Callie here, she's 8 years old, and she is kind of like the life of the party," said Cyr. "She wants to tell you everything about her day, and she's a little bit of a little ham."

The two are considered seniors and really like soft treats as Cali just had a few teeth removed and Kyzer has a tooth procedure coming up.

"Currently, they really like soft treats, because they are both on the senior side of things. So they have had some dental work, so they are really in need of something softer. They are not big chewers at this age, really, their main focus right now is just really socializing and cuddling," Cyr said.

The two would love a quiet home with someone who wants to snuggle. They shouldn't go to a home with bigger dogs but if you have a dog, you can bring them in for a visitation with the poodles to see if they will get along. Cats will be fine and the preference is for older and more responsible children so that the pups don't get hurt, as they are senior citizens.

"The perfect home for them would be a quiet home that's not too active. Like I said, they're very social, so they could handle some visitors," she said. "They're very friendly, but I don't think that they would really enjoy any other dogs in the home."

Poodles need to be regularly groomed, and the prospective adopter will have to keep an eye on their health. Kyzer has a heart murmur that needs to be monitored. This doesn't mean he is in bad health, as he could live a perfectly normal life, but he will need to be checked by a veterinary specialist routinely.

"Ideally, he would go to a home that could provide further health care with a specialist in cardiac care. And you know, he could very well live out the rest of his life comfortably and happy," Cyr said. "We just don't have all that information at the moment, but I think that you know the way he's going right now. He's got a good spirit, and he seems to be pretty happy."

The shelter is hoping the to get them a home for the holidays.

"We would love to get them a home in time for the holidays. They've been here since the eighth of November, and they're really, really looking as much as the staff loves them here, we're really looking to get them into a home and somewhere nice and cozy so they can spend the rest of their life together," she said.

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