By David DeRocco

dave@gobeweekly.com  https://twitter.com/?lang=en 

 Songs are to storytelling what museums are to history. This Thursday night at Niagara Falls History Museum, all of those elements come together in a unique event designed to bring Niagara history alive in song.

 As part of its weekly Thursday night free program series, the Niagara Falls History Museum invites you to join local musicians Aaron Berger, Laurel Minnes, Juliet Dunn, Adrienne Smoke, and Joe Lapinski as they bring history alive with songs and words that tell local stories. The event – THE GREAT CANADIAN HISTORICAL SONGBOOK – will feature new songs specifically crafted for the event.

 “Last year we funded Aaron to create new original songs based on the history of Niagara and Niagara Falls and put a contemporary spin on it,” explained Clark Bernat, Manager of Cultural Museums in Niagara Falls. “Aaron is a wonderfully accomplished artist, singer/songwriter and actor. Cultural development thought he would be a good person to explore this avenue of reinterpreting history to our audience.”

 Berger was given creative freedom on the project, and while the set will include songs of Indigenous and Black history, unsung heroes, smugglers, daredevils and inventors, Bernat says he has no idea how the music and songs will unfold.

 “We don’t know what we’re getting until we get there,” said Bernat. “Aaron is very accomplished and has worked closely with (museum associate) Barbara Worthy to ensure the stories are factual but more important, that the Canadian songs and history lessons of Niagara are told in a way that reinvents them and brings them to life in a different way.”

 The event will be staged in the museum’s theatre, an intimate gathering space that holds approximately 50 people. And while the event being free is certainly a reason to come enjoy it, Bernat says there’s another possible benefit.

 “You might just learn something, or you might just have a good time. Either way we hope that you take something home with you.”

 For more details visit: https://NiagaraFallsMuseums.ca/.