Harwood Alum, Reid Parsons, will return to the Mad River Valley to headline a fundraising concert for the Harwood Auditorium Revitalization Project at the Big Picture on Saturday, January 17th. The show will celebrate the legacy of high-quality music education at Harwood by featuring Parsons and including the current HUHS student band, the Glam Cowboys, as the opening act.

The show is part of a concert series presented throughout the Harwood district to support HARP, the Harwood Auditorium Revitalization Project. HARP was created to raise funds for key improvements that will benefit students, educators, and the broader community. The HARP seeks to transform an aging facility into a vibrant, safe, and fully equipped space that reflects the talent and dedication of our students and community. Despite years of excellence in our Music and Theater programs, the theater itself has not been substantially renovated since 1997 and no longer meets the needs of modern performances.

Harwood Theater Director Scott Weigand felt Parsons was a perfect choice to perform since she reflects the longstanding high caliber of the HUHS Music Department. A 2011 Harwood alum, Parsons was very involved in the Harwood Music department and was the lead in “Annie Get Your Gun” in 2009, the first Harwood show Weigand directed.

Parsons is now a Burlington-based singer-songwriter whose music blends soul, folk, blues, and jazz-infused Americana into something both grounded and expansive. Her debut full-length album, “Back to Back”, released in the spring of 2025, showcases her signature style: expressive vocals, layered arrangements, and songs that are as emotionally resonant as they are sonically rich. Written, arranged, and produced by Parsons herself, the record moves confidently between intimate ballads and full-band tracks with a deep sense of groove and feeling.

Opening the show for Parsons will be the Glam Cowboys, Harwood’s next generation of talent, made up of active members of the Harwood Music and Theater Departments. The Glam Cowboys are an indie-pop/rock band featuring Eireann McDonough on lead vocals, Tarin Askew on guitar and vocals, Cora Potts on drums, Cali Neville on bass, and Eliza Whitehair on keys.
Known for their coordinated attire and live energy, they perform a diverse collection of original music. They have performed at venues such as Zen Barn, Higher Ground, Firefolk Arts, and recently in MRVTV’s In-Studio Live Music Series.

Tickets are available at:
https://www.bigpicturetheater.info/event-details/harwood-auditorium-revitalization-project-presen ts-reid-parsons