John Sheldon has been a popular presence on the local music scene for many years now. You may know him as the leader of the rock band Blue Streak or from his work with Do It Now, the politically charged group that includes percussionist Tony Vacca and poet Paul Richmond. The Amherst resident has also written the score for many theatrical productions.

Sheldon has many accomplishments in his storied career, and you can learn about his life and how his journey with music began by attending the screening of his film “The Red Guitar” at Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center in Greenfield on Friday, Sept, 29, at 7:30 p.m. A discussion and music will follow the viewing of the film.

“The Red Guitar” is a concert film of a performance piece that Sheldon first debuted at the Double Take Fringe Festival in Greenfield in 2013. It’s part story-telling, part music, as Sheldon tells of his evolution as a guitarist set against the backdrop of growing up in the turbulent 1960s.

As the title suggests, Sheldon’s story is built around a red guitar, a candy apple red Fender Stratocaster, that he purchased from family friend James Taylor in 1965 when Sheldon was 14. The future folk-rock superstar was a frequent visitor to the Sheldon home in Cambridge and even taught young John a few licks to help get him on his way.

As he sits on stage alone, holding the red guitar, Sheldon tells stories about the music that inspired him to play, interjecting chords and riffs from Buddy Holly, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and others that inspired him in between his monologue.

Some of the stories he tells are: landing a gig with Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison when he was only 17, his experience writing to guitarist Steve Cropper, and even some funny family moments. But this coming-of-age story isn’t all easygoing; there were personal struggles as well as growing up during a time when there was a keen awareness in Greenfield that the hydrogen bomb could destroy us all. The bomb was developed around the same time as the Fender Stratocaster, and that coincidence does not go unnoticed by Sheldon.

The idea for the show came to him one night when he was driving to a gig at Deja Brew in Wendell.

“I was driving up there to play and got the idea of ‘The Red Guitar,’ and it just kind of spun out from there,” he told the Recorder in 2016. “It seemed sort of obvious in a way what it was going to be.”

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After debuting this production in Greenfield, and performing locally in the following years, his big break came in 2016 when he was invited to bring “The Red Guitar” to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland, one of the biggest arts festivals in the world. Sheldon performed to sold-out audiences and earned a five-star review from the Scotland Herald.

“Serious Play Theater in Northampton took me and the piece to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where I performed it every night for two weeks. Upon returning from Scotland, I performed it at the Shea Theater,” said Sheldon in a recent email. “We thought the piece was in good shape after working on it for six months and performing it live at the Edinburgh Fringe. Filming it seemed like a good idea. ”

Local filmmaker Robbie Leppzer did the filming.

I have seen the film and highly recommend it. Sheldon is a master storyteller with a great sense of humor. In addition to making you laugh, Sheldon’s stories are heartfelt, and his guitar playing is brilliant. Seeing him play on film, you can see his fingers close up as they fluidly drift across the fretboard. It’s no wonder that Ed Ward of NPR called him “one of the great guitarists of our time.”

As for the future of the film, “We are currently looking for what to do with it,” said Sheldon. This screening is currently the only scheduled screening in the area, so come and enjoy this highly entertaining and informative screening.

Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 day of show.

Every year, the Grammy Awards broadcasts the show on network TV, but they only focus on pop stars, meaning a large portion of the award ceremony, and in my opinion, most of the best musicians, is ignored.

Regarding reggae music, you need to be a serious fan of the genre to know who won the 2023 Grammy for Best Reggae Album. This year, the winner was Kabaka Pyramid for his work, “The Kalling.” The album showcases his uplifting messages and genre-blurring talents for merging hip-hop, soul and dancehall with reggae. Damian Marley produced the album.

Another reason you might want to know this is that Kabaka Pyramid will be at Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, Oct. 3, at 8 p.m. Local reggae band Rebelle will open, and DJ I-ganic will be on hand spinning between sets.

The Kingston-born rapper, singer and producer has been making music since 2011. He is committed to returning the positive energy and messages heard in pioneering roots artists’ work. For that reason, he is often labeled a “reggae revivalist.” He chose the name Kabaka as it is Ugandan for King, and Pyramid is a homage to the pyramids of ancient Africa.

“The older I got, the more I felt responsible to represent myself in a certain way,” Kabaka told Grammy.com. “I wanted to inspire, like how artists like Sizzla and Damian Marley inspired me. I wanted to have a similar effect, and I knew I needed to put out positive music to do that.”

Pyramid has performed at some of the biggest reggae stages and festivals, and worked with some of the leading musicians in the genre.

Tickets are $35 in advance and $40 day of show. Tickets for all Hawks & Reed shows are available at hawksandreed.com or at the box office.

Watermelon Wednesdays is continuing to host shows at the West Whately Chapel this fall. A special event is coming up this weekend, Saturday, Sept. 30, at 7:30 p.m, when Ukrainian violinist SolomiyaIvakhiv plays solo violin of J.S. Bach in a benefit concert for Ukrainian musicians. Ivakhiv is a highly revered and respected musician, and with this show, she is aiding in raising funds for musicians in Ukraine. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit watermelonwednesdays.com.

Peter J. Newland and RadioX, along with the Matt Hebert Band, will be performing at a Benefit for Maui at the Ashfield Community Hall on Sat. Sept. 30, at 6 p.m.

“We welcome the fabulous Valley singer/songwriter Matt Hebert back to the Valley after a 17-year musical journey through the Southwest,” said Newland in a press release about the show. The show is a fundraiser to raise money for the devastated people of Maui, which was ravaged by fire in August. Many of the island’s residents lost everything, and close to 100 lost their lives.

Tickets are $20 (or pay what you can) and will be available at the door or in advance at Ashfield Hardware & Supply. Proceeds will go to the Maui Humane Society and to World Central Kitchen. For more information, call 413-768-9690.

Sheryl Hunter is a freelance writer who resides in Easthampton. Her work has appeared in various regional and national publications. She can be reached at soundslocal@yahoo.com.