Last year, I made the move from NYC back to my hometown of Boston. I was going to lots of shows to form new connections in the area. In early June, I attended the Carla Del Forno show and met Sam Potrykus at the front door. That night, I also picked up a copy of the Compass to browse through.

Growing up, I remember feeling especially at home at local shows in the Boston area. After reading through the issue of the Compass, I did some googling and found myself signing up to volunteer with Boston Hassle. In my third month of volunteering with the Hassle crew, I can happily say I’m feeling once again a part of a thriving community of creatives who make amazing things happen in the area. The amount of trust this group puts in me is inspiring—they gave me my own email address in the first month because I’d agreed to take on some organizational projects (so official)!

If you’re the kind of person who seeks out independent music and arts and wants to see them thrive in Boston, you should definitely volunteer. We’re looking for folks to help run our shows, drop new issues of the Compass around town, or post up some flyers. If you’re interested in learning about these opportunities and more, we’ll be hosting a volunteer fair on September 29, 12-5pm at the Dorchester Art Project. Come say hi and learn more about how you can get involved!