Participating students and teachers gathered for the traditional photo at the 2025 Troutbeck Symposium on Thursday, May 1.
Leila Hawken
A panel discussion among educators whose students had participated in the 2025 Troutbeck Symposium was held on Friday, May 2, to offer reflections on the symposium, its value and future development. Panelists from left to right were Jessica Jenkins, Litchfield Historical Society;Wunneanatsu Lamb-Cason, Brown University; Morgan Bengal, Old New-Gate Prison; Frank Mitchell, Connecticut Humanities; and student representatives Dominik Valcin of Salisbury School, and Shanaya Duprey of Housatonic Valley Regional High School. Leila Hawken 
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Terence S. Miller, owner of Roaring Oaks Florist in the new self-serve area of the shop.
Natalia Zukerman
Just in time for Mother’s Day, Roaring Oaks Florist in Lakeville has launched a new self-serve flower station next to its Main Street shop, offering high-quality, grab-and-go bouquets from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week — including Sundays when the main store is closed.
Owner Terence S. Miller, who bought the shop 24 years ago at just 20 years old, calls the new feature “a modern twist on an old-school honor system,” with some high-tech updates.
“We’re still using our same high-end flowers, just with less markup and no labor,” said Miller. “That way people can access our quality anytime, even if we’re closed.”
Tucked beside the shop’s main entrance at 349A Main Street next to The Boathouse, the self-serve area is partitioned and monitored by security cameras. A simple touchscreen checkout system lets customers pay with a credit card — no cash accepted — and includes photo prompts to make selection easy. Vases, ribbons, flower food, and care instructions are all stocked and labeled.
“We’ve tried to think of everything people might need,” said Miller. “It’s all about making great flowers more accessible without losing what makes Roaring Oaks special.”
Miller said the idea came from years of watching customers try to squeeze in a visit before or after hours. “We’re open 8 hours a day, but we’re here for almost 10, and it still isn’t enough. People are always showing up after we close,” he said. “This way we can be ‘open’ more hours without adding staff.”
Though he considered making the space available 24/7, Miller ultimately decided against it. “We didn’t want to encourage late-night tampering,” he said, noting the shop’s proximity to local bars and restaurants.
Miller’s journey into flowers was unexpected. As soon as he could get his farming papers at 12 years old, he started working at Silamar Farm in Millerton. Alongside its produce, Silamar’s was one of the first farm stands in the area to sell fresh cut flowers.Miller began growing and bundling cut flowers for city-bound customers. “By 16 I needed a year-round job, so I applied to every florist around. I just had a knack for it,” he said. After a stint in Rhinebeck, he returned and bought Roaring Oaks from its previous owner.
In the decades since, he’s built a reputation for quality and creativity. The shop’s flowers are sourced from around the world, particularly Canada and South America, though Miller is committed to supporting local growers wherever possible, especially for summer offerings and weddings.
“We’re hoping to feature some smaller farms in the self-serve section this summer,” said Miller. “DIY weddings have taken off, and people don’t always realize the benefits of buying local. Cold chain is everything. The flowers we source come straight from the airport to the wholesaler and right up here. That’s how we keep them fresh.”
Roaring Oaks also offers consultations and bulk flower discounts for events and weddings, a service Miller hopes more customers will discover through the new self-serve setup.
After 50 years in business, and nearly a decade at its current Lakeville location, Roaring Oaks continues to evolve. “This September marks my 25th year,” said Miller. “I’m always looking for ways to make people happy. Flowers should be simple, joyful, and accessible. That’s what this is all about.”
For more information or to plan your Mother’s Day bouquet, visit Roaring Oaks Florist at 349A Main Street, Lakeville.
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A string quartet opened the Bard Conservatory of Music program for Region One third grade students at Music Mountain.
Patrick L. Sullivan
Region One third grade students attended a chamber music concert by Bard Conservatory of Music students at Music Mountain Tuesday, April 29.
After expending spare energy racing around the Music Mountain lawn, the children trooped into the concert hall and took their seats.
After a brief introduction from Bard’s Mira Wang, the first item on the program was a string quartet, playing a piece by Haydn.
The students also heard a solo rendition of medieval songs played on the alto trombone, an unusual instrument.
The annual third grade concert is a tradition that stretches back decades at Music Mountain. It’s a treat for the children, and for the music students, who get to experience the incredible acoustics of the Music Mountain concert hall.
Two flutists performed later in the show.Patrick L. Sullivan
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Legendary music supervisor Randall Poster presents film series at Triplex in Great Barrington
May 07, 2025
Randall Poster, celebrated music supervisor.
Brigitte Lacombe
What do the films of Martin Scorsese, Richard Linklater, and Wes Anderson have in common? Great songs carefully curated by music supervisor Randall Poster.
Poster’s expertise in choosing just the right music helped make Larry Clark’s “Kids” and Wes Anderson’s “The Royal Tenenbaums” pop. In a recent interview, Poster explained how he got into music supervision.
“It was born out of an ambition to make movies. Growing up with Todd Haynes, Richard Linklater and Wes Anderson was really the foundation of my career.”
From May 9 through May 11, Poster will be presenting a series of films where he served as music supervisor. He will discuss the films before or after screening. Tickets are available at www.thetriplex.org.
On Friday night, May 9, there will be two films about hotels: Sofia Coppola’s “Somewhere,” and Wes Anderson’s “Grand Budapest Hotel.” Saturday features include “American Graffiti” and “School of Rock.” On Sunday, “Mean Streets” and “The Wolf of Wall Street” by Martin Scorsese will be shown.
About “Mean Streets”, Poster said, “Scorsese’s use of popular music created a pivotal moment. He really decided to forego an original score and populated the movie with great rock’n’roll songs that don’t play nice. It had a rock’n’roll attitude and an anti-establishment vibe. That film influenced every generation of filmmakers. It really opened the door to try to push the boundaries of the musical component of movies,” he said.
Poster also selects music for TV series and oversees all musical aspects from choosing and licensing existing music to collaborating with composers to create original scores. For example, Poster worked with Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo to develop the score to Wes Anderson’s “Rushmore.”
He works closely with directors to hone their vision but doesn’t always pick music for directors, which is a common misconception.
“My job is to be the person with whom the director can discuss the music, imagine a music strategy and then work together to execute it. I’m by the director’s side presenting different options or perspectives and trying to find the most perfect piece of music to accompany and support the story. As you edit the film, you get a sense of what the film is looking for,” he said.
Poster has worked on “The Crossing Guard,” “Velvet Goldmine,” “Rushmore,” “Boys Don’t Cry,” “Meet the Parents,” “The Royal Tenenbaums,” “The Aviator,” “The Squid and the Whale,” “Zodiac,” “I’m Not There,” “Up in the Air,” “Joker: Folie a Deux,” among many other films and television shows including HBO’s “Vinyl,” which was produced by Martin Scorsesee and Mick Jagger.
About working with Jagger, Poster said, “He turned us on to some songs that are lesser-known. One of the great joys of music supervision is getting to the roots of whatever music it is that we’re thinking about.”
Most recently, Poster worked on a documentary about Pee Wee Herman directed by Matt Wolf due out in May on HBO. Always an eager listener, Poster has a wide range of tastes.
“It all depends on what era I’m living in at the moment. Oftentimes I’m in the 1930s or the 1950s. This week, I just was listening to a lot of Aretha Franklin’s early Atlantic Records,” he said.
“I spend a lot of time looking for music, listening to music, storing music and learning about music. I still enjoy listening so much, and it’s been my abiding passion. As long as I’ve been digging, I’ve made discoveries over a long period of time,” he added.
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