Hilarie Spangler is the Director of Programs, Grants, and Ventures for Freshgrass. In her work, she actively uses her background as a musician and storyteller to explore authentic, collaborative, and musical community-building exercises and workshops. at Freshgrass, hilarie is responsible for managing and implementing all Freshgrass programs, which include but are not limited to the commissions of new artistic work, curating, and managing the Freshgrass awards, which are designed to encourage and support emerging artists of the genre. She also oversees and administers the process for awarding the annual Steve martin banjo prize. Her favorite aspect of her work at Freshgrass is cultivating and growing the unique collection of community partners such as THE OFFICE performing arts + film, the Silkroad ensemble, House of Songs, The Black Legacy Project, Soul Science Lab, and more. In this role, she actively imagines what a thriving community of collaborative artists and organizations looks like and helps to deepen those relationships.

Hilarie is also the Managing Director of Studio9 recording studio and venue space. Studio 9 is an intimate state-of-the-art recording studio and performance venue in North Adams, MA. The unique building was designed and built from the ground up with music and sustainability in mind. It is 100% carbon neutral and is equipped with Meyer Sound’s Constellation System. Studio 9 is situated on the Porches Inn campus and provides an elite setting and vibe for live shows and professional recording”. As Managing Director, I create and implement our business model as well as organizational budgets, which includes allocations for artist-in-residence programs and commissions for the Studio. As managing director, Hilarie programs and curates a season of small, intimate concerts, residency programs, and community-based events in partnership with both the local Berkshire County community and MASS MOCA. As an entity under Freshgrass Foundation, she helps implement the various artistic commissions on the foundational level on the recording and archiving level in the recording studio. She also works to identify and scout new artists to commission site-specific works to the unique aspects of the space.