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years with local favorites, "The Infractions." During this time as a working musician, Stratton was making a calculated behind- the-scenes hustle, which would turn into a career-defining time period in his life. After high school, Stratton began making trips to The Hit Factory in New York as part of an internship. He would travel down there from the South Shore twice a week, serving the role of a "glorified coffee boy." His position as "glorified coffee boy," however, placed him in direct contact with many of the nation's top musical acts and producers. After a couple of years of "serving coffee," Stratton's other skills as a jack-of-all-trades was quickly recognized. People around him started taking note of his musical skills, production skills, writing skills and his overall ability to learn the business. This led to a job producing for Polygram Records (which was eventually bought by Universal in 2000). At Polygram, he was producing for their Special Marketing Division which, by his account, was "an amazing and lucky position." The Special Marketing Division was in charge of releasing compilation CD's featuring not one or two, but several of the time periods' more popular artists. This put Stratton in a position to work alongside some of the most established musicians in the industry…a position in which he took great pride. These connections would lead him on quite a roller coaster of musical experiences. In the early 2000's, Stratton began working with Hootie and the Blowfish, going on the road with them and serving on their production crew. He has played alongside everyone from the Eagles to Jeffery Gaines to Paula Cole to Chicago. This is where his story starts to come full circle. Stratton has recently collaborated with Paula Cole, Danny Seraphine (Chicago) and Jeffery Gaines (amongst others) on a new single, dubbed "Call it Love," where 100 percent of the proceeds from this song will go to a charity called Citizens for Children's Safety. The all-star cast of players and writers has been drumming up quite a bit of recognition for this wonderful effort, which is "A child protection charity to help regulate parental guidelines, work with DSS, help with school systems and help with school security by creating a line of defense in schools throughout the U.S." Stratton's dedication to music has paid off as his rolodex, as well as body of work, is living proof. Another big name that everyone is familiar with, but not everyone knows, is Lori McKenna. The Stoughton based McKenna has been a staple songwriter of the Boston music community, and her resume makes that stunningly clear. McKenna has married the "behind-the-scenes" role with the role of "lead character" perfectly. As a performing singer- songwriter, McKenna has performed at coveted venues such as the Newport Folk Festival, the Sundance Film Festival, and every go-to venue in between. Behind the scenes, her songs have been performed and recorded by the likes of Faith Hill, Alison Krauss, Tim McGraw, Keith Urban, Hunter Hayes, Reba McEntyre and, most recently, Little Big Town. I'm sure you guys have heard of the little smash hit song "Girl Crush," right? Yeah, that was one of McKenna's, which makes her a local force with whom to be reckoned. She provides other local musicians with hope and inspiration, as she is living proof that the "local artist" can also be the "extremely successful" artist. The beauty, however, lies in the fact that her work still provides no sacrifice. She writes as though the weight of her career and success is hardly a factor, and seems to stick true to the honest nature of her writing. McKenna's most recent album (2014) was named by Rolling Stone as one of the top country albums of that year. What I personally love about McKenna's career is how it is entirely without pretention. She is never a big deal on her own accord. She simply works hard - quietly and diligently - while continuously allowing others to discover and recognize her true brilliance. So, what else is going on around the South Shore for music? The Aldous Collins Band continues their Wednesday residency at The Tinker's Son in Norwell. Mr. Dooley's in Cohasset continues their weekly open mic night, hosted by yours truly. Another great local spot is The Surf Lounge in Hull, with live music Friday through Sunday. The Stoughton House of Brews keeps the live music coming with a select roster of great songwriters five nights a week. With spring right around the corner, keep your eyes on Hull's Kitchen, with rumors of an early opening this year. Other artists to check out include Nico Rivers, Jeff Rosen, The Joneses, Double D (Dave DeLuca) and the Bluesmakers, as well as Chuck McDermott. Until next time, this is Jay Psaros with "The Beat!" For more information, please visit www.JayPsarosMusic.com and drop me a line! I'd love to hear from you! 48