Looking back on their legacy in Boulder, husband-and-wife duo Jeff Kagan and Paige Doughty can pinpoint where it all began – their “Meadow Music” concert series.
“It was kind of the proving ground for our whole career,” Doughty said. “It’s the inception of Jeff and Paige.”
Together, Kagan and Doughty form the musical act Jeff and Paige. Their songs, performed throughout the Front Range, teach young children how to be responsible stewards of the environment.
This year, the couple is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Meadow Music series – a string of free summer concerts hosted at Chautauqua Park at 900 Baseline. The series is done in partnership with Boulder’s Open Space and Mountain Parks department, where Kagan used to work.
“Looking at the longevity of the program, it’s really incredible to see the impact that can happen when a city organization partners with artists and educators,” Doughty said. “It has that regularity, so it builds community over the summer, too.”
Every Meadow Music concert includes a pre-show hike with the audience along the park’s McClintock Trail. Each hike features an “animal of the week” and “color of the week” for the young participants to focus on as they walk the trail.
“It’s the most special part of the program, for me,” Doughty said of the hike. “It’s really grounded in nature.”
On Monday, Meadow Music will officially celebrate its 20th birthday with a special “alumni” concert. All former Jeff and Paige concert attendees are invited to visit Chautauqua Park at 4 p.m. to reconnect with the musicians, request songs and take photos.
At Monday’s show, the alumni will be asked to lead some of the dance moves during the first song. One Jeff and Page concert “graduate,” who is now studying music and environmental science, will play violin alongside Kagan and Doughty on stage.
With two decades of performances under their belt, Kagan and Doughty said they’re often asked for selfies and conversations by teens and adults who used to attend their concerts.
In Meadow Music’s first year, Kagan recalled three families showing up for the inaugural concert. By the end of the first season, the audience had grown to roughly 25 people. By 2019, upward of 900 people were attending each concert.
“We get a lot from it,” Kagan said. “It’s definitely a community offering, but we are very fed by this program.”
As Meadow Music has changed, so have Kagan and Doughty. In the past 20 years, the couple has had two kids, put their music on streaming platforms, and launched their nonprofit, Rainbow Socks.
For Kagan, who plays guitar and writes the duo’s songs, music and nature go hand-in-hand.
“Science can be a little daunting,” he said. “I remember feeling a little overwhelmed in middle school and high school by science. I love the idea of introducing larger science concepts … that are also connected to everyone’s life.”
Kagan and Doughty admit that there have been times over their 20-year career where they considered retiring the program. Seeing the joy that their music brings to children and families, however, has kept them going.
“This work has had an impact,” Doughty said. “It’s about connecting people to the natural world. That’s what it all comes down to.”
Monday’s hike starts at 5:30 p.m., with the concert set for 6 p.m. Alumni planning on attending the concert are asked to register at givebutter.com/qCgAjv.
