good NE USA towns for folk music

Subject: good eastern USA cities for folk music
From: GUEST,Morgana
Date: 23 Feb 11 - 09:42 PM

I've been exploring colleges and universities recently, and realized that one of my requirements for a college is that it is located near a good folk music scene. I was wondering if anybody here could give me any pointers about which cities on or around the Eastern seaboard of the United States have the best opportunities to play and/or listen to folk music. While I play several styles and instruments, I am most interested in political songwriting.

Thanks for your help.

Subject: RE: good NE USA towns for folk music
From: ChanteyLass
Date: 23 Feb 11 - 11:57 PM

For Rhode Island and nearby CT and MA, take a look at this thread:thread.cfm?threadid=121519&messages=8 .
I left out two other great venues: Common Fence http://www.commonfencemusic.org/index.html   in Portsmouth, RI, and Peeptoad Coffee House http://www.fosteringarts.org/peeptoadcoffeehouse.html in Foster, RI. Rhode Island is also home to Brown University, Johnson and Wales University, Roger Williams University, Bryant University, Salve Regina University, URI, and RIC among others.

Subject: RE: good NE USA towns for folk music
From: Anglo
Date: 24 Feb 11 - 03:01 AM

The Capital District of NY (Albany and surrounds) is not coastal, but is certainly NE USA.

Of course "folk music scene" means a lot of different things to different people. We have a few things...

In the immediate area there is Old Songs, with an annual folk festival (featuring much more traditional music than most), plus a concert series through the year as well as special weekends and instrument instruction classes (www.oldsongs.org). The Pickn' 'n' Singin' Gatherin' (I may not have the apostrophes right) has been going for many years, holds a monthly meeting plus a small but remarkably friendly Memorial Day weekend festival. Its members also run a number of a cappella sings, usually in local public houses. The Eighth Step Coffeehouse runs a concert series, now in Schenectady, featuring more songwriters. Tri-City Trad organizes a number of participatory jams around the area, Irish music sessions, old-timey sessions, pub sings and so forth, and hosts an annual gathering. A stone's throw away in Saratoga Springs is Caffe Lena, one of (if not the) oldest continually running folk coffee houses in the country. And there's more within striking distance.

Plus some good universities.

Subject: RE: good NE USA towns for folk music
From: brianbanjos
Date: 24 Feb 11 - 06:16 AM

+1 for New York's Capital District. Let's add Jay Unger and Molly Mason who host a live radio show from Albany each month, the Dance Flurry organization, and lots of other things going on that you probably hear about from being involved in what's already mentioned. I just thought of Grey Fox and Falcon Ridge which are held close by too. The greater Albany area would almost seem to have an embarrasment of riches.

Subject: RE: good NE USA towns for folk music
From: GUEST,Morgana
Date: 24 Feb 11 - 08:19 AM

Thanks. I think "Eastern Seaboard" is a little narrower of a geographic distribution than what I mean. Anything in New England and the mid-Atlantic states is what I'm looking for, the main reason being that I'm required to find something close to home.

Subject: RE: good NE USA towns for folk music
From: Nancy King
Date: 24 Feb 11 - 09:16 AM

You'd be hard-pressed to find a better folkie town than Washington DC and its surrounding metroplitan area. The Folklore Society of Greater Washington, founded in 1964, is one of the largest and most active such groups in the country, sponsoring many concerts, dances, and singarounds each month. In addition there are many independently organized folk activities. The FSGW also sponsors an annual dance weekend in April, a one-day mini-festival in February, the two-day Washington Folk Festival in early June, and the FSGW Getaway weekend in early October (which has become something of a mecca for Mudcatters). There's something going on virtually every day of the year. And of course, the area is perfect for "political songwriting."

In the immediate area, there are: American University, George Washington University, Georgetown University, Howard University, Catholic University, University of Maryland, George Mason University, and dozens of smaller schools.

Subject: RE: good NE USA towns for folk music
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Feb 11 - 09:25 PM

Hi folks,
Just to let you know...
Jay's name is Ungar....with an A
   Also, we get hired at the Dance Flurry, but don't have anything to do with running it.
    We do run Ashokan Fiddle and Dance Camps..they've been going for over 30 years!!!
       We also run a monthly, free, old- time- jam on first Wednesdays at 7:30 at New World Home Cooking near Woodstock New York.


Molly

Subject: RE: good NE USA towns for folk music
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 24 Feb 11 - 10:53 PM

I think I would concur with DC..although it is not a city I have ever particularly liked...but many people do though...you also have Smithsonian, Library of Congress etc. Weather is good much of the year, transportation hub, easy trips to Appalachia, up and down the seacoast etc. mg

Subject: RE: good NE USA towns for folk music
From: Joe_F
Date: 25 Feb 11 - 04:01 PM

The Boston area will keep you busy. I'll be off to a sing in Waltham this evening.

Subject: RE: good NE USA towns for folk music
From: Anglo
Date: 26 Feb 11 - 01:16 AM

DC is nice. Who can afford to live there?

Subject: RE: good NE USA towns for folk music
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Feb 11 - 02:50 AM

Stanislaus aka Tulare Tech aka Turkey Tech aka CSUS aka California State University Stanislaus