The Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago’s Lincoln Park
Contents
The Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago’s Lincoln Park is one of the most well-known and respected music schools in the country.
Introduction
The Old Town School of Folk Music is a music school in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It was founded in 1957 by Mary and Francis MacGregor. The school offers classes and workshops in a variety of folk music styles, including singing, songwriting, dance, and instrument instruction. It also hosts concerts and other special events.
History
The Old Town School of Folk Music is a music school located in the Lincoln Park neighborhood on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. The school offers classes in a variety of musical instruments, styles, and levels, as well as music history, theory, and ear-training classes. The Old Town School is one of the largest and most influential music schools in the United States.
Early years
The Old Town School of Folk Music was founded in Chicago in December 1957 by Win Stracke and Frank Martin. They envisioned a school where adults could learn to play and sing folk music in the same way that children learn in the public schools. The first classes were held in rented locations around the city, including a former barn on Armitage Avenue and a dilapidated house on Sedgwick Street. In 1961, the school moved into its first permanent home, a converted church at 333 West Arlington Place in Lincoln Park.
During its early years, the Old Town School was very much a part of the folk music revival that was sweeping the country. Folk artists such as Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Pete Seeger were regular performers at the school, and many up-and-coming folk musicians got their start there. The school also served as a focal point for the Chicago folk music scene, hosting regular concerts and dances that were open to the public.
In recent years, the Old Town School has broadened its focus to include a wider range of musical styles from around the world. While folk music remains an important part of its curriculum, the school now offers classes in everything from blues and jazz to rock and roll, salsa, and country western. With more than 700 classes offered each week, there is something for everyone at the Old Town School of Folk Music.
The 1960s and 1970s
In the 1960s and 1970s, the Old Town School was led by Frank Hamilton, who along with his wife and sensei, Winifred, taught thousands of students and fostered a jazz program that incubated some of Chicago’s most important musicians. The school animated Lincoln Park with an eclectic mix of concerts featuring local, national, and international talent seven nights a week. In addition to jazz, Frank programmed everything from Rhythm and Blues to early Country Music to Blues to Rock ‘n’ Roll. The quality of the music attracted dedicated fans from throughout the city and suburbs who would return week after week.
The 1980s and 1990s
In the early eighties, Toyota Motor Company donated $50,000 to the school, which allowed the school to purchase and renovate a larger space at 333 West Chicago Avenue. The newly renovated buildings housed music classrooms, offices, and a 300-seat performance hall, which became known as Toyota Park.
In the 1990s, the Old Town School continued to grow. A branch campus was opened in Evanston, Illinois, and a second Chicago campus was added in Lakeview. The school also began offering classes for children and teens. Today, the Old Town School of Folk Music is widely recognized as one of the leading institutions for folk music education in the United States.
The new millennium
In the new millennium, the Old Town School of Folk Music continued to evolve. In 2006, the school completed a capital campaign that resulted in the purchase and renovation of its two main campus buildings (the Vittum Theater and the Wicker Park Field House), as well as an endowment fund. The school also inaugurated new artistic leadership, with JeffreyRelease taking over as Executive Director and Bessie Payne becoming Artistic Director. Under their guidance, the Old Town School has continued to grow and thrive, serving more students than ever before with an ever-expanding array of programs.
The school today
The Old Town School of Folk Music is a music school in Chicago, Illinois, that offers instrumenal and vocal classes, as well as concerts and other events. It was founded in 1957 by Frank Hamilton, Elizabeth Szold, and Win Stracke. The school is located in the Lincoln Park neighborhood on the city’s North Side.
Classes
Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood offers a variety of classes for all skill levels. Choose from courses in American Roots Music, ensemble playing, rhythm and dance, vocal music, or world music. You can also join one of the performance groups or take private lessons.
Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, the Old Town School of Folk Music has something for everyone. Check out the class schedule and sign up today!
Concerts
The Old Town School of Folk Music teaches and celebrates music and cultural traditions of diverse American and international communities.
Each week, more than 5,000 students of all ages and abilities take classes at the School in guitar, banjo, fiddle, harmonica, voice, percussion, mandolin, ukulele, autoharp, accordion, pennywhistle, recorder, dulcimer (mountain and hammered), tambourine, conga drumming, square dancing and more.
Old Town School is located in the historic Lincoln Park neighborhood on Chicago’s North Side. The campus includes three buildings: the Main Building at 4544 N. Lincoln Ave., the Szold Music & Dance Hall at 4545 N. Lincoln Ave., and the Wicker Park Field House at 1425 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Outreach
Old Town School of Folk Music’s commitment to serving the greater Chicago community extends far beyond its walls. Each year, the Old Town School sends hundreds of teaching artists into dozens of Chicago Public Schools, reaching tens of thousands of CPS students with arts education programming.
Conclusion
The Old Town School of Folk Music is one of the hidden gems in Chicago’s cultural scene. Although it is not as well known as some of the other music schools in the city, it is definitely worth checking out if you are interested in learning more about folk music. The school offers a wide variety of classes and workshops, and the faculty is very knowledgeable and passionate about the music they teach. If you are looking for an authentic folk music experience, the Old Town School of Folk Music is definitely the place to go.
