The Old Town School of Folk Music’s Little Red Wagon

The Old Town School of Folk Music’s Little Red Wagon is a great resource for music lovers of all ages.

Introduction

The Old Town School of Folk Music is a music school in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It was founded in 1957 by Frank Hamilton, Win Stracke and George Mitchell. The school offers classes in a variety of musical instruments and styles, with an emphasis on folk music. The school also has a performing arts center, which hosts concerts and other events.

What is the Old Town School of Folk Music?

The Old Town School of Folk Music is a music school in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It offers classes in various musical genres, including folk, blues, country, Celtic, bluegrass, flamenco, and world music. The school also holds regular concerts and events.

What is the Little Red Wagon?

The Little Red Wagon is the Old Town School of Folk Music’s award-winning, traveling music program. The Wagon brings free, live music to Chicago’s parks and neighborhoods, spreading the joy of music and introducing people of all ages to the Old Town School.

The Wagon features a rotating lineup of Old Town School faculty members and students performing a variety of folk, world, and traditional music. From bluegrass to blues, flamenco to fiddle tunes, there’s something for everyone at a Little Red Wagon show.

The Old Town School of Folk Music

The Old Town School of Folk Music is a music school in Chicago, Illinois, that offers classes in a variety of musical genres, including folk, blues, and rock. It also offers private lessons, music camps, and concerts. The school was founded in 1957 by Frank and Anne Simon.

History

The Old Town School of Folk Music is a music school in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It was founded in 1957 by Wayne Sanders and Bob Gibson, and it grew out of the folk music scene in Hyde Park on Chicago’s South Side. The Old Town School began as a grass-roots effort to teach folk music and has since evolved into a global institution.

Today, the Old Town School of Folk Music is the largest non-profit community arts education center in the United States. We offer classes, concerts, and public events in a wide range of musical styles to people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. We are committed to making our programming accessible to everyone.

The school has been housed in several locations throughout its history. Our flagship location is in Lincoln Park on Chicago’s North Side. We also have locations in Lakeview, Ravenswood, Wicker Park, and Evanston.

Mission

The Old Town School of Folk Music is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that offers world-class music education and performances to people of all ages from around the Chicago area and beyond.

Programs

Old Town School of Folk Music’s Little Red Wagon provides music and arts programs for Chicago Public Schools and underserved communities. The program is currently in 11 schools, serving over 2,500 students. We offer weekly classes in guitar, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, harmonica, ukulele, percussion, songwriting, musical theater, visual arts, and more! Our teaching artists are professional musicians and artists who are passionate about sharing their knowledge and love of music and arts with young people.

The Little Red Wagon

The Little Red Wagon is the Old Town School of Folk Music’s (OTS) children’s music and dance program. It has been running for over 60 years and is one of the oldest and most successful children’s music programs in the country. The program is based on the belief that all children are musical and that music can be a powerful tool for learning.

History

The Old Town School of Folk Music’s Little Red Wagon has been a Chicago institution since 1957. The brainchild of Frank and Mary Darling, the Little Red Wagon was designed to bring music and dance to the city’s children.

The Little Red Wagon made its maiden voyage in September of 1957, traveling to schools and parks across Chicago. Over the next few years, the wagon became a fixture at Old Town School, making regular appearances at concerts and events.

In recent years, the Little Red Wagon has taken on a new role, serving as a mobile classroom for Old Town School’s degree programs. In this capacity, the wagon travels to schools and community centers around Chicago, providing folk music instruction to students of all ages.

Mission

The Little Red Wagon is more than a petting zoo on wheels – it’s the Old Town School of Folk Music’s interactive, mobile classroom! The wagon travels to schools, parks, community festivals, and special events across Chicago, bringing hands-on music education to young people and families.

The Little Red Wagon’s curriculum is based on the Old Town School’s renowned music education programs. Our staff of professional musicians/educators work with groups of up to 30 children at a time, usinggames, singing, and playing simple instruments to teach basic musical concepts. The goal of the program is to give children a positive introduction to music, and to show them that making music can be fun!

Programs

The Little Red Wagon is The Old Town School of Folk Music’s early childhood music education program, inspired by the world-renowned Orff-Schulwerk methodology. The program includes a weekly 45-minute class for children ages 3–5 that meets once a week, September through May. We offer two session times: 10:00am and 11:15am.

In each weekly class, children participate in a variety of activities that help them develop basic musicianship skills, such as singing, clapping, and moving to the beat. They also learn to play simple percussion instruments, such as drums and xylophones. As they progress through the program, children will have the opportunity to play more sophisticated instruments, including piano and guitar.