Folk Music Society of New York, Inc.

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We make music the old-fashioned way . . .
We play it . . .
	We sing it . . .
		Sometimes we even dance to it.
Traditional Music is Alive and Well in New York We run concerts, weekends, classes, singing parties, and get-togethers, all with an emphasis on traditional folk music of all flavors. For more information, including how to join or get a free newsletter, see About Us.
Our Facebook page / Our MeetUp group: Folk Music NYC
FMSNY Events Calendar: November * December * January 2019 * and beyond
The next TradMaD Camp is 24 -30 August 201 at Pinewoods Camp in Plymouth MA. Registration will probably open in January. The Winter Weekend, 8 - 10 February, will be held at Honor's Haven Resort & Spa, Ellenville NY.

As well as the events listed below, we have occasional Singing Parties and other social events. Our full newsletter lists these as well as having comprehensive listings of many other events around town. Request a sample copy of our newsletter sent by mail

Download November/December one-sheet listing with only FMS events (pdf, 2M), or Download the full November newsletter incl. weekend flier (pdf 3M) including FMS events and many other events around town.
To get on our e-mail notification list, please send your name and e-mail address to maillist (at) folkmusicny.org

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This website is supported by the Folk Music Society of NY, not by advertising. We welcome donations in any amount which are tax-deductible to the extent permissible by law.

You can join the Society for a year using the button below and receive our newsletter and discounts to events.

Detailed info. on other membership options & benefits
Current members can renew online through eventbrite

November

Wednesday 14 November, 8-11pm: Sunnyside Singers Club featuring Mary Courtney.

Mary Courtney hails from a large musical family from Castlegregory, Co. Kerry, Ireland. Now living in the Bronx, Mary is a singer, guitarist, and bodhrán player who performs either solo or with the Irish traditional band Morning Star. She uses her music to spread Irish culture and to educate her audience about the struggles of the rish people. From rock ‘n’ roll to the ethereal strains of some ancient Celtic bard, Mary can sing anything, and sing it unforgettably. Mary's website.

All songs are welcome, as are acoustic instruments. A freewill donation is collected on guest nights. At the Aubergine Cafe, 49-22 Skillman Avenue at the corner of 50th Street in Woodside, Queens. Sandwiches, salads, coffee, tea, wine, and beer are available. The nearest subway stop is 52nd Street on the #7 Flushing Local.

Friday 16 November, 7 - 9 pm; Vincent Cross: The Life & Times of James "The Rooster" Corcoran

A performance of new & traditional broadside ballads about the 19th Century Irish-American gang leader & squatter colony chief. Known for his "caustic tongue and ready wit," he was often stereotyped tabloid fodder for the newspapers of the 1800s. If you've ever seen the movie Gangs of New York, then this would be a musical accompaniment to the rogues, pimps, murderers, and thieves that inhabited New York City in the 19th century. Vincent will be joined by Erica Mancini (accordion), Shane Kerwin (bodhran), and Sam Harmet (mandolin).

At the Old Stone House, J.J. Byrne Park, 336 Third St at Fifth Ave, Brooklyn. Contribution $15. Vincent's website.

Sunday 18 November, 2-5 pm Shanty Sing
We are cosponsoring the Shanty Sing on the 3rd Sunday of every month. The William Main Doerflinger Memorial Sea Shanty Sessions at the Noble Maritime Collection (to give the official title) are from 2 to 5 pm at the Noble Gallery, Building D, Snug Harbor Cultural Center, 1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island. Refreshments are available, including beer and wine for sale. Snug Harbor is accessible by the S40 bus from the Staten Island Ferry Terminal and by car. See more information about the Noble Collection, click on "Visitor Information" for directions and a printable map. For further information contact Bob Conroy: RConroy421(at)aol.com or 347-267-9394.

Sunday 18 November, 4:00-6:00 pm: Sixth Annual Woody Guthrie Brooklyn Hoot

Two-hour round robin songfest featuring Vincent Cross, Amy Dee, Emma Graves, Joel Landy, Nancy Moccaldi, and Steve Suffet, all performing songs that former Brooklyn resident Woody Guthrie sang. The six performers will take turns leading songs, while providing instrumental and vocal accompaniment for each other. Please come prepared to sing along on choruses and refrains.

Sponsored by the Good Coffee House at the Old Stone House, 336 Third Street in J.J. Byrne Park, between 4th & 5th Avenues, Brooklyn, New York. Cosponsored by the Folk Music Society of New York. $10 contribution.

Monday 19 November, 8 pm – 11 pm: Irish Traditional Music Session
at the Landmark Tavern, 626 11th Avenue at 46th Street, Manhattan, led by Don Meade.
Wednesday 21 November, 8-11pm: Sunnyside Singers Club.
All songs are welcome, as are acoustic instruments. At the Aubergine Cafe, 49-22 Skillman Avenue at the corner of 50th Street in Woodside, Queens. Sandwiches, salads, coffee, tea, wine, and beer are available. The nearest subway stop is 52nd Street on the #7 Flushing Local.
Monday 26 November, 8 pm – 11 pm: Irish Traditional Music Session
at the Landmark Tavern, 626 11th Avenue at 46th Street, Manhattan, led by Don Meade.
Wednesday 28 November, 8-11pm: Sunnyside Singers Club.
All songs are welcome, as are acoustic instruments. At the Aubergine Cafe, 49-22 Skillman Avenue at the corner of 50th Street in Woodside, Queens. Sandwiches, salads, coffee, tea, wine, and beer are available. The nearest subway stop is 52nd Street on the #7 Flushing Local.

Friday 30 November, 7:30 pm: Geoff Kaufman in concert

Geoff sings songs of the sea, songs of the earth, songs of the heart and the spirit. Ancient ballads, work songs, and songs of love; poignant songs of people in struggle, humorous glimpses of human foibles, and insights into history — all of these are likely to be woven into Geoff's work. Above all, at the core of Geoff's performance is his rich tenor voice and an exuberant love of singing. And part of that love is to entice audiences to sing along, to share in the exhilaration of full-throated vocalization if they wish. In this age of electronic overload and passive media pabulum, Geoff likes to stress the "live" in live performance, promoting participation, be it by voice or heart or mind. Geoff is heavily involved in the Mystic Sea Music Festival, usually held on the second weekend of June, and in the Mystic Chantey Blast, next year on 5 January. Geoff's website

At OSA Hall, 220 East 23rd St, Manhattan. Contribution: $25 general public, $20 members. Tickets available at the door or https://gkaufman.Eventbrite.com (service fee applies)

December

Saturday 1 December, 2:00 - 4:00 pm: Workshop with Geoff Kaufman: Exploring the African/African American roots of sea chanteys

Building upon the recent publication of Gibb Schreffler’s book Boxing the Compass, Geoff will delve into the idea that the singing of chanteys on deep water ships developed from black sailors bringing aboard their tradition of call and response music.

At Pearl Studios, 519 Eighth Ave, Room H, Manhattan, between 35th & 36th Sts. Contribution: general public $15, members $12. Reservations required, contact Heather at 646-628-4604, hwood50 (at) aol.com

Photo: Joy Bennett

Sunday, December 2nd; 3-5pm: Maritime & Folk Song Session
A Community Sing & singalong, usually on the first Sunday. Bring voices, instruments, and friends; raise the rafters in this historic downtown venue! At John Street Church, 44 John St. (east of Broadway, 1 block south of & parallel to Fulton), near Fulton St. subway stop.
Info: 646-628-4604. We respectfully ask for a free will donation of any amount to help support this historic venue that is so generous in donating their space for our use. Please note: venue is an historic landmark and NOT handicapped accessible – approx. 13 stairs to reach the downstairs venue (facilities are also located on the same downstairs level). Hosted by The New York Packet & cosponsored by the Folk Music Society of NY.

Sunday 2 December, 4:00 pm: Concert with Triboro

Triboro hails from the boroughs of New York, but looks beyond the Hudson, to other places and other times, for songs and inspiration. They are an acoustic vocal trio that applies fine three-part harmony to an eclectic mix of musical genres – Old-time, Carter family, Country, Western, Bluegrass and more. Triboro is Phyllis Elkind (Manhattan,) Don Friedman (Brooklyn) and Evy Mayer (the Bronx.) They love it when audiences sing along on the choruses.

Triboro's website

Co-sponsored and at the Good Coffeehouse, at the Old Stone House, J.J. Byrne Park, 336 Third St at Fifth Ave, Brooklyn. Contribution $10.

Monday 3 December, 8 pm – 11 pm: Irish Traditional Music Session
at the Landmark Tavern, 626 11th Avenue at 46th Street, Manhattan, led by Don Meade.

Wednesday 5 December, 7 – 10 pm: Folk Open Sing

Join us on the first Wednesday of each month for a family-friendly open sing. Bring your voice, instruments, friends, neighbors, and children. Drop by for a couple of songs or the whole evening. At the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture, 53 Prospect Park West (basement), Brooklyn (near 2nd St.). a href="http://www.folkmusicny.org/FMC1201.pdf" target="blank">Directions (pdf format). Take F train to 7th Ave.; Q train to 7th Ave.; 2/3 train to Grand Army Plaza. Hosted by Ethical Culture and FMSNY, Alison Kelley, and Tom Weir. Info: 212-695-5924.

Wednesday 5 December, 8-11pm: Sunnyside Singers Club.
All songs are welcome, as are acoustic instruments. At the Aubergine Cafe, 49-22 Skillman Avenue at the corner of 50th Street in Woodside, Queens. Sandwiches, salads, coffee, tea, wine, and beer are available. The nearest subway stop is 52nd Street on the #7 Flushing Local.

Sunday 9 December , 3:00 pm: Anne Price at the Coffeehouse@Ethical

Longtime FMSNY member and Riverdale resident Anne Price has been performing since 1979 for folk music societies, coffeehouses, schools, colleges, libraries, and festivals in the New York area as well as the UK. Her wide repertoire of traditional and contemporary folk music includes country songs, old-time ballads, Irish and Scottish songs, songs of the sea, songs about work and the labor movement, humorous songs, love songs, and more.

At the Riverdale-Yonkers Society for Ethical Culture, 4450 Fieldston Road, Riverdale (Bronx) NY. Hosted by Lindsay Wilson. Suggested donation: $15

Sunday, December 9; 5-8 pm: Upper West Side Song Swap with Special Guest Banjo Nickaru

Banjo Nicaru's website

Banjo Nickaru, the duo of Nick Russo and Betina Hershey, performs “an eclectic mix of country, bluegrass, western swing, rockabilly, blues, traditional jazz, dixieland, old-time music, folk, roots music and Americana.” Nick plays guitar, banjo and resonator guitar, and has appeared on Good Morning America and in the Sam Mendes film, Away We Go. Bettina plays guitar and sings, and has appeared the films Mona Lisa Smile/ and Enchanted. Bring your voices and your songs, poems, stories, jokes, etc., because there will be plenty of time for our regular round robin.

Place: Hostelling, International New York, 891 Amsterdam Avenue at 103rd Street. Contributions welcome to help cover costs. Everyone is welcome. For more information call John Ziv at 212-662-6575.

Monday 10 December, 8 pm – 11 pm: Irish Traditional Music Session
at the Landmark Tavern, 626 11th Avenue at 46th Street, Manhattan, led by Don Meade.
Wednesday 12 December, 8-11pm: Sunnyside Singers Club.
All songs are welcome, as are acoustic instruments. At the Aubergine Cafe, 49-22 Skillman Avenue at the corner of 50th Street in Woodside, Queens. Sandwiches, salads, coffee, tea, wine, and beer are available. The nearest subway stop is 52nd Street on the #7 Flushing Local.
Friday 14 December, 7:30 pm: The Club's Anniversary Party with singing, playing, jamming, and food (potluck). More info to come.
At OSA, 220 East 23rd St, Manhattan
Sunday 16 December, 2-5 pm Shanty Sing
We are cosponsoring the Shanty Sing on the 3rd Sunday of every month. The William Main Doerflinger Memorial Sea Shanty Sessions at the Noble Maritime Collection (to give the official title) are from 2 to 5 pm at the Noble Gallery, Building D, Snug Harbor Cultural Center, 1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island. Refreshments are available, including beer and wine for sale. Snug Harbor is accessible by the S40 bus from the Staten Island Ferry Terminal and by car. See more information about the Noble Collection, click on "Visitor Information" for directions and a printable map. For further information contact Bob Conroy: RConroy421(at)aol.com or 347-267-9394.
Monday 17 December, 8 pm – 11 pm: Irish Traditional Music Session
at the Landmark Tavern, 626 11th Avenue at 46th Street, Manhattan, led by Don Meade.

Wednesday 19 December, 8-11pm: Sunnyside Singers Club featuring Heather Wood.

Heather is a veteran singer from the English revival for some 50+ years, dating from her days with The Young Tradition. She has a great repertoire of ballads, historical songs, love and agricultural songs, and a lot from the humorous side. In addition to the old songs, she has written some dynamite new ones. Over the years, Heather has also acted as agent for other artists, run folk clubs, organized weekends and other events, and written about folk music for an assortment of publications. Tonigt's show may well feature some old pagan carols not found in the church hymnals. Heather's website.

All songs are welcome, as are acoustic instruments. A freewill donation is collected on guest nights.At the Aubergine Cafe, 49-22 Skillman Avenue at the corner of 50th Street in Woodside, Queens. Sandwiches, salads, coffee, tea, wine, and beer are available. The nearest subway stop is 52nd Street on the #7 Flushing Local.

Monday 24 December, 8 pm – 11 pm: No Irish Traditional Music Session at the Landmark
Happy Holidays, everyone.
Wednesday 26 December, 8-11pm: Sunnyside Singers Club.
All songs are welcome, as are acoustic instruments. At the Aubergine Cafe, 49-22 Skillman Avenue at the corner of 50th Street in Woodside, Queens. Sandwiches, salads, coffee, tea, wine, and beer are available. The nearest subway stop is 52nd Street on the #7 Flushing Local.

January 2019

Wednesday 2 January, 7 – 10 pm: Folk Open Sing

Join us on the first Wednesday of each month for a family-friendly open sing. Bring your voice, instruments, friends, neighbors, and children. Drop by for a couple of songs or the whole evening. At the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture, 53 Prospect Park West (basement), Brooklyn (near 2nd St.). Directions (pdf format). Take F train to 7th Ave.; Q train to 7th Ave.; 2/3 train to Grand Army Plaza. Hosted by Ethical Culture and FMSNY, Alison Kelley, and Tom Weir. Info: 212-695-5924.

Wednesday 2 January, 8-11pm: Sunnyside Singers Club.
All songs are welcome, as are acoustic instruments. At the Aubergine Cafe, 49-22 Skillman Avenue at the corner of 50th Street in Woodside, Queens. Sandwiches, salads, coffee, tea, wine, and beer are available. The nearest subway stop is 52nd Street on the #7 Flushing Local.

Chantey Blast and Pub Sing

Mystic Sea Music Festival

Monday 7 January, 8 pm – 11 pm: Irish Traditional Music Session
at the Landmark Tavern, 626 11th Avenue at 46th Street, Manhattan, led by Don Meade.
Wednesday 9 January, 8-11pm: Sunnyside Singers Club.
All songs are welcome, as are acoustic instruments. At the Aubergine Cafe, 49-22 Skillman Avenue at the corner of 50th Street in Woodside, Queens. Sandwiches, salads, coffee, tea, wine, and beer are available. The nearest subway stop is 52nd Street on the #7 Flushing Local.

Youth Traditional Song Weekend

Monday 14 January, 8 pm – 11 pm: Irish Traditional Music Session
at the Landmark Tavern, 626 11th Avenue at 46th Street, Manhattan, led by Don Meade.
Wednesday 16 January, 8-11pm: Sunnyside Singers Club.
All songs are welcome, as are acoustic instruments. At the Aubergine Cafe, 49-22 Skillman Avenue at the corner of 50th Street in Woodside, Queens. Sandwiches, salads, coffee, tea, wine, and beer are available. The nearest subway stop is 52nd Street on the #7 Flushing Local.

Tim Eriksen in concert

Tim's website

Tim is acclaimed for transforming American tradition with his startling interpretations of old ballads, love songs, shape-note gospel and dance tunes from New England and Southern Appalachia. He combines hair-raising vocals with inventive accompaniment on banjo, fiddle, guitar and bajo sexto — a twelve string Mexican acoustic bass — creating a distinctive hardcore Americana sound that ranges from the bare bones of solo unaccompanied singing on his album Soul of the January Hills (Appleseed 2010) through the stripped-down voice and bajo sexto Christmas album Star in the East (timeriksenmusic 2012) to the lush, multi-layered arrangements on Josh Billings Voyage, the new album of northern roots American music from the imaginary village of Pumpkintown (timeriksenmusic 2012).

The former frontman of the prophetic groups Cordelia's Dad (folk-noise), Northampton Harmony (shape-note quartet), and Zabe i Babe (Bosnian folk and pop), Tim Eriksen is the only musician to have shared the stage with both Kurt Cobain and Doc Watson, and his media appearances have ranged from Prairie Home Companion to the Academy Awards.

While Eriksen's curiosity and passion have led him on many musical journeys besides American roots - from punk rock and shape-note gospel through South Indian classical music and Bosnian pop to world jazz and contemporary symphonic music - all his explorations are linked by the qualities of intensity, directness, and authority which combine in a music that captures a truth about human experience and expresses it without apology.

At St John's Lutheran Church, 81 Christopher St, Manhattan, near the Christopher St subway stop. Contribution: General public $25; FMSNY members $20.

Sunday 20 January, 2-5 pm Shanty Sing
We are cosponsoring the Shanty Sing on the 3rd Sunday of every month. The William Main Doerflinger Memorial Sea Shanty Sessions at the Noble Maritime Collection (to give the official title) are from 2 to 5 pm at the Noble Gallery, Building D, Snug Harbor Cultural Center, 1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island. Refreshments are available, including beer and wine for sale. Snug Harbor is accessible by the S40 bus from the Staten Island Ferry Terminal and by car. See more information about the Noble Collection, click on "Visitor Information" for directions and a printable map. For further information contact Bob Conroy: RConroy421(at)aol.com or 347-267-9394.
Monday 21 January, 8 pm – 11 pm: Irish Traditional Music Session
at the Landmark Tavern, 626 11th Avenue at 46th Street, Manhattan, led by Don Meade.
Wednesday 23 January, 8-11pm: Sunnyside Singers Club.
All songs are welcome, as are acoustic instruments. At the Aubergine Cafe, 49-22 Skillman Avenue at the corner of 50th Street in Woodside, Queens. Sandwiches, salads, coffee, tea, wine, and beer are available. The nearest subway stop is 52nd Street on the #7 Flushing Local.

Irish Traditional Music Session

Landmark Tavern

Wednesday 30 January, 8-11pm: Sunnyside Singers Club feaguring Marina Meyler.

Ireland-born traditional singer, recording artist, and champion multi-instrumentalist Marina Meyler is well known on the local New York Irish music scene, particularly in the Borough of Queens where she now lives. All songs are welcome, as are acoustic instruments. At the Aubergine Cafe, 49-22 Skillman Avenue at the corner of 50th Street in Woodside, Queens. A freewill donation is collected on guest nights. Sandwiches, salads, coffee, tea, wine, and beer are available. The nearest subway stop is 52nd Street on the #7 Flushing Local.

Future Events are listed on our Summary of events page.

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Traditional Music is Alive and Well in New York

FMSNY Events Calendar: November * December * January 2019 * and beyond