Logo: Susquehanna Folk Music Society
Logo: Facebook Logo: Facebook Logo: Facebook Logo: Facebook
Presenting fine traditional arts in Central Pennsylvania since 1985

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Sat, March 28 - Run for the Arts

Run for the Arts
DONATE
Harrisburg
Runners, walkers, friends and fans: support Susquehanna Folk and many other local arts nonprofits during the Capital 10‑Miler, A Run For The Arts. Whether you run, walk, stroll, or cheer folks on, come out to enjoy a fresh spring morning... or make a donation if you're more the indoorsy type! Saturday morning, March 28 on the riverfront in downtown Harrisburg.

Sat, April 11 - Bryan McDowell & Mark Schatz

Bryan McDowell & Mark Schatz Harrisburg
Join us for an eclectic musical feast hosted by two giants of American acoustic music. We might hear old-time, boogie-woogie, folk ballads... anything and everything, the sky’s the limit! Guaranteed fun. Concert on Saturday, April 11 at Fort Hunter. MORE

Sun, April 19 - Open Mic Night

Open Mic Night New Cumberland
Spend the evening at the lovely West Shore Theatre in New Cumberland, enjoying some fine local music and maybe taking center stage yourself. Be there at 5:15 to sign up to play! Sunday, April 19 at West Shore Theatre. MORE

Sat, April 25 - Folk Music at Wildwood Wetland Festival

Folk Music at Wildwood Wetland Festival Harrisburg
SFMS presents Joe Pye and Neidig & Koretzky as musical guests at Wildwood Park’s 25th Annual Wetlands Festival, which will also include wildlife exhibits, nature walks, animals to meet, crafts and food trucks. Rain or shine! FREE family fun and live music on Saturday, April 25 at Harrisburg’s Wildwood Park. MORE

Sun, April 26 - Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas

Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas York
This brilliant duo blend profound understanding of Scottish traditional music with cutting-edge string exploration, intimate chamber music with ecstatic dance energy, and place the cello at the rhythmic heart of it all. Alasdair Fraser has been called “the Michael Jordan of Scottish fiddling”, and one could say that’s no less true for cellist Natalie Haas. An open Celtic music session at 5:45 pm kicks off the evening. Concert on Sunday, April 26 at UUCY. MORE

Fri, May 1 - Give Local York

Give Local York York
Traditional music creates joy, ties communities together, and builds ties between communities around the world. And don’t we all wish for more joy and connection? Give Local York makes your support go further! Donations to Susquehanna Folk are partially matched! Our open jam session that evening at Central Market will share some musical joy right here in York, PA. All are welcome to join in. GIVE ONLINE ALL DAY Friday, May 1. MORE
Show more events

Dervish on PBS

with The Great Irish Songbook March 13 & 14 on WITF-TV

Dervish

The Great Irish Songbook is coming to PBS! For almost two centuries, Irish music has reflected the American experience, and woven its way throughout American music.

Dervish's 2019 recording titled The Great Irish Songbook featured classic Irish songs performed well-known singers from both sides of the Atlantic, representing pop, country, contemporary folk and traditional music.

Translating the project to television added artist commentary, stunning footage of Ireland, large concert halls and intimate pubs.

Now through March 17, PBS stations across the US will be showing and streaming the program. In Harrisburg & Lancaster, PA, WITF-TV is broadcasting it Fri, March 13 at 9pm ~ Sat, March 14 at 4pm ~ and for night owls, Sat, March 14 at 2am.

Get Our Emails

* indicates required
Subscription Options (see details)

* While giving your name is not REQUIRED, it is APPRECIATED. We are real people, and we’d love to get to know you!

If you have trouble with reCAPTCHA, try this alternative form.

Youth are the Future of Culture

In this Folk Artist spotlight, folklorist Amy Skillman is inspired to see young people experiencing and loving traditional music and dance.

Biplab Khatiwada sits cross-legged on the floor behind two drums, playing them with his hands. Each drum is about a foot high, one narrower and higher pitched than the other. Three larger, taller drums are off to the side.

I recently had a day that filled me with hope: seeing two teenagers pouring their hearts into traditional arts. I felt so lucky to be a folklorist working with SFMS! There are many ways for young people to engage with traditional arts in Central Pennsylvania, from Chinese calligraphy to Balkan music to Irish dance.

A young woman performs a classical Indian dance.She is crouching with her arms out in front of her as if she holds a box, and she looks worried. At left are four musicians sitting cross-legged on a low platform. The dancer's dress is magenta and orange, with a pleated skirt, and decorations on her head.

In the top photo, 16-year-old Biplab Khatiwada plays tablas, a pair of hand drums common in Nepali music. In the bottom photo, 14-year-old Nitya Nandakesan performs Bharatanatyam dance at her arangetram (debut recital). At a time of life when there’s strong pressure to conform, these two local teens are fine with being a little different: embracing their cultural heritage and making it part of their identity.

The full article explores other ways creative young people are both preserving and shaping traditional arts.

Continue reading...
See more Folk Artist Spotlights
The board and staff of the Susquehanna Folk Music Society are committed to celebrating and affirming diverse cultures through programming which explores the music, dance, craft and stories of many people. We stand in complete solidarity with the Black community and all marginalized communities to speak out against injustice, bigotry and racial violence.
A head-and-shoulders portrait of Sug Daniels. She is a young black woman with a strong, direct gaze. She has thick arched eyebrows, a broad nose with a stud on one side, very full lips, and medium-brown skin. She is wearing a black hat with a broad brim, tilted up, so all we see is a wide black disc behind her head. The photo is cropped so the edge of the hat almost doesn’t show. She also has a red bandanna wrapped around her head, with an inch or so showing beneath the hat brim.
A white man’s fingers hold an Irish penny-whistle, brass with a black head.
A Black man is smiling warmly, resting his hand on the upper curve of a guitar. He has short graying hair, a wide smile, and a long face. He wears a white shirt and a vest with narrow vertical ribbon-like stripes.
A Black man stands in the corner of a brick-walled room, playing a banjo and gazing down toward his hands.
Two Hispanic men with dark skin pose with large Puerto Rican drums in front of a Puerto Rican flag. They wear white shirts and trousers, and white hats with black bands. They are also holding other percussion instruments, including maracas and a basketball-sized shaker covered with colorful fishnet.
Pedro Antonetty grew up immersed in the music of his native Puerto Rico. In addition to the bomba music of his own heritage, he channels the rhythms of Africa, the Middle East, Latin and South America, and even Japan. He is also a creative builder of his own traditional drums. [Folk Artists Gallery and 2024 Susquehanna Folk Festival]