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Presenting fine traditional arts in Central Pennsylvania since 1985

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Sat, November 7 - Fall Coffee House

Fall Coffee House Fall Coffee House Fall Coffee House Harrisburg
Susquehanna Folk Coffeehouses are intimate evenings showcasing Central Pennsylvania’s fine amateur acoustic musicians, who play a wide variety of material for an attentive, music-loving audience. This edition of the Coffeehouse features harpist Louis Lynch, original songs from Great Northeast, more songs and fiddle from Rebecca Lang, and fun covers from Rayzen Kane. FREE Coffeehouse concert Saturday, November 7 at Fort Hunter. MORE

Sun, November 8 - November Jam & Song Swap

November Jam & Song Swap Harrisburg
Honor our veterans this month! Our jam sessions are enjoyable afternoons of hands-on, homemade music. Everyone is welcome: instrumentalists and singers, musicians and listeners, all ages and levels, all acoustic folk styles. It's friendly and free. Jam on Sunday afternoon, November 8 at Fort Hunter. MORE

Sat, November 21 - LaPrelle & Dolphin

LaPrelle & Dolphin Harrisburg
The married duo of Elizabeth LaPrelle and Brian Dolphin share a love of bright vocal harmonies, eerie traditional songs, and heartfelt originals. They will host an afternoon banjo workshop in addition to their evening concert on Saturday, November 21 at Unitarian Church of Harrisburg MORE

Tue, December 8 - An Irish Christmas with John Doyle, Mick McAuley and Cathie Ryan

An Irish Christmas with John Doyle, Mick McAuley and Cathie Ryan Harrisburg
An evening of exquisite traditional and contemporary songs, tunes, and stories for the midwinter season. These three world-class artists are some of the brightest lights in Irish traditional music, and have been since their early days with Solas and Cherish the Ladies. Musicians, bring your instruments — this beautiful and evocative evening starts with a FREE open Irish session before the concert on Tuesday, December 8 at Unitarian Church of Harrisburg MORE

Sat, December 12 - December Jam & Song Swap

December Jam & Song Swap Harrisburg
NOTE DATE!   Our annual wrap-up-the-calendar jam, featuring both regular and seasonal music. Our jam sessions are enjoyable afternoons of hands-on, homemade music. Everyone is welcome: instrumentalists and singers, musicians and listeners, all ages and levels, all acoustic folk styles. It's friendly and free. Jam on Saturday afternoon, December 12 at Fort Hunter. MORE

Sun, January 10 - January Jam & Song Swap

January Jam & Song Swap Harrisburg
Happy New Year! Start it off with some new (or old!) songs and tunes. Our jam sessions are enjoyable afternoons of hands-on, homemade music. Everyone is welcome: instrumentalists and singers, musicians and listeners, all ages and levels, all acoustic folk styles. It's friendly and free. Jam on Sunday afternoon, January 10 at Fort Hunter. MORE
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Save the date!

December is a busy month, so put a big red circle around Tuesday, December 8th for An Irish Christmas with John Doyle, Mick McAuley and Cathie Ryan.

Mick McAuley, John Doyle and Cathie Ryan
An Irish Christmas Tuesday, December 8 in Harrisburg

An evening of exquisite traditional and contemporary songs, tunes, and stories for the midwinter season — and loads of Irish good cheer — with three of the brightest lights in Irish traditional music.

Mick McAuley, John Doyle and Cathie Ryan will present familiar carols and special ones that are less well known, as well as new material and their own personal holiday stories.

Seats will go fast, so reserve yours now!

Tickets for An Irish Christmas

“John Doyle has more talent than anybody deserves to have all to themselves” —Philadelphia News

“Anyone wondering what constitutes excellence in Irish American singing today need only attend a Cathie Ryan concert.” —The Wall Street Journal

“From his stellar role as a member of Solas, Mick McAuley has truly emerged as a solo artist” —Brian O’Donovan, WGBH

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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.
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.
A woman’s hands buckle a band of small brass jingle-bells onto a dancer’s ankle. The dancer’s foot is rimmed in red paint, and she wears colorful silk leggings.
King Jester is a young Black man, leaning against a wall as he plays a metallic resonator guitar. He wears a gray T-shirt and is looking down at the guitar.
A Black man stands in the corner of a brick-walled room, playing a banjo and gazing down toward his hands.
A Black man plays a washboard on his lap, peering out from under a straw fedora hat. He is wearing a white shirt, a red tie, and a grey vest and slacks without the suit jacket.
Benedict Turner is a roots percussionist specializing in lap-style washboard. His style is influenced by the melodic and percussive steel drums of his birthplace, Trinidad and Tobago. He studied with Washboard Chaz of Louisiana fame, and Newman Taylor Baker of the Ebony Hillbillies. Benedict also creates a unique line of Darlington Washboards, which feature detailed carvings and sculpted attachments on vintage washboards. [2023-2024 Concert Series]