by request: more info on Folk School

  1. Don Christy
    Don Christy
    (as posted by Mootin)
    Don,
    Can you give us a little history of the Folk School, including who started it, when it began, how long it took to catch on, etc etc, etc.....and how it is doing now.

    Thanks.

    -----
    I thought I would move this into it's own thread since it's broader than the new session.
    Don
  2. Don Christy
    Don Christy
    As posted by John Flynn:
    I may be off somewhat on the time frame, but I think it started around early 2002. It was started by Jeff Miller. Miller is a banjo, mandolin and guitar player with deep experience in bluegrass, old-time and klezmer. He still instructs there, but is no longer in a leadership or management position. The school was inspired by the Old Town School in Chicago. My memory is that the school attacted a small, loyal and lively group pretty quickly, mostly through word of mouth. The build up was slow and steady from there. When the leadership transitioned to Colleen Heine and the business format became non-profit, IMHO the school became more professional and less rag-tag (although the rag-tag days were fun!). It moved to a better location, did some advertising/PR, expanded the class offerings, etc. Don could tell you more about what has been happening recently.
  3. Don Christy
    Don Christy
    Thanks John, that was a great recounting of the Folk School's history.

    Let's see, what's been happening recently ...

    Well we were just covered by the local NBC affiliate KSDK. Here's a link to the story and video for the program Show Me St. Louis.


    I'll provide some info here, but the best thing to do to stay on top of what's going on is to join the email newsletter. You can find out what's going on and subscribe to the newsletter here: The Folk School

    As John mentioned, a little over a year ago the Folk School moved into a new building. The new building provides more (and larger) classrooms, so we've expanded the class offerings quite a bit.

    Currently most of the classes are weekday evenings, but we're looking to offer Saturday classes very soon.

    There are group lessons in:
    Ensembles:
    Bluegrass, Old Time, Irish, Blues

    Instruments:
    mandolin, guitar, fiddle, banjo (scruggs or clawhammer), upright bass, dobro, accordion, harmonica, dulcimer ... I'm probably forgetting something.

    There are also classes in singing, vocal harmony, dancing, music theory, and songwriting.

    In addition to the group classes, there are frequent workshops and occassional concerts by master players, both local and passing through.

    Recently, we're offering more kids classes as well.

    One of the things I really like about taking classes at the Folk School is the showcase events we have several times a year. At these events, usually at the Schlafly Taproom, the classes all perform for an audience of family, friends, and even the general public. The crowd is often several hundred strong, so it can be thrilling for beginners young or old to get up there and play.

    Anyway, thanks Mootin for asking. Thanks John for providing some details.

    And if you want more info, head over to the site and sign up for the newsletter (or better yet, sign up for a class).

    Don
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