Musician and teaching artist Dave Ruch, along with Brant Lake singer Colleen Cleveland, will present a series of free and open-to-the-public workshops celebrating traditional Adirondack Music the Capital Region in May.
The “New Audiences for Old Songs” project aims to expand awareness for and enjoyment of this rare and important collection of folk songs and traditional ballads from the Adirondack region of New York State; the kind of “self-made” music sung by everyday people and passed down through the generations in earlier days.
Traditional Adirondack music is typically anonymous, passed down orally and serves as an expression of the life of people in that given community.
These songs have been kept alive in one family – the Clevelands of Hudson Falls and Brant Lake, NY – and the music is little-known today outside a small circle of enthusiasts. The goal of the project is to introduce this material to musicians working in more mainstream genres so that they in turn can bring the music to their audiences.
These workshops will provide the opportunity to learn about the collection and hear Colleen sing some of her favorites as learned from her grandmother. Immediately after the session, a wide selection of the Cleveland family repertoire will be posted on the project’s webpage for all to access, and participating musicians are then free to work up one or more songs in their own style to be presented in their future performances.
The workshop is open to singers and musicians of all genres, and the general public is welcome to attend as well. Registration is not required though interested parties can RSVP to the Facebook events linked below.
Adirondack Music Workshops with Dave Ruch and Colleen Cleveland
Thursday May 4, 7-8:30pm View, Old Forge, NY event
Friday May 5, 7-8:30pm TAUNY Center, Canton, NY event
Saturday May 6, 10:30am-NoonBluSeed Studios, Saranac Lake, NY event
Saturday May 6, 3:30-5pmFolklife Center at Crandall Public Library, Glens Falls, NY event
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