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

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Sun, November 23 - Seán Dagher

Seán Dagher Harrisburg
From Celtic to Arabic, medieval to modern, from symphonies to sea shanties in video games: few artists can match Seán Dagher’s scope! We met him last fall as part of Skye Consort, and now we’re excited to have him here on his own. Concert on Sunday, November 23 at the Unitarian Church of Harrisburg. MORE

Tue, December 9 - Windborne: Music of Midwinter

Windborne: Music of Midwinter Harrisburg
The Windborne singers released “To Warm The Winter Hearth“ late last year, smashing records for crowdfunded support of a folk album. Its music is even more exquisite live: ancient songs made new and fresh, familiar favorites better than ever. This will be the third SFMS show with these charming and masterful singers, and it’ll be too good to miss. Concert on Tuesday, December 9 at Unitarian Church of Harrisburg. MORE

Sun, January 11 - 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. Sunday afternoon, January 11 at Fort Hunter Barn. MORE

Sat, January 17 - Damn Tall Buildings

Damn Tall Buildings Damn Tall Buildings York
This Brooklyn-based “guerrilla roots” band repurposes early-20th-century American music for a modern audience. Appalachian, bluegrass and Americana played with a hint of blues, jazz and swing; lighthearted attitude, intelligent songwriting, infectious energy and serious musicianship. With special guest Andrew Pauls. Concert on Saturday, January 17 at UUCY. MORE

Sat, January 31 - Crys Matthews

Crys Matthews Crys Matthews Harrisburg
“She lifts our spirits just when we need it most in these troubled times,” says ASCAP VP Eric Philbrook. A troubadour of truth, Nashville resident Crys Matthews blends Country, Americana, Folk, Blues, and Bluegrass into a bold, complex performance of traditional melodies punctuated by honest, original lyrics. Crys Matthews is among the brightest stars of the new generation of social justice music-makers. With special guest Sarah Fiore. Concert on Saturday, January 31 at Unitarian Church of Harrisburg. MORE

Sat, February 21 - Winter Coffee House

Winter 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. Interested in performing? Apply now! FREE Coffeehouse concert on Saturday, February 21 at Fort Hunter Barn. MORE
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January shows announced

New Roots for the New Year!

Damn Tall Buildings Crys Matthews Andrew Pauls Sarah Fiore
Damn Tall
Buildings with Andrew Pauls January 17
Crys
Matthews with Sarah Fiore January 31

Damn Tall Buildings - January 17

This band might win your heart even if string band music isn't ordinarily your cup of tea. With infectious energy, intelligent songwriting, serious musicianship and lighthearted irreverence, this band brings old Appalachian and bluegrass music into the present day. Folk Radio UK says, “Lightning in a bottle indeed”.

Local songwriter, singer, and musical-community organizer Andrew Pauls opens the show.

Crys Matthews - January 31

A self-proclaimed “poster child of intersectionality,” Crys Matthews creates music that is both joyous and unflinching, intensely fun and intensely powerful. A Black woman, a Southerner, a preacher's kid and a butch lesbian, Crys is reclaiming the respect that has long been denied to people so labeled. Justin Hiltner of Bluegrass Situation says Matthews’ musical gift is a “reminder of what beauty can occur when we bridge those divides.”

Local songwriter Sarah Fiore, a powerful lyrical voice in her own right, opens the show.

...and more to come!

Susquehanna Folk keeps the music coming with more Spring concerts to be announced soon.

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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.
Curtain call at a Black Opry show, with several Black artists (mostly women) celebrating.
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.
Closeup of a Black woman’s hands stitching small hexagons of colored calico into a flower. In her lap is a clear bag holding several finished flowers.
Narda LeCadre’s hands on a quilt. She is black, and her hands suggest she is an older woman. She is wearing a brown coat with its cuffs turned back, and a rust-colored top. The quilt has blue calico pinwheels.
Crys Matthews, a young Black woman, wears a crisp white button-down men’s shirt, black tie and black suspenders. She has her thumbs underneath the suspender straps, pulling them up off her shoulders. Her curly hair is long on top and cropped close at the sides.
Celebrated singer and songwriter Crys Matthews, winner of the International Folk Music Awards 2022 for her song “Changemakers,” has already been hailed as “the next Woody Guthrie.” Her songs of compassionate dissent reflect her lived experience as what she lightheartedly calls “the poster-child for intersectionality.” [2022 Susquehanna Folk Festival]