The Old Town School of Folk Music is a

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teaching and performing institution that launched the careers of many notable

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has ...

artists. Founded by Folk musicians Frank Hamilton and Win Stracke, and Dawn Greening, the School opened in the

Old Town In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins after thorough renovations. There are ma ...

neighborhood of Chicago in 1957 (the original location at 333 west North Avenue has since been demolished). It began by offering

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

and

banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...

lessons in a communal teaching style and hosting performances by well-known folk musicians. Currently the school has an enrollment of about 6,000 students per week, 2,700 of them children.

History

Founding

The Old Town School of Folk Music was originally established by Dawn Greening in her family dining room. With her incredible warmth, and skill at building relationships, Greening and her family acted as a support system to a vast community of struggling folk artists. Doc Watson,

Pete Seeger Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American folk singer and social activist. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, Seeger also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of the Weavers, notably ...

and

Odetta Odetta Holmes (December 31, 1930 – December 2, 2008), known as Odetta, was an American singer, actress, guitarist, lyricist, and a civil rights activist, often referred to as "The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement". Her musical repertoire c ...

were among the artists that were always welcome in their home and treated as family. During a time when mothers were expected to act as caretakers and people of color were supposed to enter through the back door as servants, Greening and her family took the brunt of social backlash and exclusion from their neighbors. Yet Greening had the foresight, connections and follow-through required to create a hub for their alternative grass-roots community. She personally coordinated students and teachers to regularly come into her home and experience folk music for what it was; a quilt of tradition and history meant to bring folks from all walks of life together. With her support, Win Stracke and Frank Hamilton were able to formally open the school on December 1, 1957. Stracke was a classically trained singer and Hamilton was a young multi-instrumentalist and teacher of folk music; Hamilton had previously studied under Bess Lomax Hawes, daughter of folklorist

John Lomax John Avery Lomax (September 23, 1867 – January 26, 1948) was an American teacher, a pioneering musicologist, and a folklorist who did much for the preservation of American folk music. He was the father of Alan Lomax, John Lomax Jr. and Bess ...

. Stracke and Hamilton met at the Gate of Horn nightclub in Chicago where they were both performing. Coming together with Greening, Hamilton and Stracke developed a classroom technique based upon traditional oral and

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology * Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or ...

teaching methods: listening, watching, trial and error, and playing by ear. Where other music schools taught sight reading and performance, Greening, Stracke and Hamilton wanted the Old Town School "method" to retain its emphasis on participation and development of aural skills. Several of the early faculty at the Old Town School were past members of Win Stracke's the " I Come For to Sing" review. A folk review performed by a rotating group of artists, the program was a variety show in which each program revolved around a particular topic, the songs and readings presented would all deal with that topic. Win Stracke,

Studs Terkel Louis "Studs" Terkel (May 16, 1912 – October 31, 2008) was an American writer, historian, actor, and broadcaster. He received the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction in 1985 for '' The Good War'' and is best remembered for his oral hi ...

Big Bill Broonzy Big Bill Broonzy (born Lee Conley Bradley; June 26, 1903 – August 14, 1958) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. His career began in the 1920s, when he played country music to mostly African American audiences. In the 1930s ...

, and Fleming Brown were all members of "I Come For to Sing" at different times. The school would also publish a folk magazine by the same name from 1975-1987.

Songbook

The initial version of the Old Town School Songbook was an unbound stack of pages to be added to a three ring binder. It was a collection of 94 songs mostly North American in origin, but selections from Israel, Ireland, England, and Chile were added. In keeping with the teaching philosophy of the school it favored many songs which were suitable for group involvement. Each page had a short history of the song, the chord progression, rhythm indicators, a transcription of the melody and lyrics for the verses. Chord fingering charts were provided for guitar and banjo.

1950s, 1960s and early 1970s

Mahalia Jackson Mahalia Jackson ( ; born Mahala Jackson; October 26, 1911 – January 27, 1972) was an American gospel singer, widely considered one of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century. With a career spanning 40 years, Jackson was integral to ...

, Jimmy Driftwood,

, and

Josh White Joshua Daniel White (February 11, 1914 – September 5, 1969) was an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor and civil rights activist. He also recorded under the names Pinewood Tom and Tippy Barton in the 1930s. White grew up in the South ...

all performed at the Old Town School in its early years. Early teachers at the school included Chicago blues guitarist Big Bill Broonzy, and banjo players Fleming Brown and Stu Ramsey as well as the Brazilian singer-guitarist Valucha deCastro (a.k.a. Valucha Buffington). The formation and growth of the School coincided with the folk music boom of the 1960s and early 1970s. In Chicago, folk influence was scattered in Hyde Park (site of the Folk Festival), Oak Park (where Greening lived), and Old Town. The school's first location was a rundown storefront at 333 W. North Ave. in Old Town. Throughout its existence the School has focused on offering both instruction and performance with many performing musicians also acting as teachers and mentors. The School also proved a rich ground for collaboration. The late 1960s were a peak of success as several musicians associated with the School rose to national prominence, including

Roger McGuinn James Roger McGuinn (born James Joseph McGuinn III; July 13, 1942) is an American musician. He is best known for being the frontman and leader of the Byrds. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his work with the Byrds. As a ...

The Byrds The Byrds () were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining th ...

, Fred Holstein,

John Prine John Edward Prine (; October 10, 1946 – April 7, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter of country-folk music. He was active as a composer, recording artist, live performer, and occasional actor from the early 1970s until his death. He ...

Steve Goodman Steven Benjamin Goodman (July 25, 1948 – September 20, 1984) was an American folk and country singer-songwriter from Chicago. He wrote the song " City of New Orleans", which was recorded by Arlo Guthrie and many others including John Denver, ...

Bonnie Koloc Bonnie Koloc (born February 6, 1946) is an American folk music singer-songwriter, actress and artist. She was considered one of the three main Illinois-based folk singers in the 1970s, along with Steve Goodman and John Prine forming the "trinity o ...

, and

Bob Gibson Robert Gibson (born Pack Robert Gibson; November 9, 1935October 2, 2020) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals (1959–1975). Nicknamed "Gibby" and "Hoot ...

. The school moved into a more permanent home at 909 West Armitage Ave.

1970s & 1980s: Decline & Renewal

Enrollment peaked in 1975 with about 650 students per-week, but as the folk revival declined in the mid-1970s so did the fortunes of the School; although it continued to provide music lessons to hundreds of students the School suffered financial difficulties and was on the brink of

bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debto ...

in 1981. It was discussed at this time to move the School from its aging facilities on Armitage Avenue to the suburbs. The Old Town School of Folk Music (OTSFM), was having a near death experience in the late 1980s. On revenues of $200,000 per year the school was losing $40,000 per year, with no money in the bank. The school had ceased to be relevant to its markets, and new customers were not being attracted to the school's programming. In order to survive, the school needed to develop a new strategy. So it developed three: 1. The school could not pay its bills, so one strategy was to reduce costs and raise cash. Goal: Return to net profitability within 12 months. 2. Develop relevant new products to attract new customers. Goal: Increase revenues by 40% per year through new product offerings. 3. Raise money to renovate the school's main building at 909 Armitage Ave. and conference hall. Goal: Raise $600,000 over the next 24 months. A new Executive Director, Jim Hirsch, was hired at the beginning of the turnaround. One member of the Board and Jim reviewed all of the financial numbers and decided what they could control, and where cuts were necessary. Reducing costs involved laying off guitar instructors, who were struggling to make a living as artists. The little that the OTSFM paid them was still a meaningful amount in their lives, but an expense the school had to reduce in order to survive. The layoffs were painful, but amazingly half of the staff agreed to work for free, during the transition. They understood the situation faced by the school. Each creditor, and there were many, to whom the school owed money, was met face-to-face. A plan was offered to pay them; if they could extend a little more credit to the school. Growth takes time to build, but cost reductions can happen (no matter how painful) immediately. The school faced several tough choices. The school owned two buildings. It was a painful choice, but the school's board decided to sell one of its buildings, so that bills could be paid and agreements kept. The school also needed to look at its programs and concert offerings to the public. Michael Miles was hired to work on the school's programming. If the school wanted to survive over the long term, it needed to offer more exciting products (concerts, lessons, etc.) and draw in a broader, more ethnically diversified customer base. The OTSFM expanded its concert offerings and guitar instruction lessons. A new 'Wiggleworms' program was put together to teach music to little children (under 5 years old), and Jim put together a "Latin Music Festival" that was the first such offering in Chicago by a non-Latino institution. This was highlighted in February 1989 by a performance from Jesus "Chucho" Rodriguez & Henry Hernandez with their Indian Harp and The Inca Peruvian Highland Wind Ensemble. These programs resulted in a much more ethnically diversified audience and helped with revenue growth. Execution of the above changes was primarily done by the school's staff. The board (a group of volunteers) took responsibility for raising $600,000 to do the renovation. Just like a good song needs a 'hook' to resonate with a listener, the school needed a 'hook' to interest funding organizations and individual contributors. The school's success with its new products for a diversified audience was a primary reason funding organizations agreed to provide support to the school's capital campaign. Since then the school has had a renaissance. Its annual revenues are in excess of several million dollars. It successfully renovated its old building, later a new one was purchased and renovated with money from an even larger capital campaign. The new venue has a larger concert stage and teaching capacity. That new building helped to lead the way for revitalizing a Chicago neighborhood. Currently, the school's concerts and teaching programs are full, and there is a very healthy involvement of volunteers, customers and staff. It impacts more people's lives today than at any time in its past

1990s

After occupying a building at 909 West Armitage Avenue in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood since 1968, the Old Town School in 1998 expanded into a new and larger main branch in the former Hild Library at 4544 North Lincoln Avenue, with a 400-seat concert hall. The move allowed the school room to expand its music education program significantly.

2010s

In October 2018, the school announced that it would sell its Armitage building to gain endowment money. Teachers and community members blasted the decision for being shortsighted and taken without feedback from the community. The following March, the school announced that it had reconsidered and would not sell the building, instead focusing on increasing enrollment. Meanwhile, the faculty voted to unionize, associating itself with the Illinois Federation of Teachers.

Today

Old Town School of Folk Music jam session

As of late 2003, Old Town School has occasionally held or sponsored concerts in the 1525-seat Harris Theater for Music and Dance located mostly underground in the downtown

Millennium Park Millennium Park is a public park located in the Loop community area of Chicago, operated by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. The park, opened in 2004 and intended to celebrate the third millennium, is a prominent civic center nea ...

. Today, the Old Town School continues to offer music, dance, art and theater classes and performances for adults and children at both locations and children's classes in some suburban branch locations. Students from all over the Chicago area attend weekly classes taught by dedicated professionals. Students can also take ensemble classes, working with others on the music of groups like

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

The Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, country, jazz, bluegrass, blues, rock and roll, gospel, reggae, world music, a ...

Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Fu ...

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

, and many others. Most classes perform at the end of the eight-week session in the "Big Gig" or at local venues. The current enrollment is about 7,000 students per week. Many well-known folk,

world In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...

, bluegrass,

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

and

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while ...

musicians from all over the world perform at the 4544 North Lincoln Avenue location. There are two Old Town School Music Stores (one at 4544 North Lincoln Avenue and one at 909 West Armitage Avenue). Since 1997, Old Town School hosts the Chicago Folk & Roots Festival in nearby Welles Park. However, in 2012, the School announced it would not organize the event due to rising costs from city policy changes. Instead, in collaboration with The Lincoln Square Chamber of Commerce, Old Town School hosted the

Square Roots In mathematics, a square root of a number is a number such that ; in other words, a number whose ''square'' (the result of multiplying the number by itself, or  ⋅ ) is . For example, 4 and −4 are square roots of 16, because . E ...

festival. On December 1, 2007, Old Town School celebrated its 50th Anniversary with a concert at Chicago's Auditorium Theatre featuring Jeff Tweedy, Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn, David Bromberg, Bonnie Koloc, Frank & Mary Hamilton, Lonnie Brooks with Wayne Baker Brooks and Nicholas Tremulis and Luna Negra Dance Theater. In July 2010, the School announced the planned $18 million expansion of their facility to include new classroom and theater space across the street from their current location (on an empty lot purchased in 2005). The new building opened at 4545 North Lincoln Avenue on January 9, 2012. It adds more than 27,000 square feet of classrooms and a 150-seat flexible use hall called The Myron R. Szold Music and Dance Hall. On Friday nights, the School offers 6-String Socials at 909 West Armitage Avenue where students can get together to practice singing and playing.

References

External links

The Old Town School of Folk MusicCompanion to the Old Town School SongbookOld Town School HistoryChicago Tribune
The songbook remains the same at Old Town. Article by Greg Kot on the 50th Anniversary of the school. {{Coord, 41, 55, 4.80, N, 87, 39, 4.78, W, display=title Music venues in Chicago Music of Chicago Educational institutions established in 1957 Folk music organizations Music schools in Illinois 1957 establishments in Illinois