Frank Hamilton School

🌱 Thursday, September 17 at 7 PM, come to an Irish Session with John Maschinot! The first hour will be at a slower tempo so everyone has a chance to catch the tune, followed by a more uptempo hour! It’s a great way to ease into tunes, rhythms, and harmonies. All levels are welcome!

🎻This Saturday, Sept 12 at 3:45 PM! Come make music for our friends at Clairmont Place Retirement Community, 1800 Clairmont Lake, across from the VA Hospital. Led by Mark Etheredge. Bring your voice, bring your instrument, and play and sing along! We’ll meet in the Community Room.

🌳Join us this weekend,
Sept 10-13 at the Kennedy Creek Resort in Suches, GA. The Kennedy Creek Old-Time Music Festival takes place every pre-autumn at the Kennedy Creek Resort. Guest artists (including our own Max Godfrey and Jenna Mobley this year) lead jams, teach workshops, and present concerts, but the main event is always jamming with friends!

https://morgan-ellis.net/kennedy-creek/

💫Michael J. Miles and Frank Hamilton, what an image!

🎟️ Reserve your seat now for Michael’s 9/26–7 PM concert featuring Frank: https://frankhamiltonschool.org/michael-miles-workshops-concert/

🪕 An Old Town School of Folk Music Reunion
MICHAEL J. MILES IN CONCERT with special guest Frank Hamilton! Private venue to be disclosed after reservations are made.

🌞Frank Hamilton co-founded the Old Town School of Folk Music in 1957; Michael J. Miles joined in 1984 and helped grow it into America’s largest community music school. In this rare, one‑time‑only concert, Miles performs his celebrated repertoire: J.S. Bach on the banjo, Stevie Wonder on guitar, and literally everything in between. Frank Hamilton will join his longtime friend for a few unforgettable songs.

🙏🏼Pete Seeger once said of Miles, “This is enough to make me want to learn the banjo all over again.”

🌎Michael Miles’ website: https://milesmusic.org

🎵We are also honored and excited to present Michael J. Miles for TWO workshops on Saturday, September 26! Register at the same link above!

➡️Intermediate Fingerstyle Guitar Workshop — 1:00-2:15 PM
Intermediate Clawhammer Banjo Workshop — 2:45-4:00 PM

🎙️There are those who represent the American Songbook or one particular style of music. Michael J. Miles, and his insatiable banjo covers the world songbook, and with the Great American Jukebox, he leans deeply into his own inner jukebox—20th century songs from AM radio and his father’s player piano.

🏆As a student of the music, Miles is the consummate teacher. The renowned Old Town School of Folk Music named him the 2018 Musician and Educator of the Year. In 2024 he was honored by Illinois Arts Council with an Artist Fellowship Award. He has taught at universities, camps, festivals, schools and woven musical collaborations around the world. He’s also learned from and worked with many musical masters, including Pete Seeger, Bela Fleck & Janos Starker.

🌆Clawhammer banjo and roots guitar aren’t necessarily the tools of expression in the urban vortex of Chicago, Miles’ lifelong home. But he brings the city’s NOW to the timeless melodies of the world’s greatest music. J.S. Bach, Stevie Wonder. His musical roots and approach are part sophistication, part grit. All heart.

🤎Honoring all who labor. Have a safe and good weekend!

~🙏🏽~

The Newport family joins the rest of the music world in mourning the loss of a one of a kind talent in Cassandra Wilson. Rest in peace, Cassandra. 💔🕊️