The Beginning: The Old Town School of Folk Music opened in Chicago in 1957 to provide workshops and instruction to students of all ages who were interested in learning to play folk music. The American Folk Revival was in full swing at the time, and the majority of classes focused on American genres of folk music. Teachers included Pete Seeger, Mahalia Jackson and Big Bill Broonzy.
Later On: Throughout the '60s and '70s, the Old Town School saw consistently increasing attendance and began to expand its instructional repertoire to include a greater variety of instruments. They also began to hold live concerts.
The 1980s: In the heyday of 1980s decadence and modernism, the Old Town School saw a dramatic decline in registration and donations. To offset their impending bankruptcy, the school focused even further on fundraising and began to dramatically expand their repertoire to teach a wide variety of world and ethnic music and dance styles. They continued to provide award-winning instruction despite their financial hardships.
The 1990s: In 1994, the Old Town School of Folk Music, through grants from the city of Chicago and generous contributions from the community, moved into the former Hild Library, a huge building in the midst of Chicago's diverse Lincoln Square neighborhood. The vastly improved space allowed the Old Town School to become the premiere instructional facility of folk and world music in the United States.
Now: Around 6,000 students per week (about 2/5 of them children) study at the Old Town School. Long-term classes as well as one-day workshops (and everything in between) are offered in a huge variety of musical traditions, from American folk guitar to Tuvan throat singing to Irish Stepdancing. The Old Town School also holds numerous concerts per week, with major touring bands performing to appreciative audiences.
How You Can Learn: First off, visit the Old Town School online and browse through their classes. If you're not a Chicago local, but you're planning on being in town for a weekend, you will likely be able to find a fun workshop to attend or schedule a private lesson with one of the School's dozens of teachers. Also, on any given weekend, there are at least a few concerts worth attending.
Scholarships: For those who can't afford to pay the registration fees for the classes and workshops, the Old Town School offers lots of generous scholarships; they believe everyone should have the opportunity to learn music and dance, regardless of their financial status!
Music Store: The Old Town School has its own music store, A Different Strummer, which provides a huge line of musical instruments, books and instructional videotapes/DVDs at reasonable prices. They also provide instrument rental, so if you want to give something new a try, you can do so without the commitment of actually buying it.
