Colburn Park Trad Music Festival

Dive into the dynamic world of traditional music for a weekend of playing, learning, dancing, jamming, performance, and more. Upper Valley Music Center brings together some of the best traditional musicians in New England, all of whom are dedicated to keeping the tradition alive through performance and teaching. 

Saturday workshops will give participants a chance to immerse themselves in a specific musical tradition to learn tunes, practice ensemble playing skills, and perform together. Genres include Scottish, Irish, French, Quebecois, English, and New England. Within each group, faculty will teach tunes from the tradition by ear including melody and accompaniment. Instructors will coach each ensemble, exploring stylistic approaches within the tradition, and arranging a set for performance. Each group will have the opportunity to perform in an informal student concert Saturday evening, followed by a traditional dance with music from our faculty. 

Our Saturday workshops are open to everyone who wants to dive into learning and playing tunes together. All instruments are welcome, and tunes will be taught by ear. Participants should be able to play a few tunes on their instrument already, whether from the trad world or other styles. 

Sunday will feature a variety of sessions highlighting the many talents of our faculty, including options for trad enthusiasts and newcomers. Examples include a harpers circle, Irish tune jam session, instrument petting zoo, traditional dancing, and song sharing. In addition to our core faculty, Sunday sessions also highlight our friends and partners including Revels North and Young Traditions VT. Sunday participants can pick and choose their path, dropping into multiple sessions or focusing on one area. The Sunday program will culminate with a concert featuring the festival faculty, open to the public. 

Enrollment options: 

Join us for the full weekend of festivities, or choose the program that best suits you! 

• Full weekend: includes all programs on Saturday and Sunday. 
• Saturday only: includes all Saturday sessions, plus evening concert and dance
• Sunday only: includes all Sunday sessions, plus faculty concert. 

Individual tickets for the dance and concert will go on sale in May.