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April and May Events Postponed

With Governor Northam’s “stay-at-home” order extending until June, we have decided to postpone our April and May events. We are hopeful that the heat of summer will reduce the pressure of COVID-19, and allow us to resume programming in June/July.

We are working on plans for our Fall Square Dance, so please put October 10 on your calendar and stay tuned for more exciting details!

Be sure to sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Facebook!

Stay safe out there!

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March events postponed

Unfortunately, and after much consideration, we have decided to postpone the Harmony Singing Workshop this Sunday. We want you to experience the fun and fellowship of singing close together, and think it better to wait for now. We will issue refunds to everyone who purchased a ticket and look forward to rescheduling this much-anticipated workshop.

And, following the cancellation of K-12 schools in Virginia for the next two weeks, we are going to postpone JAM and Musikgarten until schools re-open.

Please stay tuned to our website and Facebook for updates.

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Harmony Singing Workshop

Rockbridge FOLK is hosting a Harmony Singing Workshop with Carol Elizabeth Jones on Sunday, March 15th at 2:00 pm. This workshop is open to anyone who can hear a melody and carry a tune. We will spend the afternoon in a beautiful place, singing together, learning songs, and deciphering the mysteries of harmony. $45 for 3-hour workshop. Pre-registration is required for this event – Registration is closed.

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Hygge Hangout

Rockbridge FOLK is hosting a free Hygge Hangout at Make It Sew in Lexington on February 9th from 2:00 – 5:00 pm. Hygge (hue-guh) is a Danish concept that cannot be translated to one single word but encompasses a feeling of cozy contentment and well-being through enjoying the simple things in life. If you’ve ever enjoyed reading a book indoors on a rainy Sunday or a cup of hot cocoa on a snowy day, you’ve experienced Hygge without even knowing it. Folks are welcome to bring handwork, snacks, or nothing at all, and just spend some time together, enjoying the peace of a winter afternoon. Click to learn more!

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Open House – January 30th

Rockbridge FOLK is hosting a free Musikgarten Open House in Brady Chapel at Lexington Presbyterian Church on Thursday, January 30th at 11:30 am. Musikgarten is an internationally-recognized early childhood music program which provides weekly opportunities for families with babies, toddlers, and preschoolers to bond through music, movement, and play. Musikgarten helps children learn to appreciate and express themselves through music and gain confidence in themselves as they grow and learn. No pre-registration required.

Musikgarten
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Rockbridge FOLK Honors Local Music Legends

“Our area has a rich culture of music and dance, yet as our elders pass away, I’m afraid those traditions will fade along with them. We need to get young people re-connected to the music.”

Rockbridge FOLK founder, Becky Almy

Through a partnership with Junior Appalachian Musicians {JAM}, Rockbridge FOLK hopes to bring young people in our community together through music. We reached out to the surviving families of two Rockbridge Legends and are honored to name our Scholarship Fund for Freddie Goodhart and our Instrument Library {and Fund} for Mike Seeger.

Freddie Goodhart

Freddie Goodhart owned a small antique shop in downtown Lexington for 40 years, and through that shop, introduced traditional music to an incredible number of Rockbridge locals, students from Washington & Lee and VMI, as well as tourists.

Mike Seeger, who passed away in 2009, was a well-known and well-respected multi-instrumentalist, producing more than 30 documentary recordings and who performed in over 40 other recordings. Seeger devoted his life to “singing, playing, presenting and honoring the old-time traditional country music of the American South.”

Mike Seeger

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Rockbridge JAM

Rockbridge Folk has been accepted as an affiliate of Junior Appalachian Musicians {JAM}, an organization that helps communities build music programs for kids. Rockbridge Folk’s after-school music classes will be for children in grades 4-8, and will include group lessons on fiddle, clawhammer banjo, and guitar. Children in the Rockbridge JAM program will learn traditional Old Time music and have the opportunity to play with other students in the JAM program.

“JAM is perfect for Rockbridge kids,” said Carol Elizabeth Jones, Rockbridge FOLK board member. “They’ll have a chance to learn music from our region and form bonds with kids outside of school. It’s going to be exciting to watch them grow together, through the music.”

The first session of JAM classes will begin on October 3, and continue through December 19. Chris McGrath will teach fiddle, David Winston will teach clawhammer banjo, and Mary Winston will teach guitar. Class fees are reasonable, scholarships are available, and instruments will be made available for those who need them.

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It’s time to go LIVE!

Welcome to the virtual home of a brand new cultural adventure in Lexington, Virginia. Rockbridge FOLK combines music, art, food and family into a network of artisans, performers, foodies and friends throughout Rockbridge County, the Shenandoah Valley and Greater Appalachia. This area has a rich tradition of music and art, as well as a great passion for agriculture and life-skills passed down through generations by storytelling, jam circles, and apprenticeship and it is our goal to rekindle that tradition in our community.

We are creating a connection between the people that know and the people that want to learn. Music, pottery, blacksmithing, tanning, shepherding, gardening, cooking: traditional skills and interests worth saving, celebrating and cultivating.

Very soon we will be introducing a membership program that will make it easy for you to show your support for our Mission. Rockbridge FOLK members will receive our members-only email newsletter, discounted tickets to events, exclusive experiences, workshops and more. Rockbridge FOLK is a 501(c)3 non-profit, so charitable donations are welcome, and tax-deductible. 

Stay tuned for news as we work to get this project off the ground. If you have questions or would like to get involved, please send an email to info@rockbridgefolk.org.