FolkWorks

Tuesday night Online jam session and mini-concert with Pam Weeks and Bill Olson
2025-01-21 19:00 - 20:00, 2025-01-14 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | https://www.facebook.com/pamweeks.73
Pam Weeks and Bill Olson have been hosting an online jam session and mini-concert every Tuesday night for almost three years. This is a free, guided jam session for all instruments geared toward the intermediate player, from 7-8PM EST. Tempos will be moderate and chords will be called out the first time through. What makes this session unique is that tunes are almost always chosen by the “jammers” through the FB chat page. This often creates sort of a “stump the band” situation but Pam and Bill are rarely stumped. A lot of lively banter occurs on the chat page as well.. The session will be proceeded by a short mini-concert at 6:45. Come join the fun or check out past sessions which are all archived on Pam’s FB page. The jam will be streamed on Facebook Live, accessed through Pam’s FB page: https://www.facebook.com/pamweeks.73. For more info email Pam at fiddlerpam@gmail.com

Orange County Celtic Jam
2025-01-20 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-01-13 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1221 Wass Street, Tustin, 92780, United States
We meet every Monday evening to play Celtic music.
Venue: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
1221 Wass St., Tustin, CA
Doors open at 6:30 pm. Music at 7:00 pm.
$3 donation for use of the room.
Tunes are chosen from the books in our Dropbox.
OCCJ – Dropbox

Team Taiko
2025-01-20 19:00 - 20:30, 2025-01-13 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | The Grand Annex, 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro, CA, 90713, United States
We believe in creating unique opportunities for people to meet their neighbors and engage in their community in a new way. Come play with us!
Taiko is a Japanese drumming style that, over the last several decades, has become a global phenomenon. Since 2013, Grand Vision has partnered with leading taiko instructors to bring the art form to the South Bay.
Taiko Artist ManMan Mui guides participants toward a repertoire of drumming techniques and patterns. Sessions include developing rhythmic sensibility, body awareness, breath and strength training as students make music together as a team.
Team Taiko is open to all skill levels and abilities, from beginners to seasoned musicians, and fees are on a sliding scale. Recommended for ages 12 and up, children must participate with a guardian or have a signed participation waiver.
Classes are offered in person and streamed live via Zoom to allow for all to participate.

Music They Don't Want You to Hear
2025-01-19 18:00 - 20:00, 2025-01-12 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Ciudad_Juarez)
A weekly 2 hour radio show of folk music with a focus on singer songwriters. We range from vintage to the latest releases giving preference to songs focused on social and political issues.

Ron Cooke (aka A Still Small Voice) shares Folk music with an emphasis on songs related to political and social issues.

A folkie from back when it was fashionable with an abiding interest in music of social and political significance. Co-founder and director of A Still Small Voice 4U a not for profit that presents folk concerts, sponsors artists, festivals and community groups and uses folk music to raise funds for charities. Member of Folk Alliance International and of the People’s Music Network. Avid cyclist, racer, blogger, sculptor and ne’er-do-well

Ken O'Malley solo show
2025-01-19 16:00 - 19:00, 2025-01-12 16:00 - 19:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Three Stags Irish Pub and Restaurant, 328 Orange Street, Redlands, 92374, United States
His passionate and compelling voice is what they notice first. As a solo artist, Ken O’Malley easily commands the room; with his band he also rocks the house. Quickly drawing the audience in, it is no wonder that the Irish News describes him “without question, as the single most enduring, influential and proficient of all Irish musicians in Southern California” and the University of St. Thomas at Houston acknowledges him to be “widely regarded as the finest Irish folk singer/songwriter in the United States today.”
Arriving in Los Angeles from Ireland over 30 years ago, Ken O’Malley was immediately offered a spot at Molly Malone’s, the legendary Irish venue in the city’s Fairfax district, and he hasn’t stopped playing since. Through the years, O’Malley has performed solo and as part of The Mulligans, Blended Spirits and, currently, The Twilight Lords. He’s shared bills with such artists as Mary Black, The Chieftains, The Saw Doctors, Michael Flatley and Pierce Brosnan and continues to be an ever-popular and near legendary constant on Southern California’s Celtic music circuit. In addition to his musical performances, he can also be found on stage and screen in productions ranging from Ray Bradbury’s “Falling Upward” to the Paramount Pictures feature “Patriot Games”.
Indeed, Ken O’Malley was born to perform. In Dublin at the age of 15, he opened for legendary balladeer Paddy Reilly at the equally legendary Old Sheiling Pub. By the time he turned 18, he was gathering professional credits, among them a stint with Trudy’s People, a group he formed that played Gaelic shows on RTÉ, Ireland’s national radio and television network. His fluency in the Gaelic language was earned from his education by the Christian Brothers and his summers in the West of Ireland.
A true ambassador of Irish culture, he infuses every performance with the rich history of his native land and audiences quickly become engaged with his compelling stories. One show producer put it this way: “He holds nothing back. Whether singing a passionate ballad, playing a solo on the mandolin, or explaining the gloriously sad history of Erin his homeland, Ken O’Malley is all-in, wide open to the world, and as true as an arrow’s flight.” Another simply stated that “Ken O’Malley connected with our audience in a way none of our other artists have.”
His first CD, “The White Seahorse,” stands as a masterful homage to traditional Irish music enhanced with solid rhythms, acoustic and electric instruments matched by the powerful vocal energy that is the hallmark of a Ken O’Malley performance. The follow up release, “Women of Ireland,” continues to showcase O’Malley’s irresistible blend of Celtic traditional, American roots rock and eclectic world beat, this time before an enthusiastic live audience at the Celtic Arts Center in Hollywood.
O’Malley’s most recent release, is appropriately titled ÓMáille, his name in Gaelic and demonstrates O’Malley’s considerable strength as a solo artist. These traditional arrangements, though spartan, brilliantly bring the music of his heritage to life. Dave Soyars of the Irish Herald writes: “His powerful and emotive voice shines through on everything he does, but here he’s the instrumental star as well, with precise but driven acoustic rhythm guitar and solid rhythm and tunes-playing on mandolin.”
“If I’ve made people happy with my performances,” says O’Malley, “that’s success to me.”

Sunday Ukulele Jam with Taeri & Katie
2025-01-19 14:00 - 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | COLLAGE, 731 South Pacific Avenue, San Pedro, CA, 90731, United States
Join Taeri Schiffman and Katie Blanchard of Popoki House every Third Sunday of the month from 2 PM to 4 PM for our revamped Ukulele Jam. Sign up in advance to get a list of tunes to be played and the sheet music. There will be time for solo tunes if there is a favorite you would like to share. All skill levels welcome!
RSVP on our website to ensure you are updated if anything changes (doesn’t happen often, but better to be in the know!).

Perry Hall Folk Music Night, featuring Jeff Smith
2025-01-18 19:00 - 22:00 (America/New_York) | Perry Hall United Methodist Church, 9515 Belair Rd., Baltimore, MD, 21236, United States
Monthly open mic Folk Music Night is held Saturdays. Admission is free, but donations are welcome.
The featured performer this month is Jeff Smith.

Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas Winter Retreat
2025-01-17 16:00 - 2025-01-19 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Seabeck Conference Center, 13395 Lagoon Dr NW, Seabeck, WA, 98380, United States
Join a wonderful musical community for a two-night musical retreat with fiddle and cello luminaries, Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas! This is the 17th annual workshop, for the first time presented by the Celtic Arts Foundation and held at the Seabeck Conference Center.
Alasdair Fraser, a consummate Scottish fiddler and artist, has a deep understanding of traditional styles of music, with a strong focus Scotland’s music. He will co-lead and teach along with Natalie Haas on cello. Their skill and experience will inspire and educate fiddlers, cellists, and guitarists, and other musicians alike!
Natalie Haas on cello, will provide her fresh and exciting ideas to compliment these great tunes. Guaranteed to get everyone on their feet and dance with rhythmic groove with great harmonic support. Perfect for those into accompaniment and the groove as well as melody players.
Not sure if you’ll fit in because you don’t play fiddle or cello? Join us on mandolins, concertinas, accordions, flutes, tin whistles, harps, xylophone, and more! Most classes will take place in a group setting, with optional breakout classes and extra curriculars.
Approximate Schedule
Friday, January 17
4pm-6pm – Check-in and session
6pm – Dinner
7pm-9pm – Class
9pm – Sessions
Saturday, January 18
8am – Breakfast
9am – Class
12pm – Lunch
1pm – Class, sessions, breakouts
6pm – Dinner
7:30pm – Ceilidh!
Sunday, January 19
8am – Breakfast
9am – Class
12pm – Lunch and check-out
Following the end of the program, students will be invited to attend an afternoon concert with Alasdair and Natalie. Details t.b.a.!
Housing Options
This retreat takes place at Seabeck Conference Center in Seabeck, WA. All housing and classrooms are on-campus and walkable. Students have the option of selecting one of three types of housing packages:

Single Room + Meals: Private room for one person. Meals provided.
Shared Room + Meals: Up to two people per room. Roommate requests can be made during the check-out process, however, students do not need to have a pre-arranged roommate in order to select this option. Meals provided.
No Room + Meals: No accommodation at Seabeck. Meals provided.

There is not a no room + no meals option. Students can make requests for specific houses and/or rooms using our tiered housing options. The Celtic Arts Foundation will do all we can to meet these requests, although we cannot guarantee them. Priority for housing requests is granted in order of student registration; early registration is encouraged for students with specific requests.

Tier One Pricing: Highest cost, newer buildings, private bathrooms (Pines, Salal) = $615 single room, $515 shared room
Tier Two Pricing: Older buildings, both private (Spruce) and shared bathrooms (Inn, Annex) = $570 single room, $470 shared room
Tier Three Pricing: Most affordable, oldest buildings, shared bathrooms (Firs) = $515 single room, $415 shared room
No Room Pricing: Includes meals and tuition but no housing = $300

Seabeck can accommodate a limited number of specialty diets: vegetarian, vegan, dairy free, and non-Celiac gluten free. Please note that Seabeck is also a completely nut free facility. Students will indicate any dietary restrictions during the checkout process. For students with allergies or dietary restrictions not listed above, options exist for storage of food brought from home. Chaperones who are not attending classes can register to accompany a student at a reduced rate ($150 less than the student price).
Transportation
All retreat activities take place at the Seabeck Conference Center in Seabeck, WA. Once you arrive at Seabeck you will not need a vehicle. Here is a more in-depth look at transportation.
Seabeck Conference Center: 13395 Lagoon Dr NW, Seabeck, WA 98380
Getting to Seabeck from Seatac Airport
This information is for those flying into Seattle and then heading directly to Seabeck.
If you are not renting a car, there is a shuttle called the Bremerton-Kitsap Airporter that leaves from the Seatac Airport and will take you to Silverdale, WA. You can’t make reservations on this shuttle in this direction, but this is the best option. You can find more details and a timetable for that on their website. When you arrive in Silverdale, you can take a 15-minute taxi or Uber to Seabeck Conference Center.
If you are renting a car, you can put Seabeck Conference Center, 13395 Lagoon Dr. NW, Seabeck, WA 98380 into your map (about 1.5 hours of driving).
If you need to arrive on Thursday the 16th, then we recommend staying the night in Silverdale (the shuttle drops folks of at the Best Western Plus Silverdale Beach Hotel). Then doing the taxi or Uber in the morning or driving if you have a car.
Getting from Seabeck to Seatac Airport
This information is for those departing Seabeck and heading directly to Seatac airport.
There is a shuttle called the Bremerton-Kitsap Airporter that leaves from Silverdale and heads to the Seatac Airport every day. We recommend making reservations on this shuttle in this direction. You can find more details and a timetable for that on their website. You can take a 15-minute taxi or Uber to the Best Western Plus Silverdale Beach Hotel in Silverdale, WA from Seabeck Conference Center to catch the shuttle.
Please note that by registering for Alasdair and Natalie’s Winter Retreat, you are agreeing to our waiver and policies. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to the Celtic Arts Foundation at 360-416-4934 or events@celticarts.org. Registration ends on December 31st, 2024.

Scholarships
Do you need to apply for a scholarship to make your tuition possible? Apply here.

Weekly Irish Ceili dance classes
2025-01-16 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-01-09 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Winona Grange, 8340 SW Seneca St, Tualatin, OR, 97062, United States
Weekly drop-in classes Irish Ceili, folk dances of Ulster. Longest continuous ceili class in Oregon and second longest west of the Mississippi (Berkley has the #1 longest).
$10 at the door. No classes on Thanksgiving, Ice storms or if the temperature is 94+ at 5pm

SoCal Uilleann Pipers Club Monthy Meeting
2025-01-12 13:00 - 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Private home in Orange Co., CA, United States
The Southern California Uilleann Pipers Club meets monthly to promote playing and enjoying Ireland’s national bagpipe. Contact larry@socalpipers.com for more information.

Katie Jane Band's CD Release (2nd Saturday Community Concert)
2025-01-11 19:30 - 22:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Winona Grange, 8340 SW Seneca St, Tualatin, OR, 97062, United States
Tualatin – Winona Grange – Doors 6:45, show 7:30
High-speed Celtic fiddling meets rich vocal harmonies as the energetic Katie Jane Band takes the stage. Known as Portland’s hottest fiddler, Katie Jane Lubiens lights up the stage with her blazing fiddle fingers and charismatic smile.
Each performance blends Irish, Scottish, and French Canadian folk music with Katie Janes original compositions to create a one-of-a-kind sound that is an explosion of energy and joy. Combine Katie Janes fiddle virtuosity with her sweet, authentic voice, and you’ll easily see why Katie Jane is gaining a reputation as todays Celtic music darling.
The Katie Jane Band can be seen performing at Scottish Highland Games, Celtic festivals, ceilis, weddings, and all kinds of concert venues across the United States. Described as the most fun you’ll ever have with traditional Celtic fiddle music, the band joins tasty melodies with driving rhythm for an undeniably danceable sound.
