History
After attending Youth Dance Weekend in Vermont in 2011, Nicole Singer thought to herself, “What if there were a similar weekend for songs?” She and many of her friends had been attending folk festivals and events for years. While they knew that many young people were excited about traditional songs, young singers were underrepresented at song-focused events and scattered across different communities with few ways to connect with one another. Nicole approached a handful of singers and organizers with a proposal for a Youth Traditional Song Weekend. People jumped on board and the original Youth Trad Song Committee was formed: Julia Friend, Jonathan Leiss, Ian McGullam, Mel Novner, Anna Nowogrodzki, Rhys McGovern, Nicole Singer, Natty Smith, and Becky Wright.
One initial goal was to hold an event that was geographically and financially accessible for all generations, but with real commitment to enabling as many “young” people to attend as possible. The vision included lots of singing, of course, but also the opportunity to discuss and reflect on cultural implications, best social singing practices, and ways to cultivate regular singing events in home communities. The most important goal was to get a whole lot of singers together to share songs, build community, and have an amazing time!
One initial goal was to hold an event that was geographically and financially accessible for all generations, but with real commitment to enabling as many “young” people to attend as possible. The vision included lots of singing, of course, but also the opportunity to discuss and reflect on cultural implications, best social singing practices, and ways to cultivate regular singing events in home communities. The most important goal was to get a whole lot of singers together to share songs, build community, and have an amazing time!