About Institute of Musical Traditions
Mission
The Institute of Musical Traditions (IMT) is an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization which preserves and promotes American and international folk music traditions and nurtures new styles evolving from these cultural roots by presenting concerts, workshops, and educational programs.
History
IMT was born in 1988 from a concert series started by David Eisner, the owner of the House of Musical Traditions in Takoma Park, Maryland. IMT's world-class performances, programs, and other activities are funded through corporate donations, foundations and public funding agencies, but mostly through ticket sales and contributions from individual supporters.
Programs
IMT presents weekly concerts, fall, winter and spring, in either our Rockville or Takoma Park venues. We also present special events, icon concerts, family concerts and workshops throughout the year, as well as our occasional, intimate Next to the House concerts in Takoma Park. Our venues range in size from 50 seats to 500 seats.
Help Support IMT!
Our shows wouldn't happen without our family of volunteers and we're always looking for more people to help with all aspects of our operation. You can give easily on our Support Page or join us and Volunteer today!
Our tickets only cover about 70% of the actual cost of a show. Click here to learn how to become a patron of the arts by supporting the Institute of Musical Traditions!
Connect with us!
Of course you can follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube, but if you join the Institute of Musical Traditions mailing list you'll never miss a show! (or at least never miss KNOWING about one)
Special Thanks...
We are a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization supported by contributions from individual donors and by funding from the Maryland State Arts Council as well as the Montgomery County Government and the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County.
We are a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization supported by contributions from individual donors and by funding from the Maryland State Arts Council.
Institute of Musical Traditions Inc. is supported in part by funding from the Montgomery County Government and the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County.
Board of Directors
Dave Richardson -- President (president@imtfolk.org)
Jim Byrne -- Secretary (Secretary@imtfolk.org)
Art Shaw -- Treasurer (Treasurer@imtfolk.org)
David Eisner -- Founder (david@imtfolk.org)
Joyce Winston
Rob Wolcott
Contact Information
Corporate Address
Institute of Musical Traditions
10332 Parkman Road
Silver Spring, MD 20903
Executive Director Email: Office@imtfolk.org
Office: Office@imtfolk.org / (voice mail): 301 960-3655 (960-FOLK)
Ticketing questions: Orders@imtfolk.org / (voice mail): 301 960-3655 (960-FOLK)
Email List: publicity@imtfolk.org
Bookings: Booking@imtfolk.org
Volunteers: Volunteers@imtfolk.org
Publicity: publicity@imtfolk.org
Webmaster: publicity@imtfolk.org
Phone Numbers
Office & Tickets (voice mail): 301 960-3655 (960-FOLK)
Booking Information for Agents and Performers
Founded in 1981, the Institute of Musical Traditions (IMT) is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization which preserves and promotes International and American Folk music traditions by presenting concerts, workshops, and educational programs in Montgomery County, Maryland and the Washington, DC area.
IMT presents events in a listening-room or theater environment in a range of venues, from rooms with 50 to 240 seats to halls seating 500 or more. We work with artists and agents to find the right venue for each performance. We generally need to book shows at least two months in advance to meet promotion deadlines.
IMT Concert Series and Venues
IMT presents its concert series from mid-January to mid-May, then from mid-September to mid-December. Our main venue is the 240-seat Fellowship Hall of Saint Mark Presbyterian Church in Rockville, Maryland.
Performers usually need to draw an audience of 80 or more people to have a successful show. Advance ticket prices start at $15 and are rarely higher than $30.
Workshops
IMT occasionally presents workshops. Workshop instructors are performers of note who are generally considered masters of their style and instrument, and should be able to attract 10 to 15 students at ticket prices starting at $35 per person. Workshops are usually associated with an IMT show, but do not have to be.
Booking Submissions
Submissions should be for traditional folk music or for music with roots in folk music. We actively book a wide range of folk music styles, including bluegrass, blues, Cajun, Celtic, dance, Indigenous, Jazz, Latin, Singer-Songwriter, and World. IMT is also pledged to book performers of diverse ethnicity and gender.
We receive many requests and often can’t reply immediately. If you are interested in discussing a booking, please send the following information to David Eisner at booking@imtfolk.org
- A bio including links to the performer's website and social media pages.
- Videos of live concert performances.
Provide information about the location and attendance for recent past performances in concert settings (not festivals) when performing as the headliner, including venues, attendance numbers, and ticket prices. Let us know If you have performed in the DC area before or if you have a local fan base.
Tell us about other venues where the performer will appear around the date of any proposed IMT show. Note that IMT usually requires that performers not book shows within sixty miles of the IMT venue for 30 days before or after an IMT show without prior approval.
IMT Concert Support
Sound
IMT’s concerts include professionally produced sound by engineers experienced with acoustic music. Performers will need to submit a sound specification and stage plot at least two weeks before the show.
Marketing & Publicity
All of IMT's activities are supported by a professional publicist and are also promoted through IMT's website, Facebook page, and mailing list. Performers are expected to provide IMT with promotional materials, and should have a well-maintained and up-to-date website and social media sites. IMT performing artists, managers and agents: Please feel free to contact the IMT publicist directly for media lists and media questions. Email: publicity@imtfolk.org.