Friday night, just a block or two from our weekly Takoma Spark Open Mics, Carroll Cafe has been presenting concerts at Seekers Church in Takoma DC for over fifteen years. Alas, Carroll Cafe will cease operations after their next concert. So come help them go out BIG!
Friday night Carroll Cafe will present In Process…: Using rhythms and harmonies born of slavery and adapted and nurtured throughout the sojourn of African people in America, the women of In Process… lift their voices in the oral tradition to raise contemporary issues and the consciousness of all people. Their blended repertoire includes spirituals, gospel, jazz, blues, and historic and contemporary songs of love, freedom, peace and justice. In Process… is celebrating their 45th year of singing and supporting community change not just with this concert, but with an art exhibit at Sandy Spring Museum in Sandy Spring, MD. Information about the concert here: https://carrollcafe.seekerschurch.org/2025/02/in-process-2/ and information about the art show (it opened this weekend and will be up through June) here: https://www.sandyspringmuseum.org/a-center-for-cultural-heritage/we-collaborate/exhibitions/explore-our-exhibitions/current-exhibitions
SATURDAY morning and afternoon, as part of their Earth Day celebrations, the TPSS Co-op in Takoma Park, MD will be presenting three bands familiar to the extended Institute of Musical Traditions family! Karen Collins and the Backyard Band kicks off the morning at 11am with original honkytonk tunes. Orchester Praževica joins us around 12.30pm with high energy dance music drawing on the tradition of Eastern European Czardas and Gypsy Swing. The day will wrap out at 2pm or so with Fold Up Your Chairs, a trio of award-winning singer songwriters consisting of Rebecca Berlin, Juels Bland and rob Hinkal.
Institute of Musical Traditions:
Monday April 14th, Institute of Musical Traditions presents Reverie Road.
Saint Mark Presbyterian Church | 10701 Old Georgetown Road, Rockville, MD | 7:30pm. Tickets : $20 advance (+$2 box office fee) / $25 door
Reverie Road is a genre-defying Celtic powerhouse ensemble, uniting founding Solas members Winifred Horan (fiddle) and John Williams (accordion) with former Gaelic Storm fiddler Katie Grennan and Steinway Artist Jazz and Raga pianist Utsav Lal. Together, these four exceptional musicians are celebrated as some of today’s most accomplished traditional and virtuosic folk artists, captivating audiences worldwide from stages to studios for over three decades.
Monday, May 12th Institute of Musical Traditions presents ilyAIMY and Ayreheart
7:30pm. Tickets : $20 advance (+$2 box office fee)/ $25 door. Saint Mark Presbyterian Church 10701 Old Georgetown Road, Rockville, MD
With a stage set for baroque lute, electric cello, Irish bones, fretless bass, bodhran, violin, colascione, acoustic guitars, myriad drums and types of hand percussion, it would be excusable for an audience to have no idea what’s about to happen – but ilyAIMY and Ayreheart create a beautiful, eclectic, coherent collective reframing the former’s award-winning songwriting with the latter’s progressive Renaissance arrangements, and the latter’s GRAMMY award-nominated, Celtic and jazz-infused instrumentation with the former’s electric stage presence and 4-part vocal harmonies. “ ilyAYREheart’s ” music spans hundreds of years, from heart-achingly beautiful ballads sung by singer/songwriter Heather Aubrey Lloyd in Old Scots to epic modern compositions inspired by Frank Herbert’s Dune with a couple of Led Zeppelin covers to round it all out.
“[Ayreheart] IS BORN OF WHAT HAS COME BUT LEADS US INTO WHERE WE CAN GO: OLD FORMS BORN ANEW AND EVER FRESH.” ~ Robert Aubry Davis, creator, producer, and host of Millennium of Music
“[ilyAIMY has] a style that’s very much their own; influences from indigenous tunes along with dark and edgy folk numbers, the band ultimately provides [an]interesting in-your-face blend of rock through whatever direction they choose” ~ Declan Poehler | Frederick News-Post
Monday May 19th, Institute of Musical Traditions presents YOUNGER THAN THAT NOW - BOB DYLAN 84th BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE.
Saint Mark Presbyterian Church | 10701 Old Georgetown Road, Rockville, MD | 7:30pm. Tickets : $20 advance (+$2 box office fee) / $25 door
The Institute of Musical Traditions presents an 84th birthday tribute to one of the world’s best-known singer/songwriters. Although Bob Dylan won't be there, his influence will... His impact on popular culture is far-reaching and this unique lineup of performers reflects the breadth of his timeless contributions to American music.
Award-winning singer/songwriter Billy Coulter, who will emcee and perform, previously collaborated with IMT to present the four prior Dylan Tributes and has put together an homage that will surely be a memorable show. This concert showcases artists from the folk and roots music scenes with each playing several Dylan compositions that are among their favorites (and most likely yours too). “Washington’s music community is so diverse that Dylan’s work was the ideal platform to gather all these distinctive talents together on one stage,” says Coulter.
Much like Dylan's music career, this concert will present acoustic performances in the first part and then "goes electric” for the rest of the show.
Mary Battiata, leader of the alt-country band, Little Pink, pours her unique and engaging style into Dylan’s classic songs; Jason Byrd, guitarist for The Bob Band (a Dylan tribute group), lends warmth and depth to these timeless compositions; and Annette Wasilik adds her sweet vocals and fingerstyle guitar to the poetic lyricism in Dylan’s canon.
The second set comprises three highly regarded artists from the Americana/Roots-Rock community. Janine Wilson’s powerhouse vocals bring passion to Dylans’ brilliant lyrics; Bill Starks delivers a bounty of killer keyboard playing and bluesy vocals; and Billy Coulter provides the spirited “Rolling Thunder-era” energy and excitement. All are backed by a band featuring Washington veterans Jason Byrd (electric guitar), El Torro Gamble (drums), and Steve Sachse (bass).
Sponsored in conjunction with Institute of Musical Traditions AT School of Musical Traditions, down the street from HOUSE of Musical Traditions, this is a rare thing : a small LISTENING ROOM open mic. The evening is free, but every night we have a featured artist and we hope that you can support them by tipping or purchasing merch!
Every Tuesday, sponsored by Institute of Musical Traditions and hosted by School of Musical Traditions and run by rob's Open Mics: the Open Spark - a listening-room style open mic with weekly featured artists! 4/15 w Jack Lavin, 4/22 w Babel Baby, 4/29 w Collide, 5/6 w Tavair Tapp, 5/13 w Ash Devine…
As always - Thank you in advance for your support:
Please remember, as an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization Institute of Musical Traditions is made possible through ticket sales, grants and YOUR donations. Our Live webcasts don't make up for "real" shows - so IMT wants to weather the storm to be able to present these artists in the future! You can donate by heading over to paypal.me/imtfolk or by visiting us at https://imtfolk.org/support-imt And thanks to our sponsors for their continued support! 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.
Donations and Support
Be a patron of the arts if you're able and please consider making a tax-deductible donation to IMT. Even the smallest donation is a big help and you can give easily and securely at paypal.me/imtfolk or visit imtfolk.org for more information (and more ways to give!)
Perhaps you need a Daily Antidote of Song? - Join Washington Revels and Carpe Diem Arts each day at 12 noon for an inspiring and uplifting Daily Antidote of Song with international recording artists from a broad range of cultures and traditions. Seven days/week. Information on their website : carpediemarts.org
First Wednesdays Local Cream Songwriter Showcase Annette Wasilik hosts this showcase of local and not-so-local singer/songwriters at Hank Dietle's in Rockville, MD at 8pm. info at annettewasilik.com
Fri April 11 Carroll Cafe presents In Process… Seekers Church in Washington, DC Tickets and info at carrollcafe.seekerschurch.org
Sun April 13 FocusMusic says farewell to Earp's Ordinary w Falcon Ridge Most Wanted w CRAIG BICKHARDT, JESSE TERRY & JILLIAN MATUNDAN + MICHELLE SWAN AND MARCY COCHRAN, JON WATSON, RICK LANDERS & HEARTLAND. in Fairfax, VA Tickets at focusmusic.org!
Thurs May 8 Birchmere presents UK Folk Legends MARTIN & ELIZA CARTHY in Alexandria, VA Tickets at birchmere.com
IMT & Melodic Planet
Partnered with Institute of Musical Traditions, Melodic Planet creates and produces educational materials which encourage everyone to explore all kinds of music from around the world. This week Melodic Planet has added an educational interview about the Norwegian folk musical instrument the Hardanger Fiddle with Loretta Kelley. View it as well as interviews about Thai classical music, San Jarocho music, Chinese Opera, Boogie Woogie and Native American Powwow singing at imtfolk.org.
Here are a few organizations that share goals and values with IMT.
