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BY LUCIA MAURO
"It’s not Kuumba Ya."
In one fell swoop of graceful humor, David Roche–executive director of the Old Town School of Folk Music since December of last year–erases a collective misperception of the folk tradition. He adds, "We view folk music as a process working in all forms of expressive culture." And, most importantly, this 44-year-old Chicago institution dedicated to communal education is not built on a competitive model. As Roche further emphasizes, "It’s about the synergy a group can bring to learning."
Since the core of the school’s program remains ensemble-based, guitar and repertoire classes using American popular music as the curriculum, theatre artists might wonder how the Old Town School can help them become better performers. A look at the latest summer catalog reveals quite an all-encompassing curriculum ranging from yoga and ballet to musical theatre ensemble and improv. But Roche–a musicologist, former project director for the University of California-Berkeley’s Center for World Music and expert in Asian arts and culture–views this group-oriented model as a way of creating more complete human beings and artists.
"Our organization has a mission," he continues. "We’re missionaries for the performing arts and how the arts integrate into social life and social function. We allow people to do things more gracefully or more musically. We’ve found that the Old Town School often becomes an antidote for any bad learning experiences students have had. The soul of our program has always been the group."
The Chicago theatre community, which tends to gravitate toward an ensemble structure, can choose from a range of classes that naturally incorporate team work. The Old Town School, which grew out of the era of protest songs and anti-McCarthyism, has expanded organically into the music and dance traditions of world cultures. The overriding philosophy, which Roche reiterates, is the belief in group classes and the social aspects of learning.
He also acknowledges that the school is moving into an area of greater technological expertise. In addition to the educational programs, the Old Town School regularly presents music, dance and theatre performances. Roche says the school hopes to be selling tickets on-line and doing Web casts soon.
The Old Town School of Folk Music opened in December 1957 at 333 North Ave. The first five years mirrored the boom in folk music at that time. Over 150 students attended guitar and banjo classes on a weekly basis. Folk dancing and family sing-a-longs rounded out the programming. Some of the earliest concerts featured Pete Seeger, Mahalia Jackson and Jimmy Driftwood.
The School continued to grow and benefit from the folk-revival movement of the 1960s. Enrollment increased, and the School helped launch the careers of Roger McGuinn of the Byrds, Bob Gibson, John Prine, Bonnie Koloc and the late Steve Goodman. In 1968, the School purchased and moved into a 16,000 square-foot building at 909 W. Armitage.
In the early 1970s, the school introduced private instruction in a variety of instruments, a more high-profile concert schedule and the opening of satellite locations. Enrollment peaked in 1975 with over 650 students attending classes each week. But the late 1970s marked a decline in enrollment, concert attendance and the beginning of a severe financial crisis that left the School on the brink of bankruptcy. This trend culminated in 1982 with a change of leadership.
Staff and board then began a broad series of institutional changes that increased management effectiveness, placed a higher emphasis on fundraising and expanded the scope of programming to include ethnic and traditional music from around the world. By cutting costs, streamlining management and organizing development, the School made a quick rebound. In 1987, it was able to renovate its dilapidated building.
The 1987 renovation led to a dramatic surge in the School’s popularity. In the early 1990s, it recognized the need for additional space and began to explore available options. Coincidentally, at about the same time the City of Chicago approached the School regarding a 43,000 square-foot building–the former Art Deco-style Hild Library that stood vacant for 12 years–on North Lincoln Avenue. The City selected the Old Town School as the preferred resident. And, in late 1994, the School began soliciting support to expand operations to the new facility.
After what became a $10 million capital campaign, the School moved its adult programs, concerts and administrative offices to the new Chicago Folk Center at 4544 N. Lincoln. The School’s Armitage facility was converted into the Old Town School Children’s Center, offering an array of children’s music, dance and theatre classes, field trips and music residencies for public schools, and a series of family performances. The Chicago Folk Center was dedicated on Sept. 18, 1998 with a special concert by Joni Mitchell and Peter Yarrow.
Roche reports further expansion. The School recently purchased an old soccer club next door to the Lincoln Avenue facility.
Today enrollment stands at over 5,000 students per week, 2,000 of them are children. An additional 50,000 come to concerts annually. Expanded programming has included jazz and blues, global dance, percussion, keyboard studies, traditional arts and crafts, the popular summer Folk and Roots Festival (July 14-15 at Welles Park on Montrose and Lincoln), and a growing series of children’s classes.
Following is a sample of "Theater and Performance Classes."
Musical Theater Ensemble–This 16-week course helps develop acting abilities, vocal techniques and concentration skills. Includes rehearsals of extended scenes and songs from the contemporary musical-theatre repertoire. Culminates in three performances open to the public.
Life Story Theater–Take episodes from your life and shape and present them in a relaxed, spontaneous way. Using one-word memories, monologue and dialogue, students craft a final class performance trimmed with bits of popular and vintage songs.
Night at the Improv–Basic rules and guidelines of improvisation are taught in an ensemble environment.
The Improv Café–Designed for graduates of "Night at the Improv," this ensemble performs live comedy at the Old Town School. Weekly rehearsals and workshops culminate in regular performances twice monthly.
Here teachers and students are considered "partners in learning." The model is one of sequential learning rooted in oral tradition. Through participatory classes and a holistic approach, the Old Town School focuses on, as Roche states, "people’s development rather than a pedagogical model based on hierarchy." It aims to put the "folks" back into folk music.
For more information on classes, call 773/728-6000 or www.oldtownschool.org.