Old Town School of Folk Music

✨Get to know Music Moves Chicago: Summer Camps✨

Did you know that, along with classes throughout the year, Music Moves Chicago also offers summer camps? For young people, summer camps are an entry point offering opportunities to deepen cultural knowledge, develop artistic skills, build community, and much more.

Music Moves is an integral part of Old Town School’s Community Ventures department, which focuses on offering place-based and immersive cultural learning experiences. This summer, they’re welcoming youth across Chicago into four unique programs:

🎤 Hip Hop Jam Band with Catalyst Circle Rock: Invites young musicians to explore the roots of hip hop through the history and performance of jazz, soul, funk, and R&B.

✨Camp Azania with Azania Drum: Offers an immersive journey through African diasporic music and dance traditions.

🎺 Brass Band Intensive with ChicagoWindyCityRamblers: Introduces youth to the vibrant musical traditions of New Orleans brass bands and second line culture through history, repertoire, and performance.

🌱 Imagine Englewood If Summer Camp with Imagine Englewood if....: Provides meaningful arts experiences for Englewood youth through a cohort-based model to help create pathways toward artistic excellence, leadership, and future opportunities in the arts.

While Music Moves summer programs are designed to inspire joy, curiosity, connection, and deep learning, they also help cultivate the next generation of cultural workers, artists, educators, and tradition bearers.

Follow Music Moves Chicago to see more of what their campers are creating this summer. ☀️

THE TIME HAS COME for the Square Roots Chicago lineup!! This year's is one of the best yet! You're not going to want to miss out 😎

LET'S GOOO!!! The 2026 Square Roots Chicago music lineup is here! Get ready for a summer weekend full of iconic musicians, local bands, Old Town School community members, family fun, and so much more ☀️

July 10-12 in Lincoln Square 💥😎🎶 See you there!

Margo Price Nick Lowe Los Straitjackets Hurray for the Riff Raff JD McPherson Robbie Fulks, musician The Soul Rebels Sons of the Silent Age Deeper The Tossers ...and so many more!!

We're so excited to celebrate Pride Month at Old Town School all throughout June 💕 🌈

Join us for a range of special events including dance workshops, a Pride jam, Q***r Song Circle, and more to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ artists in our community and beyond!

Visit ots.fm/pridemonth to learn more about our programming and register today.

There are only a few concerts left in our spring/summer World Music Wednesday season! This weekly showcase of world music and dance features outstanding local and touring talent on Wednesdays at 7:30pm right at our Lincoln Square Location. Most concerts are FREE, with a suggested donation of $10 to support our mission. Don’t miss performances from...

⭐ (TONIGHT! 5/27): a Chicago-based trio incorporating bluegrass, blues, rock, and more into its repertoire of Mongolian and Tuvan folk songs and originals.

⭐ (6/3): a master of the sarangi (an ancient bowed folk instrument from India) with a playing technique that’s a rare combination of sur and laya (note and rhythm).

⭐ (6/10): a local ensemble that’s rooted in the musical heritage of the Gulf of Mexico whose sound reflects the deep cultural dialogue born in the sister ports of Havana and Veracruz.

⭐ (6/17): an award-winning singer, songwriter, and producer from Senegal whose music combines Afrobeats, Assiko, Reggae, hip-hop, and Pop.

⭐ Vagando (6/24): a high-energy world music dance band delivering a fiery fusion of Latin, Middle Eastern, and international pop grooves that keep dance floors packed.

Visit ots.fm/wmw to reserve tickets today! 🎟️

In honor of Memorial Day, Old Town School of Folk Music will be CLOSED TODAY (Monday, May 25). Enjoy the long weekend!! 🎉