What are the opening hours?

Wednesday 10am - 4pm Thursday 10am - 4pm Friday 10am - 4pm Saturday 10am - 4pm

Folk Music Center

Providing musical instruments and accessories for families, groups, and individuals. See, touch, and play instruments from around the world. Est. 1958.

August 12, 1958 Charles and Dorothy Chase opened the Folk Music Center in Claremont, CA on Harvard Ave. in back of Boots Beer’s Real Estate Office. Boots told them they were “welcome to have the back room because no one will ever come to see you anyway.” The rent was $35 per month. They borrowed $2000 from Dorothy’s brother and bought some records, books, strings and a few instruments – just enoug

h to get started. Very soon, Boots was complaining about all the traffic coming through the office. Two months later, Mike Fay showed up and loaned them a sitar, a pair of tablas and a tamboura. That was the first international show. The Claremont Courier took pictures and ran a story that got the store a lot of publicity. Shortly thereafter, the store moved around the corner to a small place of it’s own on 1st Street. Dorothy’s father, Albert Udin, known to the whole town as “Grandpa,” ran the store while Dorothy taught guitar and banjo lessons in the living room of their home and Charles repaired instruments in the basement. The store was soon bursting at the seams. In 1961, Dorothy and Charles opened the Golden Ring, a music cafe, on Harvard Ave with friends Peggy and Al Hulse and Jean and Will Marcotte. During it’s five year existence, the Golden Ring was one of the earliest venues for folk music in the Southern California area, bringing such greats to Claremont as the revered Gary Davis, Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry, Doc Watson, Hedy West, John Fahey, The New Lost City Ramblers, and Guy and Candy Carawan. On April 5, 1970, after a short stay at 221 Yale the store moved to an even bigger location across the street at 220 Yale Ave. Over the years Dorothy continued to teach guitar, banjo, dulcimer and autoharp to hundreds of local children and adults. She began the Claremont Folk Song Society and organized house concerts. While Dorothy continued to focus on the instruction and promotion of music, Charles provided opportunities for local young people to learn the art of instrument repair. The store’s reputation for skilled repair spread and people came from near and far to have instruments repaired or to stay and learn the art themselves. In the summer of 1962, Peter and Polly Gatt pitched a tent in the Chase’s backyard to be able to study with Charles as luthiers (instrument repair experts). The Folk Music Center Museum was opened in 1976 as a non-profit educational, cultural corporation. The first museum collection was a Stauffer guitar and a Stauffer Theorbo, both dating back to the 1880′s, that Charles and Dorothy found in a second hand store for five dollars. The Museum now contains rare and antique musical instruments and artifacts of culture from around the world. Today, Dorothy and Charles’ daughter, Ellen Chase-Verdries manages the store. Her son, Ben Harper purchased the store from his grandparents in order to keep the Folk Music Center in the family and alive for the generations to come.

Operating as usual

03/11/2025

FMC hours:
Tuesdays 12-5pm
Weds-Sat 10am-5pm
(909)624-2928

03/04/2025

Bodhran Workshop:
Learn how to play the Irish Frame Drum
with Roy Durnal and Ray McNamara
Sunday, March 9th 4:30-6pm $25
The bodhrán is the heartbeat of Irish music. This ancient frame drum is traditionally made with a wooden body and a goatskin head, and is played with a double-headed stick called a tipper. Bodhrán is properly pronounced bow-rawn.
*Bring your own or borrow one of ours.
Call (909)624-2928 for sign-ups and info.

02/25/2025

FMC hours:
Tuesdays 12-5pm
Weds-Sat 10am-5pm
(909)624-2928

02/18/2025

Janet Klein and her Parlor Boys are coming back to the Folk Music Center this Saturday!
Call (909)624-2928 for tickets and info.

02/17/2025

Yay!
JANET KLEIN AND THE PARLOR BOYS are coming back to the Folk Music Center
THIS Saturday!
Call (909)624-2928 for tickets and info.

02/15/2025

Yay!
Janet and the parlor boys are coming back to the Folk Music Center next Saturday!
Call (909)624-2928 for tickets and info.

02/11/2025

Yay!
Janet and the parlor boys are coming back to the Folk Music Center in LESS than 2 weeks!
Call (909)624-2928 for tickets and info.

02/11/2025

02/11/2025

Bodhran Workshop:
Learn how to play the Irish Frame Drum
with Roy Durnal
Sunday, March 9th 4:30-6pm $25
The bodhrán is the heartbeat of Irish music. This ancient frame drum is traditionally made with a wooden body and a goatskin head, and is played with a double-headed stick called a tipper. Bodhrán is properly pronounced bow-rawn.
*Bring your own or borrow one of ours.
Call (909)624-2928 for sign-ups and info.

02/05/2025

Tickets still available for this Saturdays concert.
Call (909)624-2928 for more information.

Tremoloco returns to Folk Music Center February 8 | Claremont COURIER

02/01/2025

We are thrilled to have Tremoloco back to the Folk Music Center next Saturday, February 8th.
Call (909)624-2928 for tickets and info.

Tremoloco returns to Folk Music Center February 8 | Claremont COURIER Tremoloco, masters of Tex-Mex, country, gulf coast, and “cantina music,” returns to the Folk Music Center in Claremont at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, February 8. The acclaimed band features Claremont’s own Cougar Estrada on drums, piano and percussion; Ontario native, LA roots rock legend and guitar v...

01/27/2025

Get started on the Ukulele!
This is a fun one-day class for beginners.
BEGINNING UKULELE CLASS: Sunday, February 2nd 4:30-6pm
Beginners will learn to tune, hold and strum the Uke, and basic chords. In minutes you will be playing lots of easy songs. Bring a ukulele or BORROW ONE OF OURS. $25 (cash or check) Ages 11 & up. CALL (909)624-2928 FOR SIGN-UPS AND INFO.

01/21/2025

Hey friends, join us THIS SUNDAY for OPEN MIC!

01/09/2025

POSTPONED!
Hello friends.
Unfortunately the Robbie Fulks concert at the Folk Music Center this Saturday, January 11th will be postponed.
Please stay tuned for a new date.
For more info, call us at (909)624-2928 or email us at [email protected]

01/08/2025

Get started on the Ukulele! This is a fun one-day class for beginners.
BEGINNING UKULELE CLASS: Sunday, February 2nd 4:30-6pm
Beginners will learn to tune, hold and strum the Uke, and basic chords. In minutes you will be playing lots of easy songs. Bring a ukulele or BORROW ONE OF OURS. $25 (cash or check) Ages 11 & up. CALL (909)624-2928 FOR SIGN-UPS AND INFO.