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.

06/09/2026

Update: light and music program 7:45 - 9p

06/02/2026

RICK SHEA AND TONY GILKYSON IN CONCERT
Saturday, June 6th 7:30pm (doors@7) $20
Call (909)624-2928 for tickets and info.

06/02/2026

Join us at the James Turrell Skyspace on the Pomona College campus, for a special music program presented by the Folk Music Center Museum and the Benton Museum of Art, featuring siblings Harris and CJ Harper.

Harris Harper is a songwriter from Los Angeles with a penchant for the delicate, the ruminative, and the sparse. She will play a set of original songs, accompanied by Jesse Strauss.

Electronic musician CJ Harper is posting music online using the alias Four AM, while exploring methods of composition for black cinema at SunHaus in Los Angeles. His mix debuting at the Skyspace includes soulful found recordings, and original material made on an EMS Synthi.

June 12th, 7:00 - 8:30p

Free event with registration via Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College

https://www.pomona.edu/museum/events/2026/06/music-skyspace-folk-music-center

05/26/2026

Join us THIS SUNDAY ⬇️

05/21/2026

Tickets go on sale today,
Call (909)624-2928.

05/12/2026

05/07/2026

Don’t miss SoCal’s finest! Live at McCabe's Guitar Shop

Grab tickets & learn more at:
https://www.mccabes.com/product/joel-rafael-citrus-sister

05/06/2026

The legendary Souled American have announced their first tour in 35 years and we’ve secured a show for them in Southern California at Folk Music Center on Saturday, May 16th at 7:30pm (doors at 7pm).
This is an intimate evening and the event will sell out. Tickets are only available directly from Folk Music Center over the phone at 909-624-2928. The band is issuing their first new record in decades, Sanctions, and it is a hell of a return. Nice to see them back in action and coming to Claremont for the first time ever!
folkmusiccenter.com/events/souled-american

04/25/2026

JOIN US THIS SUNDAY!

🎧[NEW MUSIC / HIT LIST]🎧
Gun Outfit - Teardrops (Classic Hell on Earth)
#GunOutfit #newvideo #newmusic #gbhmusic #radiogbhmusic

04/14/2026

Live soon !

🎧[NEW MUSIC / HIT LIST]🎧 Gun Outfit - Teardrops (Classic Hell on Earth) #GunOutfit #newvideo #newmusic #gbhmusic #radiogbhmusic

The Disassociation: indie/literary supergroup drops debut record | Claremont COURIER

04/14/2026

THE DISSASSOCIATION IN CONCERT
Saturday April 25th 7:30pm (doors@7) $20 - Co-Presented by Folk Music Center and Dirty Opera.
From the mysterious expanses of Southern California’s Inland Empire emerge The Disassociation! — a powerful joining of forces, an impressive melding of minds, bringing together long-running lo-fi indie pioneers. These disparate talents make a wry, shambolic romp.
Call (909)624-2928 for tickets and info.

The Disassociation: indie/literary supergroup drops debut record | Claremont COURIER New local band The Disassociation’s debut record, “Losing is a Luxury,” was released March 21, and their first live show is Saturday, April 25 at the Folk Music Center. Pictured (back row, L-R) are band members Mark Givens, Jonathan Lethem, Sam Sousa, Dennis Callaci, Allen Callaci, (front row,...

03/31/2026

Tickets on sale now!
Call (909)624-2928 Tues-Sat for more info.

Peter Case - Somebody Told The Truth (My Life To Live - Live at McCabe's)

03/17/2026

PETER CASE Friday, March 27th 7:30pm (doors@7) $30
Three-time Grammy nominee, Peter Case’s work sets the bar for authenticity, passion and imagination and spans a number of genres, including folk, blues, and rock. Peter is a superb guitarist and a well-reviewed published author. For 30 years.
Call (909)624-2928 for tickets and info.

Peter Case - Somebody Told The Truth (My Life To Live - Live at McCabe's) BUY LP/CD: https://sunsetblvdrecords.ffm.to/mylifetoliveOn Tour US/EU 2026: https://petercase.com/gigs/My Life To Live - Peter Case At McCabe's Out April 24h...

Peter Case: A Million Miles Away TRAILER | 2023

03/17/2026

PETER CASE IN CONCERT!
Friday, March 27th 7:30pm (doors@7) $30
Three-time Grammy nominee, Peter Case’s work sets the bar for authenticity, passion and imagination and spans a number of genres, including folk, blues, and rock. Peter is a superb guitarist and a well-reviewed published author. For 30 years.
Call (909)624-2928 for tickets and info.

Peter Case: A Million Miles Away TRAILER | 2023 Subscribe: https://bit.ly/2IQtwTuAvailable on Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, YouTube Movies, Cable and Satellite On Demand on May 23rd!From the frigid suburbs ...

03/17/2026

Yukiko Matsuyama and Friends in concert
this Saturday, March 21st
7:30pm (doors@7)
CLICK HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5skDvHHBro4&t=80s
This event features a special collaboration, bringing together a blend of global influences and family talent: Yukiko Matsuyama: Koto Hirotaka Ogawa: Guitar and vocals Yumiko Tsujimura: Keyboard and vocals
Please call 909-624-298 for ticket information

03/10/2026

Yukiko Matsuyama and Friends in concert.
Saturday, March 21
7:30pm doors@7)
CLICK HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5skDvHHBro4&t=80s
This event features a special collaboration, bringing together a blend of global influences and family talent: Yukiko Matsuyama: Koto Hirotaka Ogawa: Guitar and vocals Yumiko Tsujimura: Keyboard and vocals
Please call 909-624-298 for ticket information

03/10/2026

MAGNET Exclusive: Premiere Of The Disassociation's "Take It All Away" Video - Magnet Magazine On paper, the Disassociation is a band in the most absurd sense, its membership seemingly cobbled together by some rogue purveyor of intelligent design. As it stands now, the lineup includes Falcon Eddy’s Amy Maloof, surrealist author and occasional lyricist Jonathan Lethem (Motherless Brooklyn, T...

03/07/2026

Tickets go on sale today!
Call (909)624-2928 for more info.

03/07/2026

We’re thrilled to present the first live show by The Disassociation at Folk Music Center on Saturday, April 25th. The Disassociation is Amy Maloof (Falcon Eddy), author Jonathan Lethem, Sam Sousa, and all five members of Refrigerator (including Dirty Opera’s Dennis Callaci). Their debut record Losing is a Luxury is out March 20th on Shrimper Records.

Tickets are only available directly from Folk Music Center over the phone at 909-624-2928.

03/04/2026

The legendary Souled American have announced their first tour in 35 years and we’ve secured a show for them in Southern California at Folk Music Center on Saturday, May 16th at 7:30pm (doors at 7pm).

This is an intimate evening and the event will sell out. Tickets are only available directly from Folk Music Center over the phone at 909-624-2928. The band is issuing their first new record in decades, Sanctions, and it is a hell of a return. Nice to see them back in action and coming to Claremont for the first time ever!

folkmusiccenter.com/events/souled-american

02/25/2026

CLICK HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5skDvHHBro4&t=80s

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Location

Claremont

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Website

http://www.folkmusiccenter.com/

Address

220 Yale Avenue
Claremont, CA
91711

Opening Hours

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

Folk Music Center

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Opening Hours