New venture for Leela Grace: Rose City Folk School
Rose City Folk School founder, owner, and primary teacher, Leela Grace, is a nationally-known singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, recording artist, percussive dancer and teacher of music and dance originally from Columbia, Missouri. As the banjo picking, clog dancing daughter of Midwestern hippie folk musicians who grew up performing in a family band, she was always destined to draw outside the lines. Since moving to Portland, Oregon in 2007, she has built a tremendous following, teaching popular banjo, by-ear harmony singing, and Appalachian clogging classes. She has also continued to tour as a solo artist and with her sister Ellie as Leela and Ellie Grace, but her main focus has been on helping her banjo, harmony singing, and clogging students build confidence, competence, and community. For years, she was a vagabond music teacher, wandering from music store to church basement to warehouse with her banjo, guitar, and tap shoes... After teaching hundreds of classes and lessons in borrowed rooms all over Portland, she finally found her professional home in NE Portland: a music school called Rose City Folk School.
More about Leela: As a teacher of music and dance, Leela has inspired literally thousands of school children, banjo students, singers, and percussive dancers of all ages through the classes, school assemblies, week-long camps, and lessons that she has taught across the U.S. and Canada since she was little more than a child herself. Her students have called her a “dynamic, engaging, and knowledgeable instructor” and “a skilled musician” who “has a wonderful ear, and a super way of motivating you to develop your skill.” Leela’s “soaring” vocals, compelling originals, “sterling credentials” in old-time music, powerful percussive dance, and disarming teaching style make her a favorite at venues and camps across the continent. She is a kind, entertaining, experienced teacher who offers clear, understandable instruction to singers, musicians, and dancers of all levels. She tries to disarm her students with laughter and a bit of silliness while, unbeknownst to them, they are not only learning to sing, dance, or play the banjo, but also learning to believe in their own ability.
Leela has performed and taught nationally for over 25 years, first with her family, and now as a solo musician and with her sister Ellie Grace (as Leela and Ellie Grace). She has earned critical and audience praise for the "great depth and insight" of her original songs, which have been featured on NPR's All Songs Considered and chosen for inclusion on a "Best of Portland Acoustic Music" compilation CD. She picked up the banjo as a young teen and has developed her own exceptional clawhammer banjo style, marked by clear, bright melodies and powerful rhythm. Leela is also recognized as a dynamic percussive dancer whose style draws most strongly from Appalachian clogging, but also incorporates Irish step dance, rhythm tap, body percussion, and much more.
"Leela Grace is a vivacious, creative, inspiring, loving, knowledgable, and thoughtful teacher, performer, and musical mentor. Her breadth and depth of knowledge of her instruments and musical styles is astounding, but she somehow manages to avoid being intimidating. Leela builds confidence no matter the level of her students and I would recommend her to anyone, regardless of past musical experience or innate "talent". For Leela, music is community and love and joy, and it comes across in every note, every class, and every interaction. Take a class with Leela or catch one of her shows - you won't regret it!" -- student
