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Folk music and other folk arts like dance, storytelling, and crafts are not always about tradition. They are constantly evolving to reflect the experiences of ordinary people. We learn about, preserve, and enjoy the best of the past, but we continue to add new things we hope will be enjoyed in the future. Our focus is on encouraging participation; to learn and share traditional songs, stories, music, and dance, but a lot of folks just enjoy listening – you have to have an audience too!  

Our group gets together to share folk and traditional music during monthly gatherings that include a program, a song swap and jam sessions. It’s a family-friendly atmosphere, so we keep it to a PG rating.  We like acoustic music performed live, and discourage anything prerecorded or using amplifiers. Attendees are encouraged to bring a song to share that fits the current month’s theme.  Every year we also present one major concert (the Tin Whistle, in November) and one dance (Starry Night for a Ramble, in February).

We usually gather the first Saturday of the month at Lawnridge Hall, a historic mansion on the campus of the University Presbyterian Church in Rochester Hills, Michigan. We aren’t affiliated with the church, we rent this building because it’s such a cool place to play, and has plenty of room for all of us. (Lawnridge Hall is located at1385 South Adams Road, between Hamlin and Avon).

Nope, you sure don’t! At Paint Creek Folklore Society (PCFS) we encourage everyone who visits our gatherings to participate in some way. We have a lot of members who participate by just sitting back and listening – you have to have an audience!  And a good-many members are instrumentalists, singers, songwriters, storytellers, dancers, historians, and poets – from beginner to professional. But whether it’s listening, singing, playing an instrument, story-telling, or helping to set up the snacks, everyone is important and appreciated.

No, but you may want to be. You can participate as a visitor at $10 per gathering (fee waived for the first visit).

We don’t have a standing performing group, however, we have members who participate in the Paint Creek Country Dance Orchestra to play music for the annual Starry Night for a Ramble Dance and some members also occasionally perform in the Tin Whistle, for other off-site events, or with other groups.