Music

Join us for the Oak & Vine Society Autumn Gathering! We are excited to host the Autumn Oak & Vine Society event at the beautiful Abbey Road Farm in Carlton! Let's unite for an afternoon of incredible wine and food as we celebrate this cause. You will enjoy delicious lunchtime snacks, amazing live music by Jacob Westfall and some delicious tastings from over 15 of our amazing Oak and Vine Society Winery Partners.

When: November 8th
Time: 1pm - 4pm
Where: Abbey Road Farms
Music: Jacob Westfall
Tickets: $35 per person

Monday Swing is a weekly vintage swing dance practicum and social dance on Monday nights with DJ'ed music in a cozy NE PDX setting.

All ages! No partner needed!

7:00 - 8:00 Lesson — How to Practice w/ Dianne and Dan
8:00 - 10:00 Practicum & Social Dance

Lesson — $10
Dance — $10
BOTH — $15

Class Description:

In this class, we'll be sharing everything we know about practicing. We’ll cover what to practice, how to practice, and effective strategies for getting the most out of your time. We'll be sharing decades of our own personal learnings about how to be your own best teacher.

So here’s the nitty gritty… We’ll go over how to notate movement, how to seek out and break down canonical sources, how to borrow effectively from professional dancers / competition footage, and how to develop your own "voice" as a dancer. We'll discuss how to prioritize your practice in accordance with your dance values, and how to develop systems for yourself that lead to your dance goals and better dancing in general. We’ll touch on how to build choreography, how to communicate, how to open up space for creativity, and how to connect your practice to the roots and historical traditions of the dance while still being innovative and true to your own voice.

Whether you're practicing with a dedicated partner, by yourself, or with a group, this class will cover techniques to help you show up for yourself and others on your journey to meeting your dance goals.

__________________________________________________________________________________________>> What's a practicum and social dance?
We DJ music just like a regular social dance. You can come out and just dance like normal, or you can come planning to work on something: Ask for feedback, work on a move, play with variations, master a routine.

>> Have a specific question?
Experienced dancers and local teachers are available at practicum to help out with sticky spots.

>> Balboa? Shag? Solo? Learning swingouts?
Let the DJ know what you're working on if you have specific music requests!

This building is not physically accessible to enter. If you have accessibility concerns, please contact PLS.

The First Sunday monthly song circle led by Cecilia Eng and Dave Mongeau will feature spooky songs. Bring your songbooks, voices, and/or instruments for an afternoon of singing. A hat will be passed to defray the cost of the room. A small donation of $5 per person helps us pay for the location (a small open chapel down a short hallway to the right of the main narthex). Snacks and non-alcoholic beverages are welcome. You are welcome to share songs from any genre.

A ballad is a song that tells a story. Bring us your ballads from renowned collections, local history, family tradition, or just ripping good yarns. Dec 6 (Sun): Online Mermaid‘s Wassail Watch live on Facebook using the link provided. For the Zoom participant link, join the mailing list or email info(*at*)lynnoel.com on the day of the event. TIP JAR http://www.mermaidstavern.com

Draw, color, create and hang. Art Club at Art Tower is a low-pressure creative night. No experience needed—there are coloring pages.

Enjoy a monthly creative hangout at The Tracy Piper Gallery. Come make some art. Or color something. Or have a drink. Or just hang out. ART CLUB is a low-pressure, no-experience-required creative night at Art Tower hosted by contemporary artist The Tracy Piper. There will be drawing supplies, coloring pages, blank paper, creative prompts, drinks, and the resident DJ Joe Strange bringing the tunes. You bring yourself. Can't draw? Who cares? There are coloring pages.

This isn't an art class. There is no masterpiece required at the end of the night. Art Club is about getting out of the house, making something with your hands, meeting people, and spending a Thursday night surrounded by art.

Drop in anytime. Stay for twenty minutes or stay all night.

Free — RSVP strongly encouraged to know how many art supplies to have on hand.

Art supplies provided. Drinks available. No experience necessary.

Led by Joe Offer, new Zoom link posted every week, just before doors open: https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=168014&messages=37.

After-party following the Cronos film screening (a Guillermo del Toro debut feature), hosted at Low Tide Lounge. Features music by DJ Dead Steady. Free entry/Entrada libre.

Join us the 1st Wednesday of every month. Bring an acoustic instrument, hand percussion, or your voice & come jam along.

More info on our Lessons & More page.

Pre-registration not required, but we’d love to know ahead of time if you’re planning to come & what you’re planning to play.

Sign up here.

First Sunday: Christian Harmony Third Sunday: 2025 Sacred Harp (Green) Book

About a month ago, we lost our beloved fellow musician Jere Hudson. Jere was a true light in every gathering, and he will be sorely missed. We are planning a jam in his honor, where we will play some of his favorite tunes. Cajun, old-time, bluegrass, folk, Irish: anything goes. All are welcome. Also please note that we need to buy any alcohol at the venue.

Portland Country Dance Community (PCDC) sponsors a contra slow jam on the 1st and 3rd Mondays from 7-9 PM in the community room at McMenamins Kennedy School, 5736 NE 33rd Ave, Portland, OR 97211. The events are free and open to all acoustic musicians, whether you play by dots or by ear. The contra jam plays tunes from the Portland Collection and the waltz books edited by Bill Matthiesen. If you don’t have the books, we’re happy to share. Come make music with us!! Questions: Email Kathy Story, PCDC President at board-chair(*at*)portlandcountrydance.org

open source string improvisation

Hosted by bassist Andrew Jones, Pacific Lumber & Wire is a gathering of local string players working with open source structured improvisation/conceptual composition. The intention is to create a zero risk environment to explore sound and community cooperation, with a healthy dose of play and catharsis achieved. Prompts, graphic notation, games, process pieces- any and all ideas are entertained, adapted and integrated as they’re offered and molded by the group.

Join us every Thursday from 7–10 PM at The Hostel Cafe for our weekly Old Time Jam, a welcoming gathering for musicians who love traditional Appalachian tunes, fiddle music, and acoustic string-band sessions. All skill levels are invited to play, listen, and connect with our lively local folk music community.

Welcome to Kalama on a String! This group is dedicated to keeping our community connected through the love of live bluegrass and acoustic jams in Kalama, WA. Whether you’re a musician or a fan, stay updated on local gatherings, share event details, and celebrate the music that brings us together! Mountain Timber Market will have tables and chairs set up on the east side, lower level, for community seating.

Musicians will need to bring their own chair to set up and be sure not to block any retailers’ entrances or walkways. Cars may pull up on the curb in the south parking lot for loading and unloading only. Please move your vehicle once finished to keep the area clear.

Please be mindful of the retail merchants, as we will be guests in the Market.

Bring your favorite tunes, and we are looking forward to seeing y’all.

Enjoy an evening of Irish set dancing, live music, and community. All dances are taught and called, so no partner or prior experience is needed. The gathering is family friendly and welcomes all ages. Come on your own or with friends and family, with food available from nearby food carts.

Seattle Song Circle continues its tradition of a virtual circle, now marking the sixth online year. Held every Sunday. For more info, go to: https://www.seafolklore.org/about-sfs/seattle-song-circle/.

Sessions are led by Marina Dodgson (fiddle) and Maurice Condie (guitar). These are open access sessions, so there’s no need to book in advance, you’re welcome to just turn up and join in! We believe great things happen when we play tunes together! People connect with each other and make friends, and we keep our music traditions alive by sharing tunes and passing them on. What’s more, playing tunes can make you feel happy, and if you do it often enough, you’ll notice that you are getting better at playing your instrument too! It turns out that you don’t even have to be in the same place…great things still happen when we play music together, online from the comfort of your own home. Phoenix Folk Ltd exists to promote participation and performance in folk and acoustic music, song and dance across the North East of England. We aim to be a friendly face of folk music, to help keep alive the great traditions of folk music and to encourage talent and personal musical development. Everyone is muted, which means that you hear your own instrument, completing a trio with our fiddle and guitar. You can play the tune, or try some harmony!

Do you enjoy playing music with others in a friendly, cooperative, relaxed, fun setting? You are invited to bring your instrument of choice to the Slow Jam session at the ACC. Dust off that mandolin, wind instrument or tambourine and come to the ACC for a session. For more information please contact Karl Ockert at [email protected]

Tony Becker of San Jose, California and Mark Wallis of Gloucester, England host this Transatlantic session for all interested parties on Wednesdays at 8:00 PM UK time. For American visitors, please note we are now all on standard ‘winter‘ time, so that is 12:00 PM Pacific in the USA. Open to all who play traditional Irish music and It has the obvious limitations of Zoom in that only one musician can play at a time. But we go round the ‘room’ and take it in turns - no pressure though and the baton can be passed if you just want to listen. We just play for a couple of hours. On a good day we have a variety of instruments from pipes to Melodeon, banjo to fiddle and it can be a good way to pick up tunes. It is very friendly and we welcome everyone. The only criterion is we try to stick to Irish traditional.

The Oregon Oldtime Fiddlers‘ Association (OOTFA) is a nonprofit organization with representation across the nation. As our motto states, the organization is dedicated to the perpetuation and promotion of oldtime music. Oldtime music is loosely defined as that played on traditional instruments dating from the first half of the 20th century. Many of the tunes we play date from the 18th century and even earlier.

Tune Explorer Sessions are a collaborative effort between MÓD and the TrailJams Community and consist of weekly slow & learning sessions for musicians who are just starting to build repertoire and skill, or are building proficiency on an instrument. Cost: $5 thanks to a grant from the Irish Emigrant Support program through the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs.

This in home song circle is at the home of Kathleen and David Ingerson 2825 SE Ash St. Portland, OR 97214 two blocks south of East Burnside and 28th Ave. Potluck dinner at 6 pm Come and share food and socialize Singing outside (weather permitting) 7 pm (The forecast predicts cool temperatures, so we might well be inside) Continuing inside after mosquitoes, dark, rain, etc. BYOB alcohol is fine (we are not a church!)cool We‘ll continue singing until the last song is sung!

Seisiún na nÓg is our monthly youth session lead by our Youth Officer Niamh Branigan. Youth are welcome to sit in to listen and chat with young musicians about learning Irish music; or bring their instrument and strike up an Irish tune they might be learning currently.

6:00pm Bell Choir

October 14, 2027 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

See more details

New location beginning July 19: Portland FolkMusic Society West Side Song Circle. Help us ring the rafters and raise the roof! You bring it, we’ll sing it, 2-4:30 pm, on the third Sunday of each month. St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, Calvin Hall 3228 SW Sunset Blvd, Portland 97229 (Corner of SW Sunset Blvd and Dosch Rd.) Calvin Hall is on the lower level of the church. Please park in the St. Andrews parking lot, across Dosch Rd from the church. Cross Dosch Rd. to the lower level of the church and enter to the left of the gym. Turn left down the first hallway. Calvin Hall (South) is the first door on your right. If you have any problems finding the song circle, call or text 503-863-7698. Bring your friends. Everyone welcome! Questions? Email stevemullinax57*(at)*gmail.com. RSVP would be appreciated.

Open bluegrass jam at Tomorrow‘s Verse Taproom and Bottle Shop. Come join the jam every Tuesday with host Rich Landar. All levels of pickers are welcome to join in on the fun. Don‘t play? Come listen! This will be a traditional style bluegrass circle, where people can join in as much as they‘d like.

A Tuareg singer/songwriter and guitarist who is known for his innovative and intense playing style, Mdou Moctar rose from a small village in Niger to earn viral success among West Africa's cell phone-trading network. An appearance on an American compilation in 2010 led to international recognition and further exploratory releases on the Sahel Sounds label. After starring in a Tuareg-language homage to Purple Rain, Moctar's sound continued to evolve as he pushed his musical boundaries as a multi-instrumentalist on 2017's Sousoume Tamachek. Subsequent albums like Ilana: The Creator (2019) and Afrique Victime (2021) found him infusing his African influences with wild electric psychedelia and full-blast rock and roll to widespread acclaim. 2024's scintillating Funeral for Justice saw Moctar take a stronger political stance on the injustices faced by Niger and the Tuareg people. A reimagined, all-acoustic version of the album was released in early 2025 as Tears of Injustice.

Come join our open Irish session at Garage Door. Sessions will be hosted by Mikela Valenzuela, an avid Celtic fiddler and local teacher. Come ready with your favorite tune to suggest or just listen and learn along with us. The session is at an intermediate level but very welcoming to beginners as well. Sláinte!

Calling all aficianados of jug band music - acoustic instruments only. Portland Jug Band Jam at the Oakshire Beer Hall every 2nd Monday - outside in the tent. Featured artists will bring some different songs and arrangements to the jam. Oakshire is now open till 10 pm and serves pizza, salads and snacks. Outside food is still welcome. There‘s also a food cart on site and a couple more nearby. Keep up to date on the jam by going to the Facebook link above to join the group and get on the email list to get all the info on the jams.

Singing from the Shenandoah Harmony (beige book)/Cooper Sacred Harp (alternating) at 7-9 pm in the common room for 2515-2525 SE Ankeny. Look for Little Free Library box. Take the alley to your right (east side) as you’re facing the building. The common room is the first door on the left.

Westside Open intermediate level Irish music session every Tuesday in Tigard, free, under 21 OK all hours. Many tunes are listed at https://trailjams.org. Lots of space, good food, free soft drinks, discount on beer. This is a craft brewery, so there are LOTS of beers to choose from.

Join us for "A Blending of Artichoke Music Communities", a monthly song circle open to all, hosted by Soliders Songs and Voices PDX. Presented by Soliders Songs and Voices Portland Chapter and Artichoke Community Music Please Join us for, "Coffee & a Song, A Community Song Circle". Bring a song, A poem or a work in progress, or come to listen. We will gather in the main venue, which is ADA Accessible, please only bring Guide Dogs into the venue. Save a seat by registering online here. This is a FREE event and welcome to all. Donations and Volunteer work are always appreciated to help support the work Soliders Songs and Voices PDX and Artichoke Community Music are doing to build community. Coffee will be provided by Soldiers Songs and Voices PDX. Sponsored by Solider Songs & Voices PDX and Artichoke Community Music https://www.ssvpdx.org/ www.ArtichokeMusic.org

Join the jam! Bring your guitar, fiddle, mandolin or banjo to our weekly bluegrass jam circle. Players with intermediate skills and above are invited to this Tuesday tradition. New faces welcome!

Jump into Artichoke Music’s Songwriters Circle hosted by Kelly Brightwell and Woody Moran, held every 3rd Sunday of the month from 2 pm - 4 pm in the venue, free (donations support Artichoke). Bring your Instrument (piano available) and original songs, or even the occasional cover, to share with others. This is also a great opportunity to listen and gain insight from other songwriters as they play their original songs. This is not a jam. What happens when you pair a gravel-voiced groove master with a sensitive Americana-infused soul? When you mix the detailed observations of a world traveler with storytelling that brings emotional landscapes to life? You get the award-winning songwriting team of Brightwell & Moran.

Come jam with us in The Riff. House drums, bring breakables if you prefer. Some instruments and amps are available but it's preferred if you bring your own. Learn, teach, jam, improvise.... it's called The Riff intentionally. :)

The PDX Quebec Jam Session is an inclusive learner-friendly place in the Portland area to share and learn the energizing and joyful traditional dance music of Quebec and Acadia, . If you play or are interested in learning this kind of music, this session is for you! Step-dancers are welcome. This jam takes place at a public venue. If you’d like to receive invitations for this event, (or host an event), use the dedicated email address to get on the notification list. Contact: pdxqjam(*at*)gmail.com. This jam is for folks who already play their instrument, and want to learn or share Quebec tunes. All acoustic melody and bass instruments, (violin, guitar, accordion, piano, bouzouki, flute, etc.), and experience levels are welcome. Tunes are usually played several times through (unlike the Irish or Cape Breton sessions where tunes are only played 2-3 times), so that folks can get their fingers around new tunes and really enjoy playing the ones they know. Schedule: Fifth Mondays of the month: (June 29, August 31, November 30, 2026), from 7 to 9 pm. McMenamins Kennedy School - Community Room 5736 NE 33rd Ave., Portland Oregon. (Parking available). Some sheet music and performance links for basic and common session tunes, may be provided, where possible, via the mailing list. This is to establish and build upon a repertoire of common Quebec session tunes for participants. Other resources: The Portland Collection, Vols. I, II, and III, has many Quebec tunes 1000 Airs du Quebec… tune book Online performances

Second and Fourth Sunday: 2025 Sacred Harp (Green Book) singing - Held in the Kennedy School Community Room, SE corner of the building.

We open up a "room" on Zoom at 6 pm Pacific Time every Saturday evening. We start singing at 6:30 pm and we keep it going until the last person leaves. Feel free to come in anytime, and stay as long as you like. We run it kind of like a physical song circle. Everyone who wants to can sing once, and then we’ll do another round, and just keep going around as long as you like. Of course, it is totally fine to just listen and some people do. For more information, go to the heading ‘Song Circles‘ on this drop down menu. 2026 VSC Themes Mar 21: Natural or man-made disasters Apr 18: Toss it! Catch! May 16: Variations on ‘This Land Is Your Land‘ Jun 20: Animals acting like people - songs where animals talk, wear clothes, get married, tell the future, give warnings, etc. Jul 18: Mountains Aug 15: Neither plant nor animal: songs about minerals Sep 19: Ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties Oct 17: Leaves Leave Leaf Nov 21: Songs new to everyone‘s ears Dec 19: Miracles

This is an open access session, so there’s no need to book in advance, you’re welcome to just turn up. At our weekly singaround, you can perform a song to the rest of the group, just as you would in a regular folk club, or you can just join and listen to some live music. Tunes and poems are welcome too. When it’s your turn to perform, everyone else is muted on Zoom so that everyone can hear you. Phoenix Folk Ltd exists to promote participation and performance in folk and acoustic music, song and dance across the North East of England. We aim to be a friendly face of folk music, to help keep alive the great traditions of folk music and to encourage talent and personal musical development. If you’d like us to record your performance so that you have a copy to keep, then we’re very happy to do so. We’re always willing to offer advice to help you to get the best sound quality when performing online, so do get in touch if you have any questions.

The music corner fills with super talented female musicians and the room overflows with their fantastic music.

This fall, Portland welcomes an extraordinary celebration of classical ballet as PRIMA Ballet Gala brings together artists of the Grand Kyiv Ballet and international guest performers for one unforgettable night.

More than a performance, PRIMA Ballet Gala is a night of elevated artistry – where timeless classics meet contemporary expression, and the stage becomes a space of beauty, power, and emotion.

The program features iconic highlights from world-renowned ballets including Don Quixote, Spartacus, and The Dying Swan, alongside vibrant national dance such as the thrilling Hopak, set to music by legendary composers including Tchaikovsky.

Begin your evening on the red carpet, then step inside for a celebration of artistic excellence and international cultural connection.
Guests are warmly encouraged to attend in the evening attire, helping create an atmosphere of elegance worthy of this special occasion.

Join us for a rare opportunity to experience world-class dancers, timeless choreography, and a night filled with beauty and inspiration.

Seats are limited. Be part of PRIMA Ballet Gala — where ballet speaks from the heart.