It's been quite a year...

This has been a hard and unpredictable year for so many of us. We had to cancel both the Blue Sky Folk Festival and the upcoming Lake Erie Folk Fest, our stage at the Waterloo Arts Fest and any plans we had for jams or dances or gatherings. We missed the community, and the music, and seeing all of you.

But we didn’t just put the year on hold. We knew that, even if our community couldn’t gather, we still needed to come together. So we got busy, and got creative and found news ways to support folk music in North East Ohio. In just this past year, we:

– Produced our first-ever livestream concert, Music From the House on the Hill. This not only employed musicians and brought quality live music to their fans, it also gave us new capacity and technology to reach new audiences.-

– Hosted our first online Folk Community Summit, with 49 participants from every facet of our folk music world – musicians, dancers, venue owners, producers and fans all contributed. We dreamed some big dreams for what might come next – and we’re already acting on some of them.

– Created our first online educational series: Carry On. This fantastic YouTube program brings weekly, live, FREE programs to students that feature a diverse array of traditional musicians from all over the world, and right here at home.

– Presented our first socially distanced live concert with Nellie McKay, allowing us to find ways to bring national talent to local audiences while also being safe and introducing new people to NEOMHA.

We are finding ways to diversify our audience, and the performers we present. We are reaching younger people, and introducing new audiences to traditional music. We are helping to keep the music playing, for all of us who love it.

We know we can’t do any of this without you. Your support, your time, your energy and ideas – they have all helped to make this hard year possible, and even inspiring. We aren’t just getting through this – we’re getting better, paving the way for new and good things to come. Until then, we still need you. Your gift, in
any amount that’s meaningful to you, would mean so much to our mission and our work this year. As we wrap up 2020, we have a lot to be proud of, and a lot to look forward to. Thank you for your generous support.

Your friends at NEOMHA