Thanks to our wonderful partner Hickory Street Capital, Wiggleworms summer programming is heading back to Gallagher Way, on Clark St. just outside Wrigley Field. Join us Tuesday mornings at 10:00 AM from May 15 through September 25 for our ever-popular Wiggleworms events.

In addition to weekly Old Town School music programming, other signature community events at Gallagher Way will include Green City Market Farmer’s Market, Music Box Theatre Movies at Gallagher Way, concerts and much more. Stop by to check out all the new restaurants, shops, and delights, and click here for a full calendar of events at Gallagher Way.

“Gallagher Way has quickly become a new Chicago ‘must see’ destination and we are thrilled to be part of the slate of programs in this exciting new space.” said Old Town School executive director Bau Graves. “Old Town School is guided by the philosophy that access to and participation in the arts is a human right. Gallagher Way, like Old Town School, is a place to gather. Partnerships like this support the School’s philosophy and enable us to share the joy of music and the magic of Wiggleworms with a broader community based audience.”

Thank you to our friends at Hickory Street Capital and the Cubs for their vision to create a place for neighborhood families and visitors to gather for generations to come.

For nearly 25 years, Old Town School of Folk Music’s Artist-in-Residence program has exemplified our founding belief that arts participation is a human right. Through an in-depth, multi-week program format that explores a wide array range of artistic disciplines, the School annually opens a door of possibility to nearly 4,000 children at 26 Chicago Public Schools along with other community agencies. Aligned with local and state goals, and taught by Old Town School’s faculty, the Artist-in-Residence program provides a platform upon which a lifetime of arts participation and arts appreciation can be built.

During the 2017-2018 School year, Old Town School is providing 25 residency options to our CPS partners that reflect the diversity of the types of programming we offer. Options include: essence of hip hop, beginning ukulele, songwriting, jug band, West African drumming, Mariachi and much more! Through Old Town School’s accredited “play right away” approach that reflects the folk tradition of arts learning, children gain valuable and lifelong arts skills like active listening, counting, measuring beats in time, and understanding their individual role in an ensemble setting.

In addition to supporting children, Old Town School believes that professional development for our teaching artists in the Artist-in-Residence program is an integral component to the success of our program model. Twenty-six teaching artists are currently active in the program and benefit from professional development training in relevant topics like trauma-informed arts practice, social-emotional learning, and more. Classroom teachers also have a direct impact in shaping each residency to support their classrooms’ educational goals, allowing for a collaborative process between teacher, school, teaching artist and the student.

Due to the success and popularity of Old Town School’s Artist-in-Residence program, over 75 schools have expressed strong interest in participating and are on a waiting list pending additional funding.

The enthusiasm and positive feedback from students, teachers, principals and teaching artists is infectious!

Here are some things that 4th graders at Hurley Elementary School had to say about learning to play the ukulele:

• "My favorite thing was getting to used an instrument I've never seen before."
• "I enjoyed it because the teacher enjoyed to teach the class. She was nice, kind, fun and funny! Before, I didn't even know what the ukulele was."
• "It's a special program and I learned a lot out of Ms. Alisa and mostly of the ukulele it's great. I wish she comes back and we have ukulele all the time. It's fun!!!"
• "The thing that was my favorite was that I made a song of my own with the ukulele."

A third-grade teacher at Hibbard Elementary School says of our StorySongs songwriting program:

• "Learning and playing music and being creative is a big benefit to my students. And beyond that, learning how to collaborate and work together as an ensemble, to understand that everyone is important in the group, addresses the kids' social and emotional needs in a way that is especially important these days. That impacts them way beyond the time of this program."

A principal of a partner school says:

• "We have worked really hard to make our curriculum more student-centered, more kid-centered, and to have this kind of support through the arts helps each kid to shine."

A music teacher from a partnering school stated the following:

• “The Old Town School of Folk Music is an ideal partner for our school; adaptive, innovative, and supportive. Our students at Sullivan High have benefitted from teaching artist residencies, in school performances, professional development and more. Our music department has had the privilege of growing into a well grounded and fully supported program, in no small part, due to Old Town’s continued support and ingenuity.”

Old Town School of Folk Music is pleased to introduce Rashida Phillips as our Deputy Director! This newly created position will oversee all of the School’s education programs, on-campus and throughout the city. This position represents a meaningful commitment by our board to enhance our educational mission and explicitly connect it to the full range of Old Town School programs.

Rashida brings a wealth of experience and insight to the job. A native of St. Louis and relative of Sonny Boy Williamson, she comes to Old Town School from her position as Director of Education and Youth Initiatives at the Chicago Humanities Festival. She has also worked at CAPE, Merit School of Music, and the Chicago Children’s Museum. She holds a BA from Oberlin College, and a masters in Jazz Studies from Rutgers University. Phillips has also pursued an extensive career as a jazz vocalist, familiar to local audiences through dozens of performances at Chicago venues over more than a decade.

Rashida Phillips began her tenure at Old Town School during the first week in April. You can expect to see her actively participating in the Old Town School community. The School looks forward to sharing exciting developments in this area in the coming months and year.

“There are few institutions in the city where you feel an instant sense of belonging, a draw of discovery, and a community curiosity open to celebrating the potential of everyone that walks through the door. Old Town School champions folks both onstage and off. Old Town School brings the world to our doorstep and the deeper opportunity to learn to participate and perform all that we see, hear, and feel. Simply, I wanted in on the magic and revel in contributing to our timeless legacy--helping to lead the way from a formidable past, energized present, to an ever promising future.” - Rashida

Old Town School of Folk Music is thrilled to announce the appointment of Kimberly Davis as our new Director of Education! Kim was the School’s Dance & Movement Program Manager for three years, and served as Interim Director of Education before being chosen as Director in the fall of 2017. She was selected from an exceptionally well-qualified pool of applicants.

Kimberly Davis has actively pursued a career in arts management for eighteen years. She holds a BA in Psychology from Columbia College of Missouri, an MS in Recreation, Sport and Tourism from University of Illinois, and is completing her PhD in Recreation Management from Pennsylvania State University with a focus on extending the engagement of adults in creative arts activities. She has directed performing arts programs for several suburban Chicago municipalities, including Homewood-Flossmoor, Grayslake, Downers Grove, and the Fox Valley Park District. At Old Town School, Kim developed the Dance Program Creative Residency, offering Chicago dance companies studio time for creating new work, performance opportunities, and extensive public/student interaction. She brings an innovative and deeply-informed voice to Old Town School’s senior administrative team.

"Old Town School is an invaluable cultural resource to the city of Chicago and beyond in its creation of a safe space for all, fostering community, growth in creativity, and love for the arts. I continue to enjoy my time here with my second family." - Kimberly