Family Folk Machine

Save the date for the fall concert edition of Dreaming Iowa:

Sunday, November 9, 3:00 p.m. at the Englert Theatre

Free and open to all—hope to see you there!

Sponsored in part by a grant from Think Iowa City

FFM: LOVE takes the stage at the Englert Theatre at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 4! From the Eagles to the Who by way of Kate Wolf, Sweet Honey in the Rock, and four FFM originals, join us in singing about love and strengthening our love of community. Free and open to all!

Family Folk Machine: LOVE, the spring concert from the FFM, will take place on Sunday, May 4, at 2 p.m. at the Englert Theatre! We’ll sing about love from different angles, including songs by Kate Wolf, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Greg Brown, Moby, and The Who. We’ll premiere three songs written by FFMers, as well, reflecting on self-compassion, familial love, and Choir Love. We hope you can join us on May 4!

LOVE

This spring the Family Folk Machine will be singing about LOVE as an orientation to the world. Rehearsals begin on January 12, and we’ll be welcoming new singers. We have some great songs lined up by Kate Wolf, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Moby, R.E.M., Greg Brown, and others. Get in touch if you might like to join us!

Can you support the Family Folk Machine Annual Appeal for 2024? We need you!

The Family Folk Machine will present our fall concert, “In the Garden of Hope,” on Sunday, November 10, at 3 p.m. at the Englert Theatre in downtown Iowa City. We have a set of songs that celebrate the beauty of the natural world while acknowledging our anxiety about climate change, paired with songs about sustaining hope so that we are ready to do the work that needs to be done to keep Earth livable for humanity. We hope you can join us for this very special concert!

We have been busy this fall sharing our message of hope with the community in events sponsored by the Lena Project, Iowa City’s Climate Fest, and the Longfellow Front Porch Music Festival. Working toward a shared musical goal in a choir mirrors working as a community toward shared goals in society, and the FFM seeks to build community within our choir and from our choir out into the broader region.

Please consider supporting the work of the Family Folk Machine with a donation of any size so that we can continue singing and bringing people together!

You can donate today by sending a check to
Family Folk Machine
P.O. Box 1421
Iowa City, IA 52244
or by submitting a secure online donation using the “Donate” menu. Thank you for supporting the Family Folk Machine in singing songs that matter!

FFM’s fall concert, “In the Garden of Hope,” will take place on Sunday, November 10 at 3 p.m. at the Englert Theatre in downtown Iowa City. In a time of anxiety about the changing climate, we need hope to inspire us to work together to improve our world. Come sing along with the FFM as we explore songs about the earth’s beauty and our willingness to help. The concert features a couple of brand-new original songs alongside gems from Humbird, Ysaye Barnwell, REM, Buffy Sainte-Marie, the Talking Heads, and others. Free (with donations accepted) and open to all.

The Fall session of the Family Folk Machine, “In the Garden of Hope,” will begin on August 18! If this might be the right time for you to join the choir, get in touch by sending an email to Jean: jean@familyfolkmachine.org.

“If we want hope to survive in this world today, then every day we have to sing on.” -Ysaÿe Barnwell

The Family Folk Machine had a fantastic spring concert—many thanks to all who attended! We have a sneak peek video to share before the rest of the concert videos are released by our friends at Senior Center Technology and Video! We’re so excited to share this premiere of LaTasha DeLoach singing her original song “Dreaming of Justice” with FFM: Dreaming of Justice.

If you are a Fan of the Folk Machine, could you send some support our way in the form of a donation of any size before June 30? We’re in need of assistance to finish our fiscal year in good financial shape. You can donate securely online here or send a check to
Family Folk Machine
P.O. Box 1421
Iowa City, IA 52244

Thanks in advance!

Dreaming of Justice: Songs for a Crowded Table. Spring concert of the Family Folk Machine on Sunday, May 12, 3 p.m. at The Englert Theatre.

The Family Folk Machine presents “Dreaming of Justice: Songs for a Crowded Table,” with special guest LaTasha DeLoach! The FFM, Iowa City’s intergenerational choir, will share songs new and old that reflect on our desire for a better world and our commitment to bringing it about. The concert will feature songs by Rhiannon Giddens,Tracy Chapman, Stevie Wonder, Hozier, and other favorite artists, alongside three original songs being performed for the first time and audience sing-alongs. We hope you can join us! Admission is free, with donations accepted, and all are welcome!

The next session of Family Folk Machine starts on Sunday, January 14 from 2-4pm. Send an email Jean Littlejohn, jean@familyfolkmachine.org, for more information.