RED MOON          Adrianne Elizabeth Lenker, via Big Thief, arr. Jean Littlejohn Red Moon, rising like a fire in me, So many questions, She asks them all to me, I have to answer most curiously; Scarlet angel, I am too small to see. Earn, earn, shuffle ‘round the

The Family Folk Machine’s fall concert, Rising Like a Flame, will take place at the Englert Theatre on Sunday, November 8 at 3:00 p.m. Hope you can join us! Rising Like a Flame offers us songs about resilience, action, and reflection on the things that give us strength. Right after

Wild Women Reprise, Folk Machine ExpandsAlma Drake, Associate Director, Band Leader, Family Folk Machine Wild Women of the Folk Machine takes to the Backyard RSFIC stage on October 2 at 6pm, featuring organizers Laurie Haag, Laura Kittrell and Alma Drake with Joan Davis as the House Band, and Hemlock Stanier,

Rehearsals for the Fall 2026 session of the Family Folk Machine begin on Sunday, August 23, at 2pm at the Iowa City Senior Center. Our fall session, “Rising Like a Flame,” will culminate in a concert at the Englert Theatre on Sunday, November 8, at 3pm. Get in touch if

Lyrics for Family Folk Machine: Dreaming Iowa, Saturday, May 2, 2026 KEYS TO THE KINGDOM The Nields, arr. Chris Eastburn I was making my way through the desert, I was making my way to the sea. I was making some money for a ticket on a boat when the keys

The Family Folk Machine presents the spring edition of Dreaming Iowa at the Englert Theatre on Saturday, May 2 at 3:00 p.m.! Come join us as we explore themes of belonging while reflecting on Iowa’s past, present, and future. We’re excited to welcome local songwriters Sam Knutson, Nicole Upchurch, and

Dreamer and the Hoping Machine, the Family Folk Machine band, will be performing their inaugural concert on February 26 at the James; doors 6:30, concert time 7-9. Dreamer and the Hoping Machine is made up of Family Folk Machine directors Jean Littlejohn, Jon Ranard, and Alma Drake, and is rounded

Rehearsals for the Spring 2026 session of the Family Folk Machine begin on Sunday, Jan. 18 at 2:00 p.m. at the Iowa City Senior Center. This spring will be the culmination of our Dreaming Iowa Project, and we’ve got a great batch of songs to work on.

Dreaming Iowa is a year-long project exploring Iowa’s inspiring progressive and multicultural past and hopes for the future. We are merely dipping our toes in several of the many ponds and rivers of song that have made up Iowa’s history and present. Here is some background information on the songs

Can you make a donation to support the mission of the Family Folk Machine? Once a year we turn to our community for financial support. To donate, see the “Donate” menu above, or send a check to Family Folk Machine P.O. Box 1421 Iowa City, IA 52244 The Family Folk