FMSNY’s 4 for Folkies
Join Laura Ciporen, from the Folk Music Society of New York, for 15-minute, 4-question interviews with today's Folk and Traditional Music artists. We'll learn how they describe their own vibe and what makes them unique among Folk groups; how they came to love Folk and what it means to them; who some of their biggest influences are; and fun, personal anecdotes along the way.
New to the Folk music community? Become an instant insider as the artists talk about personal connections and the experiences that shaped their musical lives.
Hardcore Folkie? Learn details about your favorite performers that you've never heard (band mates even sometimes surprise each other!) and discover experiences and influences you may have in common.
Visit the podcast page on our website for more information on some of the places, albums, and people referenced in the episodes. And join us for all the amazing events and opportunities to bring more Folk and Trad music into your life. Find out more at folkmusicny.org.
(FMSNY, pronounced ”fims-knee,” = Folk Music Society of New York, which has been ensuring Folk music THRIVES in NY since 1965.)
Listen on:
Episodes
Wednesday Aug 06, 2025
Wednesday Aug 06, 2025
Sample 4 of the astounding teachers and performers on TradMaD staff in 2025. There's still time to register! Visit tradmadcamp.org.Andy Cohen sings Blues and plays hot, finger-picking guitar in the regular keys; no B for him! He talks about how he's related to Coco the Gorilla, how a little music theory goes farther than a lot of music theory, and the prevalence of musicians at archeology sites. He's looking forward to the ever changing kaleidoscope of music that is TradMaD.
Monday Aug 04, 2025
Monday Aug 04, 2025
Sample 3 of the astounding teachers and performers on TradMaD staff in 2025. There's still time to register! Visit tradmadcamp.org.
Sally got hooked on the Mountain Dulcimer while studying abroad and Howie accidentally learned classic folk tunes from Saturday morning cartoons. The pair have literally been playing together since the day they met when she played one of his songs back to him at her gig. They look forward to harmonizing with TradMaD campers and encourage young people to dive in.
Friday Aug 01, 2025
Friday Aug 01, 2025
Part 2 of a sampling of the exciting teachers and performers on TradMaD camp’s staff this year. There's still time to register! Visit tradmadcamp.org.
Jerry Bryant calls himself a singer who plays a bunch of instruments while telling stories with song. To him, a 3-minute song can serve the same function as a movie. He's a 1st-time TradMaDer who looking forward to getting back to teaching and to lots of spontaneous jamming and finding out if the week is as great as he's heard.
Wednesday Jul 30, 2025
Wednesday Jul 30, 2025
Part 1 of a sampling of the wonderful teachers and performers on TradMaD camp’s staff this year. There's still time to register! Visit tradmadcamp.org.
Scott Ainslie's spent his musical life getting close to old people and would rather play an obnoxious, metal banjo-uke than the piano. He loves teaching the tribe that gathers at TradMaD, a community that is one of his sources of good news, and is looking forward to meeting new old friends and swimming in camp's sacred waters.
Thursday Jun 19, 2025
Thursday Jun 19, 2025
Steff Reed, who will NOT be put in a box, musically, joins Laura Ciporen ahead of his appearance at the FMSNY stage at Porch Stomp, an annual, day-long, free Folk fest on Governors Island on Sat. June 21, 2025. Steff speaks proudly of his mom's activism, how he uses his music to strive for "collective liberation," and a surprising song that still tugs at his heart.
Come to Admiral House (stage 4) to catch our full line up!
Festival website: porchstomp.com/porchstompfestival
Wednesday Jun 18, 2025
Wednesday Jun 18, 2025
Three fifths of The Brooklyn Stoop Singers join Laura Ciporen of the Folk Music Society of New York ahead of Porch Stomp, an annual, day-long, free Folk fest on Governors Island on Sat. June 21, 2025.
The trio describe their "mini folk festival" repertoire and difficulty agreeing on what key they play in.
Visit folkmusicny.org for more info on the FMSNY stage and many other folk and traditional music related content.
Festival website: porchstomp.com/porchstompfestival
Friday May 30, 2025
Friday May 30, 2025
Laura Ciporen from the Folk Music Society of New York has a quick chat with Steve Turner ahead of his June 4th, 2025 house concert in Woodside, Queens. Visit folkmusicny.org for more info on this event and many other folk and traditional music related content.
Steve tells us how his unique concertina style evolved, which he hasn't discussed before, and how he and his singing partner Gina La Faux (then called George Faux) handled a complete concertina breakdown at the start of a set.