The Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center was recently awarded $12,500 from the NMU Wildcat Innovation Fund to start a folk music summer camp for high school students. The camp will take advantage of Marquette’s rich folk music resources, including faculty and community members with a strong background in performing and playing folk music. The camp will run July 18-21, preceding the annual Hiawatha Traditional Music Festival in Marquette.

Students will stay in the NMU residence halls and their classes and lessons will be held in classrooms and other campus facilities. Those who attend the folk school will be required to choose a specific instrument for tailored instruction. Lessons will be available for accordion, fiddle, guitar, banjo, upright bass and potentially others, depending on demand. Students also will have a choice of elective courses such as folk vocals, history of American folk music, songwriting and recording techniques. 

Instruction for this camp will be provided by faculty and staff members at NMU with extensive backgrounds in American folk music. Local folk musicians will be recruited to teach lessons or classes on specific instruments. There is also the potential for a national folk artist in residency who will perform at the Hiawatha Festival after completion of the camp.

Information on the folk music summer camp will soon be available online for registration and more information. In the meantime, send inquiries to heritage@nmu.edu.