Northwoods Music Collaborative

09/04/2026

Dear friends,
On Saturday, September 19 at 4 PM, we’ll gather at the Highland Center for the Arts in Greensboro, Vermont, to share 19 new lullabies created over the past year through the Healing Together Lullaby Project.
These songs were written in collaboration with parents and community members, including participants connected with domestic violence programs and incarcerated parents and grandparents. The project has brought together Northwoods Music Collaborative, Umbrella’s Healing Together Project, the Vermont Network, Writers for Recovery, and other community partners to help people turn their own words, stories, and hopes into songs.
Some of the songwriters themselves will be with us for the concert, and I’m especially excited about the group of musicians coming together to bring these songs to life. Marianne Donahue Perchlik, Michelle Rodriguez, and I, who have been deeply involved in facilitating the songwriting process, will perform alongside Ira Friedman on piano and Colin McCaffrey on guitar, mandolin, and fiddle.
We had our first rehearsal this week, and the music is extraordinary. There is so much individuality in these songs. Some are tender, some funny, some aching, some full of hope. Each comes from a particular person and a particular experience, and hearing all 19 together feels like being welcomed into a remarkable collection of lives and stories.
I also want to recognize our dear friend and collaborator David Ruffin, who has played an important role in facilitating the creation of many of these lullabies. David is recovering from a serious accident and will not be able to perform with us, but his presence is woven deeply into this project. We will be honoring him at the concert, and many of these songs carry the warmth, care, and musical generosity he brought to the people who created them.
The concert is free and open to the public.
Healing Together: A Lullaby Project Celebration Concert and Art Show Saturday, September 19, 2026 at 4 PM Highland Center for the Arts
Greensboro, Vermont
The day will also include the opening of TOGETHER!, a visual and interactive exhibition featuring work created by survivors, families, advocates, and community members through the Healing Together Project.
I hope you’ll join us. It means a great deal to be sharing these songs, and I’m very excited for you to hear them.
Musically yours, Evan
P.S. I also wanted to share another event happening this weekend for those who have been interested in the work Lisa Masé and I are doing with Third Tone. This Sunday, September 6 from 4–6 PM, we’ll offer Ancestral Voices, a live ThirdTone binaural journey at Dreamland Sanctuary in Worcester, Vermont. We’ll gather in Dreamland’s extraordinary stone circle, beginning with a Deep Listening practice and moving into sound and music inspired by the land and the Dragon Temple. It’s an invitation to connect with ancestral wisdom through sound and listening. More information through Dreamland Sanctuary.

08/27/2026

08/23/2026

Save the Dates for Beethoven and Banjos concerts coming up soon. Thursday, October 8, in Marquette at the Marquette Regional History Center, Saturday, October 10, at McArdle Theater at the Walker Arts and Humanities Center in Houghton, and Sunday, October 11 at Fortune Lake Camp in Crystal Falls. Ticketing information coming soon.

08/17/2026

08/15/2026

𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 – 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐫 & 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩

Whether you play guitar, ukulele, mandolin, bouzouki, banjo, or any other chorded instrument, join acclaimed musician and educator Brian Miller for an interactive, hands-on workshop designed to build confidence in reading, understanding, and playing chords. From beginners learning their first progressions to intermediate musicians looking to strengthen their accompaniment skills, participants will discover how chords unlock the magic of making music together.

Brian is a member of the award-winning Irish band 𝐁𝐮𝐚 and one half of the acclaimed duo 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐲, which celebrates the rich tradition of Irish-influenced music from the north woods of North America. He is widely recognized as a leading researcher and champion of the traditional songs of the Great Lakes region, including music collected on 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝. Through performances, workshops, and his 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬 𝐒𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬 project, Brian has helped preserve and revive songs that might otherwise have been lost. His work has been recognized with grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board and the 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝** 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐤𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬.

Whether you're just getting started or have been playing for years, this workshop offers a welcoming environment to learn new skills, play alongside others, and deepen your appreciation for traditional music.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐔𝐍𝐄𝐒 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨. 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝, 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲.

𝑳𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔

08/15/2026

What a night! 👣🎶

We had a wonderful turnout for Nic Gareiss’ dance workshop tonight, with participants of all ages and skill levels. Some came ready to dance, some came to try something completely new, and some were just as happy to watch and take it all in.

And judging by what we heard afterward, Nic made an impression:

💬 “It was great!! So fun and informative 😊”

💬 “A pretty good sized class. I was amazed both nights at how well the two teachers were able to get absolute beginners looking and sounding pretty good!”

This is exactly what we hoped these workshops would be: welcoming, accessible, fun, and an opportunity to learn from incredibly talented artists right here on Beaver Island.

A big thank you to Nic Gareiss for sharing his talent with us, to everyone who came out tonight, and to the Beaver Island Community Center for hosting us and helping make opportunities like this possible. ❤️

08/15/2026

𝐓𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝟕 𝐏𝐌 𝐚𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬’ 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞, Norah Rendell and Brian Miller will lead a 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐋𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 that feels especially fitting for Beaver Island.

Norah will teach a song or two, and Brian will take us deeper into the history behind the music, exploring the Irish-influenced songs that were collected throughout the Great Lakes and the white pine belt of North America.

Brian is a 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐋𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐈𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 whose work focuses on finding, researching and bringing these regional songs back to life. Through The Lost Forty and his Northwoods Songs project, he has spent years researching rare traditional songs, including music connected to the Great Lakes region. His work has been featured on 𝐈𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝’𝐬 𝐑𝐓É 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐆𝟒, as well as 𝐌𝐏𝐑 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐁𝐂 𝐑𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐨, and his research earned him the 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐤𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬.

For Beaver Islanders, this is a pretty unique opportunity. Our island’s Irish roots and musical history are woven into the larger story of Great Lakes music, and tonight is a chance to hear how those songs traveled, changed and survived from one generation to the next.

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞. If you love Beaver Island history, Irish music, Great Lakes history, old songs, or simply a good story, come sit in.

🎶 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐋𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐡 𝐑𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐥 & 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫
📍 The Brothers’ Place
🕖 𝐓𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝟕 𝐏𝐌
🎟️ 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐥𝐥

This workshop is sponsored by TUNES and Northwoods Music Collaborative, and graciously hosted by The Brothers' Place.

08/14/2026

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