Charles and Dorothy Chase established their music store in 1958 to appeal to both acoustic musicians and fans of folk music. Soon thereafter, they opened up the Golden Ring cafe on Harvard Avenue which attracted folk legends such as Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee, Reverend Gary Davis, and Doc Watson as customers.
Today’s folk music center serves as equal parts guitar store, museum, social scene and academic hub. To stay afloat in today’s market, its secret to survival lies in refusing to bend with market dictates.
Founded by Charles and Dorothy Chase
Since 1958, the Folk Music Center has been an energetic hub of acoustic instrument enthusiasts. Boasting thousands of instruments from all around the world as well as CDs, books and toys available for purchase; appraisals; repairs; classes; as well as hosting the Claremont Folk Festival annually – there is also an expansive museum housing hundreds of rare musical instruments and artifacts; it truly captures the true spirit of musical artistry!
Grammy Winner Ben Harper’s grandmother Dorothy and Charles are the founders of Claremont’s legendary Folk Music Center, while their daughter Ellen Harper serves as its modern day purveyor, offering playable instruments in its shop. Ellen wrote the book Always a Song that details her family history as part of folk music scene.
Dorothy and Charles began The Folk Music Center in August 1958 to cater to acoustic musicians and fans of this style of music. Over time, it quickly became a countercultural hub where all sorts of folk musicians performed – many staying overnight at Dorothy and Charles’ rambling family home while performing at both The Golden Ring coffee house on Harvard Avenue as well as performing at The Folk Music Center itself. Dorothy and Charles went on to establish Claremont Folk Festival each year after that initial venture was open for business.
Folk Music Center also features an expansive museum featuring rare and antique items. Open free to the public, its collection features acoustic instruments from across the world as well as instruments suitable for all ages and abilities in its store.
Many people associate folk music with an image of a solo singer strumming an acoustic guitar while belting out earnest protest songs, yet few understand its true scope: folk is actually an umbrella term covering numerous styles and instrumentations originating in 19th-century Europe and continuing on today through popularization by musicians like Bob Dylan.
At 63 years old, this store continues to attract well-known folk musicians as a key instrument repair facility in Southern California. Additionally, music enthusiasts and enthusiasts can come visit and look, touch, or play any instrument on display here.
Founded by Ben Harper
The Folk Music Center provides music lovers with an intimate environment to experience the full extent of musical artistry. Instruments and artifacts found within its store tell stories from different cultures; every visit takes them through time and history. Owned by Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Ben Harper’s family, this store features an expansive selection of stringed instruments from across the world.
Beginning in 1958 at Harvard Avenue Real Estate Office with records, books and instruments in its back room, this shop gradually moved to First Street before eventually landing at Yale Avenue. Since its initial beginnings as a simple collection of instruments in a backroom of an office on Harvard Avenue, its presence has grown substantially into being a comprehensive shop that also hosts musical performances.
Ben Harper is a Grammy Award-winning musician who has recorded several albums and performed worldwide. His unique style has won him both fans and critics alike; with its blend of groove-laden funky soul, folky handcrafted acoustics, and handcrafted metal tones that sets him apart from other artists. Ben has collaborated with musicians such as Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band as well as being awarded with three grammy awards himself.
Folk Music Center boasts more than just an instrument store: they also provide lessons for all instruments at their school. Led by experienced musicians who specialize in individual tuition tailored to student goals and skill level, lessons at Folk Music Center cover guitar, banjo and mandolin learning among many other genres. No matter your goal in music – folk Music Center has someone available who will guide your path!
Charles and Dorothy Chase opened their store on Harvard Avenue behind Boots Beer’s real estate office with records, books and instruments in 1958. Subsequently they relocated it to First Street before finally moving it permanently to 220 Yale Ave where it has remained ever since.
Today, Ellen manages the store as her father passed on ownership to her. Ellen hails from Bess Lomax Hawes’ legacy of folk music legend and has an extensive musical background; as the granddaughter she excels at singing and teaching classes. Furthermore, Ellen organizes the annual folk music festival as well as running the store itself and running classes at its facility.
The Folk Music Center opened their doors for business in 1958 and continues to thrive today! A must-see destination for music lovers of all ages, the store specializes in instruments of all shapes and sizes from all around the globe, including rare and exotic instruments that are hard to come by elsewhere.
Founded by Ellen Chase
Ellen Chase was a Maine writer and educator known for using her seacoast upbringing as inspiration for several of her best-selling novels, such as Mary Peters, Silas Crockett and Windswept. Additionally, she was known for teaching, lecturing and publishing nonfiction work. Chase studied at the University of Maine before teaching several years in boarding schools before going on to earn her Ph.D. at University of Minnesota before retiring to Smith College where she wrote for Ariston and La Concha College publications and donated multiple gifts of books and manuscripts during her retirement years – giving numerous gifts of books and manuscripts throughout her retirement years.
The Folk Music Center is an eclectic store filled with musical instruments from around the globe. Established by its passionate founders, its collections of guitars, banjos, and other instruments stand as testimony to their passion and knowledge. As an educational hub with workshops and concerts held here regularly – such as open mic nights – musicians of all backgrounds and skill levels come here to learn and appreciate their craft. Among its offerings is an open mic night every month as well as workshops that teach new techniques or improve existing ones. It even hosts an open mic night! Open mic night is held monthly! And lastly there’s even an open mic night hosted every month where musicians of all backgrounds come together – something all musicians appreciate.
Folk Music Center’s success can be attributed to numerous factors. While music stores have become more expensive and impersonal over the years, its family-style atmosphere remains its cornerstone.
Folk Music Center staff has extensive experience in all forms of music. If you’re searching for classic ukuleles or contemporary electric models, look no further – this shop has them both! Additionally, its owners are passionate about maintaining local traditions and culture, encouraging customers to join local community projects by joining or volunteering at Folk Music Center events.
The center’s instructors offer instruction from beginners to advanced levels, offering courses across a range of instruments. Mike Kreivis, for example, is an exceptional guitar teacher with vast experience across a variety of styles including acoustic and electric guitar as well as teaching ukulele, mandolin and dobro – not forgetting his unique approach that provides students with a solid foundation while still making them feel at home when learning music.
Located in Claremont
Charles and Dorothy Chase established the Folk Music Center in Claremont, California to serve acoustic musicians and fans of acoustic music. It specializes in stringed instruments both new and antique; classes for kids, teens and adults; its most well-known student is singer-songwriter Mark Olson of Jayhawks fame!
The Golden Ring began as a record store on Harvard Avenue with records, books and instruments; eventually it moved around the corner to First Street where Dorothy taught guitar and banjo lessons while Charles repaired instruments in its basement. It quickly became one of Southern California’s earliest venues for folk music performances featuring artists such as Guy Carawan, John Fahey, Brownie McGhee & Sonny Terry as well as members of New Lost City Ramblers.
Now the Folk Music Center operates as a three-part institution: museum, retail store and instructional center. The Folk Music Center teaches various folk music traditions to children, teens and adults of all ages. Furthermore, its extensive instrument collection–which dates back as far as 1880–draws visitors from across the nation as it stores over 14,000 instruments! Finally, its store serves as an essential destination for anyone interested in folk music!
Claremont’s location within a historic district dating from the early 20th century makes it a tourist hot spot, while its abundance of buildings dating from that era makes it even more so. Situated 30 miles east of Los Angeles at the base of San Gabriel Mountains, it is famous for its charming shops and restaurants; annually hosting numerous festivals.
Claremont is also home to two private college preparatory high schools founded by Thompson Webb in 1922: Webb Schools are coeducational private high schools for grades 9-12 located on their own National Historic District campus and featuring the Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology; it is accredited and recognized as being part of an academic institution.
City residents frequently enjoy visiting its parks and open spaces, which have earned the city recognition as Tree City USA for 22 consecutive years. Furthermore, it serves as a premier outdoor recreational destination with ample hiking and mountain biking trails available for exploration.