Past Festivals

February 3, 2024

Evening Concert: Pretend Friend, AppalAsia, Cleveland Institute of Music.

Community Concerts by Folknet & Friends: Ohio Canal Tunes, Bill Schilling with Kathy & Rich Small; Rachel Shortt; Jack DiAlesandro; Curtis & Loretta.  

Way to Go Ohio! Our Music & History: North and South in Ohio Folk Music with Marji Hazen & Pamela Hunt; Learn Ohio Fiddle Tunes with Henry Barnes; Songs from Ohio’s Canal Days with Bill Schilling; Five Ohio Folk Music Collections with Marji Hazen & Pamela Hunt; Performing Ohio Fiddle Tunes, with Henry Barnes & Susie Goehring. 

Blues & Bows: Blues Harmonica with Bob Frank; Old Time Fiddle Bowing – pulse & groove, with Paul Kirk; Fiddle Bowing Exercises with Henry Barnes; Blues Guitar Styles with Bob Frank; Piedmont Blues: Charlie Mosbrook & Mark Freeman. 

Hosted Jams: Old-Time Tunes Jam hosted by Joel Specht & friends; Irish Seisiun hosted by Maureen Conway Reich and Mary Ann Beach of Ballinloch, Old-Time Tunes Rippin’ Jam hosted by Ken Roby and Friends; Bluegrass Jam hosted by Sugar Mules. Pop-up jamming all day.

Words and Music: Youth Storytelling by Lake Erie Ink; Songwriting for Youth & Adults with Afi Scruggs; Poetry with Ray McNiece; Community Sing with Joanne Laessig, Folknet.   

Music Workshops: Come One, Come Pennywhistle with Sheela Das; AppalAsia with How to Embrace Cross-Cultural Collaboration; Come One, Come Uke by Sheela Das; Percussion Ideas for Non-Percussionists.

February 11, 2023

Evening Concert: Talisk, Bonnis & The King Trio, Hryhory Kytasty Cleveland School of Bandura, Liz Bullock, Euclid Marching Mighty Panthers Drumline.

Community Concerts: The Crooked River Stompers, Songwriter Song Swap with Josee McGee, Bethany Joy and Noah Budin; Sugar Mules; Custy & McNamara, and Bill Lestock with Brad Smedley. 

Music Workshops:  Penny Whistles: Irish, Old-Time & More, with Sheela Das & Jim Miller; Upright Bass Intro & Techniques with Andrew Bonnis; Twin Fiddling with Christine King; Intermediate Mandolin with John Reynolds; The D.R.E.W. Project: Bringing Songwriters & Veterans Together; Guitar: Irish Backup in Dadgad Tuning, with Nikki Custy; Intermediate Old-Time Banjo with Mark Olitsky; Beginning Ukulele with Mark Laskey; Intermediate Ukulele: Memphis Minnie tunes, with Mark Laskey; Fiddle: Going from Classical to Folk, with Samantha McNamara.

Presentations: Bluegrass Banjo with Paul Kovac, Mando Jam with Bill Lestock; Squeezebox Jamboree with Mahsen Amini of Talisk, Anthony Culkar & Wayne Golob (Slovenian) and Brad Smedley (Cajun); Five Things Every Guitar Player Should Know with Paul Kovac.

Community Jams: Old-Tiime Youth Jam with Erin Thomas, Bill Braun & Joel Specht; Irish Seisiun hosted by Maureen Conway Reich and Mary Ann Beach of Ballinloch, Old-Time Jam with Joel Specht, Erin Thomas & Bob Kachurek; Bluegrass Jam hosted by Sugar Mules. Pop-up jamming all day.

Kids Workshops: Celebrate You in Song, with Robin Echols Cooper; Dances for Families & Kids with Janice Fields Pohl; Songs for Families & Kids with Daddy and the Chickenhawks; Celebrate You in Song! with Robin Echols Cooper; Piedmont Blues: Ragtime to Rock & Roll, with Charlie Mosbrook & Mark Freeman.

April 30, 2022

John Doyle

Evening Concert: John Doyle, Vivian Leva & Riley Calcagno, Abrepaso Flamenco, Voices of Revelations

Tim Wallace Community Concerts: Steve Madewell with John Barile, SpYder Stompers & Sugar Pie, Young and Blue, and the John McGrail Trio.

Ray McNiece

Presentations: Poetry Music Jam with Tongue in Groove; The Craft of Songwriting with Mark Freeman, Rachel Brown and John McGrail; Guitar Genius with John Doyle (Irish), Jon Banuelos (flamenco), Anthony Papaleo (Americana), moderator Mark Laskey; What is Old-Time Music? with Dave Rice & Friends.

Music Workshops: Beginning Upright Bass with Raymond DeForest, Beginning Slide Guitar with John Barile & Steve Madewell,  Intermediate Old-Time Banjo with Riley Calcagno & Vivian Leva, Intermediate Old-Time Fiddle with Riley Calcagno & Vivian Leva;  Beginning Backup Guitar with Kevin Richards; Afghan Frame Drumming with Sheela Das; Intro to Fiddle with Janice Pohl; Ukuleles for Peace: Ukrainian Folk Songs with Sheela Das; Beginning Bluegrass Banjo with Rick Campbell; Intermediate Ukulele with Mark Laskey; Irish Ceili Dance with Leneghan Academy of Irish Dance; Irish Step Dance with Leneghan Academy of Irish Dance, Flamenco Dance with ABREPASO.

Riley Calcagno & Vivian Leva

Jams: Bluegrass Jam with Rick Campbell; Old-Time Jam hosted by Fair to Fiddlin’: Joel Specht, Erin Thomas and Joe Kengor; Youth Jam with Erin Thomas & Joel Specht; Irish Jam hosted by Samantha and Michael McNamara; Pop-up jamming all day.

2020

Evening Concert: Carolina Blue, Luca Mundaca, Distinguished Gentlemen of the Spoken Word, Harmonia

Mini Concerts: The Blues Devils (Jack Di’Alesandro, Robin Montgomery, Sheela Das, Tim Lachina), Hal Walker, Paul Kovac & Andrew Bonnis, Hot Djang! (Reed Simon, Kevin Richards, Brad Smedley), Old-Time Tunes with Mark Olitsky, Riley Calcagno & Susie Goehring).

Carolina Blue headlined the 2020 evening program.

Open Jams and Sings: Bluegrass Jam with members of Carolina Blue; Old-Time Jam led by Fair To Fiddlin’ with Joel Specht on banjo, Andrej Debevc on mandolin, Erin Thomas on fiddle and Bill Braun on guitar; Community Sing led by Joanne Laessig of Folknet.org; an Irish Seisiun led by Maureen Conway Reich of Ballinloch.

Dance at LEFF: Learn to Swing Dance with Valerie Salstrom of Get Hep Swing; Swing Dance with Bob Frank Trio; Contra Dance with music by Hu$hmoney and Michael Hamilton, caller; Polka Dance with Polonia Duo.

Music Workshops: Intermediate Ukelele – Learning to Finger Pick, with Mark Laskey; Beginning/Intermediate Swing Guitar, with Kevin Richards of Roots of American Music; Beginning/Intermediate Swing Fiddle with Reed Simon and Brad Smedley; Uke to the Future, with Sheela Das; Intermediate Blues, Jazz & Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin, with John Reynolds; Beginning/Intermediate Old-Time Fiddle, Riley Calcagno with Susie Goehring; Beginning/Intermediate Old-Time Banjo, Mark Olitsky with Christina Tanczos, fiddle; Five Things Every Guitar Player Should Know, Paul Kovac; Upright Bass Techniques, Andrew Bonnis. Fiddle from Scratch, Bruce Tackett of Studio Strings; Beginning Old-Time Guitar, with Dave Rice.

Special Performance:  Euclid High School Drumline.

Irish Seisun at the 2020 festival. Photo by Arai Photography

Presentations: Harmonica Masters, A Show and Tell with Hal Walker, Dave Rice and Bob Frank; Banjo Styles, with James McDowell, Mark Olitsky and Ruairi Hurley; Fiddle Styles, with Aynsley Porchak of Carolina Blue, Riley Calcagno and Janice Fields-Pohl; Hammered Strings, with Tina Bergmann and Alexander Fedoriouk.

Family Activities: Songs for Kids and Families, with Nate McDonald of Daddy & the Chickenhawks; Bringing Books to Life, with Robin Echols Cooper of Literature Leap; Blues for Young ‘Uns, with Bob Frank; Music that Fits in Your Pocket, Hal Walker.

2019

Richie and Rosie headlined the 2019 LEFF.

Evening Concert: Richie & Rosie, Jim Volk, Journeywork, Shri Kalaa Mandir, The Chardon Polka Band.

Mini Concerts: Gretchen Pleuss, Olivia Martinez, Lea Marra, Eden & Lukas Pool, Bob Frank, Paulo Costa Trio, Thor Platter Trio.

Community Jams and Sings: Old Time Jam with Joel Specht (clawhammer banjo) accompanied by Dave Rice (fiddle), Leo Debevc (guitar), and Andrej Debevc (mandolin); Irish Seisún with Maureen Conway Reich of Ballinloch Music; Irish Whistle & Flute with Brian Bigley; Open Bluegrass Jam; Contra Dance Open Band with Jan Pavlinak (keyboard) and Tom Hamilton (fiddle); Open Sing with Folknet; Beginning Sacred Harp Sing, with Corey Sees; pop-up jamming all day.

Emily Abel

Dance at LEFF: Learn to Swing Dance with Valerie Salstrom of  Get Hep Swing; Swing Dance with Bob Frank Trio; African Drumming with Tam Tam Magic; African Dance with Tam Tam Magic; Polka Dance, with the Chardon Polka Band; Dance Calling Workshop, with Emily Abel; Contra Dance with Emily Abel and Open Band; Classic India Dance: Mime and Movement, with  Sujatha Srinivasan, choreographer and artistic director for Shri Kalaa Mandir,

Music Workshops: Intermediate/Advanced Groovy Guitar with Jim Volk; Intro to Old-Time Banjo with Lukas Pool; Intro to Old-Time Fiddle with Eden Pool; Accordion Summit with Brad Smedley, Katie Cooper and Jack Kouwe; Ukulele for All, with Sheela Das; Intermediate/Advanced Old-Time Banjo, with Richie Stearns; Intermediate/Advanced Old-Time Fiddle, with Rosie Newton; Crafting a Song, with Gretchen Pleuss; Fiddle From Scratch, with Bruce Tackett of Studio Strings; Beginning Old-Time Guitar, with Dave Rice; Old-Time Banjo Summit with Mark Olitsky, Richie Stearns, Lukas Pool and Doug Unger; Intermediate/Advanced Ukulele with Mark Laskey; Intermediate/Advanced Modern Mandolin, with Bill Lestock; Banjo Maker Shoptalk, with Eden Pool, Lukas Pool and Doug Unger; Intermediate/Advanced Blues Guitar with Bob Frank; Irish Whistle and Flute, with Brian Bigley.

Special Performance:  Euclid High School Drumline.

Spoken Word & Poetry: Teen Workshop, Twelve Literary Arts; Spoken Word/Poetry Open Mic with Ephraim Nehemiah.

Kids Workshops:  It takes a Village (Nykiiah Wright of Ms. Nikki’s Traveling Story Bag and Rozenia Cunningham of Art It Yourself) , More Than A Story with Robin Echols Cooper, Songs for Kids and Families with Nate and Karen McDonald as Daddy & the Chickenhawks. Also, Music Hootenanny for Kids and Families with Sheela Das, and World Dances for Kids with Janice Fields Pohl of Campus International School.

2018

Evening Concert:  Ten Strings And A Goat Skin, Emily Keener, Aaron Jonah Lewis & Lindsay McCaw of The Corn Potato String Band, Tam Tam Magic, and Fantje na vasi

Mini Concerts: Ballinloch, Tom Evanchuck, Sands & Hearn, The Silver String Band; and Young Singer Songwriters Ryan Kohn, Archer Frodyma, Maddie Fawcett-Dubow, and Olivia Martinez

Community Jams: Old Time Slow Jam led by Joel Specht (clawhammer banjo) and accompanied by Hannah Arnson (fiddle), Michael Morgan (fiddle), Leo Debevc (guitar), and Andrej Debevc (mandolin); Irish Seisún with Mo Chairde: pop-up jamming all day.

Dance at LEFF: Freestyle Clogging at the Old-Time Shindig with Joel Specht & Friends; Square Dance with the Corn Potato String Band Duo, Paul Kovac and Bryan Thomas; Cajun Dance with the Cajun Pals and dance instruction by Cheri Chapman and Dennis Tranchita. Also, Irish Seisun with Mo Chairde; Beginning Tap Dance with Diane Savelli; and Irish Step Dancing with Catherine Leneghan of the Leneghan Academy of Irish Dance.

Music Workshops: Bluegrass Lecture/Demo with Paul Kovac, Community Sing with Joanne Laessig of Folknet, and workshops in ukulele with Sheela Das (Basic) and Mark Laskey (Intermediate & advanced). Also,  Bluegrass Banjo with Paul Kovac, fiddle with Janice Fields Pohl of Campus International School (beginning) and Rowan Gallant (intermediate/advanced), guitar with Jessie Periard, Blues Guitar with Bob Frank, Old Time Guitar with Kevin Richards, and the Bodhran with Caleb Gallant. In addition, Mandolin with John Reynolds, Bass Accompaniment with Bryan Thomas, Down-Home Blues Revue with the Blues Devils, hammered dulcimer with Tina Bergmann, African Drumming with Tam-Tam Magic , Twin Fiddling with The Corn Potato String Band Duo, and Comparison of Cajun, Slovenian and Irish Accordion Styles with Kathy Hlad, Katie Cooper, and Brad Smedley.

Kids Workshops:  It takes a Village (Nykiiah Wright of Ms. Nikki’s Traveling Story Bag and Rozenia Cunningham of Art It Yourself) , More Than A Story with Robin Echols Cooper, Songs for Kids and Families with Nate and Karen McDonald as Daddy & the Chickenhawks. Also, Music Hootenanny for Kids and Families with Sheela Das, and World Dances for Kids with Janice Fields Pohl of Campus International School.

2017

Evening Concert:  Alash, Emily Keener, Shivering Timbers, The Able Brothers, Austin Walkin’ Cane

Mini Concerts: Next generation of singer-songwriters Maddie Fawcett-Dubow, Lea Marra, and Ryan Kohn; Brent Kirby;  Poetry Summit with Ray McNiece, Daniel Gray-Kontar, Dianne Borsenik, and Breshea Sharonique; Bonnis and the King; The Auld Pitch

Community Jams:  Irish Seisuin with Mo Chairde;  Old-Time Jam with Dave Rice, Joel Specht and Christina Tanczos; Cajun Jam with Brad Smedley, Mark Laskey, and Jim Richards;  Community & Gospel Sing with Darryl Lewis and Joanne Laessig of Folknet

Dance at LEFF: Cajun Dance with StandBayou (Brad Smedley, Bob Smakula, Kevin Enoch, Ellen Kulgowski); Square & Contra Dance with Mr Haney and Caller Lynn Frederick; Irish Step Dance with the Leneghan Academy of Irish Dance; Swing Dance with Rachel & The Beatnik Playboys;  Ceili Social Dance

Music Workshops:  Instrument Petting Zoo with Studio Strings; All About the Bass with Andrew Bonnis; Beginning and Intermediate Clawhammer Banjo with Mark Olitsky; Gospel Sing with Darryl Lewis; Fiddle Accompaniment with Christine King; Bluegrass Banjo with Paul Kovac; Beginner Ukulele with Sheela Das, Creative Concepts in Music; Intermediate Ukulele with Mark Lasky; Introduction to Fiddle with Bruce and Jennifer Tackett of Studio Strings; Barbershop Harmony with the Cleveland East Suburbanaires; Blues Guitar with Bob Frank; Tuvan Throat Singing with Alash;  Luthier Workshop with Pat Podpadec; African Drumming Workshop with Papa Assane M”bayen of Tam Tam Magic

Kids Workshops:  Storytelling & Art with Nykiiah Wright of Ms. Nikki‘s Traveling Story Bag and Rozenia Cunningham of  Art it Yourself;  Roots Music with Sheela Das and Creative Concepts in Music;  World Dances for Kids with Janice Fields Pohl; Songs for Kids with Nate and Pete McDonald

2016

Evening Concert:  The Duhks,  Tina Bergmann & Bryan Thomas,  Alpha Step Crew,  The Porter Sharks with Brandon Asazawa

Mini Concerts:  Hal Walker;  One Dollar Hat;  Alex Bevan;  Songwriter Showcase with Vicki Chew, Mark Freeman and Steve Mramor;  The Blues Devils

Community Jams:  Irish Seisuin with Mo Chairde;  Old-Time Jam with The Slow Cook Jam Band;  Bluegrass Jam with Paul Kovac;  Slovenian Music Session with John Muhvic and Kathy Hlad.

Community Dances: Cajun/Zydeco Dance with Acadian Driftwood;  Stepping with Alpha Step Crew;  Contra Dance with Mr Haney and Caller Lynn Frederick

Dance & Drum Workshops:  Irish Dance Workshop with The Leneghan Academy of Irish Dance;  African Drumming Workshop with Tam Tam Magic.

Music Workshops:  Gospel Sing with Darryl Lewis; Dana Norris of Story Club Cleveland;  Blues Guitar, with Bob Frank;  Instrument Repair, with Pat Podpadec;  For the Love of the Music screen filming;  Clawhammer Banjo, with Mark Olitsky;  Ukulele for All, with Sheela Das;  Irish Fiddle, with Francis Quinn

Kids Workshops:  Music that Fits in Your Pocket, with Hal Walker;  Roots Music for Kids, with Sheela Das;  World Dances, with Janice Fields Pohl; Interactive Art & Story in honor of Black History, presented by Rozenia Cunningham and Nykiiah Wright;  Folk Art for Kids with Cami Foster