Strung Together Music Festival 2025

Logo for Strung Together our Maine Folk Campout

STRUNG TOGETHER

September 11-14, 2025

The 2025 Schedule is shaping up (this is still a working document, thank you)!

Strung Together Pre-event Activities

September 11th- Wednesday at the Shores, 30th year    Front Porch Jams . All are welcomed to bring a stringed instrument, a song, or smile.  Food truck on hand. Free vending of your creations is allowed.

September 12th- The Irish Session Band
Irish jam 5:30-8:30 PM at the Homeport Tavern in Searsport.

Strung Together Begins

“Music of Maine,” focusing on Maine folk music, including Old-Time, Bluegrass, Québécois, Irish, New England. Everything on the schedule is included with your weekend pass.
Day 1, Friday, September 13
2 p.m. Registration and check-in
Open community jam with The Montville Project
All players welcome! Led by experienced Maine folk music players George Fowler, Art Bryan and Fred White, bring your instrument and suggestions for tunes to play.  Tommy Jarrell Sound Stage
4p.m. Basics of Mandolin Workshop with Tom Fowler and Stan D'Aubin
5 p.m. Wood-fired pizza welcome party, Watson's Den

Handmade pies made with fresh ingredients fired in an outdoor wood-fed pizza oven. Sonya Eldridge is the Master Chef.

6:00 p.m. Performance of Cowboy Songs along with a couple of Bill Monroe classics by accomplished singer, guitarist, fiddler and mandolinist Skip Gorman. Maybelle's Stage

7:00 p.m. Community dance with John Pranio and the Montville Band. Caller Joyce Bailey
Join the band or join the dancers. Both options guaranteed fun! Tommy Jarrell Sound Stage

9 p.m. Open jams with breakout groups for slow jammers and advanced jammers.

New to Maine folk music and the tradition of community jams? Join the slow jam led by an experienced Maine folk player to get the rhythm.
Ready to jam and exchange tunes with other Maine folk music players? Check out the fast jam (s) led by Skip Gorman, Dan Sowder and friends. Slow Jam with Bob Hammond and Stan D.

Slow Jam in Watson's Den, Fast Jam in Ola Bella Reed Hall

Day 2, Saturday, September 14
8 – 10 a.m. Scones, music, and stories
Wake up surrounded by trees and sea breezes, then come grab fresh, homemade scones & oatmeal with juice, hot coffee & tea at Monroe Saloon

*The scone goddess for the weekend is Toneen Constantino

8 a.m. Morning Yoga and finger stretch

Wake up in the morning to ...a gentle Chair Yoga practice in the garden guided by Tracey Uddin.

About the practice: CHAIR YOGA offers a gentle, available to most, breath & movement class that is done mostly while seated and will last approximately 55 minutes, Ola Belle Reed Hall

9:00 Workshops

Mandolin with Dan Simons

10 – 11:30 a.m. Jam Sessions

Irish Jam led by Alden Robinson, Tommy Jarrell Sound Stage

First time Jammers led by Stan D'Aubin and John Pranio, back of Ola Belle Reed Hall

 Old-time jam featuring Kentucky fiddle tunes with Jeff Titon

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Workshop A -  Fun songs with Annadeene and Tom Fowler, Scruggs Hall
Workshop B -  a simple/intermediate bluegrass tune with Dan Sowder, Watson's Den
Workshop C - Favorite Tunes with the Newell Family Band
Workshop D- Jam in any key…144 chords in 45 minutes, Fred White

12:30 – 2 p.m. Lunch- The Potato Bar, Monroe Saloon

1:00 PM Concert- Alden Robinson and Friends, Tommy Jarrell Sound Stage

2 – 3 p.m. Old-time jam
Slow jam led Dan and friends, Scruggs' Hall
Fast jam led by Carter Newell and Family, Ola Belle Reed Hall

2 – 3 p.m. Workshops

Workshop E -2-Finger Banjo Style with Jon Kerr, Chubby Wise Mess Hall

Workshop F -Guitar: chord voicing in standard tuning that mimic DADGAD tuning- John Pranio, Tommy Jarrell Sound Stage

Workshop G - Skip's Favorite Old Time Fiddle Tunes, Watson's Den

Swing mandolin with Stan D'Aubin-  Alison Krauss Oceanside Stage

3 – 4 p.m. Workshops

Workshop H- Prep with The Bluebirds for the coffee house- practice workshop, Scruggs' Hall
Workshop I-  TBA, Ola Belle Reed Hall
Workshop J-  Old Time Ukulele with Ando Anderson, Chubby Wise Mess Hall

Workshop K- Fiddling, tapping your feet and calling a dance with Carter Newell, Watson's Den

4 – 5 p.m.

Barbershop Harmony  Learn some tags and a simple song, cover some fundamentals of good harmonizing and a little background on the style; hoping to get a foursome together to do a demo at the coffee house.

Bluegrass Jam Sessions
Real Slow Jam led by Resa Randolph & Friends, Scruggs' Hall

Old Time & Bluegrass, Slow Fiddle- , Monroe Saloon

Cross over jam featuring bluegrass and NE fiddle tunes,    led by Dan Sowder and Stan D'Aubin., Ola Belle Reed Hall

4:30-7 p.m Stone Fox Creamery food truck, $

5:00 – 6:30 p.m. Potluck dinner dance, Scruggs' Hall & Chubby Wise Mess Hall
Bring your favorite dish to share and beverage to share & enjoy!
Armenian Beans over Pilaf will be prepared by Head Chef for the potluck dinner is Sonya Eldridge .

Community contra or square dance led by the Newell Family with the Strung Together Dance Band, Pat Danscen is the caller.

7 – 8:30 p.m. Coffee house participant-led performances, Tommy Jarrell Sound Stage
Share your talents with the Strung Together community and sign up for a slot to perform at the coffee house. MC's for the evening-Annadeene and Tom Fowler. This is always a fun one!

9 p.m. Open jams with breakout groups for slow jammers and advanced jammers
Play tunes learned during the day and bring new ones to suggest to the group. All players are welcome!
Slow Jam in Scuggs' Hall, Fast Jam in Ola Bella Reed Hall.

Day 3, Sunday, September 15
8 – 10 a.m. It's a waffle morning! The Monroe Saloon

8-9 a.m.  Coffee Jam! A strong cup of Joe will be provided 🙂  The Monroe Saloon

9a.m. Group photo

9:30 a.m. Tune spotting workshop with Alden - focus on recognizing or learning less common types of Irish tunes, hop jigs, slides etc.

Claw Hammer styling sounds with Elsie Gawler. As does harmony singing. I'm also always down to help with a slow or medium jam!

10:30 Weird fiddle tunings with Alden- cross A/G, calico, etc

Harmony Singing with Elsie Gawler and Annadeene Fowler

10:30 a.m.  Old-Time jam led by Jon Kerr, Bob Hammond and friends, Tommy Jarrell Sound Stage

11:30 a.m. – 12:30p.m. Tune in Together. Group jam with the weekend tunes and questions for the music leaders. Led by Elsie, Alden, Skip, Stan, Dan and whoever else is not still at the coffee bar:) Tommy Jarrell Sound Stage

12:30 p.m. Sweet Social, Tommy Jarrell Sound Stage

No photo description available.3 p.m. Sean Flemming & The Red Hot Peppers: Ragtime at its Best!  ​First Congregational Church, 8 Church St. Searsport, Maine 04974

 

 

Luthiers include: Linden Frederick, Tom Gocze 

Linden will be showcasing some of his new violins/ fiddles which are available for you to play and try out. He also does violin repair and bow re-hairing.  Linden's violins are some of the most admired in New England.-Ola Bella Reed Hall

Tom Gocze has been trying to play the banjo for 59 years. and has a large collection of different types of five string banjos. His company, Stockton Strings, will be at Strung Along offering instruments for sale on Saturday Sept. 14 from 12-5. Cathy Fink's Jam Tent

Workshop Etiquette

Be prompt, have your instrument out and ready to play. Please don’t monopolize the workshop leader's time, understanding that the workshop group usually includes musicians with varying experience levels and that all hope to get something out of the brief workshop. Keep questions and discussions brief, permitting the workshop leader the time to present their planned material. Thank you 🙂