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

Strung Together Pre-event Activities

September 10th- Wednesday at the Shores, 30th year    Front Porch Jams, 5-7 PM . All are welcomed to bring a stringed instrument, a song, or smile.  Food truck on hand. Free vending of your creations is allowed.

Strung Together Begins

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

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. Instructor workshop introductions followed by Community dance with Toki Oshima, John Pranio and the Montville Band. Caller Joyce Bailey.
Join the band or join the dancers. Both options guaranteed fun! Tommy Jarrell Sound Stage

8:30ish 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.

Bluegrass Slow Jam (real slow)- Joan Richert.  Start jamming right away- some may want to take a turn in the circle to lead a song, some may want to take a solo break, but neither is required! This jam is singing based, not instrumental tunes so that nobody is left out. Watson's Den

Ready to jam and exchange tunes with other Maine folk music players? Check out the fast jam (s) led by Skip Gorman, Dan Simons, Dan Sowder and friends. Ola Bella Reed Hall

Mixed Jam with Jacob and Stan. Scruggs' Hall

Day 2, Saturday, September 13
8 – 9:15 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

*Jacob leads the morning tune stretching warmups

*The scone goddess for the weekend is Toneen Constantino

9:00 Workshops

Strung Together T-shirt making continues at Skaggs' Watering Hole 

Clawhammer session continues from Friday evening w/ Joan. Cathy Fink's Jam Tent

Mandolin Basics- Resa Randolph.  Simple chords and playing rhythm/ chopping Scrugg's Hall

Learn an Old Time Tune on Mandolin (and maybe a Jacob Henning original)- Andrew Marling is the tune you'll learn. If time allows you'll be treated to one of Jacob's original tunes. Handouts will be made available. Chubby Wise Mess Hall

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

Old Time & Bluegrass, Slow Fiddle-Skip Gorman, Watson's Den

First time Jammers led by Stan D'Aubin, Dan Simons,  Tom Fowler , back of Ola Belle Reed Hall

10 – 11:30 a.m. Jam Sessions

Irish Jam led by Alden Robinson, Scruggs' Hall

 Old-time jam featuring Kentucky fiddle tunes with Jeff Titon Chubby Wise Mess Hall

Skill building on mandolin- Easy Position shifting like a violin player in G and A ( Scales and Arpeggios) with Dan Simon Ola Belle Reed Hall

Slow jam led by John Pranio, Dan Sowder and friends, Cathy Fink's Jam Tent

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 Carter and Elijah Cathy Fink's Jam Tent
Workshop D- Jam in any key…144 chords in 45 minutes, Fred White Ola Belle Reed Hall

11:30-5:30 Danielle Dickey, of Guided By Breath licensed massage therapy and yoga, has been practicing since 2018 in Central Maine. Her style incorporates neuromuscular , breath work and trigger point work, providing deep relaxation for the nervous system. Danielle enjoys providing pain relief for her clients and looks forward to working closely with the local musicians. She will be focusing on the hard working muscles of the neck, arms , shoulders hands and back. Each session is 15 minutes and is tailored to the your needs to leave you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated!

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

1:00 PM Concert- Alden Robinson and Friends, Mabelle's Stage

2 – 3 p.m. Whatever Floats Your Boat Jam
Slow jam led by Dan Simons and friends, Scruggs' Hall
Fast jam led by Carter Newell and Family, Ola Belle Reed Hall

2 – 3 p.m. Workshops

Beginners 2 Finger Banjo Style with Jon Kerr. This is the friendly style for OT. Jogn will have a collection of OT music CD's for sale. Proceeds go to funding our instrument lending library, Chubby Wise Mess Hall

Fit in by Doing the Right Thing during a Bluegrass Jam Dan Sowder, Tommy Jarrell Sound Stage

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

Old Time Ukulele with Ando Anderson  Alison Krauss Oceanside Stage

3 – 4 p.m. Workshops

Prep for the coffee house- practice workshop, Scruggs' Hall

Flat picking fiddle tunes on guitar, Dan Simons, Ola Belle Reed Hall
Swing mandolin with Stan D'Aubin, Chubby Wise Mess Hall

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

4 – 5 p.m.

Barbershop Harmony- Steve Barrett  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. Watson's Den

Tunes from Eastern Europe with the Massie Newell and the family band. Fun for fiddlers. Ole Belle Reed Hall

Bluegrass Jam Sessions

Cross over jam featuring bluegrass and New England fiddle tunes,  led by Dan Sowder and Stan D'Aubin. Scruggs' Hall

Real Slow Jam led by Resa Randolph & Friends, Cathy Fink's Jam Tent

3:30 -4:15 PM Come grab a snack at the Monroe Saloon

5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Potluck dinner, Monroe Saloon & Chubby Wise Mess Hall
Bring your favorite dish to share and beverage to share & enjoy!
Head Chef for the potluck dinner is Sonya Eldridge.  You can coordinate fridge and oven needs with Sonya,

6:30- 7:30 p.m. Community square dance led by the Newell Family and Alden Robinson with the Strung Together Dance Band, Pat Danscen is the caller. Tommy Jarrell Sound Stage

7:30 – 9:00 p.m. Coffee house participant-led performances, Scruggs' Hall
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! Real Slow Jam in Watson's Den, Slow Jam in Scruggs' Hall, Fast Jam in Ola Bella Reed Hall.

Day 3, Sunday, September 14
8 – 9:15 a.m. It's a egg casserole and waffle (GF included) morning! The Monroe Saloon

8-9:15 a.m.  Coffee Jam! A strong cup of Joe will be provided 🙂  The Monroe Saloon

9:15a.m. Group photo on the Tommy Jarrell Sound Stage

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

Claw Hammer styling sounds with Elsie Gawler. Watson's Den

Old Time & Bluegrass Fiddle-Skip Gorman, Ola Belle Reed Hall

Real Slow Bluegrass Jam- Joan Richert and Resa Randolph. Songs may include Don’t This Road Look Rough and Rocky, All the Good Times are Passed and Gone, Worried Man Blues, My Home’s Across the Blue Ridge Mountains, etc. Cathy Fink's Jam Tent

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

Harmony Singing with Elsie Gawler and Annadeene Fowler Watson's Den

Old-Time jam led by Jon Kerr, Art Bryan and friends, Tommy Jarrell Sound Stage

Mando Madness, All Levels Anything goes in this mandolin session. Bring questions, tunes to share, techniques your exploring or just come and play. Ola Belle Reed Hall

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

1.   Pinedale Waltz

2.   Back Up And Push

Back Up And Push 2

Back Up And Push 3

3.  Santa Anna’s Retreat

4.   Farewell Trion

5.   Sweet Nell

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

3 p.m. Sean Flemming & The Red Hot Peppers: Ragtime at its Best!  ​First Congregational Church, 8 Church St. Searsport, Maine 04974

Master banjo maker on site is Tom Gocze 

Tom 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 Together offering instruments for sale Friday - Sunday. Cathy Fink's Jam Tent