People's Music Network

2018 PMN Winter Gathering

We’re currently working on setting a location for the 2018 People’s Music Network Gathering in Boston, MA from January 26-28, 2018. More information will be posted to this website shortly. You can sign up for updates to receive updates by e-mail.

Download a save the date flier.

PMN SUMMER GATHERING, June 2-4, 2017 (Tolland, MA)

• Does music inspire you to dream that a better world is possible?
• Do you want to experience and contribute to musical traditions that carry this message?
• Are you looking for a musical community where singers, listeners, songwriters, fans, are all welcome in the same place?

If you answered “yes”, you’ll find much to be excited about at the the 41st annual Summer Gathering of People’s Music Network for Songs of Freedom and Struggle, which takes place June 2-4, 2017 at Camp Kinderland in Tolland, MA, a place with a rich history of bringing together artists using music for progressive social change.

Jane Sapp – a powerful performer, songwriter, and cultural worker who engages with disenfranchised urban and rural communities – will serve as the PMN Artist in Residence. She will perform in the Friday Night concert, present two workshops, and give a plenary session on the role of musicians in social justice movements. She will also give one-on-one mentoring sessions.

The PMN Friday Night Concert takes place in the historic “Paul Robeson Theatre” starting at 7:30pm on June 2, 2017 with Jane Sapp as the headliner.  On Saturday and Sunday (June 3 & 4, 2017), we’ll have educational workshops and songswaps; mentoring sessions; and a Saturday night “Round Robin” – all highlighting the role of music in progressive social change. A specific track of workshops for youth called the Youth Creative Convergence will take place parallel to the adult workshop. Expect numerous opportunities to share music, sing together, and to join efforts to bring music for progressive social change into the heart of struggles for justice and freedom today.

The Summer Gathering is similar in format to the Winter Gathering, except that participants may sleep in cabins on the same site. Camp Kinderland has a large capacity. There are options to camp, regular cabins with bunk beds, and many private and semi-private rooms available. Camp Kinderland is less than 3 hours from Boston; less than 4 hours from NYC; just one hour from Hartford, and a half hour from Winstead, CT. We will be organizing carpools for folks seeking to share a ride.

People’s Music TV

PMN has a growing archive of videos from our past gatherings and events on our PMN Youtube Channel!

We re-organized the channel to make everything we’ve recorded since 2015 much easier to find. What’s new is footage from PMN’s January 2017 Winter Gathering where we had 200 people and high energy! One participant wrote: “Great Fri concert, excellent workshops, youth, diversity – one of the best gatherings ever.”  Another said, “It feels like PMN involves heart. The times when people can connect — not just with the latest political idea song but with an experience of heartfelt social justice commitment — glues us together.”

Thanks to videographer, George Aguiar, for his work over the last 3 years to create this valuable video resource!

Videos from PMN Winter Gathering–Greenfield, MA (January 27-29, 2017)

Friday Concert: January 27, 2017 — See all the performances in two acts: (FIRST ACT: Gloria Matlock; Maurice “Soulfighter” Taylor; Two of a Kind; Dilson Hernandez and Ren; Evan Greer; The Amandla Chorus; SECOND ACT: Lindsey Wilson; Moonlight and Morningstar; Joshua Garcia; The Fruit of Labor Singing Ensemble)

Plenary & Workshops

• PLENARY: Building Institutions for Cultural Work & Self-Organization – Fruit of Labor
• Hip Hop Culture: Bridging the Generations – Fruit of Labor
• Courage and Hope Sing Along – Annie Patterson, Matt Emmer, Peter Blood, Sandy Robson
• Copper! 1917: WWI and the War on Labor – Charlie King & Candace Cassin
• Using a Music Tour for On The Ground Organizing – Fruit of Labor
• Strategies to Integrate Songs in People’s Movements – Ben Grosscup

Round Robin – 74 videos of individual performances!

Videos from PMN Social Justice Songs Showcase @ NERFA 2016

You might also enjoy seeing the PMN Social Justice Songs Showcase that was presented at the 2016 Northeast Regional Folk Alliance Conference in November 2016. We presented 12 selected songs that we felt were relevant to today’s social justice struggles in that showcase, and used the opportunity to reach out to artists about PMN. Read the article by Ron Olesko about this showcase in Sing Out!