Welcome to Lark Traditional Arts

We are members of the Northern California folk music and dance community, all of us performers, teachers, students, and enthusiasts embracing countless musical styles and cultural traditions, working together to present, preserve, and encourage wider participation in traditional music, song, and dance.

This new organization allows us to bring new talents, new traditions, new energy, and new ideas to our work – work we intend to continue long into the future.

Our Mission Statement is:

“Lark Traditional Arts is dedicated to creating educational events and assets that bring people together through traditional music, song, and dance.”

Lark Traditional Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 83-2424940)


FREE EVENT THIS WEEKEND – REGISTRATION STILL OPEN!

COME PLAY AT Virtual Lark 2025 – Feb 7,8,9

9 WORKSHOPS and 2 JAMS every day

FOR FULL SCHEDULE, LIST OF INSTRUCTORS, AND INFO


TICKETS NOW ON SALE!!! LTA’s First Annual All-Day Fundraising Event

March 22nd — Ashkenaz Music and Dance Community Center — Berkeley, CA

This is going to be an amazing day, and one heck of a night with a double bill of 2 of the Bay’s grooviest dance party bands, Wake The Dead and Fanfare Zamblaleta.

“WORLDS OF MUSIC” SCHEDULE

  • DOORS: 3pm
  • CLASSIC COUNTRY/CAJUN SESSION 3:30-5pm (Main Hall) (dance floor open) led by SUZY THOMPSON and FRANNIE LEOPOLD
  • IRISH TUNES SESSION  3:30-5pm (Back Studio) led by SHAY BLACK:
  • BALKAN DANCE LESSON 5-6pm (Back Studio) led by SUE WILLARD
  • WAKE THE DEAD (Irish-laced Grateful Dead jams) 7:30-8:45pm
  • FANFARE ZAMBALETA (Balkan/Roma Brass beats) 9 -10:30pm

Add in a Food Truck or two, some LTA giveaways, some beer, wine, soft drinks, and sweets, not to mention all of your favorite friends are going to be there, and we have ourselves a special day.

ALL PROCEEDS GO TO LARK CAMP


LTA 2025 EVENTS

WHENWHAT WHERELINK TO MORE INFO
February 7, 8, 9,Virtual Lark (online workshops/sessions)ONLINELINK HERE
March 22LTA “Worlds of Music” Spring Celebration (Fundraising Event)Ashkenaz, BerkeleyLINK HERE
April/MayLTA MUSIC ED SPRING SERIESBerkeley and MendocinoDETAILS TO COME
Aug 1-9LARK CAMPMendocino WoodlandsLINK HERE

And Thank You, Lark Community!

We surpassed our 2024 End of Year Fund Drive goal! 43 individual donors came together to raise $22,147. Our original goal was 100 individual donors to support our $20,000 goal.

The funds raised during the 2024 End of Year Fund Drive will be used to recover our roughly $20,000 loss on producing Lark Camp in 2024. In our 2nd year back from the Covid shutdowns, dramatic rising costs and fewer paid Campers were factors in our current production losses. We remain optimistic, as our woes are the same as most arts, performance, and nonprofit spaces these past few years.

In the future, as our camper numbers and production costs re-balance into breakeven status, our End of Year Fund Drive goals will become project specific, such as new equipment, community and educational outreach, and Program expansion.

LTA Community suggestions as to projects/goals to direct Fundraising efforts towards in the future are more than welcomed, just email: development@larktraditionalarts.org.

LTA thanks all of you for your support in every way, from reading these newsletters and coming to LTA events, to telling new folks about Camp, passing out brochures, or sharing links and social media posts. Everything matters. Cheers to you!


LARK CAMP 2025: Aug 1st-9th

Lark Camp (established in 1980) is our family friendly Summer event where musicians, singers, and dancers learn traditional styles from all over the world.

LARK CAMP 2025 REGISTRATION OPENS IN MID-FEBRUARY

Lark Camp 2025 SPECIAL OFFER: First Time Camper and Referral Discount Codes

Refer a first-time new camper to Lark Camp and you may both qualify for a discount on registration/meals. ALSO, if it’s your first time coming to Lark Camp, you can qualify for a discount on your registration.

See https://www.larkcamp.org/discount/ for details.

(Registration includes the fees for your tuition and camping combined. Meals are a separate amount)

CLICK HERE to learn more about Lark Camp including Full Schedule and Instructor List

A fun video from Doug Plummer, a longtime Lark Camper!

A small taste of the one-of-a-kind experience of Lark Camp, our shared happy place deep in the Mendocino redwoods. Once you experience it, you understand why our campers call it “Home.”


LTA ETSY STORE

for LTA and Lark Camp T-shirts, hats, merch, and more (https://www.etsy.com/shop/LarkTraditionalArts)
All sales go directly to LTA’s Educational Program, and support our vision of presenting, promoting, and preserving traditional music, arts, and dance from around the globe.