History:

The California Traditional Music Society began in 1978 as a small amateur folk music club founded Clark and Elaine Weissman. Incorporated in 1983, CTMS has evolved into an important resource to both the local and national folk arts community. Its signature event in Los Angeles is the annual Summer Solstice Folk Music, Dance & Storytelling Festival. The Solstice Festival is unusual in that in addition to featuring performances, it is a “teaching” festival: Participants can learn the genres of music they experience through dozens of workshops on various instruments and singing styles. In 1989, the Weissmans and CTMS organized a meeting of several dozen national folk arts leaders to form the North American Folk Music and Dance Alliance (“Folk Alliance”www.folk.org) that now has over 2,000 members and a large annual conference. CTMS is housed in the Center for Folk Music in Encino Park, a facility of the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.