Mission
THE OLD TOWN SCHOOL BEGAN AS A DREAM OF CHICAGO POLITICAL PROGRESSIVES WIN STRACKE, DAWN GREENING, FRANK HAMILTON, AND IN A SUPPORTING ROLE, STUDS TERKEL. THE SCHOOL'S HISTORY INVOLVES ALUMNI STEVE GOODMAN, JOHN PRINE, BONNIE KOLOC AND ROGER MCGUINN, AND PERFORMERS LIKE PETE SEEGER, BIG BILL BROONZY, ODETTA, AND MAHALIA JACKSON. TODAY, OLD TOWN SCHOOL OF FOLK MUSIC IS THE LARGEST COMMUNITY MUSIC SCHOOL IN THE US, THE LARGEST EMPLOYER OF TEACHING ARTISTS AND AN INTERNATIONAL MODEL FOR COMMUNITY MUSIC AND MOVEMENT.