Young Tradition Vermont
Young Tradition Vermont (YTV) programs use traditional music and dance to ensure young people have opportunities to be inspired and inspiring, to learn and teach, to perform, and to serve the communities they live in and visit. We invite you to join us.
We view tradition not as something fixed and unchanging. Rather, it’s an ongoing conversation between the past and the present that reflects and shapes the ways we express who we are. Tradition is a process–and one that fosters continual innovation–keeping practices we root in the past alive and relevant to who we are today.
The Touring Group resumed rehearsals in January, welcoming Artist Leaders Pascal Gemme and Véronique Plasse from Quebec for a weekend of music learning and workshops!
The 2023-2024 Touring Group had two terrific rehearsals this fall, spending time together learning new tunes, singing in French, and getting to know each other. Artist Leader Pascal Gemme taught a tune, Le Brandy, and a song, De terre en vigne (la voilà la jolie vigne!) and the Youth Artist Leaders have introduced their sets.
We had a fabulous time running Trad Camp the last week in July! The camp, which is a longstanding Young Tradition Vermont program, took place in downtown Burlington with three dozen camper an many fabulous instructors and guest artists! Below are some scenes from each day of camp!
Auditions are now open for the the Young Tradition Vermont Touring Group’s 2023-24 season. This year, the Touring Group season begins in September with an online orientation, followed by regular in-person rehearsals and performances in Vermont, and ends in June 2024 with a tour to Quebec. Touring Group members learn from and are supported by artist leaders and guest expert musicians and dancers throughout the season, as well as sharing in musical exchanges with expert artists and young musicians and dancers while on tour.
I am sure many are very eager to hear more concerning this coming year’s programming! Good news! I have updates! :) This year the YTV Touring Group will be going to Montreal and Quebec City!
The Touring Group had just returned from their April 21-30th cultural travel tour to Cape Breton, a whirlwind of performances, workshops, and visits with many opportunities to engage with and be inspired by Cape Breton's cultural and language communities.
To all invested in Young Tradition Vermont,
I’m Ian Drury and I have been hired as the Director of Young Tradition Vermont at Vermont Folklife. I am honored to be working alongside Mark Sustic for the next 5 months as I learn from the master-of-all-things YTV to ensure the continued success and growth of Young Tradition Vermont. I have known Mark for most of my life, having worked with him on education related projects and playing music with him at our family's soirees from when I was a kid through today.
he Vermont Folklife Board and Staff are thrilled to announce the appointment of Ian Drury as full-time Director of Young Tradition Vermont at Vermont Folklife. Drury will succeed Mark Sustic, founder and long-time director of Young Tradition Vermont (YTV), formerly a stand-alone nonprofit that joined forces with Vermont Folklife in July, 2022.
Come one and all to a family friendly jam session where all instruments and music are welcome. This group is aimed at providing a welcoming and supportive space to try out playing tunes and singing songs together.
Come one and all to a family friendly jam session where all instruments and music are welcome. This group is aimed at providing a welcoming and supportive space to try out playing tunes and singing songs together.
Join the Young Tradition Touring Group at the Putney School for a T performance and community contra dance!
Come one and all to a family friendly jam session where all instruments and music are welcome. This group is aimed at providing a welcoming and supportive space to try out playing tunes and singing songs together.
Featuring Genticorum, Shyam Nepali’s Himalayan Dreams, and the Young Tradition Touring Group.
Join us at the Burlington Farmers Market for a showcase performance of students performing music and dance from a wide range of traditions alongside their teachers and mentors.
Vermont Folklife’s Young Tradition Touring Group will open for Genticorum for the Young Tradition Festival’s Saturday night concert.
Join Pascal Gemme & Véronique Plasse for this family-friendly jam session.
Join Caller Luke Donforth and Pascal Gemme, Véronique Plasse and friends for a family contra dance.
Come one and all to a family friendly jam session where all instruments and music are welcome. This group is aimed at providing a welcoming and supportive space to try out playing tunes and singing songs together.
Join the Young Tradition Touring Group at the Capital City Grange for the Montpelier Contra Dance!
Registration is now open for Trad Camp 2024!
July 29-August 2nd at the First Congregational Church in Burlington.
Our programs
Young Tradition Vermont provides a variety of programming across the State at a range of costs, including half and full scholarship options.
Touring Group
Teen and near-teen instrumentalists, singers and dancers focusing on learning and performing traditional music and dance over a 8/9-month season, including a cultural/performance tour. Group members learn from and are supported by a manager, artist leaders, and expert musicians.
Fiddleheads
Fiddleheads is an eclectic group of traditional music learning opportunities where young musicians learn from experts in the field. Through one off workshops, semester long sessions, or performance-focused rehearsals and events, there are many opportunities for beginner to advanced young artists to develop their skills in a welcoming and supportive learning community.
Trad Camp
Trad Camp is a week-long summer camp for children ages 9-18. It is a concentrated opportunity to be inspired by, learn about and perform tunes, songs, and dances in a variety of traditional styles.
Young Tradition Festival
This annual festival, held in May in Burlington, is a celebration of relationships involving students, teachers, apprentices, mentor artists and families in local, regional and international traditional music and dance communities.
Instrument Petting Zoo
The Instrument Petting Zoo (IPZ) is a collection of instruments that are installed at schools, farmer’s markets, festivals, parks, recreation programs, music camps, and special events with the express purpose of letting young people play them.
Instrument Loan Program
This program provides a variety of acoustic instruments available for loan, at no cost, for youth (25 and under).
Fam Jam
Come one and all to a family friendly jam session at Burlington’s Fletcher Free Library where all instruments and music are welcome.
About Young Tradition Vermont
Vermont continues to be home for a wide range of traditional music and dance, a tapestry of people from many places, all with their own traditions. What is now Vermont is the traditional homeland of the Western Abenaki. Over the last few hundred years, Vermont has become home to people from all over the globe. The state has consistently inspired singers, instrumentalists and dancers, and is deservedly identified for the creativity and contributions of its artists.
We also have a wealth of talented children, youth and young adults, and a variety of accessible, high quality enrichment options related to sports, theater, visual arts, and classical and jazz music. However, Young Tradition Vermont is the only program with its primary focus on young people, traditional music and dance, and a commitment to ensure what is offered is available at low or no cost.
The YTV mission
The mission of Young Tradition Vermont is for young people to be inspired, learn, perform, and serve their communities through traditional music and dance.
We offer a wide range of activities that impact young people and their families from infancy through early adulthood. These activities are designed to address at least one or more of the following parts of our mission:
Inspire young people with traditional music and dance.
Ensure opportunities for young people to learn about traditional music and dance.
Ensure that young people have opportunities to perform traditional music and dance.
Ensure that young people have opportunities to use what they have learned to serve their community.