INSTITUTE FOR folk music

WHY WE EXIST:

+To serve our mission: “Auld Acquaintance, Ne’er Forgot.”

It has been said: “Not all that shines is Gold.”  
We would add: “Not all that’s new is Good… or even true..”  

For this reason, we have chosen to return to the old ways, the old songs, the old stories, the old values that have stood the test of time and remind us of who we are as a people.  When our forefathers sang and played their instruments together, they were leaving a legacy for us and teaching us how to be human.

+To mentor LIFE-LONG MUSICIANS toward a joyful and servant-hearted life in the arts.

WHO WE ARE:

• We are professional musicians, with extensive performing experience in the Chicagoland area.

• We are educators who believe that teaching is a high calling and a skill that is honed over a lifetime.

WHAT WE DO:

• Private lessons -  guitar, mandolin, banjo, Irish fiddle, bass, and more coming soon!

• Folk Bands - for students to play together, with coaching from a pro. Instruments welcomed:  guitar, mandolin, banjo/tenor banjo, fiddle, viola, cello, bass, flute, penny whistle, concertina, and more!

COME JOIN US!

FACULTY

WES CARR, mandolin, banjo, guitar, fiddle, bass

R. Wesley Carr is an award winning multi-instrumentalist, composer, and songwriter from northern Illinois. He studied classical guitar with Fareed Haque at NIU before finishing his education at East Tennessee State University. At ETSU, he studied with 5 time Grammy winner, Adam Steffey. After graduating ETSU, Wes went on to win the National Mandolin Championships in 2019. He also won the NewSong Songwriters showcase in 2020 (religious category) and 2023 (instrumental category).

With over 15 years of experience teaching, Wes has developed a strong curriculum on guitar, mandolin, banjo, bass, and fiddle. He believes strongly that each student should be met where they are and no two students are the same. Many of his students have earned scholarships and continued to study music in college.

As a performer, Wes has played throughout the midwest. He has performed with the Peoria Symphony Orchestra on multiple occasions. He is also in demand as a pit musician, playing and conducting for professional and community theaters throughout Illinois and Wisconsin.

MAGGIE WORLEY, Irish Fiddle

Due to her parents’ appreciation for the arts, Maggie Worley was given many opportunities to pursue musical interests as a child. At age seven, she began playing piano, classical violin, and bluegrass and Irish fiddle. Even as a youngster, she spent many evenings in Irish pubs, learning much from elderly musicians who had brought a rich store of music and stories with them from Ireland. It was in those informal gatherings she first learned to treasure the joy weaved into Irish traditional music and the warmth of the Irish music community. She also attended many jams and bluegrass fiddle competitions during this time, twice earning the title of Illinois State Fiddle Champion before focusing solely on Irish music. As a member of the Irish Music School of Chicago, Maggie traveled to Ireland on two occasions to compete in the All-Ireland (world championships) in several events. In 2008, she won second place with her music school in the All Ireland 15-18 Grupai Cheoil (music ensemble) competition.

      After receiving a BA in American Studies from Hillsdale College, Maggie returned to the Chicago area to teach elementary school. In the midst of teaching, she spent evenings playing Irish music professionally, performing and leading sessions alongside John Williams (concertina virtuoso and multi-instrumentalist of the a Irish band Solas), Irish Tenor Paddy Homan, guitarist/singer Jimmy Moore and many more friends active in the Chicago Irish music scene.

      While Maggie’s musical journey has certainly involved competition and performance, it has also provided equally many teaching opportunities. She began teaching fiddle to young children when she was twelve years old and, with few interruptions, has continued to offer lessons to fiddlers of all ages in the more than two decades since. She finds great fulfillment in helping students learn a new skill or push through to a greater level of proficiency. Above all, she loves passing on the rich tradition of Irish music that was shared so generously with her over the years. In her lessons, she helps students strengthen their ear learning abilities, master traditional ornamentation, and immerse themselves in the style through intentional listening. She also encourages musicians to attend local sessions as Irish music (or any kind of music!) is made much sweeter in community. 

     Maggie lives in Warrenville with her husband Daryle and their five children. When she isn’t playing jigs and reels, Maggie can be found homeschooling her children, hanging out at whatever is happening at church, and writing music with her husband, who is a music minister.