AAFFM - Atlanta Area Friends of Folk Music

10/07/2026

In this issue of Atlanta Folk, we're shining a light on Lena's Place Coffeehouse. Their next event is this Saturday--check it out!

A conversation with Jonathan McBee about four decades of music and community

08/22/2026

AAFFM has two complimentary passes to tomorrow's WRFG Community Sessions concert. If you're interested, post a comment by 5 p.m. today; if there are more than 2 requests I'll throw the names in a hat and pick.

08/18/2026

Highlights from the last few months of Fiddler's Green Coffeehouse concerts are now live on the AAFFM YouTube channel. Check it out!

Atlanta Area Friends of Folk Music, founded in 1976, supports the folk music community in Atlanta. Since 1986 we have hosted the Fiddler's Green Concert Series, held monthly on the third Saturday at the First Existentialist Congregation in Candler Park.

07/22/2026

Enjoy the latest issue of Atlanta Folk!

John Plunkett and Atlanta's Sacred Harp community

07/19/2026

Pink sneakers on stage!

06/20/2026

This Sunday, WRFG hosts another of their outstanding Community Sessions. Tickets available on WRFG.org.

Leaf Halelujiah is a storyteller who creates music rooted in themes of generational healing, Black love, joy, and affirmation—uplifting hearts and inspiring purpose. A seasoned performer and songwriter, Leaf guest-starred on an NAACP-nominated episode of the hit sitcom Girlfriends and won the reality singing competition on BET.

Lee Johnson is a rhythmic, clawhammer banjoist that specializes in Old-Time Music and a genre she created called, ‘Groovy Banjo’. Her focus is to share her musical expression through the banjo to help bring forth peace, joy and connection to Black & Brown communities.

Trina Meade is a front woman/songwriter who has been on the Atlanta music scene for decades performing R&B, rock and blues. She has toured and recorded with artists such as TLC, Indigo Girls, Michael Franti, OutKast, Stevie Wonder, Michelle Malone, and Blind Boys of Alabama and is currently writing her first solo album entitled “Ashes”, set to release later this year.

05/20/2026

The latest installment in the Atlanta Folk newsletter focuses on local blues musician Mudcat. Check it out, and subscribe for more stories to come.

A talking catfish, passing the hat, gardening, and playing the blues in Atlanta

05/14/2026

Here's a listing of open mics in the Atlanta area. If you know of additional ones, please share!

Each week, ArtsATL delivers a critic’s short list of the shows, exhibitions, concerts and events we recommend for the coming weeks within one discipline or venue type in the kaleidoscope of Atlanta arts and culture. This week is a little different, as we take a look at places where independent asp...

05/07/2026

This looks like great fun! If you've been wanting to experience shape note singing, check it out.

So excited about this. Come join us at our School in the Gillespie building for an evening of shape note singing! On Friday, May 15 from 7-9 pm we will sing songs from the 2025 Revision of the Sacred Harp. No experience required! Newcomers, folks who want a refresher, or those who have been singing for years are all welcome!

We will begin the evening with a singing school to get folks acquainted with the style of singing and notation, then proceed with people calling songs from the book they would like to sing with the class. Loaner books will be available, so come as you are!

Shape note music is a 200-year-old, uniquely American style of hymn singing. This tradition is also known as Sacred Harp, after the title of the best-known shape note tunebook. These haunting 4-part harmonies are sung in powerful, exuberant style, with singers seated in an open square.

We sing not for performance but for the joy of singing and the community of singers, to which newcomers are always welcome.

This page from the Atlanta Sacred Harp website
on what to expect from a singing: https://atlantasacredharp.org/beginner.html

04/21/2026

AAFFM is delighted to be a sponsor of WRFG-Atlanta 89.3FM's Community Sessions. Here's a little clip of the encore from Sunday's show: Bill Sheffield's "Road to Galilee" featuring all three of the artists: Nathan Nelson, Bill Sheffield, and Joe McGuinness.