Julie Schryer: Algoma Trad was founded in in 2004 out of our love for family and for traditional music and hands-on craft and arts.
Patrick O'Gorman: Yeah, and actually there was a student of Julie's-- a young fellow. He was only 10 years old and he was going to be a good, great fiddle player. He unfortunately passed away, and we said, “We need to do more!” You know, we need to present this stuff so that families can access this kind of stuff. And we were, you know, informed to some degree by our own experience with our own family and trying to, you know, have them involved in the music that we were doing. So when we started, Julie said, “Hey, I bet we could run a camp-- that would be easy. We know lots of people!”
JS: Yeah, all we need to do is put together a board and, you know, register to be a nonprofit. Little did we know that we were getting into.
PO: Yeah. And of course, Julie and I have been playing professionally and teaching and you know, each of us at that time over 30 years. So we had like a huge network of musicians and people that could come and instruct. So it started out very small, 80, but by our second year we were full. We only take 150-- 160 people. And it's been like that ever since, and we've had some changes, and we have new staff all the time and new ideas, and so we're always working away at it. And the Algoma Trad Centre site was actually a classical music camp for children for many, many years, and we had rented it, and then we had the opportunity to purchase the site. So that's what happened with the help of many supporters in 2016. And since then, it's been, you know, we put a business plan together and there's big, big infrastructure project. We put a million dollars into the big hall, the central hall with the kitchen. We're building a new dance hall- studio space-- performance hall rolled into one. That's next year. You know, updating all the infrastructure. We built a beautiful 30 by 60 timber frame pavilion in 2018-2019 which is where we hold most of our concerts and our dances during the summer time. So it's all systems go here. We have a blacksmith shop --we want to build a bigger one--- but we do have a small one with a local blacksmith. And so it's a real combination of things and all kinds of lessons and kind of open sessions for people of all levels to get together and play together.
Judy Wagley: All kinds of traditional arts there. And let's let folks know that the Algoma Trad Centre is on Saint Joseph's Island—it looks like a beautiful spot there in Ontario.
PO: That's right. Saint Joseph Island, which is just about 45 minutes from the border between the two Sault Saint Maries and the Upper Peninsula there. And yeah, we get a lot of people from Michigan actually coming to camp and coming to our shows because it's not that far away. And one of our main inspirations for the Algoma Trad Centre and for what Algoma Trad has become was a fellow from mid-Michigan named Dan Gorno, who was a potter and a dance caller and a step-dancer. He was the real heart and soul for our organization. He passed away in 2015, unfortunately, and he's continued to be an inspiration to us. He was just such a fellow that reached out. He had his family also that he brought. He understood what we were trying to do and where we were going with it.
JS: You know, the core of our vision and our mission is to build and to cultivate an inclusive, joyful community. So through all of these things that we do, the central theme is cultivating community and connection.
JW: Family Camp-- folks of all ages, little ones, older folks, everybody?
PO: Everybody. Yeah, and everybody becomes a big family. So it's like every small family becomes a big family. I mean--the majority of people who come to camp are actually 18 years and over, but people bring their kids of all ages, and it's wonderful to see the interaction. We just believe in the whole concept of multi-generational learning and sharing.
JS: Mm-hmm.
JW: The joy of a week of family camp, of folks of all ages making music and singing and dancing and playing--- just sounds wonderful!
PO: It's very inspiring. I mean, it's a lot of work, you know, and we have so many people involved, lots of volunteers involved and, you know, the first couple of days is like, “Oh my gosh--why do we do this?” But then by the end of the week we're like, “Wow, what are we doing next year?”
All: Laughter!
Learn more about Algoma Trad here.
