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.
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).
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.