Music

FinnFolk

Finnish culture has a long tradition of folk songs and dances. The FinnFolk group is a community of musicians who have a common interest in playing in the Finnish-American dance-hall tradition. We gather together during the Friday night dinners at the Finnish Center for informal jam sessions. Anyone who plays an instrument or would like to sing a song, is welcome to pull up a chair and join in with us. In groups of various sizes, we have played at special Finnish cultural events throughout Michigan (and for annual Finn-Fest celebrations throughout the country and in Canada). Some of us know enough songs to play for Swedish-, Norwegian-, and Dannish-American group events, upon request. Our mission is to keep the Finnish-American folk music alive in Southeast Michigan. We can be reached through the Finnish Center, and we have our own “FinnFolk” Facebook page.

Finnish American Singers of Michigan

The Finnish American Singers of Michigan is a group of amateur vocalists that love to sing with a long and active history of over 30 years. Based out of the FCA, and practicing Monday evenings at that location, the group prepares for two concerts, a Christmas concert in early December and a spring concert in early May. For many years the choir has been invited to perform at summer FinnFest celebrations all over the United States. FASM has enjoyed longevity in their directors as well. With its origins as the Loon Lake Singers, the choir was led by Irja Connoly who eventually was helped by Eero Karanen. When the Finnish American Singers choir was officially formed around 1991, Lisa Potti was the director. Henry (Hank) Naasko succeeded her, directing for about 25 years until Bill Gramzow took over in 2018. The choir would love to have new members and can use all voices from soprano to bass. We do not memorize our music and sing the few Finnish ones by learning the words phonetically. Feel free to contact choir president with questions!