Bask in the healing glow of sincerity and warmth with New Americana Music that explores the intimate relationships between sound and our emotional experiences through storytelling, clawhammer banjo, and fingerpicking guitar.

Elijah Berlow

Elijah Berlow is a Chicago-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist folk musician. Originating from pastoral roots in Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts, Berlow is a playful storyteller with a narrative style grounded in the traditions of Americana music. As a vocalist, he emanates a sincere warmth through his thoughtful phrasing, and his diligent fingerpicking guitar-style leads steadily through the pulsing catharsis of any song. Pulling influence from greats such as Townes Van Zandt, Tom Waits, Roseanne Cash, and Mississippi John Hurt, Berlow creates music that is complex, soulful, and in conversation with a rich rhythmic history. He also derives inspiration from solitude in nature, perambulations in the neighborhood, and the conversations that arise when cooking a meal to share. Berlow’s music can currently be found on Bandcamp, including the self-released albums Under the Weather [2016] and Live at VCR [2019]. The single “Roadkill” [2019] can also be found on Spotify. Berlow can be found performing with his band locally in Chicago, as well as around the Midwest and the Northeast.

Lyle de Vitry

Hailing originally from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Lyle de Vitry grew up in a household filled to the brim with music. The now Asheville-based singer-songwriter’s carefully crafted melodies and poetry are imaginative and thought-provoking as he explores themes of nature, love, impermanence, and the passing of time. At the heart of his creative practice, he explores the intimate relationships between sound and our emotional experiences—and how music can bring about both personal and communal healing. An acclaimed songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, de Vitry was selected as one of ten finalists for the 2023 Telluride Troubadours contest and was named runner-up in the 2023 NewSong LEAF Singer-Songwriter Competition.

Norma Dream

Norma Dream is a banjo player, songwriter, music educator, and community organizer from New England, whose work explores themes of tradition, community, and placemaking. Performing on a five-string banjo, Norma Jean has released the album Mothers & Daughters and is currently recording her sophomore album, Mercy Drops, which features original songs in English and French.

From a young age, Norma Jean was exposed to a diverse range of musical traditions. Performing and touring with the organization Village Harmony, she has studied vocal traditions in England, South Africa, Corsica, and Bosnia, where she lived for six months. A lifelong clawhammer banjo player, she also maintains deep connections in the old-time music community of Eastern Kentucky. As a songwriter, Norma Jean explores the poetic and musical traditions of her New England homeplace, including Sacred Harp singing, the work of poets Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost, and unaccompanied balladry. A published author in music education, Norma Jean maintains a vibrant teaching practice. She currently serves as Music Director at The Common School in Amherst, Massachusetts.