WHO ARE WE? People’s Music Network is an organization of people who use music and culture to promote progressive ideas and values. We are committed to working with and supporting grassroots and community organizations to explore and present the diversity of people's culture. We learn from our communities and from each other, and we have fun doing it!

WHAT WILL HAPPEN AT THE WINTER GATHERING? The Winter Gathering will begin Friday night, January 29, with a concert at the New York Society for Ethical Culture in Manhattan. This concert will be open to the general public. Saturday and Sunday activities will take place January 30-31 at the Renaissance Charter School in Jackson Heights, Queens. These will include workshops ranging from song swaps, to discussions and presentations, to teaching sessions, and more. There will also be a Saturday open Round Robin concert (one song per person), and a Sunday Songs of the Spirit a cappella singing session. In addition, there will be plenty of opportunities for informal singing, jamming, and networking. There will be a sales table for CDs, tapes, songbooks, etc., as well as invited vendors. Child care will be available Saturday and Sunday, and there will be a children’s concert on Saturday. The registration fee includes meals. We share the necessary work at a PMN Winter Gathering, so adult participants are expected to do a one-hour work shift helping out with such jobs as registration, food preparation, and sound reinforcement. Everyone is expected to help with cleanup.

PLEASE BRING voices, instruments, songs, stories, ideas, warm clothing (it is winter!), product to sell, love, joy, friendship, and a willingness to share.

PLEASE DO NOT TO BRING alcohol, controlled substances, weapons, or pets. (Guide dogs are OK.) Also, please avoid wearing strong fragrances or other chemicals to which people could have an adverse reaction. Please note that smoking is not permitted in or in the immediate vicinity of either building.

REGISTRATION is open to all members of PMN or any of the participating organizations, and their families. Participating organizations include the Renaissance Charter School, the New York Society for Ethical Culture, the Brooklyn Women’s Chorus, the New York Pinewoods Folk Music Club, the Walkabout Clearwater Chorus, and the Peoples’ Voice Cafe. If you are not yet a member of PMN, you can join now. Annual dues are on a sliding scale, ranging from $15 to $60. Pay what you can afford. Minor children of adult members need not pay dues.

REGISTRATION FEES are per person as follows:
Regular registration: $140.
Teen (13-17), low income, unemployed, or full-time student: $85.
Child (<13): $45.

EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT. You may deduct $10 per person for paid registrations received before January 1, 2010.

REGISTRATION FORM is available by clicking here.

ONLINE REGISTRATION is available with a credit card or PayPal account. Just click here to begin the process.

FINANCIAL ACCESSIBILTY. PMN policy is to turn no one away for lack of money. However, our resources are limited and we need to plan in advance. If the $85 low income rate still presents a problem, then please call Marilyn Suffet at 718-786-1533 as soon as possible to work out alternative financial arrangements. If you can afford to contribute to the scholarship fund, we urge you to do so. Your contribution is tax deductible.

THE FRIDAY NIGHT CONCERT will honor and celebrate New York City's Peoples' Voice Cafe on its 30th anniversary. Performers include emma's revolution (Pat Humphries and Sandy Opatow), the Lavender Light Gospel Choir, the PMN Chorus, and a showcase of Peoples' Voice Cafe favorites. One Friday night concert ticket is included with each paid Winter Gathering registration. Additional tickets are $15 per ticket in advance or $20 at the door. Please follow this link for complete concert information.

PMN CHORUS. An ad hoc PMN Chorus will perform in the Friday night concert. Participation is open to everyone, but you must come to the rehearsal at the New York Society for Ethical Culture starting at 5:00 PM.

ROUND ROBIN. This "open mike" style concert will begin Saturday afternoon and continue after dinner until 11:30 PM. We will try to accommodate all who sign up, but we cannot guarantee that everyone will get a turn. First priority will be given to children, to people with special needs, and to people who register by January 15.

CHILDREN'S CONCERT. The Saturday morning children's concert featuring Takako Nagumo, Sarah Pirtle, Anne Price, and Steve Suffet will be free and open to all children registered for the PMN Winter Gathering, to all children who attend the Renaissance Charter School, and to their parents or adult guardians. Please click here for more information.

SONGS OF THE SPIRIT is a leaderless communal a cappella singing session that take place Sunday morning and has traditionally been part of every PMN Gathering. It provides us with an opportunity to connect with one another through song, and in so doing also connect with all humanity and with the Earth itself.

WORKSHOPS. If you are interested in leading a workshop, please e-mail David Tarlo at davsong@aol.com. Include the title of the workshop, a brief description, format (teaching session, song swap, discussion, etc.), and the intended audience (adults, teens, children, all ages, etc.). We will do our best to accommodate all proposals, but we cannot make any guarantees. Some workshops may have to be combined.

THE NEW YORK SOCIETY FOR ETHICAL CULTURE is located at 2 West 64th Street at Central Park West in Manhattan. The nearest subway stops are 66th Street – Lincoln Center on the 1 train and 59th Street – Columbus Circle of the A, B, C, D, and 1 trains. Many buses stop nearby. Please click here for directions.

THE RENAISSANCE CHARTER SCHOOL is located at 3559 81st Street, just off 37th Avenue, in Jackson Heights, Queens. The Q32 bus from Penn Station stops directly in front of school. The nearest subway stop is 82nd Street on the 7 train (Flushing Line). Please click here for public transit directions. A commercial parking garage (82nd Street Park) is on 82nd Street just north of 37th Avenue, one short block away. Please click here for driving directions.

ACCESSIBILITY. The New York Society for Ethical Culture is fully wheelchair accessible via ramps and lifts, while the Renaissance Charter School is designed to be fully accessible. Both sites have fully accessible bathrooms. People who need personal care assistants are expected to provide their own. PCAs may attend the Winter Gathering for the cost of the meals alone without any additional charge. For accessibility information, please e-mail Sally Campbell at scampfriend@earthlink.net.

MEALS. Registration includes all means from a light breakfast on Saturday through lunch on Sunday, plus a late night snack on Saturday. There will be no formal dinner on Friday, although some light food may be available for a nomimal charge. Please indicate any special dietary needs at time of registration.

HOUSING. We will try our best to provide housing for people who come from out of town, but resources are limited and you must let us know in advance. If you need housing, can offer housing, or have any questions, please e-mail Ellen Davidson at ellen.davidson@verizon.net. Please put PMN housing in the subject line. For information about hotels and hostels, please click here.

CHILDCARE will be available from after breakfast until just before dinner on Saturday, and from after breakfast until just before lunch on Sunday. Please register by January 15 and indicate the names and ages of children who need childcare so we can plan accordingly.

LOCAL TRANSPORTATION. Getting about New York City is best done by public transportation. We have a good 24-hour mass transit system and the buses are all wheelchair accessible. Unfortunately, most subway stations are not wheelchair accessible, although the 66th Street station on the 1 train line (closest to the Friday night concert venue) is accessible. The Penn Station, Grand Central, and Times Square subway stations are also accessible, but the 82nd Street station in Jackson Heights is not. The Q32 bus is a better alternative if necessary. In any event you will need to buy a Metrocard from a vendor or machine. Single rides are $2.25 each, but various discounts are available. On-street free parking is often hard to find. Many parking meters need to be fed every 1 or 2 hours except on Sunday. Parking garages tend to be costly.

PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE. Click here. This schedule is not final and is subject to change.

For more information about People's Music Network, please use link below to visit the national website.

• People's Music Network national website.