Iowa City’s Family Folk Machine gets back to in-person music making

The Family Folk Machine, an Iowa City-based intergenerational choir and band, is looking for new members as it prepares for its spring session.

After 18 months of making music virtually, the group held its first in-person concert Oct. 10 at the Riverside Festival Stage in Iowa City’s City Park. The set list was wide-ranging, from a traditional Black spiritual, “When the Train Comes Along,” to “Cover Me in Sunshine,” a song originally performed by Pink and her daughter, Willow Sage Hart.

Rain fell during the Family Folk Machine’s rendition of “Nothing More” by Alternate Routes, but the outdoor performance was a safe way for the group to perform, even as COVID-19 persists, said Jean Littlejohn, Family Folk Machine founder and artistic and executive director.

“Despite the challenges, that was really enjoyable,” she said. “Everyone was just really happy to be back together.”

Littlejohn, an organist with a Ph.D in music theory, had the idea for the Family Folk Machine in 2012, when she and her family returned from a 2-year research fellowship in Boston. There, she and her children, Claire and Ben, were part of choirs that brought together children, seniors and everyone in between to make music.

“It was such a good musical environment for the kids to be exposed to a choir from the inside, where they could be full members alongside adults of all ages,” she said.

“I feel like it’s really healthy for kids to have these positive relationships with adults — not just their parents. To have a common purpose, all these people working together to create something. Even the kids of different ages. That’s been one of the things that’s been really great about the choir.”

The Folk Machine came together 2013 under the umbrella of the Iowa City/Johnson County Senior Center. Five years later, group applied for and got their own nonprofit status.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Folk Machine suspended in-person performances, and instead practiced virtually and performed mini-concerts online in spring 2020.

The word “folk” is in the group’s title and the Folk Machine certainly plays traditional folk songs from different cultures, Littlejohn said. But rounding out the sets are popular songs from various points in history. What unites the songs is they have meaning to the performers.

“We don’t do a lot of ‘ooh, baby, baby’ songs,” Littlejohn said.

The group includes youth and adult singers, who sing some songs together and some songs apart. There is a revolving group of musicians playing instruments that always include guitar, bass and percussion and often fiddle, mandolin, banjo and harmonica. Some songs call for strings or horns, Littlejohn said.

Littlejohn puts the “family” in Family Folk Machine. Claire Sauder, 16, plays in the band and helps manage the group. Ben Sauder, 12, plays instruments and husband Michael Sauder, sings in the bass section.

It’s a non-audition group where people don’t need to worry if their voice is weak or even out of tune.

“Being in a choir is a good way to make a contribution even if you are not an expert,” Littlejohn said. “When everyone joins their voices together it makes a good sound.”

For more information or to join the choir, email Littlejohn at jean@familyfolkmachine.org.

The spring session will start Jan. 9 with online practices at first, followed by in-person rehearsals at the Senior Center. The spring performance is scheduled for May 14 at the Englert Theatre in Iowa City.

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