FallSong 2026 - Portland FolkMusic Society

HomeFallSong 2026

WELCOME

to FallSong 26, PFS's sixth annual online music weekend.

October 23-25 2026

We will update this site continually over the next three months, from now until FallSong.
Please mark your calendars, and go ahead and register!

REGISTRATION

Registration is easier than ever with only three questions. Once you register, you'll have a chance to sign up to lead events or volunteer in other ways. After you have registered, we'll keep you up to date with the program schedule, how to make sure everyone has a good time at FallSong, and tell you about other things you will want to know.

HISTORY OF FALLSONG

PFS got into virtual (on-line) music at the beginning of the Covid lockdown. In March 2020, we started the Virtual Song Circle, and it has met every Saturday night since then for about 360 consecutive weeks. We discovered that many people were very happy to make music together on Zoom. So, in October 2021, we held the first FallSong, modeled after Singtime, our annual in person music weekend.

As the years went on, we experimented with different designs for the FallSong weekend. Guided by participant evaluations, the event has gelled into its current format, with lots and lots of song circles, and a few other events, including workshops, mini-concerts and All Participant Gatherings. In response to popular demand, FallSong gets a little longer each year - providing more opportunities for participants to sing!

FallSong has always been free, but there are indirect costs and so we invite contributions. Participants have been generous, contributing a total of $4,599 to PFS since we began. If you are moved to contribute, please just go up to the DONATE tab at the top of the page. FallSong is the first option. Thanks!

Remember that you don't have to be a "good singer" to come to FallSong. It's very unlikely you will ever be either the best or the worst singer in a room. And noone cares! Just bring yourself and your heart, and the music will flow.

Would you like to Volunteer?

Being part of the team that makes FallSong happen will enrich your experience! Volunteering is fun, and most of the jobs at FallSong simply require you to attend ONE SESSION as a leader or assistant. We will provide whatever training and orientation you need, and we will try to assign assistants to sessions that they want to go to anyway. Plus, volunteering is a fun way to make new friends (that just might live 3000 miles away!)

Below are the four jobs that we need the most volunteers for:

Song Circle Session Leader

In a Song Circle, participants are invited in turn to sing songs around a theme, which might be Autumn Songs, or Songs of Cindy Kallett, or Protest Songs, or Murder Ballads, or Beatles hits- there is no limit to the possibilities. Pick a theme that you like a lot, and be ready to open and close the song circle yourself. To lead a song circle, you should be enthusiastic about the theme, a warm and supportive host, and able to manage the participants so they keep introductions and discussion to a minimum. We have coaching materials to make this easier for you.

Workshop Session Leader

A workshop can take many forms. Usually participants come to learn or brush up on a skill, or workshops can be just for fun. You'll need to have a clear objective and a plan for filling the time in an interesting way. Remember that participants come to participate as well as hear you, so you'll want to give them time to practice what they have learned. Some workshops have been harmony, Brazilian music, songwriting, learning a song in another language, and intermediate ukulele. But don't be limited by those ideas!

Session Assistant

Session Assistants (SAs) support the event leader. SAs must be comfortable working with Zoom - they often assign a number to participants, they may help mute participants, they are trained to deal with disruptive behavior (which is very rare), and They also help guide people to their next destination within FallSong, usually another event but they might help by sending someone with technical issues over to the Tech Support room. They greet participants in an event by name, keep time, and field any questions about FallSong. Although SAs are key people with diverse tasks, they usually have time to participate fully in the event they are assisting at.

Mini-Concert Performer

We will have 20 minute mini-concert spots available. Participation will be on a first-to-sign-up basis. Here is a chance to share your talent and the music you are passionate about. Plus, you won't be competing with crowd noise or tinkling glasses at the bar!

How to make sure everyone has a good time at FallSong

Usually, everyone will have a good time at FallSong no matter what. But sometimes there are "paper cuts" - things that happen that leave people feeling a little grumpy or that taint the memory of the weekend.

So we're really happy to show this short video that Heather Preston and Dave Orleans made a couple years ago for Fallsong. It's contains some good advice for all of us. Please take a moment to watch it !

Registration

Click here to register

Clicking will take you to another page which will ask you to give your first name, last name, and email. Just takes a moment and then you're done.

If you would like to volunteer, we'll ask you some more questions but they won't take very long either.

Thanks.