The Great Lakes Acoustic Music Association (GLAMA) is a Kalamazoo, MI-based all-volunteer nonprofit organization dedicated to acoustic music – the blend of stringed instruments and voices that tell stories and knit together generations of music makers, songwriters and listeners.
Acoustic music goes by many names: folk music, bluegrass, traditional and roots music, Celtic, blues, gypsy swing, old time, and Americana. As an arts organization, GLAMA celebrates all these forms and invites music lovers and players of all abilities to explore the richness and variety of today’s acoustic music scene.
GLAMA promotes live music that invites participation, whether it’s clapping, singing along with the chorus or picking out the chords. Through jam sessions, instructional workshops and concerts, and Cooper’s Glen Music Festival, GLAMA has worked to widen the circle of acoustic music listeners and players in Southwest Michigan.
GLAMA performances showcase the finest acoustic music artists. But if you’ve got a guitar gathering dust in the closet, GLAMA would like to make your acquaintance, too. And if you’re a solo picker, strummer, or vocalist looking for an excuse to play and sing, GLAMA’s got a session for you as well. Making acoustic music – and sharing it – creates something satisfying inside and among people, and GLAMA wants to help that along.