Acoustic Evenings . American Folk Singing

What makes folk singing different from choir, pop, or classical singing? Laura Cortese shares her passion as a folk singer and teaches you two beautiful songs with accompanying harmonies. This workshop is taught entirely by ear, allowing you to experiment with interpretation, articulation, and discover how to sing with more confidence and groove.

Laura Cortese (The Dance Cards, Bright Light Sessions) is an American singer-songwriter and top-tier violinist who constantly explores unique sounds, grooves, and melodies through her indie-roots music. She emigrated from the U.S. to Belgium and tours extensively in both the U.S. and Europe. Her concerts and recordings have been praised by the BBC, fRoots, No Depression, The Boston Globe, The Denver Post, and The Bluegrass Situation.

Her band, The Dance Cards, was twice selected as a cultural ambassador by the U.S. Department of State, giving them the opportunity to perform, lead workshops, and collaborate with musicians in India, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Bangladesh, Ukraine, Estonia, Montenegro, and Greece.

Laura grew up in San Francisco, California, and moved to Boston, Massachusetts, to study at Berklee College of Music. There, she immersed herself in the city's vibrant music scene and built a busy touring and studio career, including performances with Band of Horses at Carnegie Hall and with Pete Seeger at the Newport Folk Festival. Five years ago, Laura moved to Ghent.