New England Residential Adult Camp

Monday, July 14-Sunday, July 20, 2025 (7 days)

  • Leaders: Liam Kantor, Lysander Jaffe & Lexi Ugelow

  • Location: Woolman Hill Retreat - Deerfield, MA

  • Tuition: $950

It has been hard to tell friends and family about the week, because no matter what I say it is never enough! ... I don’t want to get maudlin here, but if this first week is anything to go by, I have seen some small ways in which it has been life changing, with more respect for myself and those around me, and a renewed sense of life as rich & good.
What I treasure most is the gift of having met so many excellent people, having formed such strong bonds in such a short time.
I am convinced it is the fact that we were making music together, singing with our very breath & being, that helped form those bridges.
– Adult camp participant

Come join us for seven days of eclectic musical stimulation at Woolman Hill Retreat, an idyllic western Massachusetts setting.

This year’s New England adult week will be led by three energetic and brilliant Village Harmony alumni: Liam Kantor, Lysander Jaffe and Lexi Ugelow.

The framework of the week-long residency will be communal, with everyone taking turns to help prepare meals and clean under the supervision of a head cook. The menu will be primarily vegetarian, responsive to the tastes, needs and culinary talents of our camp participants.

Extra-curricular activities will include an afternoon off for hiking, a Georgian-style supra (feast) and a cabaret night.

The program will conclude with a low-key concert (or two) to show off what we’ve accomplished during the week.

  • Liam Kantor

    Liam Kantor is a vocalist and instrumentalist based in Evanston, IL. From an early age, he was steeped in the world of traditional music, learning fiddle tunes and folk dances from his teachers and family alike. During the pandemic, he spent a year in Marshfield, VT, working with Village Harmony, to organize workshops and perform online concerts with Northern Harmony.

    Currently pursuing a degree in ethnomusicology, Liam's musical interests span a wide range of traditional folk styles from around the world with a focus on New England-style and Celtic fiddle music and traditional ballads of those regions.

    Liam has a particular passion for finding ways to bring people into community through art and, particularly those who might not think to find connection through art. Thus, drawn to community-based musical traditions, he finds himself most at home singing in choirs, playing in jam sessions, and trading songs around campfires.

  • Lysander Jaffe

    Lysander Jaffe is a singer, violist and co-artistic Director of Palaver Strings, a chamber orchestra and nonprofit based in Portland, ME. He is also a founding member of Culomba, a genre-defying new vocal ensemble based in Boston.

    A devoted student of traditional music, he has studied with master musicians in Bulgaria, Kosovo, Greece, Corsica, and Georgia. In 2017, he appeared as a soloist with the Cambridge Revels in Sanders Theatre. In 2018, he was awarded an Apprenticeship Grant in Traditional Arts from the Massachusetts Cultural Council to support his studies of the unique violin tradition of Epirus, Greece.

    As a teacher, Lysander is passionate about broadening the cultural horizons of students of all backgrounds. He has taught world polyphony styles for Village Harmony since 2013 and has toured Europe several times with its professional ensemble, Northern Harmony. In 2020 he graduated from the New England Conservatory with a Masters in Contemporary Improvisation. Read more about Lysander’s work.

  • Lexi Ugelow

    Lexi is a vocalist, songwriter, expressive arts workshop and music education facilitator. Lexi started singing with Village Harmony in 2013. She has since toured with Northern Harmony and other ensembles, performing and teaching workshops to adults and children. Her interests and experience with music spans from funk, to world folk music, to classical and her heart really lies with anything a cappella.

    A professional singer and songwriter, Lexi has toured with groups such as Northern Harmony, Culomba, Honey & Soul and Road Dogs, performing and teaching workshops to adults and children. Her interests and experience with music spans from funk, to world folk music, and her heart really lies with anything a cappella.

    A firm believer that our bodies are our instruments, she encourages the practice of non-judgement during exploration of musical play. She was director of her a cappella group “The Limelights,” for three years before moving to NYC in the fall, where she worked as an Assistant Sound Engineer. Having grown up with the Family Folk Chorale, she now Co-Directs the intergenerational choir SingPositive.

Woolman Hill Retreat Center
Deerfield, MA

Woolman Hill is a Quaker retreat center situated on 110 acres of beautiful meadows and woods in the Connecticut Valley of western Massachusetts.

The center offers a peaceful atmosphere for retreats, meetings, and celebrations. We welcome many types of events, including non-profit, social service, educational, and faith-based gatherings, family reunions, weddings, and personal retreats.

The retreat’s facilities include the newly renovated (and air conditioned) farmhouse where our rehearsals, dining room and kitchen, and many of our bedrooms will be located. Other buildings available to us include are the historic Meeting House, a housekeeping cottage and three small cabins.

Woolman Hill is graced with 110 acres of open meadows and woodlands. The main campus is surrounded by large open meadows; beyond them, trails lead into the forest in all directions. The dark night sky is perfect for stargazing. Woolman Hill is at the end of a country road, with very little traffic. Trail maps will be available.