News from the Director by Walt Michael, Common Ground on the Hill's Executive & Artistic Director Welcome to our 14th Anniversary season!
Walt Michael photo by Richard Anderson

Common Ground on the Hill is a traditional music and arts organization that offers quality learning experiences with master musicians, artists, writers and crafts people while exploring cultural diversity in search of a "common ground" among ethnic, gender, age, and racial groups.

The Baltimore Sun has compared Common Ground on the Hill to the Chautauqua and Lyceum movements, precursors to this exciting program.

"Our world is one of immense diversity. As we explore and celebrate this diversity, we find that what we have in common with one another far outweighs our differences. Our common ground is our humanity, often best expressed in our music, our art, our dance and even our language. Peaceful solutions to our cultural and inner conflicts can be found in our shared artistic traditions."

We invite you to join us in searching for common ground.

In this, our thirteenth year, inspired musicians, artists, writers, lecturers, actors, and dancers assemble around the belief that we can improve ourselves and this world by searching for the common ground in one another through our traditions. In a world filled with negative news, we seek to create and celebrate good news.

This summer, from July 6th through 18th, we offer two separate weeks of classes, workshops, concerts and events on the campus of McDaniel College as well as the Music and Arts Festival, July 12 & 13, gala weekend event at the nearby Carroll County Farm Museum.

As a Common Ground on the Hill student, participant and festival-goer, you may choose from a broad spectrum of the arts springing from a wealth of traditions. Whether your artistic interest be instrumental music, singing, dance, acting, the spoken or written word or the fine arts, whether the traditions which interest you are Native American, Celtic, African-American, Latino or Appalachian in origin (to name a few), you will find courses that will inspire and renew you. You will meet people who will inspire you, and believe it or not, you will inspire others as you reach for common ground.

We look forward to seeing you this summer!