"BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE - NEWPORT COUNTY, 2018"
RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY's BEST OF RI
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Common Fence Music is a Rhode Island-based 501(c)(3) non-profit arts organization whose mission it is to celebrate and preserve diverse folk music traditions by creating community-based opportunities for cultural exchange. 

Founded by Ed Nary in 1993, and inspired by the Newport Folk Festival of the 1960's and 70's, Common Fence Music was originally established to make quality folk music performances accessible to the members of the Common Fence Point community of Portsmouth, RI. Twenty-five years later, the CFM concert series at the Common Fence Point Hall remains vibrant, attracting audiences from all over New England to performances featuring GRAMMY award-winning songwriters and musicians, NEA National Heritage Fellows, and other highly acclaimed folk and world music artists from across the globe.

In 2008, then Musical Director Tom Perrotti initiated the Connecting the Beats education programming, bringing performances and workshops showcasing percussion and dance genres from across the African diaspora to youth in Newport County. In 2017, CFM added a second concert series - the Warren Sessions at Hope & Main - with the goal of shining a spotlight on rising folk talent. Common Fence Music will continue to expand their reach to even more venues throughout this 2018-19 concert season.​
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