Michigan Maritime Museum Concert Series Continues

The final concert of the Historical Maritime Music Concert Series will be on Wednesday, August 29

Rick Fitzgerald (Photo by Michigan Maritime Museum)

This summer the Michigan Maritime Museum has hosted a performance series focused on maritime music and interpretation. These two-hour performances have entertained Museum visitors on the last Wednesday each month from 5 to 7 pm. On Wednesday August 29th, for the final concert of the series, Rick Fitzgerald will delight our audience with the distinct notes of his autoharp and smooth vocals. Visitors are encouraged to bring their own blankets and lawn chairs and pack a picnic dinner to enjoy on the campus.

“The Great Lakes and other waterways have inspired songs for centuries.” says Executive Director Patti Reinert. “Music has always played a major role in life on the water. The artists performing in the Maritime Music Concert Series help to keep this aspect of our shared heritage alive. What better place to experience this genre of music than in the heart of the picturesque Maritime District on the Michigan Maritime Museum campus!”

Wisconsin native, Rick Fitzgerald sings songs about life, love, and adventure from the oceans and Great Lakes to the prairies and Great Plaines.  His 6 & 12-string guitars and diatonic autoharps provide an engaging platform for his smooth tenor voice, which draws audiences into the stories unfolding in his songs. Rick is no stranger to the heritage of ships and maritime music on the Great Lakes.  He is a volunteer deckhand, educator and docent aboard Wisconsin’s Flagship, the S/V Denis Sullivan, a recreation of a 19th century Great Lakes cargo schooner. Rick’s song, “Hooray for the Denis Sullivan” tells a true story of adventure on the high seas and has been heard on Wisconsin Public Radio’s Simply Folk radio program.  His two solo CDs, Crossing the Water, and Living Up to a Dream, include traditional & contemporary songs and ballads in the mold of Stan Rogers and Bill Staines, as well as his own original songs. Rick is the 2009 Mountain Laurel Autoharp Champion.

The Museum would like to extend their appreciation to the South Haven Community Foundation and Old Harbor Inn for their support in bringing these talented artists to South Haven. The Maritime Music Concert Series is free with Museum admission. Admission to the Michigan Maritime Museum is $8 for Adults, $7 for Seniors, and $5 for Children. Museum members are free. For more information on the concerts or the artists, contact the Museum at 269-637-8078 or visit www.michiganmaritimemuseum.org/music/.