Pittonkatonk is a grassroots initiative to connect people through music and to use music to promote fair and just relations between people and society. There are different parts of Pittonkatonk. Our two big efforts are the Pittonkatonk Education Program (PEP) and the May Day Brass BBQ. We support other select events throughout the year. The programs focus on community music making and gets people to perform and experience music in public spaces with an emphasis on collaboration and teamwork.

Pittonkatonk’s Education Program (PEP) connects local teen musicians with national and local musicians and educators. Our goal is to empower kids to use their love of music to engage the world around them and to use music to achieve positive social and political outcomes. PEP encourages the musicians, audience, and community members to engage on a social level blurring the lines between performer and spectator. PEP celebrates its end of year at the May Day Brass BBQ held every First Saturday in May at the Vietnam Veteran’s Pavilion in Schenley Park.

May Day Brass BBQ/Picnic

Saturday May 5, 2018

Free to the public (donations are encouraged to pay for education programs and performances but no one is turned away).

• Pittonkatonk is music
• Pittonkatonk is a space of engagement.
• Pittonkatonk is collaboration.
• Pittonkatonk is political action.

Pittonkatonk’s mission is to empower people through music in diverse practices to engage the world around them and advance fair and just relations between people and society.

Pittonkatonk focuses on community music making, youth performance opportunities, youth and adult education and workshops, and partnerships with like minded non-profit organizations.  Pittonkatonk creates spaces around the city of Pittsburgh where the audience and musicians celebrate diversity while working for a common good. With no corporate sponsors, and nothing for sale, Pittonkatonk is an effort to create musical spaces where people can come together and empower each other outside traditional musical economies.

Pittonkatonk’s two largest programs are the Pittonkatonk Education Program, connecting local teen musicians with national and local musicians and educators and the May Day Brass BBQ, an annual volunteer-support event attended by more than 3,000 people each year. Pittonkatonk also supports select events throughout the year including musician and activist roundtables, performances, lectures, and collective music- and art-action events.