Songbooks
Each song is an island in the archipelago. Below are the categories I've charted through them. Pick one, or use the Index to wander island to island.
Chart your course by Songbook, Theme, Tradition, Difficulty, Album, or Workshop.
Some songs appear in more than one category. A sea shanty that protests a tyrannical captain, like Boston Harbor, is an island visited in all of these categories: Sea Shanties, Rowing, and Songs of Courage.
You can always see the entire list of songs by clicking Index at the top.
Intro Songs and Songs of Courage are free for anyone. Same for songs I taught at the North Atlantic Song Convention.
Sign up for a free account and get one of these six songbooks.
And finally, if you choose to support this project with your hard earned gold bullion, the doors open wide to the whole archive of songs on the site. Thank you.
The six songbooks
Rowing, Paddling & Sailing
Sea shanties, rowing songs, and hauling songs for the water.
Field & Forest
Songs for the garden, the hayfield, the woodpile, and the trail through the trees.
Original Worksongs, Bluegrass & Country
Original songs by Bennett Konesni, rooted in the same spirit as traditional material. Love, loss, life in Maine, and the places in between work and play.
Dance & Instrumentals
Songs and tunes to dance to, and instrumental tracks.
By Theme
Songs of Courage
Songs of conviction and heart.
By Tradition
Sea Songs & Shanties
The full collection of sea shanties and maritime songs.
The Maine Course
Songs rooted in Maine tradition, coast and countryside.
Forest & Wood
Songs for the woodpile, balsam tipping, and the trail through the trees.
By Difficulty
Easier Songs
Easy-to-learn songs for newcomers or those needing a brain break.
Advanced Songs
Harder forms, more difficult melodies, challenging harmonies, complex rhythms.
By Album
Mountain Mover (2026)
My 2026 album: bluegrassy country crooners with some surprises mixed in. Featuring Jeff Lewis, Annadeene Fowler, Benjamin Foss, Noah Fishman, and Baron Collins-Hill.
3 tracks free, full access with membership
In The Field, In The Dusk, In The Summer (2015)
My 2015 Album featuring originals and traditionals, some upbeat bluegrass, some tear-jerkers, a couple of polskas and other fun, featuring Jeff Lewis, David Lewis, Mia Friedman, Baron Collins-Hill, and John, Ellen, Molly, Edith, and Elsie Gawler.
3 tracks free, full access with membership
The Edith & Bennett Album (2011)
Edith Gawler and I made this album in 2011.
1 track free, full access with membership
Uncommon Kinship (2007)
Jeff Lewis, David Lewis and I recorded this album after I got back from the Watson Fellowship.
2 tracks free, full access with membership
By Workshop
Intro Songs: a few to try
One or two of each type of song on the site.
North Atlantic Song Convention Workshop
Songs from my worksong workshop at NASC in Edinburgh, March 2026.
Vienna Folk Marathon Songs
Songs taught in the workshop at the Vienna Folk Marathon, New Years 2024/25.
Sign up for a free account to choose your free songbook.