I’m a singer and teacher in Portland, Oregon.
I teach unaccompanied ballad singing at Portland Community College and perform with my band Blackbird Cole.
Unaccompanied ballads
The ballads I teach are old poems and stories with a melody sung without musical accompaniment. I learned the songs from other singers, both in person, from song collections of field recordings, and from records of singers I like. The songs are from Appalachia, the Ozarks, Ireland, Scotland, and England.
“This class was incredible.”
Student
“I wouldn’t normally say a class has been life changing, but in this case, it’s warranted.”
Student
Performances, Recordings, Classes
Spring Term 2026, Unaccompanied Ballad Singing Level 2 class at Cascade.
Singing workshop at The Grand Dalles Music Festival on May 30 at 12pm
Original songs on Bandcamp, Spotify and iTunes
Check the Blackbird Cole website for upcoming shows or instagram @blackbirdcoleband
I was on a podcast called Get Up In The Cool. Have a listen!
Heather Blackbird 