I’m a singer and teacher in Portland, Oregon.
I teach unaccompanied ballad singing at Portland Community College and perform original and traditional music 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
Fall Term 2026, Intro to Unaccompanied Ballad Singing class at PCC SE Campus.
EP of original songs on Bandcamp, Spotify and iTunes AND even YouTube
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 